Work Text:
Chloe is a highly regarded chair umpire. She received her gold badge two years ago and has officiated several Grand Slam, ATP and WTA Tour singles and doubles matches including the finals. She has been known for her ability to diffuse tense situations and had a knack to calm players down. She is well loved on tour for her impartiality and composure.
Beca was known to be a tenacious and fiery player. She’s very vocal with how she felt during her matches and she will not hesitate to call people out even the officials. One could say that her emotions were her biggest weakness. Funnily enough and not unexpected, the crowd finds her tantrums and mini outbursts on court entertaining.
1.
Beca was through to the first week of a pre-season tournament. A feat that wasn’t new to her career but she was excited for it just the same. She treated all her matches with the same intensity and always respected her opponents despite of their rankings.
Beca’s match today was a little after 11am and it was scorching. She’s used to playing on hot days but it felt extra hot today and she didn’t want to stay under this sun too long. She was hoping to get her match done quickly but at the same time she didn’t want to rush her game.
The first three games were longer than what she would have liked. She could tell they were both having a feel of each other and the court. It was on the fourth game when Beca was finally able to easily hold. She then won the next two games after that.
At 4-2, Beca found herself in a comfortable position. All she needs to do now is break and hold service and she’s got the first set in the bag.
“One point at a time.” Beca muttered to herself. “One point a time. Come on Beca.”
Ace! Beca put up her fist after that point.
“15 – Love.” The umpire announced.
Beca was about to serve again. As soon as she hit the ball, she knew she served another ace and was about to do a fist pump when the lines judge called it out.
She stopped in her tracks and looked up to the umpire with a raised finger. “Challenge.”
They all looked up to the screen and waited. Beca was right. It was good. “Knew it.”
“30 – Love.” The umpire announced again.
Beca jogged in place to move on from that point. She didn’t challenge often and it didn’t matter whether she got it right or wrong. There’s always something doesn’t sit well with her either way.
Beca then made five straight successful challenges in the next two games before she loses her cool. This was just ridiculous. She walks up to the umpire when she finally won the set. Beca braced herself cause she knew the umpire very well.
And when she says she knew her very well, she meant on court. She barely knew Chloe off court. In fact she didn’t think players would be allowed to be hanging out with chair umpires in real life. Chloe was a familiar face on tour and no one knows it but ever since Chloe first sat in her matches, Beca has had the teeniest, tiniest, most harmless crush on her but that doesn’t stop her from losing her cool now.
“Dude. Seriously?” Beca said standing right below Chloe with her hands on her hips and staring at those piercing blue eyes. “I don’t even have to say it. You know exactly what I am going to complain about.”
“I do but let me take care of it.” Chloe was calm and collected as always. Beca almost hated how calm she was being.
“What? Are they having difficulty seeing? Do they even know what they’re doing?”
“I will take care of it.” Chloe repeated. She wasn’t being dismissive but she wanted to assure Beca that she will simply take care of it.
Beca and Chloe then have an impromptu staring contest and Beca looks away first. She still wasn’t very happy about what was happening. She looked up to her box and shouts at them too. “What is happening?”
She then takes a seat and starts to raise her voice at no one in particular. “You guys have one job. Jesus Christ.”
“Ms. Mitchell please. Let me do it.” Chloe repeated.
Beca snaps. “Do what Chloe? I don’t see you doing anything. So you’re telling me if I didn’t challenge I lose those points? I lose the set? What kind of messed up thing is this? Am I going to have to challenge everything to win?”
“Beca, I will handle it I promise.”
That calms Beca down only by a little. She won the first set anyway. She huffed and took a big gulp of her Gatorade. She took in deep breaths and tried to steady herself.
She repeats to herself that she won the set. She should let it go. She shouldn’t let this get in her head but the longer Beca sits there, the more she starts shaking her head still in disbelief. She’s trying so hard to let it go but she just can’t.
“What are you even doing up there?” Beca looked up to the umpire again. When Chloe turned to look at her, her blue eyes still catch her off guard and took her back a bit. But those blue eyes weren’t enough to make her forget it and move on.
“I mean what if I didn’t have any challenges left? You’re the almighty umpire here and you have to overrule that. That’s your call. I don’t know what you all are doing. We’re here busting our asses and you’re there getting the calls wrong.” Beca continued to voice out her frustration and she threw her towel as she stood up.
Chloe didn’t respond. She just watched Beca walk to her side of the court to get ready to start the second set. She knows most of the players by now and what makes them tick. Chloe knows Beca very well on court and knew how to manage her emotions most of the time.
