Match Pointe

‘And how do you know they would even agree to such a proposal?’

‘I manage the top six male players in the world. I know their lives inside out, more than their nearest and dearest ever will. If Ivan doesn’t maintain that position, one of the other five will be Number One. I have included a brief dossier on each of them for you to review before making your decision. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.’

He smiled, almost like the cat that had already swallowed the canary.

‘But how do you know that they would even want me in their lives?’

‘Believe me, Eloise, I know every one of these men would welcome you into their life in whatever shape the relationship takes. As you know better than anyone, being at the top is lonely and isolating. To have someone who doesn’t judge them and understands the pressure of their lives, the need to perform on cue over and over, would be invaluable. It became abundantly obvious to me after my discussion with Ivan. If these elite athletes don’t have a partner one hundred per cent dedicated to their career, it’s only a matter of time before the stress cracks show and their relationship fails, often affecting every part of their life. I see it time and again. Should you come into their lives, understanding what drives them to be Number One, as you know first-hand, supporting them to achieve, with no strings attached … do you think they’ll knock all that back? You’d be a dream come true!’

The entire situation was too much for Eloise to take in.

‘I know it’s a lot to absorb, and probably the last thing you were expecting from our meeting today. So I’d really appreciate it if you could read through the information when you go home, consider what I’ve offered and let me know within the next two days if you are remotely interested. I’d be more than comfortable if you feel you need to experience the lifestyle I’m proposing before committing to anything. If you decide to proceed, the contract between us will be legally binding for the next eight grand slams; there are four a year. You’d start with the French Open in May, then Wimbledon, followed by the US Open, and finally the Australian in January.

‘It’s a big decision, which I encourage you to consider seriously. And I need to be clear: should you proceed, your life for the next two years will not be your own.’ His eyes became lethal for a flicker of a second, right before his tone lightened. ‘If you have any more questions whatsoever, just call my direct line.’ He handed her his business card.

‘Unfortunately, my next meeting is across town and I need to get going. As I said earlier, Eloise, I hope you will consider my offer seriously over the next day or two. I’ve really enjoyed our time together today and hope we can continue getting to know each other in the near future.’

He stood up, so Eloise followed his lead, and he shook her hand again. Instead of having warm, sweaty palms, now all blood had drained from her fingers, leaving them stone-cold.

‘Please feel free to stay here longer if you wish to.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll look forward to hearing from you.’

As he reached the door, he stopped and turned back to face her. ‘Don’t look so scared, Eloise; life is meant to be an adventure. I hope I’ve just added to yours.’

‘Thank you, Caesar. For lunch, for the chat, for everything.’ As she said the words she realised her life now had options she hadn’t even imagined a few hours ago. ‘I’ll be in touch.’

‘Good. I’m counting on it!’

On that note, Caesar exited the room, leaving a befuddled Eloise standing in his wake.

Pub

Eloise found a pub just around the corner from the Tate Modern and made the spontaneous decision to pop in: something entirely out of character for her. She needed to calm her nerves and reflect on the puzzling meeting she had just left, and she wasn’t ready to go back and sit in her tiny apartment by herself just yet. Though she tried to seem like she belonged in this environment, she looked quite out of place sitting at the bar, and the pint she was hiding behind could not conceal her incongruous elegance and grace.

She told herself that everything in her life was still as miserable as it had been an hour ago, but knew deep down this just wasn’t the case. In fact, her life had just become far more intriguing than it had ever been – not that she would openly admit that to herself.

She sat in a daze a million miles away, not quite believing what had just happened to her. She was trying to assimilate the bizarre proposition sitting inside the manila envelope he had given her, when her reverie was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice next to her.

‘Penny for your thoughts?’

She looked up into the eyes of a young guy with a mass of brown, shoulder-length, curly hair, a caramel tan and an adorable smile that exposed perfect white teeth and a dimple on each cheek.

‘I’m sure you’d rather not know,’ Eloise responded flatly, unaccustomed to being spoken to by strange men in public, and preferring not to be disturbed.

‘Try me, I’m a good listener. May I?’

Eloise couldn’t disguise her shock as he slid his seat closer to hers and ordered a pint from the bar.

‘What …? Well … I suppose … why not?’

‘Thanks! I’m Liam by the way.’

He extended his hand, and rather than averting her eyes and not responding as would be her usual practice, she couldn’t help but smile. His casual friendliness was somewhat contagious. She looked into his honey-coloured eyes and was surprised to see nothing but kindness.

‘I’m Eloise. Are you usually like this?’

‘I suppose it depends on what you think I’m usually like.’

‘I suppose it does!’ She laughed, a sound she hadn’t heard escape from her mouth for quite some time. It was an unusual sensation. ‘I mean, do you usually just sidle up to people you don’t know and sit down for a chat?’ Eloise knew she had never acquired the social confidence for such outgoing behaviour.

‘Why not? Life’s short,’ he answered simply, before looking at her a little more thoughtfully, noticing her bright aquamarine eyes and long auburn locks, pulled neatly away from her face and secured in a long plait that rested on her shoulder.

‘I was just about to leave when you caught my eye. You look a little lost and very alone – and stunning!’ She immediately blushed at his directness. ‘If we can’t reach out to each other as human beings, then what’s the point in being alive?’

She was taken aback, both by his outspoken words and by the kind-heartedness they portrayed.

‘How do I know you’re not Jack the Ripper?’

‘To the best of my knowledge Jack the Ripper lived about a hundred years ago, although …’ He paused, pretending to consider … ‘I suppose I could be a distant relative.’ He took a sip of his beer, taking time to lick the foam from his upper lip. ‘But I don’t think I have his genes, because I’m one hundred per cent against violence – it goes against my Zen nature – and besides, there are many other things I would prefer to do with a woman, I can assure you, particularly one as beautiful as you.’ His cheeky, light-hearted grin returned, along with his dimples.

Eloise caught herself returning the smile. Something about him drew her in, causing goosebumps to appear on her skin, and she shifted in her seat to deflect his searching gaze. In the past, it had only ever been dance that had stirred such arousal in her, but her immediate attraction to him was undeniable. He was gorgeous!

Even though his intentions could be taken as sexual, she felt surprisingly comfortable in his presence and found herself easing into conversation with this flirtatious stranger. The freedom of anonymity was taking her mind off the massive decision she had to make within the next two days.

‘So, as I said before: penny for your thoughts?’

‘Oh, it’s just too complicated and surreal for me to even begin to explain – and anyway, I should really get going. I have a lot I need to work out.’

She stood up from the bar, not really wanting to leave but feeling like she could now face going home to start thinking through Caesar’s offer. She could hardly have explained the details of his proposal to a complete stranger, nor even to someone she knew well. So she carefully placed the envelope back in her attaché case.

‘You’re not finishing your beer?’

‘I don’t really drink beer – and I don’t usually go to pubs either. I just ordered it to fit in.’ She smiled sheepishly.

‘Right.’ He placed some money on the bar and stood up with her. ‘Are you walking across the Millennium Bridge?’

She nodded.

‘Mind if I join you?’

‘You’re persistent, aren’t you?’

‘When I like something I see, absolutely.’

The more Eloise looked at Liam, the cuter he became – like a delicious milky chocolate bar, without the fat content. She gathered up her jacket and attaché case and pondered: What harm could it do? She hadn’t felt anything like this for a long time, if ever.

‘All right, then, why not?’

They both reached for the door handle at the same time, their fingers colliding. He stood firm, holding the door until she’d gone out before him. She noticed he was over six feet tall, and more athletic and muscled than she’d realised when they’d been seated.