Love Means Zero

By Daisy Jordan

A chance encounter in a Rome hotel, two tremendously damaging photographs, and Hilton Joliet’s life is instantly altered. Previously working a dead-end job as an assistant in a portrait studio, she is now a freelance photographer for Game Set Match magazine, “the Us Weekly of tennis,” as she calls it.

Thrown rapidly into a jet-setting life of world-class tennis, the best seats at the best matches, and trailing the hottest young tennis stars and their model and actress girlfriends, Hilton, a former tennis player herself, can’t imagine a more fun job or a better way to jump-start her career while her boyfriend Luke finishes law school.

As Hilton spends more and more time away from home, grows closer and closer to Tanner Bruin—the world-ranked No. 3 player on whom she’s always had a huge crush—and becomes more and more hated by Aubrey Gage—the actress girlfriend of world-ranked No. 6 player Haidin Bayliss—Luke keeps a secret from her that could drastically change their six-year relationship. It is through Hilton’s discovery of that secret, her love for the tennis tour, and her front-row glimpse into its most high-profile relationships that she starts to see how love doesn’t always mean near as much as she thought it did.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daisy Jordan
• Release date: Mar 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311627476

Daisy Jordan

I am a YA and adult fiction author currently living in Fort Myers, Florida. My books include YA and general fiction, mostly about relationships and everyday life, with some extra plot twists thrown in for fun! My characters reappear from one novel to the next, and even when they're not main characters in the current book, you can still get updates on their lives. I love writing because I get to capture emotions people feel in everyday life and play with my readers' emotions! ;) I write characters people can relate to, and I almost always end a book with a cliffhanger to keep my readers coming back. Plus, life is always better with a little suspense! ;)

Book preview

A tennis match is divided into either 3 or 5 sets. To win a match, a player must win either 2 sets (in a best-of-3 match) or 3 sets (in a best-of-5 match).

To win a set, a player must win 6 games. The player must win the set by at least 2 games (example: 6-2).

To win a game, a player must score 4 points and win by at least 2. The scoring, however, does not go 1, 2, 3, 4. It goes as follows:

love = 0 points

15 = 1 point

30 = 2 points

40 = 3 points

There is no specific name for the 4th point, because as soon as someone wins it, the game is over, unless the score going into that point was tied at 40-40. If the players are tied at 3 points apiece, or 40-40, this is called deuce. Whoever wins the next point after the deuce has the advantage. If this player wins the next point as well, he/she wins the game. If the player who does not have the advantage wins the next point, the score returns to deuce. This goes on until someone wins the game.

If the score reaches 6 games to 5 in a set, another game is played. If the score is then 7-5, the set is over. If the score is then 6-6, a tiebreaker, or "breaker," is played. To win the tiebreaker, a player must score 7 points and win by at least 2 (example: 7-4). In the tiebreaker the score simply goes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and so on. If the score is tied at 6-6, 7-7, or higher, the game goes on until one player wins by 2 (example: 12-10). The winner of the tiebreaker wins the set 7 games to 6, or 7-6.

In 3 major tournaments—the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon—tiebreakers are not allowed in the 5th set of matches. Therefore, if players are tied at 6 games apiece in the 5th set, they will continue playing normal games until one player has won by 2. The longest 5th set to ever be played was at Wimbledon in 2010, when John Isner of the US beat Nicolas Mahut of France 70-68 in the 5th set of their 1st-round match.

Scores of matches are written and announced as follows in this example:

Player 1 d. Player 2: 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(1), 7-6(8).

The numbers in parentheses () tell the scores of the tiebreakers. The number shown in parentheses is the number of points scored by the player who lost the tiebreaker. Given this number, it can be determined how many the winner scored as well, since it is known the winner must score at least 7 and win by at least 2.

So, here is what can be interpreted from the above score:

1) Player 1 defeated Player 2.

2) This was a best-of-5 match, because Player 1 had to win 3 sets to win the match.

3) Player 1 won the 1st set 6 games to 4, lost the 2nd set 5 games to 7, and won the 3rd and 4th sets in tiebreakers.

4) In the 3rd-set tiebreaker, the losing player (Player 2) scored only 1 point. Therefore, it can be deduced that Player 1 scored 7 points since 7 points must be scored in order to win.

5) In the 4th-set tiebreaker, the losing player (Player 2) scored 8 points. This means Player 1 had to have scored 10 points, since the tiebreaker must be won by 2.

At the beginning of a match, a coin flip is performed to see who will serve the first game. The other player serves the second game, and they continue to switch back and forth every game of the match. Typically, players win the games they serve. Every time this happens, it is called a hold. Players are said to have "held serve." If a player is able to win a game while the other player is serving, it is called a break. The player who lost the game he/she served has "been broken." The following are some terms that go along with serving.

up a break: a player is ahead in the set because he/she has broken the other player’s serve (up 2 breaks would mean a player has broken the other player twice in the set, and so on)

down a break: a player is behind in the set because he/she has been broken (down 2 breaks would mean a player has been broken twice in the set, and so on)

on serve: no one has broken in the set; each player has held his/her own serve in every game

back on serve: each player has broken the other player an equal number of times in the set, so that the score is what it would be if each player had held his/her serve in every game

trade breaks: one player breaks, then the other player breaks back so that the score is back on serve

fault: a player’s serve does not land within the service lines on the court

2nd serve: after a fault, the player’s 2nd try to serve the ball within the service lines

double-fault: a player serves 2 faults in a row and therefore loses the point

let: a player serves and the ball hits the net on the way over but still lands within the service lines—the player then gets a free do-over

We don’t expect you to remember all of this, but feel free to use it as a guide, tear it out to keep by your TV when you watch tennis, refer to it while reading GSM, use it to improve your tennis lingo, etc. If you do take one thing from this how-to, just remember…love won’t help your game in this sport. GSM

SoHo

May 3, 2007

Agh, you guys are so lucky! Kelsey said. I can’t believe you’re leaving for Italy in four hours and I have to get up and go back to work tomorrow! She pouted her lips, then leaned forward and sipped her margarita through the straw without picking up the glass. Her long blonde hair fell around her face.

