Naked Hero - The Journey Away

different vein, shifting the awkwardness to the other side of the table. “And how are you, Scott? I was sorry to hear about the divorce.”
    Scott followed his own advice and took it on the chin, calming himself for a moment before giving his answer. “Thanks. It’s an amicable split - nothing nasty... And I’m good, Jim. It’s nice to be back here. I’ve got a lot of happy memories.”
    “Do you miss the tour? It’s been a few years since we’ve seen you around.”
    Scott gave a short laugh and a curt wave of his hand. “I miss the buzz, but not all the hard work. I’m a man of leisure now.”
    “Well, it’s good to see you back.”
    With the preliminaries now over, and the conversation steered to the safety of the tennis tour, Scott Taylor took a sip from the glass that had just been placed in front of him before staring into the eyes of Jim Murdoch. It was an honest look, as far as Jim was concerned, from a man he was meeting properly for the first time, and so unlike the experience of earlier in the day with a supposed friend and his despicable accomplice. It came as a jolting relief that Scott cut straight to the chase.
    “What’s on your mind, Jim? You said you had a favour to ask.”
    Jim braced himself, clutching the table in front of him, flicking a glance at the whisky that was calling to him like a Siren, before fixing his stare back on Scott. “Aye, I do. But first, I need some assurance that this conversation will go no further. There have been enough leaks around Lewis of late. I don’t want the boy any more upset than he already has been before we kick off next week.”
    “What exactly do you mean, Jim?”
    “Well, you’re working for a TV company, so whatever we say must remain between ourselves and not go public.” Jim held his look. It was audacious of him to state conditions, but he would do this properly or not at all.
    If Scott Taylor was offended by the brash manner of the Scotsman, he didn’t let it show. “I commentate, that’s all I do. I’m not a reporter,” he calmly answered.
    “But you won’t say anything to anyone else, will you?” Jim pressed on, though he wished he had left it. The point had been made.
    “No, Jim,” was the simple answer – clear, precise and terminal, just like Scott’s ground shots during the glory days. “Now tell me what this is about. You’re being very cautious here.”
    Jim flashed his eyes back to where the whisky sat. “I need to be cautious. It’s my job to look after the boy, and I haven’t been that successful of late.”
    Hearing this confession and seeing the hurt, Scott leaned in closer and gave Jim a pat on the shoulder. “You couldn’t have done anything about that scam. Now come on, Jim, this is between us. You have my word.”
    Jim looked again at the man sitting opposite him – a man that had once dominated the sport they both loved, and if it hadn’t been for injury then might still be a threat. He could be ruthless on the court but always played fair – if a ball landed in then Scott Taylor would say so even if the line judge had called it out and awarded him the point. If there was anyone in the game that Jim could trust then the man that was nicknamed ‘Gentleman Scott Taylor’ was probably the one. “What’s your impression of Lewis, as a player?” he asked, cautiously broaching the reason for the meeting.
    “He’s good. He won Wimbledon for Pete’s sake! He’s good... very good.”
    “Aye, but how good?”
    Scott took a moment to consider, wondering why Jim was dragging this out, but happy to play along as there was nothing pressing for him to attend to. “Well, I saw the Wimbledon win on television, and that was amazing. He certainly knows how to play on a fast court. He should be able to win it again, perhaps a few times - assuming he can move on from what happened last year. That was less impressive... It showed a big weakness. But if it can be dealt with then I’d say there’s a lot more to come from him.”
    “Aye, you’re right - there is a lot more to come... if we can get it out of him. Do you think he can do well here?”
    “Of course he can. He did well last year - just unlucky to get Jackson so early in the tournament. He could have gone a lot further otherwise. Sweet revenge for Tommy I suppose, after losing to Lewis at Wimbledon.”
    “Not revenge enough! He would have preferred to have got him in a final again. I want to give him the chance to do just that in two weeks