Summer Smash

Maya's cat Monte dragged a dead **bear** — well, a teddy **bear** that looked suspiciously like her crush's missing childhood toy — onto the **padel** court right as she was about to serve.

"Are you kidding me?" she whispered, face burning as Jake, said crush with the messy dark hair and easy grin that made her stomach flip, watched the whole spectacle unfold. Monte puffed up proudly beside the mangled bear, its glass eye hanging by a thread.

"That's... my bear," Jake said, stepping forward. Their fingers brushed when he reached for it, and Maya's brain short-circuited. "Haven't seen this since I was seven. Your cat has impressive detective skills."

"More like disturbing hunting skills," Maya managed, though her voice cracked. Summer league padel had seemed like a genius way to get close to Jake three weeks ago. Now, standing on the court in her sweat-stained uniform while her cat displayed romantic tokens like a deranged Cupid, she questioned everything.

"Wanna finish the match?" Jake asked, tucking the bear into his bag with a small smile. "Although honestly, after that performance, I think Monte deserves the MVP trophy."

They played until sunset painted the sky **orange**, Maya's serves somehow worse and better simultaneously — worse technically, better because Jake kept laughing with her, not at her. Later, sharing an orange popsicle by the courts, their shoulders touching, Monte sleeping on Jake's abandoned bear, Maya realized something important.

Sometimes the worst embarrassment turned into the best memories. And sometimes a weirdly talented cat was exactly the wingman you needed.