I know! Hilton and Jill cried together. They looked at each other and laughed excitedly.

I’m so glad you took the last couple days off work to hang out with us though! Jill said. This has been so fun, and we haven’t even started the main part of the trip yet! She grinned, her long layered brown hair framing her face. She and Hilton lived in Indiana, but they had booked their flight to Rome from JFK, rather than from Indy, so they could spend a few days in New York City visiting Kelsey, one of their old best friends from high school. They’d also been hanging out with Arden, another friend from high school who was living in New York City. Arden and Kelsey had been close back in high school, but Hilton and Jill hadn’t known Arden as well as they’d known Kelsey.

Oh my gosh, Kels, Arden said, laughing as Kelsey took another sip of her margarita without picking up the glass. I cannot take you out in public. If my boss saw me right now she’d be like, ‘I am never letting that disgusting friend of yours into another party, Arden.’

Kelsey grinned. You know I do it on purpose, bitch. She leaned forward and slurped frozen margarita up the straw. Arden looked around the outdoor patio, pretending to be horrified someone might see.

Hilton, Jill, and Kelsey all grinned at each other and laughed.

Arden, this is freakin’ awesome, Hilton said, following Arden’s gaze around the patio. The four of them were sitting at an outside table at Cipriani Downtown in SoHo. The crowd was young, hip, sort of artsy, and incredibly good-looking.

Arden flashed a smile at them. I know, I’m the shit. What can I say?

They all laughed again.

I’m seriously so jealous of you, Hilton said as she picked up her mojito. She took a long drink, then set it back down as she looked around again. "With your kickass job where you get paid to party and meet tons of celebrities…I am so sick of my job. I am so freakin’ glad I’m going to Italy right now, ‘cause I have to do something different."

Hey, maybe you’ll meet some hot famous tennis players! Kelsey said, her blue eyes lighting up. Like Tanner Bruin or Andy Roddick?

I have a huge crush on Tanner Bruin, Hilton giggled. I just hope somebody like that’s still playing the day we go. It’s a clay tournament, so the Americans usually don’t do as well. Hilton and Jill were going to see a tennis tournament while they were in Rome, because Hilton had played in high school and had always wanted to go to a pro tournament. When she and Jill had realized there was one scheduled in Rome while they would be there, they’d decided to buy tickets online. Jill had never played tennis, but she liked to watch it on TV. Hilton had gotten her into it their freshman year of college. Now Luke and Todd, Hilton’s and Jill’s boyfriends, were even kind of into it, since the four of them all lived together.

I think Haidin Bayliss is hotter than Tanner or Andy, Arden said. He was at a party the other week at Bungalow with Aubrey, and oh my gosh. She let her head fall back and rolled her dark brown eyes. He’s a huge asshole though, but that’s what I like. She grinned.

Haidin Bayliss was a young, and very good, Australian tennis player who was dating Aubrey Gage, a Calvin Klein model-turned-actress who had just starred in her first film, Love Means More Than Money. Neither Hilton nor Jill had seen it, but it was supposedly cute and funny.

He is hot, Jill said, smiling back at Arden and raising her eyebrows. Did you talk to him or anything?

Yeah, he fucking hit on me while his girlfriend had her back turned. Arden was pretending to act disgusted, but she was still grinning. I love my job.

I love your job too! Hilton laughed. Although Haidin’s a huge tool. I can’t stand him. Every interview he does I just wanna smack him in the face with his tennis racquet. She looked at Jill and they both laughed.

What? Jill said. I think he’s so humble and modest… She batted her eyelashes. "I love him."

All four girls giggled. Anybody who’d ever listened to thirty seconds of an interview with Haidin could tell he was completely full of himself.

Hey, did you guys hear Aubrey’s gonna be in some new TV show? Kelsey asked. Like some new drama for the fall?

No, Jill and Hilton said.

I don’t like her, Jill said. She seems really annoying. Or full of herself. Like Haidin.

Perfect couple, Hilton said.

So are you like, really gonna try to make a calendar or book from this trip and get it published? Arden asked Hilton. She picked up her dirty martini and sipped while she waited for Hilton’s answer.

Hilton shrugged, but her caramel-colored eyes lit up. I don’t really know. I just wanna take tons of pics and then see what I can do with them when I get back. I guess I can try to sell them at Nick’s if nothing else. She laughed and rolled her eyes.

Nick’s was Nick’s Special Occasion Photos, where Hilton had worked since graduating college a year and a half ago. She’d actually worked there part-time while she was in college too. It wasn’t a horrible job…it was definitely a blow-off and she had tons of free time, which was nice, but she’d been craving something else for a long time now. Ever since she’d switched her major from architecture to photography her sophomore year, she’d had this vision of herself traveling after graduation and taking gorgeous photos of all the strikingly beautiful and exotic places she went, and then making calendars and coffee table books out of them. She smiled as she thought about it again now. It was the best possible job she could imagine, full of new places and excitement while being on her own schedule all the time and free to follow any impulsive whim she wanted. And Arden’s job with a famous New York City PR firm that represented movie stars and artists seemed so glamorous…sort of like what Hilton imagined for herself. Not exactly, but closer than any job anyone else she knew had. And being here in New York City and tasting that exciting life for a few days had left her wanting it more than ever.

Whatever, you’re so gonna do better than that, Jill said. You’re gonna be famous someday. She grinned at Hilton, and Hilton grinned back, grateful for Jill’s support.

I hope so!

Me too! Kelsey said. So I can say I knew you back in the day! And you stayed with me right before you left on the trip that turned into your big break.

Hilton laughed and pushed long loose waves of golden-brown hair over her shoulder, enjoying the feel of it flying a little bit out of place in the breezy early evening Manhattan air. Whatever, Kels!

