Naked Hero - The Journey Away

can’t win them all. Still would have been great, though... but you’re right, this is better. Poor old Jim and Fiona, eh - having to walk the streets for no reason at all.”
    Lewis put on a brave face as well as he moved the conversation onto a different subject. “Oh, Fiona’s happy enough. She’s dragging Jim around the shops. Trying to find me some new kit, supposedly - but I bet she comes back with a pair of shoes for herself.”
    “What do you need new kit for? Don’t you get it for free?” asked Lee.
    Lewis splayed his hands. “Well, I used to... until today! My endorsement got canned. Just fuck it! That’s what I’ve got to say to them. If they think I’m going to turn up wearing their kit tomorrow, they can think again.”
    “So you can wear what you like now?” asked Lee, his brain clicking into another gear - reasoning once again cutting its way through the mist of emotion which just wouldn’t go away.
    “Until my management agent gets me another deal. But that’s not going to happen overnight,” replied Lewis.
    “Is this because of me? Not much of a friend if I’m losing you money - losing you deals.”
    Lewis batted it off with a shake of his head. “You were the last straw. I was already on a yellow card after the Sydney debacle. It doesn’t matter - I’ll get another deal - with someone that wants to use me this time. The other lot has a monopoly on all the top players. They didn’t need me, just supplied the gear and kept me in reserve in case I did it again. I would have thought they would have waited till I got knocked out, though. Seeing you in the tabloids must have made quite an impact on them - or perhaps it was when they checked out the website afterwards and saw your bare ass plastered all over it. Some people have no taste. How was the press coverage, anyway? I didn’t dare look.”
    Lewis creased himself up laughing as he said this - the whole ridiculousness of his life at present coming into focus, and he felt happy that such complications were his, now that one key aspect was being kept simple. He felt happy because he could share the farce with his new found friend.
    “Pretty tasty!” replied Lee joining in on the hilarity, tears welling in his eyes from his own laughter, forgetting himself for a few moments as he remembered what pure joy was really about. “Obviously they have us as an item,” he stuttered through the guffaws, “and you’re totally losing your marbles.” Then the laughter stopped as reality hit: the reality that was Lee Porter’s life. “They clearly want to dig up as much dirt as possible, and throw it in your face. I’m sorry, but they’ll find plenty. You’re right not to get involved any further. Perhaps it would be better if I did go.”
    “Don’t be silly. It doesn’t hurt me. But what about you?” Lewis asked.
    Lee let out a snort. “Do you seriously think this is going to damage my reputation? Far from it, Lewis - I’m having my five minutes of fame. It’s all good for me... We both know that. Part of the agenda - why pretend otherwise?”
    Lee surprised himself and Lewis with the honesty of the statement. It felt good, so he threw in one more. “But I would still be here now, even without any exposure... Look, Lewis... there’s something I should tell you...”
    “No, please, I don’t want to know,” replied Lewis, assuming the wrong confession. Fears of last night all but confirmed - a night that ran through to the morning, keeping Lee from the practice at Melbourne Park. “I’m glad you told me that, though… and it’s fine by me - the agenda.”
    “I might need to ask a favour - not today, but soon.”
    “I owe you one.”
    “It’s a big favour.”
    “It’s a big debt,” assured Lewis. “Now come on, if it’s about some publicity, then no bother. Have whatever’s going. If you’re happy with the coverage then the more the merrier - it helps me as well in a way.”
    “How’s that? You’ve lost a deal over it.”
    “That’s nothing. It takes the pressure off of Scott. If they’re busy writing about you, then he’s less likely to get dragged into things, and hopefully he’ll stay involved till the tournament ends, or till I get knocked out.”
    “Yes...’ replied Lee, forcing a wry smile onto his face. ‘I suppose everybody’s happy.”

Chapter 4 5
    With things now supposedly resolved between them, Lewis and Lee spent the next half hour chatting away, tennis and sex left well out of