It was halfway of the first game in the second set when Beca challenged another call. Chloe didn’t show it and it’s not that she wanted Beca to lose this point but she was really hoping the call’s right this time.
“Ms. Mitchell challenges the call on the left corner, the ball was called out.”
They all look up at the screen waiting for hawk-eye and it was indeed out. Chloe kept her stoic expression.
“Ms. Mitchell has two challenges remaining.”
Beca had a couple of break points in that game that she wasn’t able to capitalise on and she was starting to get annoyed at all the wasted opportunities. She dragged her feet to her bench and grumbled all the way to her seat. “Okay. I got this. I just need to hold serve. It’s not that bad. I’m okay.”
Beca talks to herself a lot on court and Chloe watched her on her periphery. She knew Beca was on edge. The calls haven’t been going her way and she only had one challenge remaining. As if on cue, Beca started cursing.
“Fuckin’ hell. I can’t catch a fuckin’ break. I’m missing my shots, I can’t get my first serve in and now they’re getting their calls right, god dammit.”
Chloe looks to her. She thinks about it but decided against giving Beca a warning for swearing. She lets it slide since she wasn’t exactly directing it at anyone in particular.
Beca wiped her face with a cool towel trying to get her to calm down. It was working until she looked up and saw the lines person and it just made her blood boil.
“Be careful of what you’re about to say.” Chloe tried to talk her out of it. She knows that look.
“I don’t even fuckin’ care.” Beca was now staring at the linesman. “Fuck you dude. Do your job right.”
Chloe sighed but firmly said to the microphone. “Code violation. Verbal abuse. Warning, Ms. Mitchell.”
“What? Were you not here when they fucked up the call six straight times?”
“I saw. But I will not tolerate the verbal abuse and they did get the last couple ones right.”
Beca continued grumbling to herself. She hated how Chloe had a point. Chloe couldn’t hear her properly and allowed her to regroup. She thought that was the end of that and she was glad that it was.
“But you agree with me though right? You agree that they fucked up those other calls. Right? You’re with me?”
“Yes.”
“Really? You’re with me?” Beca asked again before she could stop herself.
“Yes.” Chloe answered again without missing a beat.
“Oh. Thanks.” Beca must admit that made her heart flutter. It was always a good feeling to have Chloe on her side.
And that’s all it took for Beca to let it go. It was like a thorn off Beca’s chest. She felt her ears and cheeks warm. If anyone asks, she’ll say it’s because of the sun. She was fixing her cap and rolled her eyes while trying to resist her lips curving upwards.
Beca was finally able to break her opponent in the second set and won in straight sets.
“Game, set, match, Ms. Mitchell. 6-2, 6-4.”
2.
Beca was invited to play at an exhibition tournament in Liverpool and she almost never turns down these invitations. Everything was going well so far. She’s won her first match and she was playing on her second match. She was playing someone local so she was ready for the crowd to be against her.
Her serving was by far the worst she’s seen it this season and she’s not sure if it’s because the crowd’s getting in her head or the jitters or the jetlag. Regardless of the reason it was infuriating her. She lost the first set 2 – 6 and she was currently down 3 – 1 in the second set. She knows she’s running out of time.
It didn’t help that there was this one guy in particular that was in the middle of the stands on her left or her right depending on which side she was serving on the court that’s been cheering obnoxiously and heckling her all game long.
She didn’t mind it until when she was finally able to get herself two break points but lost them both. She saw him flipping her off and shouting, “Go home!”
Chloe tried her best to control the crowd. It was getting too rowdy for comfort and she knew it was starting to affect the players especially Beca.
When Beca lost the fifth game and went down 4 – 1, she could no longer ignore the asshole. “What is your deal? Get out of here!”
Beca and the fan had an exchange of words before she turned around to walk back to her bench. Before she sat down, she looks to the umpire. “You’re not going to do anything about this? Get him out of here!” She shouts again.
Chloe keeps her calm and just nods. Beca is still waiting for an answer. She’s finally sat down. “I’m serious. I want him out of here.”
“Security is on it.” Chloe said simply.
“So they’re escorting him out of here?” Beca was quite happy to hear that. “Good.”
Beca waited for the guy to be escorted out but it wasn’t happening. She could still see and hear that same prick in the stands. “What’s he still doing here?” Beca points to the guy. “I’m not gonna play until he’s gone.”
