Everyone suddenly went quiet when Olivia walked onto the balcony.

"I don’t believe we’ve met." Andy said jumping to his feet. Olivia blushed and sat down beside Missy.

"Marat and Andy I’d like you to meet Olivia Roby…Ollie you know who they are." Missy re-introduced Olivia. Marat gave her a brief smile.

"So if you don’t mind us asking how old are you guys?" Andy asked, being the blunt American he was. Olivia gulped nervously, she hated being the oldest.  Most of the times she felt the youngest.

"I’m 28." Olivia told them. They didn’t even blink an eyelid when she had said her age, making Olivia giddy with relief.

"I’m 20." Missy said. Then they blinked, looking at Olivia and then back at Missy.

"Are you sisters?" Marat asked.

"No." they both said together laughing at the thought.

"So how do you know each other then, I mean Olivia you’re American and then Missy you’re Irish…and then the age gap?" Andy asked. Missy looked at Olivia and decided to tell the strange but true story of there friendship.

"Eh well we actually met over the internet and we’ve been talking to each other for years. We meet up a like 2 years ago and this is our 3^{rd time meeting up. Cool story eh?" Andy and Marat were gob smacked.}

There was a brief uncomfortable silence before they all started chattering again. Missy sat in silence for a while, observing her surroundings.  She was in beautiful Valencia, with the two of the world’s greatest tennis players. Olivia and Missy had dreamed of several situations before, but none of them seemed half as real as this. Marat was the quieter of the two, Missy noted. He liked to watch the scenes around him, analyzing what was going on only making the necessary comment. Andy was very out spoken and determined to get his say in as was Olivia.  I guess Americans were just like that, Missy mused. She watched as Olivia and Andy debated over whether or not tennis players made too much money. Missy caught Marat’s eye and they laughed quietly, silently at the others.   Missy got up and wandered into the house.  Her head was pounding from the drinks she had earlier.  She had wisely switched to water.

"How’s the discussion going?" Missy asked as Marat joined her in the kitchen.

"Andy is obviously saying that we get only enough to live on, saying that they should raise the money blah…blah…blah. Olivia is saying we get too much, honestly I don’t care." Marat moaned putting his head between his hands.

"That’s because you win everything, you get all the money. There’s no need to complain." Missy said squeezing the back of his neck playfully.

"Come let’s go for a walk." Marat told her. Missy tried to hide the shock, but her eyes gave her away.

"But I’m in my jammies." She protested. Marat looked her over and raised an eyebrow

"They're Pajamas? " Missy nodded her head. "No ones going to see you except for me. And believe me it doesn’t look as though you’re wearing pajamas, you just look like you’re going for a jog or something." He teased her. Marat told Andy where they were going, but the two of them were so wrapped up in there discussion they hardly noticed them leaving.

The stars had finally come out, there was a hauntingly beautiful red line of the suns last rays on the horizon before it met the murky black of the night. They walked in silence observing the night sky. "You know any of the constellations?" Marat asked her. Missy nodded her head.

"I’m not that great, my grandfather was always trying to show me, but I could just never see them. I know Cassiopeia that’s about it." Missy confessed to him. Marat feigned a look of pure shock.

"Well I’m glad I’m here to teach you little one. Ok you see Cassiopeia, now look to you’re left…" Marat pointed out a couple of stars and Missy managed to keep up and eventually saw Pegasus.

"That doesn’t look like Pegasus." Missy complained. Turning her head upside down and to every side, it still didn’t look like a flying horse. Marat just shook his head and refrained himself from laughing out loud.

They continued on walking every so often Marat would name one of the Constellations, Great Bear, Aquila, Hercules, Little bear. Missy was amazed at this soft side of him.

"How do you know all this?" She asked him. He shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn’t a big deal.

"Well I lived in Moscow for so long, a city whose night sky is constantly covered with smog and every other chemical spewing from its factories. So, when I arrived in Valencia and I saw my first star filled sky, you know there were so many stars out there. I found a book and found the constellations, plus it’s also great for getting a girl." Missy hit him playfully.

It really was beautiful. The city lights behind them twinkled, the black sea lapping near by. The beach empty, just the two of them. Missy began to shiver slightly as a soft breeze wrapped around them. Marat noticed her shivering and took off his jumper.

"Here, wear this." He offered her his jumper. Missy shook her head.

"I cant you’ll get cold." Missy said observing his royal blue shirt he was wearing underneath.

"Yeah but it was my idea to go for a walk in you’re pajamas, so take my jumper. Plus if you get a cold you’ll kill me." Missy stubbornly took his jumper and put it on. That was so much better, nice and warm wearing Marat’s jumper. Man this day was just way too strange Missy told to herself.   "I also have the height advantage, so I don’t feel the breeze up here." Marat told her as they made there way back to the beach house.

