Naked Hero - The Journey Away

admitted, for it would be boorish to pretend otherwise. “But I can’t let it interfere with the Open. I can’t mess up again. I’m not like Chantal. I wish I was, but I’m not.”
    “Is he still in Sydney?” pressed Marie.
    “Yes. I think he’ll be there for another month. Till the Mardi Gras is over.”
    She turned to him brightly and stated the obvious. “Then why not see him after the Open? That’s what he suggested with the question, or did I misunderstand?”
    Lewis looked at her, stunned by the level of perception. “So you picked that up as well! I wondered if it was just me, you know, wanting to hear something that wasn’t there… And yes, it has crossed my mind. But it still seems wrong. He’s a bit of a player – a shark I think you called him: a hungry shark who likes plenty of variety in his diet. I just don’t trust him enough… or myself for that matter. If there was a story to unfold there then it wouldn’t have a happy ending.”
    Marie shook her head indulgently, sympathetic to his angst. “You can’t say for sure. That’s life, Lewis. There are no guarantees. You can’t turn to the last page to see how things end, and then decide if it’s a story worth living. The real value lies in the story itself, not in the ending.”
    “I… I see that, but…”
    “But what Lewis?”
    “Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps it would be better to just wipe him out for the time being and worry about him later. I wish I could just... what was it you said Chantal does?”
    “Compartmentalise.”
    Lewis nodded at the reminder. “That’s it. Put him away in a box for the next fortnight or however long I last, and bring him out and deal with him then… Now that would be a trick! ...Look, I have to get back. Thanks for talking to me, Marie. Tell Chantal that she’s one lucky lady, and that’s got nothing to do with her being the champion. Give her my love, and wish her all the best for next week… We should get together again before the tournament ends. What do you say?”
    Lewis got up and kissed her goodbye.
    “Of course,” agreed Marie. “Let’s have dinner... And perhaps you should bring someone!”
    “ Yes, perhaps I should... I’ll call you.”

Chapter 15
    As Lewis was finishing his chat with Marie, Jim Murdoch was being shown into the office of Cliff Drysdale, president of Tennis Australia, the organisation behind the Open. Jim was immediately on guard when he noticed that Cliff was not alone.
    “Jim. Good to see you, mate, how are you?” enquired Cliff as the pair shook hands.
    “I’m fine thanks. And you, Cliff - busy time for you no doubt? I appreciate you sparing me a few minutes.”
    “No trouble, Jim - no trouble at all. I think you know Frank Morris don’t you?”
    “Of course – Frank. I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” responded Jim as the second shake was made with polite formality – the Scotsman making it clear he was far from happy. A private meeting with Drysdale had been requested, and Jim was seriously disappointed that his old friend appeared to be involving a third party. Frank Morris didn’t look as though he was about to leave - quite the opposite in fact as he seated himself along with the other two men in the plush leather armchairs that surrounded a coffee table. And as a senior ATP official, and more worryingly, an outspoken Evangelist from America’s Bible Belt, his presence would give the meeting a formal tone which Jim had hoped to avoid.
    “I had lunch earlier with Cliff,” said Frank Morris in explanation, “and I needed to have a chat with you anyway, Jim - so coming along to the meeting seemed like a good idea. I think that the ATP should be represented here anyway. I’m sure Cliff is in agreement. Is that not so?”
    “Oh, very much, very much,” responded Drysdale, flinching slightly under the gaze of his friend. He had eaten sparingly over lunch, but was sure he was lined up for an afternoon of chronic indigestion, and the tournament hadn’t even started.
    Some refreshments were brought in while more small talk was made. It was Jim who eventually turned the conversation round to the topic they all knew they were there to discuss. “I take it you saw the article in the Herald this morning. I have a copy here with me just in case,” said Jim, pulling the newspaper out of his bag and tossing in onto the table in front of them.
    “We saw it, Jim - yes, we saw it,” replied Cliff, wincing with distaste. He ignored the