Page 37 of Serve
“Hey, babe.” He handed Tyler a glass of wine and kissed him on the cheek. Tyler put the glass down on a side table, then took Chip’s glass and placed it next to it. His dark eyes were filled with concern. Tyler wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face in Chip’s neck. He took a couple of deep breaths, then lifted his head to stare into Chip’s eyes.
“We have to talk, and it’s not going to be easy.”
Chip brushed his lips over his, then Tyler let go of him and sat on the couch.
“What’s going on? Why the sad look? You’ve made it through the second round, and you’ve been winning everything in sight.” Chip said. He sat in the bright, overstuffed chair across from him.
“It’s not about me winning… actually, it is. Okay, you’ve been a huge inspiration for me. I haven’t told you this, because it puts a lot of pressure on you, but I think I’m winning because of you. That’s why I’m hating every second of this conversation.” Tyler put his face in his hands and sighed.
“Tell me, what’s going on?” Chip asked, his voice trembling.
“I want you to go home.”
Chip sat back in the chair, his heart racing. Thoughts swirled through his mind, none of them coherent, but the overall message was one of confusion.
“If I’m helping you win, why on earth do you want me to go home? That makes no sense.” He said.
“That woman we chased off in Nice, the one taking pictures of us by the pool? She apparently was there a lot longer than we thought. She took many more pictures, including some very incriminating ones. She spied on us for days.” Tyler leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, remembering the love they shared, now spoiled by someone’s personal vendetta.
“What? They were taking pictures of us through the windows?” Chip stood and looked about wildly, as if photographers were hiding in the room, then sat back down. Tyler nodded his head in agreement.
“Who the hell did this? If they hate you so much, why haven’t they published them yet?” Chip asked.
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s Scott who paid the photographer. I never told you this, but the reason Scott quit was because I turned him down, sexually that is.” Tyler said. Chip’s mouth dropped open, then he shut it.
“I think it’s going to be the same deal as it was in Houston. If I face his player Travis across the net, I’d better lose, or else he’ll expose me. Some strange sense of honor is keeping him from just announcing it to the press. I have no idea what goes on in his mind. All I know is that I need to keep you safe. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be living safely back in the states, enjoying a normal life.”
“I don’t want a normal life. I want to be with you.” Chip murmured.
They sat in silence for a few moments, letting Chip’s words wash over them. Finally, Chip walked to the balcony door and stared up at the gray sky.
“Just tell the truth. I have nothing to hide.”
“It’s much easier said than done. Sania and I discussed it. Look, I don’t want you to go through hell. Just get on the next flight to Texas. I’ll skip the next tournament and come home for a few days before Wimbledon.” Tyler said. He started to get up, then Chip spun around.
“No. I’m in this with you. My place is here, by your side. Don’t even think of trying to send me away, because I’m not going anywhere.”
“Babe, I can’t put you through this, it’s…”
“I don’t want to hear it. You will win the French Open, and I’m going to be by your side while you do it. If Scott decides to fuck with you, he’ll have to go through me to do it. Understand?” Chip walked over to Tyler, reached down and pulled him to his feet.
“I love you. I’m not letting Scott, or anyone else, ruin it for us.” Chip’s voice shook. Tyler nodded his head, then wrapped his arms around Chip, pulling him in close.
“I love you too. I don’t want you getting hurt because of me…”
“I’m a big boy, and I’m glad you want to protect me, but I think you need protecting too.” He murmured into Tyler’s ear, then he blew a stream of warm air on the tender skin underneath it. Tyler’s body shivered in his arms, then without warning, he pushed him away.
“First you want to send me back to Texas, and now you’re pushing me away. What is going on with you?”
“I’m winning because of you. Every time I see your face in the stands watching me, I urge myself to fight harder, to win the next point. I’m terrified of the opposite happening. I don’t want to lose, because I’m scared of hurting you. I don’t want to throw matches, because it’s the only way to get you to go home.” Tyler said.
“Now you’re threatening to lose because of me? I don’t play games like this Tyler. No way. You win or lose because of yourself. I’m here to support you, to be there for you no matter what, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting you manipulate me into leaving. That’s why you just said that, right?” He put his arms around Tyler, who nodded.
“I fell in love with a winner. You’re going to do the right thing, and you’re going to play to win. So far, Scott hasn’t shown the press those pictures, if it’s him of course. Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.” Chip leaned his forehead against Tylers’ forehead.
“What would you be doing if we weren’t here? If we were back in Hidden Creek? You know I’m retiring soon, and if Scott has his way, it’ll be a lot sooner than I thought. What do you want to do when you return home?” Tyler asked.
“I’ve been thinking about this a lot, to tell you the truth. As much as I’m loving all these fancy hotel rooms, I miss home, plus…” Chip laid his head against Tyler’s chest and struggled to find the words he needed.