Let’s do a toast! Jill said, flipping her dark brown hair over her shoulder too and raising her Bellini. To Hilton becoming famous! She stuck her tongue out at Hilton teasingly.

Yay, Hilton!! Kelsey said, and she and Arden raised their drinks to Jill’s.

Hilton laughed again and raised hers too. Hell yeah! she said. They all four clinked their glasses together and took long drinks.

Jill, do you miss Adria yet? Kelsey asked as they set their glasses back down.

Oh my gosh, so much, Jill said, slumping her shoulders. This is like, the first time I’ve been away from her since we went to South Padre, and that was like two years ago. And this is gonna be for way longer. Adria was Jill’s two-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

Awww, Kelsey said. Well, I’m sure she and Todd will have good bonding time while you’re gone.

I know, Jill said. I’m kinda sad I can’t be there to see it. He is sooo adorable with her, you guys.

He is. Hilton nodded. And Jill and Todd are adorable together too. She grinned at Jill, and Jill grinned back.

No shit! Kelsey said, whipping her straw out of her margarita and acting like she was going to blow the icy contents at Jill. Jill ducked and laughed. I don’t even know, Kelsey said, shaking her head. I’m just so glad you guys finally did it. Oh, and fell in love too.

Jill, Hilton, and Arden burst out laughing. Hilton reached across the table and high-fived Kelsey.

Um, yeah, Jill said, and they all four laughed harder. Jill and Todd had had a long and tortured just best friends relationship all through high school and most of college, and they hadn’t actually gotten together until almost five months after Adria was born. Jill had been in love with him basically since freshman year of high school, and all the girls had been ecstatic for her when things had finally worked out with him.

As they stopped laughing, Jill’s expression grew more serious. Sometimes I still can’t even believe I’m with him, you guys. She shook her head and looked around the table. He’s just so…everything I ever wanted. I am so in love with him. She grinned and ducked her head a little.

Aww, Kelsey said. I always knew you guys would end up together. I’m so jealous of you guys with your perfect boyfriends. She looked from Jill to Hilton. And Arden, who goes out and meets hot famous boys every night. She grinned at Arden.

Jill’s eyes widened at Kelsey’s insinuation. Have you hooked up with anybody famous? she asked Arden, learning forward.

Arden smiled secretively.

Co— Kelsey started.

Shut up, bitch, I wanna tell! Arden cut her off. She and Kelsey looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Jill’s and Hilton’s eyes widened. They looked at each other in excited surprise, then looked eagerly back to Arden.

"I hooked up with Colt from Southampton Summer," Arden said.

"What?!" Jill and Hilton cried together. They threw incredulous glances at each other, then looked back to Arden with huge eyes.

Well, RiesWell threw their season premiere party last week. Arden shrugged as if it were no big deal. And I didn’t actually have to work it, ‘cause I was on another event that afternoon, but mine got over early so of course I was gonna go. ‘Cause, I mean, my bosses want us all to show up at events and stuff. Like if I did something crazy and got publicity for it, that would be awesome for RiesWell. She laughed. Isn’t that kickass? Like shit that would get me fired from any other job will get me a raise at RiesWell.

That is totally the kind of job I want, Hilton laughed, her mouth still hanging open in amazement.

So what happened?! Jill cried. Did you guys…?

Oh, no, Arden said. We just made out in a booth at the club and got a little touchy-feely. She grinned. He was as good of a kisser as he is hot though.

Ahhh! Hilton cried. I love it!

So wait, were they filming?! Jill asked. Are you possibly gonna be on the show? Southampton Summer was an MTV reality show following eight rich New York City-bred kids who were now in their early twenties as they partied the summer away in the Hamptons on their trust funds and parents’ money. It was totally shallow and totally addicting and had just started its second season.

Well, there was no filming in the club, Arden said. But…that doesn’t mean it won’t happen again someplace else. She held up her cell phone. I did get his number.

Aaahhh! Hilton and Jill shrieked.

I know, isn’t she so freakin’ lucky? Kelsey asked. I’m gonna stalk her to some party she has to work in Southampton and try to meet one of his friends or something.

Here you are, ladies. Anytime you’re ready, their server said as he placed a small black book on the table.

I’ve got it, Arden said, signaling with one finger for the server to wait. She dug in her Chick by Nicky Hilton bag and pulled out a credit card. She stuck it in the book and handed the book back over without even looking at the bill.

Thanks so much, Arden, Hilton said.

Yeah, this is awesome, Jill said.

Arden shrugged and smiled at them. Thank Riesling & Wellesley, right? If they actually look at my account and ask about this meal, which they won’t, I’ll say it was a business dinner. And I mean, it is, right? ‘Cause you’re gonna let us rep you when you’re a famous photographer, Hilton?

You know it, Hilton said with a sassy wink at Arden, and they all laughed.

When the card came back, Arden scrawled in a tip amount and her signature on the receipt.

How much was it? Jill asked curiously.

Three hundred. Arden stuck the corporate card back in her purse. Well, plus I left a hundred dollar tip. So four hundred.

Jill’s mouth fell open.

Damn, Hilton said. Do they tell you how much tip to leave?

Um, no, they don’t really care, but it should always be at least thirty percent. I could’ve left higher but we had to wait like forever to get our second round of drinks. But below thirty would look bad on the company, so… She shrugged.

I’m so lucky to be her friend and get to mooch off her corporate account, Kelsey said with a grin. ‘Cause my job plus my thousands of dollars of debt to Brown so do not pay for this. Kelsey had graduated from Brown with degrees in environmental engineering and anthropology, and she worked for the New York City Environmental Conservation Agency. Right now she was a project design and research specialist on a project to lessen pollution and improve air quality in and around Long Island Sound.