"Are you suggesting that I’m small Mr. Safin?" Missy teased him.

"No…I wouldn’t say you’re small. I’d say you’re itty bitty." He teased right back. Missy pretended to be shocked at what he had said.

"Did it ever occur to you that you’re abnormally tall, and I am just the normal height? Kind of like Gulliver’s Travels, you’re Gulliver and I’m one of the Lilliputians." Missy pointed out.

"Or how bout I’m just abnormally tall and you’re abnormally itty bitty." Marat said very reasonable.

"Agreed…so who then is ‘normal’" Missy asked. Marat put his arm around Missy’s shoulders and the pair of them wondered off debating who and what was normal.

+:+:+

Olivia and Andy had finally managed to agree on something. They both managed to agree that to make a career out of tennis was very difficult and if you were an up and coming tennis player it was financially hard to come by unless you had a sponsor.

"Where did they saw they were going?" Andy asked Olivia. Olivia shrugged her shoulders, trying to ignore the tiny piece of jealousy she felt.

"So where abouts in the states you from?" Andy asked.

"Nebraska." Olivia said knowing full well that he came from there too.

"Get outta town, I’m from Nebraska too. What are the chances of that eh? What part." Andy asked amazed. Olivia found he came from a town not too far from hers and they spent the next few minutes talking about the corn crops etc.

Andy looked at his watch and gasped at the time. Although it was still fairly early, he had to be up the next morning at seven to practice at the local tennis courts. It had become a ritual since he had joined the professional league. He trained almost every day unless it was Christmas day.  Then he allowed himself a break, but usually he practiced.

"Well I better head back. Got to get up early tomorrow. Nice meeting you Olivia." They shook hands and Olivia said goodbye. She sat on the deck for a while longer finishing up her drink and looking out for Missy and Marat, she could see there silhouettes further down the beach.

She got up a few minutes later and started washing the glasses that they all had drank from. Missy and Marat were at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the deck.

"So I’ll see you around then." Missy said softly. Marat nodded his head, wondering whether or not he should kiss her.

"Goodnight." He said and watched as she walked up the stairs, making sure she got in before wandering back to his house nextdoor.

Olivia had almost finished with the glasses when Missy came floating in, looking dreamy.

"Where have you been?" Olivia demanded. She was annoyed at Missy and herself, she was annoyed at Missy because she had gotten all friendly with Marat whilst she had been left alone with that obnoxious brat. She was also annoyed at herself for being annoyed with Missy. It wasn’t her fault that she had gotten all friendly and probably romantic with him. Missy snapped out of her daze and looked guiltily at Olivia.

"Marat and I decided to give you some alone time. So we went for a walk on the beach. Oh Ollie it was so romantic, he showed me constellations and he’s just the most perfect guy ever. Do you think its love?" she said in such a dreamy voice that Olivia managed to picture herself in Missy’s place and then she remembered her anger at her.

"Of course its not love, don’t be so fatuous." Olivia snapped. Missy looked over at Olivia in surprise

"Did I do something wrong Olivia?" Missy asked quietly. Olivia regretted snapping at Missy

"No…yes look Miss trust me on this, there not everything they say or appear to be. There world class tennis players who move round from circuit to circuit meeting gullible girls just like yourself.  They just like to conquer and move on. Look whatever you do, just don’t get attached to them, ok?" Olivia explained carefully.

"Gullible is that what you think I am?" Missy asked angrily. Olivia didn’t know what to say.  How could she possibly explain this one.

"Yes I think you are." She said not quite meeting Missy’s eyes.

"Well Olivia lets get one thing straight, I am not gullible. I’ll judge for myself on whom I think is right for me. Marat is a really nice guy and he’s dead sincere. Just because you had a bad experience with him doesn’t mean you have to hate him for life. If I correctly remember, it was only last week you were saying to me how much you’d love to…" Olivia put up her hand to stop her.

"Yes Miss I think I know what you’re talking about. I’m sorry for calling you Gullible.  I was just looking out for you, ok? Forgive me for being honest?" Missy thought Olivia was making fun of her and stormed off in huff mumbling a goodbye. Olivia called after her saying it didn’t mean to sound that way, but was just left talking to herself.

The light was still on in Missy’s room as Olivia made her way to her bedroom. She pondered about going into her and explaining it, but decided to wait until the morning. She got changed and slipped into her bed which was like the most comfortable bed in all the land. She tried to read but she just kept picturing Marat and then she remembered the embarrassing situation she had managed to get herself into earlier. She groaned in annoyance as she thought of different things she could have said to him, then it wouldn’t have been half as bad. Eventually Olivia slipped into a dreamless slumber