Code Of Conduct by Cheyenne Blue
Hear the author reading from Code Of Conduct by Cheyenne Blue @Iamcheyenneblue on this episode of Book Clips, the mini podcast that gives listeners a taste of a book.
Listen to a reading from this book here
Synopsis
A lesbian romance about breaking all the rules.
Viva Jones was great once. A top ten tennis player with a grand slam trophy to her name, she had the world at her feet. Then an overzealous lineswoman’s bad call knocked her out of the US Open, and a persistent injury crushed her career. While battling to return to the game she loves, a chance meeting with the lineswoman, Gabriela, forces Viva to rethink the past…and the present.
Away from the court, Gabriela is sexy, athletic, and lives for her career as an umpire. She seems to be falling for Viva as hard and fast as Viva is for her. There’s just one problem: players and officials can’t date.
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Transcript
please note this transcript has not been edited and is automatically generated meaning certain words will be incorrect
you are listening to book clips a mini podcast in which authors and erasers do readings from novels check out the show notes for the synopsis and by links for this book
hi I’m Cheyenne Blue and I’m here today to reach you for my tennis romance code of conduct this is the story of Eva who’s a top 10 Australian tennis player and Gabriela is a tennis official I’m starting here at chapter one Vives heart pounded in double-time that she waited at the first line for the crowd to calm if anything the cacophony of applause and shouts grew louder quiet please the umpires even tones cut through the din tiebreaker six five Jones Genevieve Jones to serve vive drew a deep breath and let the tension drain from her shoulders she twitched her toe into a position a centimeter behind the service line crowds noise faded there was nothing in her mind except the next point she rocked back on her heel and flung the ball skywards come on Paige show us what you’ve got the shouted encouragement for her opponent cut through vivaz concentration laughter rippled around center court abort she lowered a racket caught the ball and fought down her flash of anger as she waited once again for the crowd to settle please do not call out when players in progress the umpire made a mark on the tablet in front of him Beavis spun away from the service line and nodded to the ball kid for a towel New York’s humidity made the racket slip in her hand like butter on a hot pan she wiped her face hands and the racquet handle staring down at the strings she refocused her concentration and willed away the butterflies cartwheeling in her stomach this moment this point set point nothing else mattered right now not her grand slam title defense not the number one ranking she stood to gain if she succeeded this point matters only this one if she won this point the match would go to three sets she paced back to the service line collecting and discarding walls from the ball kid she bounced the ball once twice a third time her grip tightened on the racket this point matters only this one a fourth bounce and she prepared to swing time violation warning Miss Jones she dropped the racket and swung around to face the umpire he said back impassively as if daring her to react she closed her eyes for a second biting back the hot words she wanted to say she was maybe a few seconds over time to call a violation was massively unfair the deep breath she bent and picked up her racket the quick glance at her peppy blond opponent now taking pretend swings with the racket Paige had a poor three set record especially when she lost the second set even knew she could win the match if it went to a third set and it was still set point to her fever wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her wristband two bounces the ball toss the swing eighth fever whirled around with a jubilant fist pump second serve what her eyes widened and she turned to the umpire foot fault the umpire leant forward and spoke into the microphone Miss Jones a foot fault was called the buzz of white noise in her head built to a crescendo leave her pressed her lips tightly together and swallowed hard she jerked around to face the lines woman who stared straight ahead no expression on her face even nodded a jerky up and down and walked back to the service line two bounces of the ball the toss the swing the soft serve kick wide and Paige returned it hard down the center for a moment they dueled back and forth before Paige sent a backhand winner down the line six or viva now needed two straight points to win she’s talked back to her chair for the short break at the change of ends a mouthful of sports drink another of water she wiped the handle of her racket and tested the stream tension the little routines counter momentarily stilled her jigging knee she focused deep inside try in vain to block out the pounding music that played during the – with it breaks fever return to the service line someone coughed in the crowd as she prepared to serve and she paused and bounced the ball one more