Okay, well I have to go, Arden said, pushing back her chair and standing. She looked stylish and chic in her short black and silver dress with a very low V-neck. It was mostly black but had silver material going around the straps at the shoulders, so that the straps were wide going into the V-neck but came to a point at her shoulders. Her long wavy brown hair was in a high ponytail, and she wore a thin black headband with the hair in front of it teased up. I have to be at Privé in like five minutes to make sure everything’s ready to go. Tonight Arden’s company was in charge of some kind of Tribeca Film Festival party.

Bye! Hilton stood up to hug Arden, and Jill did too.

Yeah, thanks again, so much! Jill said. For dinner and for getting us into Vogue the other night.

Oh, no problem. Have a blast in Italy! Arden waved and hurried off.

Kelsey stood up to go too and glanced at her cell phone. You guys’ flight is in like three hours. We’ll just run back to my apartment and get your stuff and then get on the subway. We should be at the airport in plenty of time.

Okay! Hilton and Jill said. They grinned at each other excitedly, and in that split second when they stood to go, Hilton could’ve sworn she felt a change in the air. The wind seemed to pick up just the tiniest bit, and a charge of energy and exhilaration surged through her. It was significantly darker than when they’d arrived at the restaurant, and the breezy night air held the enticing promise of the faraway and unknown. Instead of sitting at a restaurant in SoHo, they were now on their way to the airport…and Italy.

Italy

May 4-21, 2007

Hilton couldn’t sleep at all on the plane. She pushed her seat back and put her pillow behind her head, turned on her iPod, and closed her eyes, but all she could think about was the two and a half weeks that lay ahead. She’d looked at pictures of Italy online and in the travel guide her parents had gotten her for Christmas last winter, but she still had no idea how to really picture it. She had never been to Europe at all; the only times she’d been out of the country were on her family’s annual vacations when she was growing up, and they had usually gone someplace in the Caribbean. Hilton loved being on the beach, and she definitely wanted to travel to more tropical places and make whole books and calendars out of those pictures, but she was thrilled to be going someplace completely different from anyplace she’d been before. She and Jill had been planning this trip for a long time, and Hilton couldn’t believe it was finally here. They had chosen Italy because it was the place in Europe they’d both always wanted to go most. Hilton had wanted to go as soon as she graduated, but she’d graduated in December and knew it would be better to go in the summer. And Jill hadn’t had enough money to go last summer, since she had just graduated in May and had been getting ready to start grad school in the fall and had Adria. Todd had graduated the May before Jill, from Eastern Indiana University, and moved to Dale, where Jill, Hilton, and Luke all went to school, and now he was a personal trainer at a gym in town. Jill and Todd almost never had to pay for a babysitter for Adria, because they could usually work it out for Hilton or Luke or one of their other friends to watch her for a few hours for free, but Jill had felt like she should save some money and not go on a vacation last summer, because she’d known she wasn’t going to be working over the summer or during grad school at all.

So Hilton had said it would be fine to wait a year to go; she’d known it would be good for her to save up some money too, and she hadn’t minded staying at Dale for another year with Jill, Luke, and Todd. She loved their living situation; it was the most fun she’d ever had. But over the last few months, her job had started to get on her nerves more than ever. She hadn’t minded it when she knew it was just a temporary thing, but everyone around her was going somewhere, while she just kept working at a dead-end job and dreaming about some day in the future when she’d start doing what she really wanted to do. Jill was going to grad school for forensic psychology, Todd was getting more and more clients all the time and loving his job, and plus he and Jill had Adria. And Luke was in law school, so he was busy all the time. So a lot of the time Hilton ended up being bored while they were all busy, and she’d felt like she was in a huge standstill.

But now, finally, she was on her way. It’s not like she really expected this trip to be her big break, like Kelsey had said, but it was finally something. She would take as many pictures as she could in Italy, and it would give her something to start with. She smiled to herself, her eyes still closed. Then she decided she might as well quit pretending she was going to fall asleep and opened them.

The plane was mostly dark, and all around her, it looked like people were sleeping. A light was on across the aisle and a woman was reading. Hilton had a book with her, but she didn’t think she’d be able to concentrate. She was too hyped up. She peered out the window into the black night sky, wishing she could see more. But they were over the ocean, so there wouldn’t be a lot to see anyway.

She turned to Jill and nudged Jill with her elbow. Are you awake? she asked over her still-playing iPod, hoping maybe Jill was just pretending to sleep too.

Hmmm, Jill said without opening her eyes.

Wake up, wake up. Hilton tugged on Jill’s elbow and grinned when Jill opened her eyes. Sorry, I’m just really excited. I can’t sleep.

I think I fell asleep for a little while. Jill paused her own iPod and leaned over Hilton to peer out the window. Do you know what time it is?

Hilton looked at the time on her iPod. It’s 3:56. Their flight had left at eleven.

I wonder what time it’ll start to get light out. ‘Cause it’s like…9:56 in Italy already? I wonder what time it is where we are. Jill folded her legs up into her seat and yawned. Do you wanna stay awake the rest of the time? We should, it’ll be fun.

Yeah! Hilton said, excited. She smiled happily at Jill, then turned and switched on the screen on the back of the seat in front of her. It had a map showing the plane’s current location. Oh my gosh, look how far we are. She pointed, and Jill leaned forward to look. They were smack dab in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Jill looked at Hilton, her brown eyes big and excited, and Hilton gave her the same look back.

So what place are you most excited about? Jill asked. She covered her mouth as she yawned again.

Oh my gosh. Hilton rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, thinking. I don’t know. Maybe Venice. I mean, that’s gonna be so gorgeous. But everyplace is. What are you most excited about?