“Ms. Mitchell it’s already been taken care of. You don’t have to delay your match for this.”
“I don’t care. He doesn’t deserve to watch us play.”
“I understand that. But he also doesn’t deserve to let you delay your match. Security is on their way.”
Beca looks Chloe in the eyes long and hard. She wanted to believe the chair umpire but it was hard to when she was just sitting pretty in her high chair. “You did hear what he said right? And saw what he did?”
“I did. That’s why he’s being dealt with by security.”
“Where are they? What’s taking them so long?”
Chloe looks around and then back to Beca. “Just trust me when I say it’s being taken care of and let’s get on with the match okay? You don’t have to delay your match for him.”
Beca rolled her eyes and grabbed her racquet. “Whatever. Don’t be surprised if a ball goes flying his way.”
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”
Beca picked up her game. She was able to hold serve and break her opponent to try and force a third set when she remembered the prick. She looked to where he was in the stands and couldn’t find him anywhere anymore. She can hear Chloe announcing the score and locked eyes with Chloe as she looked around.
Beca had to bite her cheeks to stop herself from smiling as she glanced up at Chloe at the changeover and mumbled her thanks. More than anything she appreciated Chloe’s honesty. She was direct and did not sugar coat her words.
Beca was able to turn it around and was able to force a third set but eventually lost. She wasn’t that mad about the loss and was happy to put up a good fight in the end. As she shook hands with Chloe, she didn’t mean to give it a light squeeze and Beca found herself blushing.
She was too embarrassed to look back up at Chloe and focused on packing her things. She waved to the crowd before walking off the court noting the umpire’s chair to be empty.
***
Beca met with her friend that night at a random pub near her hotel. She had the day off the next day and figured she could use some de-stressing. It was also nice to catch up with someone outside her tennis world.
She was in the middle of drinking when she sees her come in and she chokes on her beer. Chloe had her hair down and she was in skinny jeans with a black spaghetti strap top. Beca has never seen Chloe outside of the tennis courts.
“Woah. You alright there Becky?”
“Yeah I’m fine dude. Just went down the wrong pipe. What were you saying?”
Beca met Luke at university when he joined the student exchange program. Thanks to tennis she sees him at least a few times a year.
Beca kept stealing glances of Chloe here and there over Luke’s shoulder. Chloe was with a big group of friends and Beca didn’t recognise any of them. Maybe just like her, Chloe wanted to have time outside of the world of tennis. Beca found it most distracting every time Chloe ran her fingers through her hair and she did it a lot.
“You’re being weird.” Luke suddenly said to her.
“I’m sorry what?”
“Alright, which one is it?” Luke was about to turn around but Beca grabbed both his shoulders to stop him from doing just that.
“Don’t you dare Luke or I swear to god.”
“Are you blushing?”
Beca was and she could feel it. “Luke I’m serious. Please. Just this once.”
“Okay. Now you really have to tell me.”
“Promise me you won’t be a dick about it.”
“When have I ever?”
Beca knew she was going to regret this but Luke had her cornered and Luke was outside of tennis so she thought if she was going to tell someone, he would be the safest bet to tell it to. So she told him all about Chloe and her innocuous admiration towards her.
“You’re joking?” It’s the first thing Luke says. “Her?!”
Beca had to hold Luke’s hand down to stop him from pointing to Chloe. “Sorry Becky but I don’t believe you.”
“What do you mean you don’t believe me? What’s so unbelievable?”
Before Beca could stop him, Luke stood up and just by the look on his face she knew he was going towards Chloe.
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.” Beca said in her panic going around their table to try and run after Luke.
She was a second too late. Luke beat her to it and before she could pull Luke away, Chloe was already turning around to face him. Beca froze.
“Hi I’m so sorry to disturb you but I needed your help with something if that’s okay.”
“No you’re okay. How can I help you?” Chloe said in a chipper voice Beca’s not heard before.
“You see my friend here says she knows you and I’m calling bullshit.”
Beca knew it was time to step in so with all her willpower she appears from behind Luke.
“Hey hi. I’m so sorry about my friend.”
Chloe’s face lights up as soon as she sees Beca. “Oh. Hello you.” Her first instinct was to give Beca a half hug. She didn’t know what she was doing and she’s blaming it all on the alcohol in her system.
Beca stiffened as soon as she felt Chloe’s arm around her. She almost squeaked when Chloe gave her a light squeeze before pulling back.
