Naked Hero - The Journey Away

help Lewis as well. Everyone would benefit - this reluctance is most unbecoming.”
    “It’s all a fake, Anthony. You don’t need the fake anymore. You’ve got the real thing. Lewis will do a shoot for you next week before he leaves Australia. Use that for the launch - it will be more effective, we both know that.”
    “True, but I want you both.”
    “We don’t always get what we want, Anthony. Sorry, but that’s the end of the matter.”
    “Twice in the space of one day: how thoroughly unsatisfactory.”
    The next call Lee made was to the apartment in Sydney. Gus, who was the unofficial second in command, gave Lee the bad news that Joey had brought back an unsavoury lot from the club and things got totally out of hand. The place got trashed, and Joey had subsequently disappeared.
    “So, boss, we’re down to five, although Joey might come back. I doubt it, though - he’s taken all of his belongings and all of the kitty money as well, so I reckon he’s scarpered. What shall I do?”
    “Kill the bastard if you see him... Look, just stay low for tonight. No adventures. I’ll be back on Monday. We can sort things out from there.”
    “And what about you, boss?”
    “Stop calling me that!”
    “Sorry. What about you, Lee. How are things working out with the fabulous Lewis?”
    “They’re not. I’ll see you on Monday. Thanks for letting me know, Gus. Have a nice day... and watch the tennis tonight.”
    “Okay, boss man Lee. Enjoy the game.”
    Gus hung up.
    “It’s a match!” said Lee into the dead phone. ‘The game’s over... And guess what... I lost!”

Chapter 56
    Scott Taylor’s day was pretty busy as well. He added his help to the preparatory team: Jim, Mike and the other specialists that were called upon to get Lewis physically and mentally ready for the final. From a working breakfast where tactics were revisited and Lewis’s intake was carefully monitored, Scott and Jim settled down to analyse Tommy Jackson’s route to the final, searching for a weakness that perhaps could be targeted. Sadly they found nothing to give much cheer – he had reached the final with the loss of only one set and his form looked as solid as ever.
    Shadowing Jim, the new coach in waiting checked on the player from time to time. Lewis was being helped to relax by a masseur who worked on his body, and a sports psychologist who worked on his mind, with Mike in attendance constantly monitoring, making sure his energy and hydration levels were right.
    People came and went. Calls were fielded. Food was prepared and carefully eaten. The house was a hive of activity whilst Lewis was kept in a protective bubble. Scott took part and did his bit whilst watching it with a sense of unease. It wasn’t exactly a typical day, but it brought it home to him what he already knew - that a tennis player’s life involves a multitude of people, not just a coach who might have an extra string to his bow. A champion like Lewis would be surrounded by people, even in the privacy of his home. How could Scott possibly have a relationship with the lad and keep it secret from the inner circle? People would have to know, or someone would guess, and then a trickle of gossip would lead to a deluge. From passively curious to actively bi-sexual, Scott would soon be outed and classed as a full-blown queer – the paparazzi constantly at their door.
    They already were! They were camped outside. Scott had run the gauntlet when he’d arrived first thing, and had to do it again as they left for Melbourne Park shortly after lunch for a practice session. And even there the media hounded them, watching on as Scott took Lewis through his paces. Perhaps that’s why it seemed so different – much less relaxed, a tension between them, Lewis all over the place with no focus on what he was doing, splaying shots wildly or finding the net too often. Media intrusion had a role to play, but Scott knew it was more than that. The nature of their relationship had radically changed and it didn’t sit easy on the tennis court. They shared a secret which was only intent at the moment, and he felt awkward enough about that. What would it be like when they took it further: starting with bed and the experiment of sex; then all being well, into a deeper relationship? In theory it should be the making of them, but right at that moment it seemed like it was ruining Lewis’s game... and it wasn’t just Scott who was aware of it.
    Alongside Mike Crawford, Jim