Naked Hero - The Journey Away

it?”
    “Yes. London,” Lee elaborated, judging quickly that openness was the best policy here. “That’s where I spend most of my time. I’ve got a place in Brighton as well. I prefer it there, but the work is mainly in London, so I don’t get to spend as much time as I’d like on the coast.”
    “I know Brighton - it’s a lovely town.”
    “It’s a city now,” corrected Lee.
    “Oh!” said Fiona, looking distinctly unimpressed by this elevated state. “Well, I’m sure it’s still the same for it. I like the Laines, with all those wee shops to poke around in... So if that’s where you’re based, perhaps we’ll get to see you again later in the year - maybe in the spring when the tour moves to Europe for the clay court season.”
    Lee inwardly smiled – the woman was fishing as well, which was only to be expected. But it wasn’t out of nosiness. There was genuine concern, which warmed him to her. Fiona Murdoch was a woman that was easy to like... and difficult to blatantly lie to. “You never know. I’m sure I could find the time, but I’d imagine that Lewis would be too busy with his schedule to spare me much of his.”
    Fiona gave him a wry smile , enjoying the verbal dance they were performing. “It would be nice if he was, but he’s not so strong on clay, so he tends to get more free time then. Time to see people... You’ll be around for Wimbledon, though, perhaps you could come and watch him there, if not before?”
    “I’d love to, but that’s a long way off... To be honest - I doubt if Lewis will even remember me by then.”
    “Well, I wouldn’t know about that,” replied Fiona, sure that Lee Porter wasn’t the type of man to be easily forgotten. And knowing that Lewis had taken a big step by inviting him here, she felt that he merited a little encouragement if it was to be more than a casual fling they had. “But I do know that he’ll need a friend there... when he walks onto the Centre Court again, and you’re the only one that he’s got at the moment outside of tennis.”
    That perked Lee’s ears up! Here was an opening that was consciously given. He took a sip of tea then boldly seized his chance to solve a mystery that had been bugging him. “It seems to have plagued him - what happened there last year. I don’t really understand why it was such a big deal for him. Perhaps if I did then I might be able to help. But it’s not something I would feel comfortable raking up and asking Lewis about.”
    It was good justification, and whilst she had serious reservations about the integrity of this man – he had help Lewis already - and Fiona deemed it worth the risk confiding in him further. “Nobody talks about it, but I can tell you what I think.”
    “I would say that if there is one person who knows, it would be you.”
    Fiona smiled at him, accepting the compliment and the demonstration of his perceptiveness. She took it on board as she finished her piece of shortbread then continued, “When he won the year before, it all got overshadowed. You know what happened. The whole world knows what happened. Maybe it was a mistake, but whatever, Lewis felt it was right at the time. But as a consequence, he lost his moment with all the fuss that got made. Can you imagine that? Winning Wimbledon! It’s every player’s dream, and he lost the reality of it. It just got too much and instead of celebrating, Lewis withdrew into himself again...”
    Fiona paused for a moment to take a sip from her cup. Lee wanted to jump in and ask what she had meant by that, but he thought that he knew, so he bit his tongue and waited, fascinated by the insight that was being shared, surprised at the trust that was being shown.
    “...As time went on,” Fiona continued, “and it got closer to going back, he started to get excited about it. I think that he thought he could regain his moment on the first day. It’s tradition you see, for the defending men’s champion to open up the tournament on the Centre Court - a big honour. He would be back where it happened, still the champion. Take the plaudits, have a moment to savour. But it turned sour. It wasn’t the loss - Lewis can take his losses. It was the rejection. He’s never been very good at handling that.”
    “So do you think it could happen again?” quizzed Lee. “I hope not. I get the impression he wants to rectify things and win his title back - more than he wants to win here. Surely he won’t lose to the crowd again.”
    “I