“I’m sorry again about my friend. I understand this is your personal time. We didn’t mean to intrude.” Beca was rambling.
“So you do know each other. My bad. The name’s Luke.”
“Chloe.” She said shaking his hand.
“It’s my fault. I just couldn’t believe Becky here actually knew anyone so.”
“Alright. Let’s go and leave the pretty lady alone now.” Beca said before she could stop herself.
Chloe raised her eyebrow at that but didn’t say anything. Beca was pulling on Luke’s arm to pull him back to the safe corners of their table away from Chloe.
“Hey Bec.” Chloe called out to her. Beca turned around to face her and she hesitated. She wanted to invite Beca and Luke to join her friends but she didn’t want to cross any lines especially with their work. So she just smiled. “It’s good to see you.”
Beca nods and smiled back at Chloe. “You too. Enjoy your night.”
They kept smiling at each other and it was Chloe who turned away first and rejoined her friends.
Luke was giggling next to Beca and she nudged him on the shoulder. “You are such an asshole.”
“You’re welcome.”
Beca’s not sure if her mind was playing tricks on her but she’s pretty sure she’s locked eyes with Chloe a lot for the duration of that night. The more she drank the more intense they got.
It was a good thing she couldn’t find Chloe by the time she and Luke were leaving cause she no longer trusted herself at that point and she just knew she would have done something stupid like maybe a cheeky kiss on her cheek or ask for her number.
She’s not gonna lie, she was secretly hoping she’d run into Chloe and was slightly disappointed that she didn’t.
3.
The next time Chloe and Beca see each other was back in the court. Beca was playing against Komissar. They have had several head to heads in the past but Chloe has not officiated any of their matches before.
Beca didn’t even have time to be too happy about seeing Chloe again because of who she was facing. She doesn’t know what exactly happened between her and Komissar but they shared a mutual dislike for one another and they didn’t bother hiding it.
Their matches were always close but it wasn’t like they considered each other rivals. Honestly Beca just found Komissar to be a pain and overall very rude. Most of all Beca hated how Komissar can get to her and she knew it too. They both did. She couldn’t stand her arrogance on and off court.
It was 35 minutes into the match and Komissar was able to break Beca’s serve first. That’s when Komissar started grunting louder than usual in Beca’s opinion and was shouting out a lot of unnecessary and over the top ‘come on!’s. Beca didn’t appreciate that very much and was just about to lash out on Chloe.
“Dude do something!” Beca shouted at Chloe once she was broken. “Surely that’s not allowed.”
“Let me handle it.”
“Celebrating every point and each of my mistakes. She does this to everyone too, not just to me. It’s just outright disrespectful. And what was that shouting before I even hit the volley? You have to call those things.”
“I will call it if I see that it changes your shots.”
“It is changing my shots. It’s distracting. She’s being too loud.”
Komissar was mumbling to herself at first before speaking louder responding to Beca. Komissar knew Beca intended for her to hear her complaining to the umpire and Komissar was not above responding to her the same way. Chloe looked at Komissar trying to pacify the situation.
“What is the problem? I cannot control my feelings and I am only expressing them. Not everything is about you tiny mouse.”
“Komissar, please.” Chloe said firmly without raising her voice.
“Sorry Ma’am.” Komissar apologised as soon as Chloe told her off.
“Shut up. This is why no one likes you on tour.” Beca continued.
Komissar snickered. “I’m not here to be liked. And you think people like you? They don’t.”
Beca was preparing to respond when Chloe got in between the two and beat her to it.
“Alright ladies. The last thing I want to do is to give you code violations for unsportsmanlike conduct. I think that’s enough.”
Chloe usually allowed players to voice out their frustrations and stepped in only when she felt it became too much. She was aware that these two didn’t get along and was prepared for squabbles like this.
Beca found more chances of breaking Komissar’s serve and finally broke her serve on the ninth game.
“Game, Ms. Mitchell. Ms. Komissar leads 5 – 4 in the first set.”
Beca was now serving for the set. The crowd was back and forth but eventually got behind her and she was really getting into the match. She would raise her hands after a point and rile up the crowd making them cheer louder for her.
Before she could stop herself, Beca got carried away during one changeover. Beca couldn’t resist and said a few words when she crossed paths with Komissar. Chloe heard it and saw how it provoked Komissar but was able to stop herself.
Chloe didn’t want to give it but she had to draw a line somewhere before things got too out of hand between these two. “Code violation. Unsportsmanlike conduct. Warning, Ms. Mitchell.”
