Naked Hero - The Journey Away

the clothing that was tactfully subdued but still suggested at the body beneath, and registering the face that was annoyingly handsome but showed no hint of post-coital smugness.
    “Can I pour you some coffee?” asked Lee, trying to relax the situation.
    “Not for me, thanks ,” Scott curtly answered. “What can I do for you, Mr. Porter?”
    Lee threw him an endearing smile. “We’re being very formal here. Please, call me Lee.”
    He got a frown in response. “Okay, and it’s Scott... How can I help you? I’ve only got a few minutes I’m afraid.”
    Lee nodded and leaned forwards a little – aiming for intimacy without being too threatening. “ Then I won’t beat about the bush. It’s not me that needs your help. It’s Lewis... He doesn’t know that I’m here by the way.”
    Intrigued as he was, Scott raised his hand to stop things right there. “I’ve gone over this already with Jim Murdoch, if that is who has sent you.”
    “No one has sent me!” insisted Lee. “It’s my conscience that has brought me here. Please! Give me those few minutes and hear me out.”
    Scott settled slightly, conscience getting the better of him. He had been listening to his own for a day now, so it would be good to hear from another one, and Lee Porter’s would undoubtedly be a gem. But there was no way he was going to be an easy confessor for the man – his own unnamed emotion allowing for none of that. “We both saw the match last night,” he replied. “It doesn’t strike me that Lewis has much to worry about... at least not with his tennis.”
    Lee heard the blatant dig, but let it wash over him. Instead he tried to leverage off the words. “You would know better than me about his tennis. Know if he’s ready for Gonzales, which is the pertinent aspect at present. I hope he is, and he’d have you to thank for that, despite what he said last night attributing his success to Jim Murdoch. But ready or not, he’s still going to lose.”
    Scott shifted awkwardly. “He knows the game plan. He can put it together. Jim is just as capable as I am of taking him through it again.”
    “Perhaps, but he’ll still lose!” persisted Lee. “We both saw last week how fragile he can be. That had nothing to do with tennis, or a game plan. That was all in his head, and he’ll lose on Wednesday for the same reason, unless someone can sort his head out for him.”
    “You were the one that did that last week, not me,” said Scott testily.
    Lee accepted this with a nod. “I think we have both played our part in helping him over the past week. You’ve probably showed him the techniques to deal with it all, and most certainly given him a belief that wasn’t there before: a belief in his self-worth - his right to be out there. Me? I may have helped him to get things into perspective, more by accident than anything else. But that’s done now. He seems equipped to handle the crowd and any rejection they might offer. They’re just not important enough. But you! I don’t think you can have the vaguest idea how important you are to him...” Lee paused to let the comment sink in, taking a moment to sip his coffee before continuing. “I envy you... He needs you – and you specifically. Whereas me! Well, there are plenty of men who can give him what I’ve got to offer... But there’s no one who can give him the respect of his idol, apart from the one man who seems to have taken it away.”
    Lee watched and waited. There was no outward response – Scott sat immobile, gazing intently, giving little away. He’d hoped that his little speech would have been enough to tip the balance, but this former champion was still a ruthless player and clearly wanted something more – like Lee opening up a vein and bleeding before him. Resigned to the necessity of a massive risk laced with a good dose of humility, he took another sip of coffee then swallowed his pride along with the beverage.
    “Let’s not kid ourselves,” he continued. “You know I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t honestly believe how important you are - the one that can make the difference for him, just by being there. I could leave now, go back to Sydney, and I will do if you ask me to. I would imagine that Lewis is already pissed off with me, so it wouldn’t change the outcome tomorrow. Only you can do that by being there for him, supporting him... accepting him. I’ve done all I can, and I’ve got my reward - my five minutes of fame. I wish I could have