Naked Hero - The Journey Away

which apparently means ‘happy accident’ and is supposed to be something special – an East meets West fusion, whatever that’s supposed to mean. Marie booked it, and she knows what she’s doing when it comes to food... She did say that I should bring a friend along!” Then realising he might have spoken out of turn, he looked across to Chantal. Thankfully she didn’t appear in the slightest annoyed.
    “Yes, please do,” she encouraged. “It would be lovely to catch up properly.”
    Scott took a moment to decide. There was his normal group of friends whom he could join at the Langham, and he’d also been invited out by some colleagues from ABC - neither had a huge appeal, whereas this sounded fun. And whilst he had reservations about a public appearance with Lewis away from the courts, other factors outweighed them. It was his task to spend time with the dazzling young man, get to understand him so he could help him mentally. Seeing him away from the tennis environment would be a means to that end. At least that would be the excuse Scott would use. So he accepted the invite – happy that the job of being Lewis Macleod’s current mentor could throw up such pleasurable perks.
    Jim Murdoch arrived shortly afterwards. Unintentionally, he halted again at the entrance, as he had done five days ago, and looked at Lewis sitting at the same table, but with a different man on this occasion. It made for a haunting scene – Jim was struck by the similarity – the pair of them laughing, just as he’d seen when it was Lee Porter.
    A shiver ran down Jim Murdoch’s spine as he recalled the man who had sat there before, and he remembered the consequences of Lewis’s win today - they had never been far from his mind. The introduction that Jim had tactlessly avoided would soon be forced on him - as would the reaction to Lee Porter’s appearance in Lewis’s supporters’ box. ‘That website!’ Jim thought for the umpteenth time. ‘Boy, Lewis - you sure know how to pick them.’
    Jim had looked at the site in horror as he discovered more about Lee Porter than he thought decent to know. It went way beyond the call of duty! Surely no other tennis coach had been called on to perform such a task: wade through a series of gay glamour shots that featured an abundance of muscle, skimpy little trunks, and on more than one occasion a brazenly bared ass! It was one hell of an ‘introduction’ and Jim’s earlier reservations about engaging with this man had paled into insignificance with a new found foreboding about seeing him in the flesh.
    ‘In the flesh!’ Jim thought as he lingered at the door. ‘I’ve seen more than enough of his bloody flesh - as will half the world come Tuesday morning - which I’m sure is something that hasn’t escaped him. The whole thing is a nightmare waiting to happen.’
    But Jim knew that there was little point in trying to convince Lewis to abandon his plan. A course had been set, and they all knew now what lay ahead. Jim had reconciled himself to the path, however awkward it might prove.
    As had Scott Taylor – or so it would appear! Now that was something that had surprised Jim a bit. He had thought that Scott would have politely backed away once he realised what was in store. But instead he’d stuck with it – and there were even smiles on display. The former champion had surpassed all Jim’s expectations with the attitude he’d adopted, and the time he’d put in. It left him wondering how much more Scott might be prepared to give – over the course of the coming week... and maybe beyond!
    Conscious of his delay, Jim went across to the table and slapped Lewis on the back before sitting down to join in the discussion, which had moved quickly from dinner plans to today’s performance, and the next round encounter where Edwin Roberts lay in wait. Jim had plenty to say on the match he had just seen, but little to criticise. It had all gone to plan. It was the next match that dominated Jim’s thoughts now: another Aussie, another big arena... and Lee Porter in the box. These were the factors that Jim felt should be discussed, and contingencies planned for. But neither Scott nor Lewis concerned themselves with them. They focused on the tennis, and the strategy to be adopted, as though these other factors did not exist. ‘Perhaps they’re right,’ thought Jim. If tennis was all that was involved, then Lewis would come through. Roberts was good, but not good enough - not as