Beca knew she was pushing it a little but she wasn’t expecting to actually get a warning from that. “Woah woah woah come on. What? You’re giving me a warning? What did I do? Why are you giving me a warning? For what?”
Chloe raised her hand to Beca signaling her to calm down. “That was too much. You already made your point.”
“What about her? Did she get a warning?”
“No.”
Beca didn’t even have to look at Komissar. She knew she had that annoying smug look on her face.
“This is unbelievable.”
In the end Komissar lost to herself. Beca was in her best behaviour after her warning and Komissar lost it when she was given a point penalty for racquet abuse, ball abuse and verbal abuse. Their matches were almost always decided by who couldn’t handle their emotions and today it was Beca who was able to keep hers in check.
***
Beca reviewed her match with Komissar that night and she was never proud of her outbursts especially when they were directed at Chloe so she skipped through a bunch of bits at the start. She knew exactly why she lost the first set. She went through her comeback on the second and saw it was the start of the third set where Komissar lost it. She was left at awe at how Chloe handled the whole situation. She was never fazed. She remained neutral and calm. Beca could never do what she does.
4.
Everything that could go wrong for Beca would go wrong for her in this match and Beca was not in the right state of mind to handle everything that was about to come her way. It’s like the whole AI technology universe conspired against her today and agreed to screw her over.
“Watch it with the ball abuse.” Chloe said to Beca in one of the breaks. She didn’t want to give out any code violations today.
Chloe doesn’t hear Beca doesn’t respond but she knows she heard her so she doesn’t repeat it. Beca was busy muttering things to herself.
In a miss hit, Beca hits the ball hard toward the net. Chloe lets it go. After being called for a double fault, Beca hits the ball up towards the stands. Chloe watches where the ball lands and lets it go. When Beca missed a volley, that was the last straw, she whacked another ball out towards the stands. Chloe could no longer let it go.
“Code violation. Ball abuse. Warning, Ms. Mitchell.”
“What?!”
Beca stomping towards Chloe. “What did I do?”
“You know what you did Ms. Mitchell.”
“What? We can’t dribble the ball now?”
“You did more than just dribble.”
“So that thing I just did was too much for you?” Beca argued.
Beca just whacked a tennis ball over the stands again as if testing Chloe and didn’t really care where it fell.
“Ms. Mitchell.” Chloe warned.
“Answer the question. Was that too much? Enough to give me a warning?”
“That wasn’t the first time you hit the ball towards the stands during this match. I also gave you a soft warning earlier.”
“Why don’t you watch the actual game and what’s going on during the games instead of waiting for me to hit the ball up to the air just so you can give me a fuckin’ warning.”
Chloe doesn’t respond and just let Beca talk. Chloe knew Beca better on court at this point so she didn’t want to provoke her further. Beca was shaking her head. She knew what Chloe was doing and she hated it.
She tried to focus on her service game instead. She did her service routine where she would put three balls on her racquet, pick one to pocket, one to give back to the ball kids and one to serve with. Then she would tuck her hair behind her right ear, bounce the ball four to six times, look up to where her opponent is then throw the ball up to the air, ready for the kick.
Beca’s serve is all she has going for now. She is most comfortable in her service when most of her first serves are good. Then she hears the beep.
“Let first service.”
The first time it happens. Beca shrugs it off. She jogs in place and breathes to loosen up her muscles. She picks up her service routine from when she would tuck her hair behind her ear.
She knew she hit an ace. But she also heard the beeping sound so she knew what was coming.
“Let first service.”
Beca looks at Chloe. Chloe doesn’t give anything away. Beca starts bouncing the ball a little more aggressively than her usual bounce. It took her longer than usual to hold serve. The beeping sound start to annoy her a little more each time even when it’s not on her serve.
“Let first service.” Was driving her nuts. “Let second service.”
“This is bullshit. Turn it off!” Beca shouts as she walks towards the net and hits it several times with her racquet.
“It was this high.” Beca shows how far her ball was from the top of the net with her racquet. “There’s no way it’s a let. There’s obviously something wrong with it. Just turn it off please.”
Chloe got down her chair and stood at the other side of the net from Beca. “There’s nothing wrong with it.”
“But you can turn it off, right? You can do that?”
“I could but I won’t. Beca I can assure you there’s no glitch and it’s working just fine.”
“Yeah easy for you to say, you’re just sitting pretty up there in your goddamn chair.”
