Page 3 of Clean Point

I was done running.

2

Scottie

Burn Alive – The Last Dinner Party

Jon Anderson settled himself into my mother’s plush couch, positioned directly across from me. Two steaming cups of tea sat on the coffee table divide, forced upon the American by my mother’s good English nature.

‘It’s good to see you, Scottie. You look well,’ Jon said, a warm smile forming faint lines on his face. He looked almost the same as he had two years ago, with the same friendly thin-lipped smile and sharp eyes, his skin now slightly weathered and darkened by countless hours standing outside watching players running across a court.

‘Thanks,’ was all I managed. From the moment I’d opened the door to my mum’s townhouse and found him standing on the quiet London street, my mind had been a rush of panicked questions, overwhelming me into an unusual silence.

‘Have you been in London long?’ my mother asked as she entered the stylishly decorated living room, placing a delicate plate of chocolate-covered biscuits between us, before sitting to my left.

‘A week or so. I’ve been working in Spain for a while.’

‘Oh, that explains the tan,’ she remarked with a warm smile. ‘Was it more coaching work?’

He leaned forward, perching himself on the edge of the sofa as he picked up a sugar cube and plotted it into the brewing liquid. ‘Yes, I’ve been working with Inés Costa since—’ He paused, as if realizing his words. When he continued, his revelation caught me off guard. ‘Since I was fired.’

‘Matteo fired you?’ I asked, my voice still quiet.

He nodded, his grim expression reflecting the gravity of the situation. ‘Just after you left.’

‘I’m sorry.’

A smile broke his stony demure. ‘Don’t be. I was about to quit when he did it. And because he terminated my contract early, I got full payment.’

I let out a brief, awkward laugh, feeling the tension in the room grow as the conversation settled upon us. The unease in my stomach intensified.

‘Listen, I know I said it before, but I promise, I didn’t know. I walked in on him crushing the pills for your smoothie, and I knew better than to trust that they were just supplements. I never would’ve done that without your permission. Hell, I would’ve quit if your training plan included a banned substance. All that hard work lost because of a blood test?’

I raised an eyebrow at Jon, just as he realized his wording. ‘Sorry, I … I was proud of you for stepping forward. It wasn’t you who cheated, but you paid the consequences, anyway.’

‘I figured the best way for payback was to make it all for nothing.’

‘It cost you everything, Scottie.’

My gaze fixed on my steaming cup of tea as I moved to pick it up, feeling a mix of emotions swirling within me. His words sunk in, and a sense of bitterness and regret crept into my voice.

‘It is what it is,’ I muttered, taking a long sip. Nothing like a strong brew to wash away the trauma.

Jon leaned forward, his fingers intertwining, ‘I don’t quite agree there …’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You know your ban is up in a few weeks?’

‘So?’

‘So,’ his voice is light, full of a hope I feel so unfamiliar with, ‘now is the time to start training again.’

I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me, the disbelief I had at the idea. I placed the mug back on the table, barely able to get the words out fast enough. ‘I have no intention of training ever again.’

I was exhausted at the thought alone. That lifestyle was a million miles from my life now. Sure, I’d kept up my fitness with near daily gym visits and the odd escapade running through the streets of Rome with the Italian police at my back. I was a certain male pop star’s running companion for a while until I realized he couldn’t keep up. However, his short shorts did make up for it.

But that was nothing compared to training professionally. That took body, mind, and soul. I’d been able to commit to it before, but now I’d tasted freedom, and my soul wasn’t so sure it wanted to return.

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