I don’t know. Probably Adria. I don’t wanna get too excited about it though, in case we can’t go. Adria was a small town in Italy, which Jill hadn’t actually discovered until after she’d picked Adria’s name. She had found the name in a baby name book and loved it, but her little sister Winnie had been disappointed when Jill decided on it for sure, because Winnie had wanted Jill to pick a city name. Some of Winnie’s favorites had been Aspen, Denver, and Capri. Hilton had actually really liked the city names too. But on the day Adria was born, Winnie had looked it up online at school and discovered, to her great delight, that Adria was, in fact, a city. When Jill and Hilton had planned this trip, they’d thought they would definitely go there, but they hadn’t been able to find much information about train schedules online, and they didn’t even know if any trains went to Adria. So they were going to try asking at their hotels in Florence and Venice—the two big cities that looked closest to Adria on the map—about how they could get there.

I know, I really hope we can go! Hilton said. But if not, maybe we can at least learn some more about it, and then you’ll be able to actually bring Adria one day when she’s older.

Oh yeah, I definitely wanna bring her sometime. I can’t wait.

Maybe you can name your next daughter Capri, and then you can bring them both to Italy together. Hilton grinned.

Jill grinned back. Todd and I actually have joked about that, like if we had another daughter someday, naming her Capri.

Winnie would love it.

I don’t know…she said she’s naming her first daughter Aspen Capri now. So she might be pissed I stole her name.

Jill and Hilton both laughed.

Oh yeah! Hilton said. I told her I was gonna name my first daughter that too. So never mind, you can’t have Capri. It’s mine and Winnie’s.

They both giggled again.

Have you and Luke talked about what you’ll name your kids? Jill asked.

Yeah, but I don’t think he likes any of my names, Hilton said with a grin. I really do like Aspen, but I was thinking it’d be cool to spell it with a ‘y,’ like A-s-p-y-n. I don’t know for sure though. I just want something unique. Luke thinks I’m crazy, but he doesn’t really care. He said he would ‘probably’ love whatever I picked. Hilton laughed as she made air quotes.

Jill laughed too. She loved Hilton and Luke together; they were so funny and so perfect for each other. Anyone could watch them talk for thirty seconds and see they were crazily in love. They had had a lot of fights over the five and a half years they’d been together, some of them pretty big, but they always worked it out, and they were totally sex-crazy; they did it all the time. On Luke’s Facebook profile, his About Me section said simply, i love hilton. That was it. Jill thought it was so cute, and she had thought ever since they started dating freshman year of college that they were just right together. You guys are gonna have hot kids, she said now. There was no doubt about that. Hilton had always been gorgeous…the girl every girl in high school had wanted to look like. She was about 5’6 with long light brown hair that had a touch of blonde in the summer, and her eyes were a captivating caramel color. Luke had dark eyes and shaggy dark hair, and he was tall and lanky with lots of muscles left over from playing sports in high school and intramurals in college.

Oh I know. So are you and Todd. Adria’s gonna be a heartbreaker. Hilton already believed that; Adria was adorable with her sandy light brown hair that matched Todd’s perfectly and her big chocolate-brown eyes that looked like both Jill’s and Todd’s.

Yeah she is.

So do you think the pictures I take on this trip are gonna lead to my big break, like Kels said? Hilton laughed.

Hell yeah I do.

Hilton laughed again. Well, we’ll see. I don’t even know how I would go about putting together a book, or like making a calendar and then trying to sell it. But I don’t really care. Once I get the pictures I’ll figure it out. She leaned back happily in her seat and looked out the window again. Hey, I know! she said suddenly, turning back to Jill. I’ll name my first kid after the place I like best of all the places Luke and I have been together. ‘Cause you know how we’ve always said I’d travel while he was in law school, then we’d get engaged after that and stuff? Well I was just thinking how fun it would be if he would take a year off, like after law school or after he’s worked a couple years, and we could just travel for a whole year. Or at least he could take a lot of vacation and come meet me whenever he was free. Her eyes sparkled with laughter. And then we could name our first kid after the place we liked best of all the places we went.

Aahhh, I love it! Luke would love that too. Then Jill grinned wickedly. Wait, you mean your favorite place, not the hotel the baby’s conceived in?

Shut up! Hilton laughed and swung her pillow at Jill. That’s where her name had come from…she had been conceived in a Hilton hotel. She didn’t know which one though and didn’t really want to know. Her family had sometimes stayed in Hiltons on their vacations, and she’d always wondered if she had actually stayed in the one where it had happened. She shuddered now, thinking about it. Weird!

Maybe your favorite place will end up being the same place you get knocked up, Jill said, still grinning. You better hope it’s not something like…St. John. What if you had a girl and you had to name her St. John? Or the Virgin Islands. You could have a boy, first name Virgin, middle name Island. She cracked up laughing and covered her face with her own pillow as Hilton dropped her mouth open in an amused O and swung at Jill again.

Jill peeked out. He’ll get all the girls in high school! she squealed quietly, then immediately ducked back behind her pillow again, gasping with laughter. Hilton burst out laughing too and tried to muffle her giggles as she pounded Jill over the head. Jill moved the pillow away from her face again and they grinned at each other in silent hysterics.

***

Hilton and Jill were astounded by Rome. It was beautiful, as they’d expected, and stunningly historical. Everywhere they walked on its cobbled streets, they felt like they’d been swept back hundreds of years into a world of emperors and gods and goddesses and outdoor events at amphitheatres and gladiator competitions at the Colosseum. They were amazed at how the city had changed over the centuries and morphed into a modern city, yet still maintained so much of its original structure. Hilton took over a thousand pictures in their first three days there, during which they wandered the city in a sort of random fashion and went to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Vittoriano, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, and the Vatican. They climbed the narrow stairs with slanted walls to the top of the cupola in Saint Peter’s Basilica and stayed there for half an hour, marveling at the Vatican below and the rooftops of Rome beyond.

This might be the most gorgeous view I’ve ever seen, Jill said.

I don’t know, Hilton said thoughtfully. Do you think it’s better than a sunset over the ocean, or just a gorgeous beach? Or some of the postcards Lorylyn sent us when she was studying abroad?