Chloe convinces Beca some more that there is no glitch but that’s the thing with Beca it was hard to convince her of anything during these tantrums. Beca returns to the service line and Chloe goes back up to her chair.
When her opponent hits an ace, Beca challenges the call. Chloe announces it into her mic and they all wait for hawk-eye’s verdict.
They all look up but there’s nothing. It’s taking longer than usual and Beca does not like the delay. She sees Chloe is talking to someone in her walkie talkie. She can already tell it’s bad news for her.
“I am told that hawk-eye is unable to show the graphic for the last call but the ball is called in.”
“You’re joking.” It was all Beca could say. “What does that mean?”
“It means we won’t see the video to show the ball was in but it is called in.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Beca couldn’t believe it. She’s heard of this happening before but never to her. “That’s just great then I guess.”
Beca was walking back to the baseline when she heard Chloe announce. “Ms. Mitchell has one challenge remaining.”
Beca stopped and tried to rationalize her emotions. She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm down but she can’t. She turns back around towards Chloe.
“What do you mean one challenge remaining?”
“You lose a challenge when you get it wrong and the call is right.”
“No no no. You can’t take my challenge away from me.”
“Beca the lines judge called the ball in, you challenged the call and hawk-eye confirms it is in.”
“Did it though?”
“I can assure you it did.”
“You’re the umpire, this is your call. You have a say too. You feel comfortable doing this?”
“I don’t see why we need to steer away from the rules in this case.”
“Alright then. But you’re the umpire; it’s your call. You can make judgment calls. I just wanted to remind you of that.”
Beca was done talking and was about to return to the baseline but had one more thing on her mind.
“But you can reverse a call right?” She was looking up at Chloe again.
“Beca, I think it’s time we get on with the match.”
“Answer the question please.”
“I can reverse a call and I will when I am absolutely sure otherwise -.”
Beca cut her off. “So in this case you’re not sure? Why not? Where else would you have been looking?”
Chloe ignores the jab and continued. “Otherwise I will stick with the linesman’s call and especially hawk-eye’s.”
“You’re trusting that guy?” Beca points her racquet at one of the lines judges.
Chloe ignores her and announces the score instead. “30 – 15.”
The beeping sound continued to drive Beca crazy and she has hesitated challenging calls, Chloe hasn’t reversed anything and Beca was pushing it with her serves. She was bouncing her balls twice as much than usual during her service routine. Chloe has called her out on it several times asking her to speed it up a little.
Beca was being stubborn and she doesn’t know what exactly she was fighting for. She just knew everything and everyone was going against her. She watched the timer go down to zero at her serve and she was still bouncing the ball.
Chloe looks at Beca. She’s trying to understand what’s going on in her head. It’s like she’s asking for a point penalty at this point. When she goes beyond the allotted time for the third time during her service game, Chloe thought about how to penalize Beca and decided to go for another warning instead.
“Time violation. Warning, Ms. Mitchell.” Chloe said when Beca was about to throw the ball up.
The disturbance to her serve annoyed her more and she felt like Chloe did it on purpose. “Oh my god, what are you doing? You are so bad at your job. What is happening? Why would you call that when I was about to hit the ball? How is that a time violation when I was in the middle of my serve.” Beca was shaking her head. “You’re the worst. I don’t know what’s happening. You’re the worst.” She said before preparing to serve again.
Beca held serve but she wasn’t done with Chloe. “You’re the absolute worst today and all you do is sit there all day long. Just terrible, unreliable and useless.”
Chloe just nods. She doesn’t respond when players get like this with her. She’s used to players directing their frustration towards her. She knows it’s all part of her job that most of the time she is the emotional punching bag of the players and that’s okay. She knows tennis is one of the most mentally challenging sports and it’s one of the reasons she loves the sport.
***
“Hold the door please.”
Beca froze as soon as she heard it but she pressed the button to keep the doors open.
“Thank you.” Chloe was just as shocked to see her. “Oh. Hey.”
Beca just nodded and stepped to one side in a corner. She watched Chloe press on the floor above her and stayed on the other side of the opposite corner.
It was an awkward elevator ride to say the least. Beca wished there was elevator music or something. The silence was deafening and the only sound was the rustling of the paper bag Chloe was holding.
The elevator finally dinged and stopped on Beca’s floor. Beca got out without saying a word to Chloe.
Chloe could barely breathe that whole trip up to Beca’s floor. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed that Beca got off without saying anything. It then dinged on to her floor and she stepped out as soon as the elevator doors opened.
