This episode contains adult language and situations.

Kristin Newman, was ranked number 1 in the USTA under-21 players in Southern California. Her powerful serves and aggressive backhand stroke struck fear into her opponents even before they set foot on the tennis court.

Kristin was poised to becoming a world class tennis champion like her father/coach Josh Newman. Not since Josh Newman played his last game at Westwood Academy, before moving on to the pros, had so much attention and excitement been brought to the game. Kristin was the next generation. When she walked out onto the court, she owned it, and the crowd loved her. People came from all over the country to see her play. Girls wanted to be like her, and boys wanted to sleep with her. She was a marketers’ dream and it wasn’t long before sponsors started courting her, throwing in all sorts of extra perks like private plane rides to the destination of her choice, yacht parties, premium seats for any concert or event she wanted; anything to secure her endorsement.

Kristin Newman was no longer Westwood Academy’s star player, she belonged to the tennis enthusiasts of Southern California. Her entire career was already mapped out for her; she’d become the next Serena Williams.

Kristin was in her senior year at Westwood Academy, yet for most of her years there she felt like an alien. Her strict training regime, speaking engagements and public events made her social life non-existent, that is, until she convinced her father that she could balance training, socializing and keep up her grades.

Kristin wasn’t exactly sad when she rolled her ankle and had to miss several games. As good as she was at tennis, it wasn’t exactly her first love. When the doctor had suggested she sit out this season to give her body time to heal, attendance at the games dropped, and Kristin’s influence was clearly felt.

The downtime gave Kristin plenty of time to leverage her potential endorsement deals and most importantly, spend time with her boyfriend, Westwood Academy’s star basketball player, Zax Banovic.

When her twenty-minute attempt to arouse him failed miserably, she rolled off him and onto the bed.

“I’m sorry,” Zax whispered. “It’s not you.”

“Are you seriously giving me the ‘It’s not you, it’s me speech?’” Kristin didn’t bother to hide her frustration. She got out of bed, picked her clothes off the floor and started to get dress.

“It’s just this thing with my family … there’s this huge space between my mom and dad … they think I don’t notice it. They never talk or laugh anymore, it’s like they can’t be in the same room. Kevin’s not around, so there is nothing … just emptiness.”

Zax’s family had been in turmoil since his sister, Adriana, got into an accident and lost her memory. While Kristin sympathized with him, she hated that his problems affected their sex life.

“Welcome to my world, Zax. My dad’s only around to coach me, and the only time I see my mother, is in one of her stupid movies, and recently they’ve all been box-office flops mind you.” Kristin pulled her tee-shirt over her head.

“I’m sorry, Kristin.”

She sat next to him on the bed. “You can’t let what’s going on with your family affect what we have. It’s not fair.”

“I know… My family means everything to me.”

Kristin took his face in her hands. “Are you still attracted to me, Zax?”

“Of course.” He replied.

“Then, show me.” She straddled him and lightly teased his ear with her tongue. Her hand slid down his bare chest, slowly tracing the ripples of his chiseled chest. She rotated her hips on his pelvis hoping to get a raise out of him.

“Can we not do this right now?” Zax bit his lip.

Kristin groaned loudly with frustration, climbed off him and headed to the bathroom.

“You can show yourself out.” She snapped.

Kristin took a long drive along the Malibu coastline with the top of her BMW down and latest indie rock band blasting from her stereo. All her cares blew away as the wind whipped her hair around. The further she got away from LA the better she felt. She loved Zax, but felt that they were growing apart and the pressure she placed on herself to hold his attention made her anxious.

As she passed the turn-off to Frankie’s house, it dawned on her … Frankie would know what to do, he knew Zax better than anybody. She made an illegal U-Turn and headed back to the turn-off.

The maid let her in and told her that he was in the study. The door to the study was ajar and she entered. “Frankie?”

“In here.” His voice sounded strained and Kristin rushed into the room, her jaw dropped when she saw him.

“Come, it’s not like you’ve never seen it before.” Frankie said casually.

The girl on her knees giving him head looked up.

“Don’t worry, Love, it’s all good.” He said to her and gently guided her head back to his head.

“You disgust me, Frankie!” Kristin fumed and stormed out the room.

“Krissy!” Frankie slipped away from the girl on her knees and pulled on his pants. Before Kristin could reach the front door, he caught up to her.

“Come on, why’re you so upset?” He asked, innocently.

“People like you should not have working genitals.” She shoved him.

Voices came from the top of the stairs.

“Come.” Frankie pulled her into the kitchen to distance them from the voices that got clearer with every step. “Let’s go in here.” He led her into the pantry and they looked through the slit in the door.

The lover’s banter got louder as Roxanne Banovic and Preston Malone entered the kitchen.

“Why is she here?” Kristin whispered.

“She is engaged to my brother.” Frankie pointed out.

“He’s really hot.”

Frankie rolled his eyes, “I wouldn’t go there if I were you, Roxanne will cut you.”

“They’re so perfect, he’s tall, dark and gorgeous, and she’s beautiful. Ugh, I hope they have fuggly kids.”

Frankie snickered. She could feel his warm breath on her shoulder and his hard-on poking her lower back. His hand slid under her short skirt and caressed her thigh.

“Knock it off.” She whispered and jabbed him in his ribs with her elbow.

“You interrupted what could have been a massive spunk-fest. It’s a shame to waste a good hard-on.” He whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine. “Besides, you’re such a turn-on.”

“That toaster over there, could turn you on.”