Jill thought of Fort Myers Beach, where her family had gone on spring break every year while she was growing up. It was her favorite place in the world. No, she decided. I like Fort Myers better. Or beaches in general. But this is gorgeous. Just in a different way.

Yeah.

Even their hotel seemed like something out of ancient Rome, with its tiny lobby, small number of guest rooms, cozy atmosphere, and old-fashioned elevator that barely fit the two of them and had a manual door. It was absolutely nothing like a hotel in the US. It was more like a bed-and-breakfast, but that description still didn’t totally fit.

On Monday morning, they left Rome on a bus headed through the Italian countryside for Naples. They’d booked the excursion through their hotel and couldn’t wait to see another area of Italy.

Lunch was at a pizzeria in the middle of the bustling city, which had a completely different vibe from Rome. It felt historic still, but not to near the same extent.

This pizza rocks my world, Jill moaned happily as she took a gigantic bite. The cheese oozed off and she had to shove it in her mouth with her fingers.

Oh my gosh, I know, Hilton said. This is better than the pizza in Rome.

After lunch they went on a tour of the Royal Palace, where they got to go up to the roof and look out across the Bay of Naples, then they walked around the Piazza del Plebiscito near the palace and the Castel dell'Ovo, the oldest castle in the city.

After their sightseeing tour, they had a couple free hours before dinner, and Hilton and Jill wandered in and out of a dozen small shops on the Spaccanapoli, taking their time and picking out souvenirs for themselves and Luke, Todd, and Adria. They wanted to get something for themselves and those three in every city they visited.

They met back up with their tour group for dinner at a pasta and seafood restaurant, similar to the restaurants where they’d eaten dinner in Rome. But Hilton thought this restaurant, and Naples in general, had more of a local, homey taste and atmosphere, while the places they’d eaten in Rome had seemed more upscale and impersonal. She smiled happily as they lingered after their food was gone, drinking more water and wine. She couldn’t believe how much they’d already done and seen in the last four days. So far this trip was everything she had thought it would be.

***

The next morning their bus took them to the Bay of Naples, where they had half an hour to take pictures and look around before boarding a steamer for Capri. The Bay of Naples was as breathtaking from the ground as it had been from the roof of the Royal Palace, and Hilton couldn’t stop snapping pictures as they got on the boat. She felt sad to leave. There was so much beauty, and there was no way she could capture it all. As they floated out of the bay, she and Jill looked through their pictures eagerly. Hilton couldn’t wait to see them blown up on the computer.

When they arrived on Capri, Hilton was stunned yet again, and no longer sad to have left the bay. If she had thought that was gorgeous, this was ten times that. She and Jill both felt like they were walking around with their mouths hanging open all day.

So if Luke was here and you got pregnant today, would you name the baby Capri? Jill asked with a grin at lunch, as they sat looking out over the topaz-blue water lapping at the sand and up at the enormous cliffs towering over them.

Oh my gosh, yeah. I feel like I’m in a postcard.

After lunch their tour group got in motorboats at the Marina Grande to go to the Grotta Azzurra. Hilton and Jill had never heard of the Blue Grotto before signing up for this excursion, and all they knew was it was some type of sea cave. When their boats approached the entrance, the motors idled and their tour guides explained that everyone wishing to go into the Grotto would have to get into a little gondola, two people in each one. The gondolas would be pulled into the cave one at a time by a rope. Because of the very narrow and low entrance, barely high enough to accommodate the tiny gondolas, it was very difficult to get the boats inside. The gondoliers had to have perfect timing, and everyone on the boat had to be lying down.

Oh my gosh, that’s kinda creepy! Hilton said quietly to Jill with a laugh. Do you still wanna do it? She knew Jill would.

Oh yeah.

Good, me too.

They grinned at each other.

This is so weird, Jill said a few minutes later as they lay side by side in the bottom of their gondola.

Yeah, I love it though. It gave Hilton a rush, being squeezed through such a tiny space while not being able to see what was going on. It added a little sense of danger.

They made it through the entrance without mishap, and when they were able to sit up again, both girls gasped in delight. The inside of the cave was almost completely dark, and the water was a striking sapphire blue. It was almost like there was some kind of weird blacklight effect going on in the cave.

This is so freaking cool, Hilton breathed.

She snapped some more pictures while they waited for the other gondolas to enter, and she and Jill got someone in another boat to take one of them with their gondolier. When all the boats in their group were inside, the tour guides told about the history of the cave. It was thought to have been a private royal bathhouse used by Roman emperors in ancient times. The blue effect came from the way the sun shone through the opening of the cave, and it was only visible on sunny days. Hilton found the whole thing fascinating.

This is really surreal, Jill whispered as she took pictures with her own camera. I feel like I’m on some futuristic water ride at Cedar Point or something.

Hilton laughed. Jill was right; even though they were learning all about the history of the cave, it did look kind of futuristic.

***

The following morning, back in Rome, the girls slept in a little bit, then went out to get some gelato from a street vendor, then headed to the tennis tournament. Play didn’t start till one in the afternoon, and it felt amazing to sleep in. They’d been getting up early every day to go sightseeing and then staying up half the night every night talking, and they had both been exhausted last night when they got back from their Naples/Capri excursion. They’d stayed up talking a little bit but had passed out by eleven, and neither of them woke up until ten in the morning.

The concierge at the front desk of their hotel called a taxi for them, and they arrived at the Foro Italico sports complex where the tournament was taking place around noon. Dozens of spectators were milling about already. The midday sun was out in full force, and it soaked into Jill’s and Hilton’s shoulders as they picked up programs and the daily schedule of play and headed to check out the enormous draw board. They were both wearing tank tops and flowy cotton skirts that stopped just below their knees.

"It feels so good out," Jill said.

Hey look, Tanner Bruin has the night match! Hilton cried, pointing down at the schedule of play in her hands.