She was just about to turn the corner towards her room when the fire exit door suddenly busted open in front of her.
Chloe jumped and let out a scream. “Oh my fuckin’ god.” She clutched on to her heart. She was surprised she didn’t drop her dinner. “Beca what the fuck are you doing?”
“I’m so sorry.” Beca said slightly out of breath. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” She did run up the stairs two at a time to catch Chloe.
“What’s going on?”
“Sorry just let me catch my breath.”
“Did you want some water?” Chloe offered.
“No I’m good, thanks.”
Chloe waited for Beca to literally catch her breath. She was looking up and down the hallways and there was no one else around. She wasn’t entirely sure this was really happening as she watched Beca take deep breaths.
When Beca felt like she could breathe properly again she met Chloe’s eyes. “I just wanted to say that I didn’t mean any of it and I’m sorry.”
“Didn’t mean what?”
“Everything I said on the court earlier, I didn’t mean it. In fact I think you’re very good at your job. I personally think you’re one of the best chair umpires out there. To be honest you’re the only bright side to my tantrums.”
Chloe wasn’t expecting to hear that. “Thanks. But don’t worry I understand. I know you don’t mean it. It’s all part of the game.”
“Yeah but I do feel bad about it and I am really sorry. I was wondering if we could go for a drink or dinner or something so I can make it up to you.”
Chloe raised her eyebrows at that and Beca was scared that she crossed a line. “I mean unless that’s weird. I don’t really know how these things work and what’s allowed and what’s not allowed.”
“Honestly me neither.”
“Right. I guess we’ll just have to figure something out. There’s no rush anyway. I – uhm – I’ve taken too much of your time already. I’m glad to have run into you. I felt so bad. I don’t think I would have been able to sleep.”
“Don’t feel bad. It’s really okay.”
“Okay. But you know I’ll still feel bad, I can get crazy out there.”
“And we both know it’s not going to be the last time.”
Beca laughed at that cause that was very true and she’s not even going to deny it. “Sorry again for scaring you just now.”
Beca hesitated to go for a hug so she settled for an awkward wave. “I’ll go ahead.” She said pointing towards the fire exit door. “Good night Chloe.”
“Good night Beca.”
5.
Beca was playing for a spot in the quarterfinals. She was off to a terrible start and was already broken twice in the opening set. She was down 4-0 when she totally loses it and smashes her racquet not once, not twice but three times on the blue hard courts. She then picks up the smashed racquet and threw it under a seat. She grabs a new racquet from her bag and looked up to Chloe who was quietly watching her go through her tantrum.
“Have you given me the warning yet?” She asked.
“What? No not yet. I am just about to now.”
“Good.” Beca smashed the racquet she just took out of the bag. One, two, three times again on the court just like the first one.
Chloe winces on the inside but kept her face neutral. Beca sits down and puts a towel over her head.
“Code violation. Racquet abuse. Warning, Ms. Mitchell.”
Beca lost the first set tiebreak after winning five straight games to force a tiebreak to begin with. She went into the locker room during the break in between the sets and smashed some more racquets in there and got back to the court in time for the second set.
At the start of the set where Beca was receiving, Chloe announced. “Code violation. Racquet abuse. Point penalty, Ms. Mitchell. 15 – Love.”
“No wait wait wait wait wait.” Beca says walking towards Chloe. “A point penalty?”
“Yes. You were already given a warning for racquet abuse earlier. You know this.”
“Yeah but a fuckin’ point penalty? Don’t you think that’s too harsh? I wasn’t even here. You didn’t even see it.”
They had a staring contest and as always Beca looks away first. She never wins these. “I hope you’re happy taking that point away from me.”
Chloe expected this reaction. Any player doesn’t usually take it well if they’re given a point penalty.
***
Beca was starting to get used to their random little meet ups like this. This time it was at the hotel lobby. Chloe was tapping away on her phone when Beca approached her.
“You know. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Chloe looked up as soon as she heard Beca. “Oh. Hello again. What’s that?”
What Beca really wanted to ask was for Chloe’s number but she changed her mind at the last minute.
“Beca? What did you want to ask me?”
Beca cleared her throat. “I’ve been wondering why you don’t give me code violations more often for swearing so much?”
If Chloe was disappointed by the question, she doesn’t show it. She also found ut amusing. “What do you mean? Do you want me to?”
“No. I’m just curious.”
Chloe shrugged. “It’s my discretion.”