“Well … it does have two slots.” He nibbled her ear.

They looked at each other and stifled their laughter. When they heard the couple leave they busted out into the kitchen and howled with laughter.

“I can’t believe you said that.” Kristin laughed.

“It’s good to see you laugh, Krissy.” He paused to really look at her. “Seriously, it’s a good thing we’re out here, cuz, I’d have to take you right next to the bag of flour.”

Kristin stopped laughing. “I’m your best friend’s girlfriend.”

“That’s never stopped us before.” Frankie held her in his gaze.

“What about the girl in the study?”

“Probably left.” He replied nonchalantly.

The gap between them closed and Kristen leaped into his arms, wrapped her legs around him, and their lips found each other’s in a fit of hungry passion.

Frankie pressed her up against the fridge as he slid his hand up her creamy thigh and tugged at her lacy underwear. She pushed him away just enough to get free and lead him back into the pantry. Her body ached as she cupped his massive hard-on. His chest burned into hers as their bare flesh touched.

Frankie had a way of turning on the sexual deviant in her, sex with him was rough and wild. He was into anything, and she was willing to follow him down that rabbit hole because she knew that the payoff would be explosive.

After their session in the pantry, his coat closet, the shower and finally his bed, Kristin lay on her back totally satisfied.

“This evening took a nice turn.” Frankie lay next to her, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

“That’s not why I came over.”

“Really? If not for some Frankie juice, what’s the point? You and I are barely friends. The last time we were in this room together you said I disgusted you.”

“Because you invited a hooker to bed with us.”

“For the last time, she was not a hooker! Besides, you wanted a three-way.”

“She took money for sex!”

“She’s paying her way through school, she’s an entrepreneur.”

“Whatever!” Kristin slipped on her clothes.

“What’s going on with you?” Frankie propped himself up on his elbows and watched her get dressed.

“Zax has not been himself, and I don’t know what to do.”

“He’s going through a rough time. He acts like this stuff is not getting to him but it is. He’s always been there for us … me, when my mom left. Joel, with his family crisis. Zax doesn’t know how to accept help. You just have to give him space, let him ride it out.”

“That’s your solution? Just leave it alone?” Her eyes searched his for something more actionable.

“Sorry, Krissy, but that’s the only advice I can give you. This shit with his sister really freaked him out. They were so close and now she doesn’t even know who he is. That’s gotta be weird for anybody.”

“Do you think she’s faking it? I mean, it’s Adriana we’re talking about. She got an innocent girl expelled from school.”

“Astrid was not innocent. Adriana has her ways, but I don’t think she’d fake something like that.” Frankie defended Adriana.

“What if she’s faking it to cover up what really happened the night of the accident that killed that poor girl?”

“You and your conspiracy theories, Krissy. Whatever you do, do not share that with Zax, unless you want to lose him for good.”

“She threatened me, remember? She’s capable of anything.” Kristin pointed out.

“I miss her.” Frankie sighed. “Westwood Academy is the equivalent of Sunday school since she got expelled.”

“If I can prove to Zax that she is lying, he’ll get mad, get over it and I’ll have my boyfriend back.”

“How exactly do you plan on doing that?”

“For starters, I could go see her, she’s always hated me, maybe I can get a reaction out of her.”

“In other words, you want to provoke her. Good luck trying to get in, Adrian Banovic has his niece’s wing on lockdown, it’s like trying to break into the Pentagon, but be my guess.” Frankie pointed out sarcastically and rolled over on his back.

Kristin climbed into bed with him, “I can’t lose him, Frankie.” She placed her head on his chest.

“Harassing Adriana is not the way to get him back. Just wait.” Frankie caressed her hair.

“I should go.” Kristin got up and reached for her makeup bag.

“It’s not like you have practice to go to, hang out for a while.”

“I may not have physical practice, but I do have tons of footage on the competition to watch.” She reapplied lip gloss and combed her fingers through her long, layered locks.

“When are you going to quit tennis anyway? You hate the game.”

“I don’t hate the game … I’m just not in love with it.” She corrected.

“The sooner you come clean with Daddy Dearest, the better.”

“Frankie, you of all people know that parents who are overachievers, expect their kids to be overachievers. We cannot disappoint them.”

“Yeah, but you’re living a lie.”

“Isn’t that what life is? A lie?” She turned on her heels.

“Maybe for people like us.”

“Tell you what? You stand up to your asshole father and I’ll stand up to mine.” She challenged.

“Our situation is different and you know it. After graduation, I’ll go off to some ivy league college that my father’s influence got me into. I’ll fuck as many girls as possible, party hard, waste his money, come graduation… if I make it that far, I’ll inherit my trust-fund, which I’ll use to buy a ridiculously extravagant yacht and sail around the world. You, on the other hand, would be hauling ass all around the world, competing in tournament after tournament that you could care less about. You’ll be the ‘It’ girl of the tennis world, you’ll fake-smile for the cameras and your adoring fans. You’ll go back to your daddy’s mansion in Beverly Hills and pleasure yourself with the many dildos that you’ve collected over the years. That’s the only release you’ll ever get because you’ll be too busy with practice and tournaments to come close to the real thing.”

“Go to hell, Frankie.” She headed for the door.

“See you there, Krissy!” He winked.

Look for Episode 2 – The Friend, on June 29.

In the meantime, learn more about The Family Portrait series. Or get the box set which contains books 1 through 5.

Copyright ©2018 Gillian Felix. All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, email the author Gillianfelix23{AT}Gmail.com