No way, are you serious?! Who else plays today? Neither girl had brought a laptop to Italy, so they hadn’t been on the Internet since the tournament began on Monday, and they’d had no idea who would be playing today or who was even still in the tournament. They’d asked Todd and Luke to check online when they’d talked to the boys on the phone Monday night, but the boys had only been able to tell them who had won on Monday.

Aahh, Andy Roddick plays at one, and Tim Henman plays after him! Tim Henman was a British player who had been Hilton’s favorite since the first time she’d seen him play on TV at Wimbledon, probably ten years ago or so. She’d thought he was cute, plus a British player hadn’t won Wimbledon since something like 1936, and he was their best hope in a long time. The British tabloids were always crazy during Wimbledon, filled with stories about Henman, and the fans were even crazier, wearing British hats, painting their bodies like the British flag, filling the courts for all his matches, and swarming the area of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club dubbed Henman Hill to watch his matches on the big screen outside the courts. He had made it to the semifinals four times, and Hilton would always remember the intense, drama-filled 2001 semi against Goran Ivanisevic that had been dragged out over three days due to rain delays. Henman had lost in five sets, and it had been one of the hardest sports losses to stomach in Hilton’s life, comparable to her own losses in the doubles regionals her sophomore and junior years of high school tennis.

Oh my gosh, that’s freakin’ awesome! I guess we picked a good day to come! Jill said.

Yeah, a bunch of the seeded players had first-round byes, so today’s the first time some of them are playing. Hilton was busy studying the draw board and comparing it to her daily schedule. I’m glad we didn’t come earlier! They’d had to buy their tickets way in advance of seeing the draw; the draw hadn’t come out till last week, when they’d already been in New York. So they’d just had to take their chances.

Eww, Haidin Bayliss plays the first match on another court. Jill pointed at her own schedule of play.

Hilton wrinkled her nose. We’ll definitely be watching Andy.

Oh, but Haidin plays Nate Young! Jill made a sad face. I love Nate!

Hilton laughed, loving how Jill was talking about the players like a true tennis fan now. Nate Young was an American player who wasn’t ranked as highly as Haidin, but he was well-known because he was hilarious and always gave good interviews. I like Nate too. Maybe we can go to some of that and some of Andy’s. I hope he kicks Haidin’s ass!

Me too!

***

They went to the first set of Andy’s match, which Andy won 6-1 in twenty-two minutes. Since his match looked like it was going to be a blowout, Hilton and Jill headed over to Haidin and Nate’s match. When they arrived, it was 3-2 in the first set, with Nate in the lead.

Yes! Hilton and Jill cried together when they saw the score and realized Nate was serving, so he must be up a break.

Nate won that game at love. Haidin yelled, AAGGGHHH! and winged his racquet in the direction of his chair.

Warning, Mr. Bayliss, the umpire announced over his microphone. Four games to two, Young.

Haidin ignored him and stormed over to pick up his racquet. He briefly inspected it, then walked to the back of the court as the ballkids bounced balls to him. He held out his hand for a towel, wiped off his face, then threw the towel on the ground so the ballgirl had to bend down and pick it up.

What an asshole, Jill said.

Nate ended up winning that set 6-4. He lost the second 6-4, and Jill and Hilton sat worriedly in the stands as the players sat in their chairs and prepared for the third set. Haidin had given Nate a cocky look and chin-up nod when he’d won the second set, and now he was sitting in his chair looking like a total arrogant jerk, like he was thinking, Yep, that’s right, now things are back on track, since we all know I’m way fucking better than you. Nate had ignored the look and nod and was just sitting calmly in his chair drinking water.

Nate and Haidin traded breaks in the first two games of the third set, then each held his own serve until it was 5-5. They were both playing pretty well, and neither of them had had any trouble holding serve since those first two games of the set. Then, out of nowhere, when Haidin was serving to go up 6-5, he double-faulted on the first two points. Hilton and Jill, along with several other people, were screaming and cheering, while other fans yelled out things like Come on, Haidin! and You’ve got this, Haidin!

Haidin, who’d been bouncing the ball and preparing to serve again, looked up angrily. Can you tell them to shut the fuck up?! he said to the umpire, loudly enough for most of the stadium to hear.

Hilton and Jill looked at each other incredulously, both half laughing.

Boooo, Haidin, you suck! Hilton screamed joyously. She and Jill laughed even louder. Several other people were screaming similar things, and a collective boo rose from the crowd.

He just insulted his own fans! Jill said.

I know, what a dick.

Quiet, please, the umpire said to the crowd, shooting a warning look at Haidin.

Uh! Jill cried. He should so have lost a point for that! He already got a warning! Aren’t you supposed to get warned for profanity?

Hilton shrugged. I think you’re supposed to, but I don’t think they do that much. Haven’t you ever heard Andy Roddick cuss on TV?

Yeah, I love it, Jill said with a grin. ‘Cause he usually has good arguments! Haidin’s just a cocky asshole.

Yeah, Hilton agreed.

Haidin served, and Nate whipped a blistering return right past him. The whole crowd was on its feet and screaming.

Haidin paced angrily at his end of the court, keeping his head down while he bounced a couple balls with his racquet.

He won the next point, and the crowd’s enthusiasm was dampened a little. Hilton and Jill leaned forward on the edges of their seats.

The next point was a rally that seemed to go on forever, and when Haidin hit a lob that it appeared would go over Nate’s head, Hilton and Jill gripped the seatbacks in front of them. Nate scrambled backwards and jumped into the air, catching the ball on the edge of his racquet and slamming it down just on Haidin’s side of the net. It sprung back up from the ground and flew beyond Haidin’s reach, into the stands on the side.

"Woooooo!" Hilton and Jill screamed at the top of their lungs as they jumped to their feet. The majority of the stadium applauded thunderously.

Nate pumped his fist as he jogged to his chair. Haidin slammed his racquet into the ground, then snatched it back up and stormed to his own chair, where he dumped the racquet off to the side and pulled a brand new one out of his bag. He sat unmoving the whole changeover. When a girl came to hold an umbrella over his head to cool him off, he waved her away rudely. He did the same to the boy who offered him a water bottle. Hilton and Jill raised their eyebrows and grinned at each other.

