Naked Hero - The Journey Away

Melbourne Park for his practice session. He should have been elated having made the quarter-final s, but his spirits had been dampened by the men in his life.
    Dampened?
    Drenched more like it, and unpleasantly so. Here he was on the verge of re-establishing himself in the upper echelons of his sport, and both the men who had helped him arrive at this position had contrived to scupper it all. Scott Taylor he understood. It hurt like hell and Lewis didn’t like it in the slightest – but he understood. Theirs was a purely professional arrangement that had worked brilliantly for a while until circumstances got the better of it. Lewis could rationalise Scott’s behaviour. Lee Porter however! Now that took some getting his head around.
    Okay – so they were fair points that Fiona had made when she’d explained Lee’s reasons for not coming back to the house. Lewis was indeed tired after the match – but not that bloody tired! It was four quick sets, not a five hour marathon battle he’d fought – so there was plenty of energy left in the tank at the end, and if Lee was that worried then he could have done most of the work. This ‘too exhausted’ line was getting stretched beyond a joke... And yes there were more reporters and photographers waiting at the gate – but they’d already got a whole bucket load of dirt for their morning scandal. What did it matter if their assumptions were credited with some basis by Lee spending the night in the house? It had all been tacitly agreed: the flirting; the innuendo; and that kiss by the pool! What the hell was Lee up to by changing his mind? It just didn’t add up - unless the manipulative so-and-so had already got what he really wanted and was heading back to Sydney where he could continue to enjoy a riot of men and parties! Perhaps he’d even resumed here in Melbourne last night. It was Australia Day after all and party time in town – Lee could have joined in and found himself someone else who wasn’t so ‘exhausted’. A bit far-fetched given what had passed between them, but in his crushing disappointment Lewis had easily imagined such deception. One thing was for sure though, whatever Lee had got up to, there had been no call or text to explain his behaviour, and that had seriously hacked Lewis off.
    The inner circle had done their best to placate him , last night and again this morning. Don’t judge too hastily, was Fiona’s view on the matter. He’ll be there at the practice, Jim had assured him, taking Lee’s side for a change which was odd. Lewis was sceptical, but he kept himself in check: quietly seething, half-hoping they were right and he could still have his night; half-hoping they were wrong so he could draw a line under it all and somehow get on with his life. He certainly wasn’t focusing on the task ahead which was what he should have been doing.
    It was with this miss-mash of emotion that Lewis approached the practice court with Jim and Mike, expecting to see Mario, and ready to give Lee Porter a good piece of his mind if he actually did miraculously appear. What he didn’t expect to see was Scott Taylor lurking outside their allocated court with a hangdog expression on his handsome freckly face!
    “This had better be good!” muttered Jim, who was equally surprised, and hugely relieved that Porter wasn’t with him.
    “Just you hold your tongue, Jim. If there’s anything to be said, then I’ll be saying it,” urged Lewis.
    Suddenly finding he had more spring to his step, Lewis moved forward. Jim made to follow, but Mike held him back.
    “Hello, Scott. How are you today?” asked Lewis as he came alongside the American.
    Scott gave him a smile dripping with apology. “Okay, thanks. Can I have a word with you?”
    “Sure,” said Lewis. Then turning to his coach he added, “I’ll be there in a minute, Jim.”
    It was a frosty look that Jim Murdoch threw Scott Taylor, as he and Mike went onto the court along with Mario to start the briefing for the practice. But he held his tongue as Lewis had bid. Despite his annoyance, Jim hoped that he was wasting his time as he went through his patter whilst keeping a close eye on the two men outside. Both he and Mike were disappointed that faces could not be seen, as Lewis and Scott had their backs to them, leaning against the fencing as they spoke to each other.
    “I didn’t expect to see you today. I thought you’d be busy covering the ladies’ quarter-finals,” said Lewis, trying to