time a clean serve down the center line Paige pushed it back short leave erased in and scoop the ball it hit the net cord and for an agonizing moment seemed to hang there before it fell back on Vera’s side of the net damn that was the worst luck that was know she slammed a wall up against the negative thoughts 7-6 Wester Meier if Paige won this point she would win the match and she now had two serves Viva focused on her feet as she returned to the baseline this time to receive Paige took her time to serve bouncing the ball many times then a bad ball toss which she caught and regrouped fever bit her lip the umpire should call a time violation he should she tamp down that line of thought focus Paige’s serve was soft almost tentative fever was already in position and her driving return clipped the baseline seven all yes she jogged back to the baseline to receive and sent a cool glanced at her opponent do your worst page pages next serve Thunder down hard and fast and unexpected Viva lunge for it then the ball glanced off the tip of her racquet a streak of pain shot into her wrist from the force and she gasped as the joint was forced back the racket fell to the ground she bent to pick it up gritting her teeth against her disappointment her wrist throbbed it was now 87 and the second match point to page but it was not over yet after accepting a ball she spun around to the service line and stared down the court as she drew a deep breath and blew it out slowly she twitched her toe into position the toe of her fluro shoe behind the line two bounces a third for luck throw swing and the serve was good she was sure it was and foot fault no the shout erupted from her tight throat not again no way the racket trembled in her hand and she clenched her fingers on the handle a glance at the umpires implacable face no chance of an overall she swung around to face the lines woman who sat stony-faced on the chair her neat brown hair is short and tightly controlled as the rest of her she stared straight ahead as if she were waiting for a bus Fever glared up at the umpire she’s wrong you can’t let her get away with this it’s match point a red haze built in her mind she tightened her grip on the racket consumed by the urge to smash it onto the court until it was broken beyond repair second serve viva tightened her lips so much that her teeth ground together she nodded once tightly to the umpire and stalk back to the service line as she drew level with the Lions woman she flicked her a contemptuous look I will not forget this the woman didn’t flinch her sweat damp hair clung limply to her forehead in the heat but she stared straight ahead without reaction with a final venomous glare in her direction Viva took her place at the service line she heaved a breath trying to compose herself this point matters only this one the hyped-up crowd now all cheering for the American the heat and humidity of the afternoon Paige bouncing lightly on her toes they all receded pushed back into a place where they were unimportant the lines woman’s stony face intruded and she too was dismissed from her mind focus she accepted three balls rejected one to lose the match on a penalty would be an unbearable indignity fever closed her eyes for a second vanishing the negative thoughts lose no she would win this her grip was firm on her racket and conviction surged in her mind she walked back on her heel the silence of the crowd was absolute the ball kids as still as lampposts the umpire poised in his chair the lines woman leant forward hands on her knees gaze locked on the service line second service last chance IVA tossed swung and smashed the ball true in the center of the racket it shot like a rocket over the net out the call was loud and sure from the linesman at the far end of the court no she couldn’t suppress the cry not the victory shout she’d imagined more a forlorn little sob of shattered dreams she had lost lost in the quarterfinals in the defense of her US Open title her legs were suddenly as weak as jelly and she sank to her haunches on court her head bowed over the handle of her racket soon she would have to face her coach deepak and the press but for one private moment she let her misery consumer only for a second arranging her face into a wry smile of congratulation she sprang to her feet and walked to the net Paige bounded up elation schooled over her face around them the crowd surged to their feet and the stadium rang with their cheers and applause for Paige not for her well by age very well-deserved she hugged her opponent around her sweaty shoulders before walking to her chair quick shake of the umpires hand and she swiftly gathered her things and stuffed them into her bag get off court the urge to flee was overwhelming a long shower that was what she wanted so that the streaming water would hide her tears she raised a hand to the crowd and trudged to the exit the cacophony of cheers for the winner followed her out again I am Cheyenne Blue and that was me reading from code of conduct you have been listening to book clips check out 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