I feel bad for those kids though, Jill said. They’re probably so excited they get to meet him, and then he’s a total jerkoff.

Yeah, I know. I hate when people are mean to the ballkids. Come on, it’s not their fault you suck.

Jill giggled.

Time, the umpire announced.

Both players came back on the court, and Haidin stood impatiently at his end, giving Nate a shitty look as he waited for Nate to serve.

Nate won the first three points of the game without Haidin even getting a return in play. The crowd was going crazy. Hilton knew there were probably lots of Haidin fans here too; he was ranked number five in the world and he was hot, plus he was dating Aubrey Gage, but he had been such an asshole that the majority of the crowd was for Nate now.

On triple match point, Nate served an ace that left Haidin diving to the side. Hilton and Jill were on their feet instantaneously, screaming as loudly as they could. Nate jumped into the air and pumped his fist again, then jogged to the net to meet Haidin. Haidin walked up quickly, barely shook Nate’s hand and didn’t make eye contact, then walked to his chair and grabbed his bag without shaking the umpire’s hand at all.

Hilton and Jill looked at each other with wide eyes. That was a huge slight, one of the rudest things a tennis player could do. It almost never happened.

Nate did a quick on-court interview, in which he said he felt he had played well and Haidin was a very tough competitor, and he was excited to be moving on to the next round. He thanked the crowd for its support and grinned in a totally cute way, which drew another huge round of applause, then he grabbed his stuff and stopped to sign several autographs on his way off the court.

The girls wandered out of that stadium and headed over to Tim Henman’s match. Hilton was disappointed to see it was already in the second set, but she didn’t really mind because the Nate/Haidin match had been so good. She was glad she’d seen it, especially since Haidin had lost.

Henman won in three sets too, and Hilton and Jill left his match feeling buoyant and pumped up. They got some food and sat eating it while they talked about what to do next. It was only 4:30; Tanner’s match wouldn’t start till at least seven or so.

Oh my gosh! Jill said suddenly, her brown eyes huge as she hit Hilton’s arm. She motioned slightly with her head, and Hilton turned.

Her mouth dropped open. It was Tanner Bruin, carrying a racquet bag and turned halfway around, talking to his coach, who was carrying a single racquet. Tanner’s trainer walked on the far side of Tanner, carrying a hopper full of balls. Hilton knew who his coach and trainer were because they were always shown on TV during his matches. The three of them passed Hilton and Jill and continued walking and talking.

Let’s follow them! They must be going to practice! Hilton hissed.

She and Jill jumped up, grabbing their food, drinks, and bags and then trying to walk normally, as though they weren’t really following Tanner.

Sure enough, he went to one of the outer courts that wasn’t being used, walked right out to the middle, and set his stuff down by the net. He pulled a racquet out of his bag, and he and his coach began to hit back and forth.

Hilton and Jill looked at each other, wondering if it was okay to go in and sit down.

Is that Tanner Bruin? asked a woman behind them.

Yeah, he’s practicing, Jill said.

Jill and Hilton moved apart to let the woman and her family see.

Sweet! a ten-or-so-year-old boy cried. Let’s go watch!

The family squeezed past Hilton and Jill, who grinned excitedly at each other and followed. They took a seat in the third row up, near the net, across the court from where the family had sat.

Tanner and his coach continued practicing as though no one was there. The trainer squatted down to watch and ignored the spectators as well. A few others trickled in. Tanner hit forehands, then backhands, then volleys, lobs, smash shots, and finally he practiced his serves. About halfway through the session he peeled off his shirt, and Hilton and Jill stared, their mouths watering. He was perfectly built, 6’1 or so with a six-pack, rippling arm muscles, and a deep tan. His hair was light brown and tousled and hung down almost to his eyebrows. Sweat glistened in it and on his face and chest and stomach. He was gorgeous.

"So I might be crazy, but I honestly think Todd’s that freaking hot, Jill said. Hotter, actually. I seriously have never met anybody who I thought was hotter than Todd."

Hilton grinned at her, then looked back to the court. Todd is hot. So is Luke, but I don’t know…Tanner might be hotter. Both girls laughed without taking their eyes off him.

Finally Tanner walked over to the sideline and put his racquet back in his bag. Then he stood up and chugged water from a cooler.

Reviews for Love Means Zero

[reviewsbymolly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One word: Cool! I loved reading this book by Daisy Jordan. Once again, this is another new to me author and one that I am glad that I had the pleasure of reviewing for! Her talent is extremely skilled and she really knows how to hook her reader. While this isn't a Christian novel, it is not overly filled with sex or overpowered with language (there was some language yes, but not every other word like some of these novels out there today). That was a bonus with me on Daisy's book.I loved reading Hilton's story. She was such a sweet character! Even when all went wrong for her. She was determined to over come it all and follow her hopes and dreams. I loved her character so much and Daisy did a wonderful job chiseling her with her flaws and her issues. Truly a wonderful way to hook her readers!Daisy wrote this story with lots of laughs, lots of drama and lots of secrets. She pulled them all together to create a fabulous chick lit novel! It's full of fun with the tennis-loved how Daisy added the details of tennis in the front of the book (makes it good for us who do not know much about tennis!), and it's full of photography-I can picture the pictures that Hilton were taking and could really feel like I was the one taking them, and of course, it's full of the romance that make a good chick lit story. Oh and did I mention that there is just a wee bit of suspense with some secrets from Hilton's boyfriend's past????Definitely check this book out. It's worth 4 stars and recommendation but I must warn you....it's HUGE!! It will take some time to read this book- I had to really PUSH PUSH PUSH myself but I did it in just a couple of days. Well done, Daisy and I look forward to more books like this one!*This book was provided for review by the author and Pump Up Your Book!*