“I know so why don’t you?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right to me. You’re airing out your frustration and I just give you time to do just that. I don’t mind a few curse words here and there as long as they’re not directed at anyone.”
Beca can see Chloe’s answer was sincere. “Thank you. I appreciate that. I’m sure most of the players on tour do. I think that’s very nice of you and you probably spoil us too much.”
Chloe was blushing from the compliments. She decides to tease Beca a little. “But just so you know, I was happy taking that point away from you.”
Beca feigned hurt. “I take it back. You’re a point stealing bitch.”
Chloe laughs and Beca’s world goes into slow motion. This is the first time she’s hearing Chloe laugh.
+1.
The first thing Beca’s noticed about her match is that it’s a different chair umpire. She didn’t realise how much she was actually looking forward to seeing Chloe in her matches and having her as chair umpire until she just wasn’t anymore.
She won the match in straight sets eventually. She still had discussions with the chair umpire and she found herself getting a little more frustrated not seeing the same familiar blues to calm her down.
Beca was in her hotel room when she thought of Chloe. She was staring at her phone and going through her socials and contacts trying to find a way to contact her. Beca hated the fact she didn’t have Chloe’s number. She was becoming more desperate by the minute. So instead of stalking Chloe’s online profiles, Beca thought she’d have better chances in real life.
Shet thought of waiting in the lobby but found it to conspicuous. That’s how Beca found herself on Chloe’s floor. She didn’t know Chloe’s room number so she settled on sitting on the couch across where the elevators are so she will see everyone going in and out the lifts.
It was a little after an hour when it dawns on Beca how stupid and creepy this plan was. She looked at the time and saw it was a little after 8pm. She figured to give herself a deadline. She was playing again tomorrow morning. “9:30 tops.” She said to herself. She even sets an alarm for it.
Beca didn’t even look up when she heard the elevator ding half an hour later.
“Beca?” Chloe sees her as soon as she got off the elevator.
Beca stands up and felt a little embarrassed as if she was just caught doing something she’s not supposed to. “Chloe. Hi.”
Chloe looks to the couch where Beca was just sitting and wonders how long she’s been sitting there. “What are you doing here?”
Chloe then looks at Beca closer. She could see her stretching a bit and her clothes were a bit creased. “Were you waiting for me?”
“I uh. I.” Beca cleared her throat. “I missed you today.” Beca didn’t know where all this courage was coming from. “On the court I mean.”
“Oh.”
“I mean I know you guys get shuffled around often. I don’t actually know what the procedure is. It could have been your day off I don’t know. I don’t really have any clue as to what your schedules are like. ” Beca was rambling.
She was in the middle of her rambling when Chloe said. “I caught the last bits of your match.”
“You did? Like on tv or?”
“I went to your court after the match I was officiating. I actually asked for a swap.”
“You were there?” This made Beca’s heart flutter. How did she not see Chloe? “Wait, why would you ask for a swap?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you said before and I think if you were going to make it up to me for all the times you were not so nice to me on the court, then I just wanted to avoid a potential conflict of interest in the future.”
“A potential conflict of interest?”
“Yeah.”
Beca wasn’t entirely sure but it felt like lines were being crossed and they were both okay with it so she pushes it. “Like asking for your number?”
“Could lead to a potential conflict of interest, yes.”
Beca was smiling now at the realization of what Chloe was implying. “Hanging out? Going out for drinks?”
“Yup.”
“Getting to know each other maybe? Asking you out on a date?”
“Yeah. All those could lead to a potential conflict.”
Beca pretends to consider it. “Hmm. If that’s the case then I guess I can handle missing you on the court.”
Beca immediately offers Chloe her phone and Chloe just looks at it. “Put your number in. Please. Before you change your mind about all of this.”
There’s that laugh again. Chloe laughed as she reached for Beca’s phone.
Chloe types in her number. “I already told you I don’t reverse a call unless I’m absolutely sure. It’s going to take more than your crazy outbursts on court to change my mind.”
“I promise I’m not a complete psycho like how I usually am in the court. You’ll see.” Beca wants to make sure Chloe doesn’t regret this. It might just kill her if Chloe changed her mind. She felt like she was playing in one of the most important matches in her life.
“I look forward to it.” Chloe said giving Beca her phone back. “Good night Beca.”
“Wait.” Beca called out to Chloe and waited for her to turn around and face her again. “If this was a tennis match, what’s the score now?”
Chloe thinks about it then smiles. “Love – 15. Your serve Mitchell.” She said with a wink.