Booked & Busy ? Devin Booker

Chapter 2: Unsettled Encounters

Tyrese didn't turn around, but Whitney's heart stopped as she looked up to find Devin approaching his teammate. His eyes were light and excited until they landed on her, hardening almost instantly.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then a moment turned into two... then three... as the silence stretched on. With Devin and Whitney staring straight at each other, Whitney felt suffocated by the tension that filled the air. She tried to come up with something to say, but the words wouldn't come. She found herself frozen under Devin's intense gaze.

Devin blinked. When his eyes opened again, his expression was neutral. "Hey."

"Hey," Whitney echoed.

"You two know each other?" Tyrese asked, reminding the pair that he was indeed standing a foot away from them, watching their entire interaction.

With his eyes still on Whitney, Devin answered flatly. "We went to college together."

"Together is a stretch," Whitney mumbled, her chest tightening. "We went to the same college."

"Is that not what I said?"

"No," she crossed her arms over her chest. "You said we went to college together. I said we went to the same college. Together implies that we had a shared experience. We did not."

Devin let out a humorless laugh. "You are a trip."

Before Whitney could reply, a group of Canadian athletes jogged past them, their loud laughter breaking the moment.

"Are you two like..." Tyrese trailed off, his eyes moving back and forth between them both. "Exes or something?"

"Definitely not," Devin answered, almost too quickly.

"A 5 '10 professional tennis player with no ass who has no life outside of trying to jump from 12 to 1 in the rankings isn't his type," Whitney quoted. She didn't realize how much his words stung until she spoke them aloud.

Tyrese shook his head, his expression showing disgust. "You're kind of an asshole, man."

Whitney couldn't help but smile at how Devin's teammate stepped in to admonish his behavior.

Devin shrugged and gave Tyrese a hard pat on the back. "Thankfully she's your type. Isn't that why you wanted me to introduce you to her after you saw her at the Opening Ceremony?"

Whitney narrowed her eyes at Devin. She was so unamused by how quickly he threw Tyrese under the bus that she didn't fully register his words until Tyrese took a step toward him.

"Yes actually," he answered confidently. "I happen to think there's more to her than her body type and tennis rankings."

Whitney's heart skipped a beat, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. She didn't know what to say so she nodded in response.

Devin's gaze flicked between the two of them and he scoffed. "Don't mind me. I'll let you two lovebirds get acquainted." Without another word, he turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction.

As she watched him go, the ache in her chest grew stronger. She couldn't understand why Devin always showed up to cause chaos in her life but it didn't matter. She was in Paris for the Olympics and couldn't afford to be distracted. Sure, Devin had a way of getting under her skin, but her career meant more to her than he did.

Tyrese shifted awkwardly beside her, clearly unsure of what to say next.

"I'm sorry."

Whitney closed her eyes for a second to recollect herself. "You don't need to apologize on his behalf. He's always treated me this way. It's fine."

"Well, no it's not. It's not okay to treat people that way."

Whitney hummed, taking a moment to examine his face the same way he did to her in their first moments.

She couldn't help but admire the kindness in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice. He was an attractive guy who was interested in her. While Whitney was no stranger to male attention, she found it difficult to sustain serious relationships while entering tennis tournaments and traveling year-round. She'd been thinking about taking a break next year after the Australian Open in January. However, with the Olympics followed directly by the U.S. Open, she didn't have time to plan a tennis hiatus.

"I should get back to my room," she finally said, breaking the silence created by her examination of his features. "I have an early match tomorrow."

Tyrese nodded, his eyes lingering on her. "Good luck. You're gonna do great!"

"Thanks," she replied, offering a small smile before turning to leave.

As she walked away, Whitney couldn't help but feel a mixture of annoyance and intrigue. Annoyed that she had to run into Devin for the second time in one day. That they couldn't have a single conversation without him throwing jabs at her. That he was able to get under her skin so easily... but intrigued by Tyrese. His kind eyes and sweet smile. The light and positivity that radiated from his 6'5 frame. The potential of getting back into dating after the Australian Open.

With her mind filled with thoughts of everything but her Olympic match, Whitney walked back to her room.

As she lay in bed that night, the faces of both men appeared in her mind, leaving her with more questions than answers. She wondered if Devin was as affected by their encounters as she was, if Tyrese was put off by her interaction with his teammate, if she would wake up with the focus she needed to win her match and make it to the next round.

After a while, she allowed the thoughts to flee from her mind and drifted off to sleep.

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Up Next

Chapter 3: Game On, Tensions High - After her first Olympic match, Whitney reconnects with Tyrese, who shows clear interest in her. Although she's intrigued by his attention, her thoughts are clouded by unresolved tension with Devin. The presence of both men during the match adds complexity to an already charged atmosphere.

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