Page 107 of Match Point

In the third set, Dominic began nodding his head whenever Gabriel won a point. Tristan pumped his fist after Gabriel won a long rally.

When Gabriel was losing, and his frustration and sadness was obvious, they became more vocal. “Let’s go!” Dominic shouted. Tristan cheered after the next point.

Maybe they were merely empathizing with my own emotions for Gabriel. I was in pain watching him lose, sotheywere in pain on my behalf. An infectious emotion that quickly spread like a virus.

Or maybe they genuinely realized that Gabriel was close to accomplishing something trulygreat, and despite their history and rivalry with the man, they wanted to watch it happen.

Regardless of the reason, they became Gabriel’s biggest cheerleaders in the fourth and fifth sets. Their shouts and cheers even drowned out my own voice. Their enthusiasm made my heart happy.

Maybe we can get along after all.

Gabriel’s comeback was a sight to behold. It may have been my imagination, but our cries of encouragement seemed to lift him up to a level of competitiveness I had never seen before. By the time Gabriel won match point, my voice was hoarse from screaming so much in the fifth set.

He came running over, hugging me and kissing me on the cheek.Thatwould definitely give the tabloids something to gossip about. Then I laughed when he hugged Tristan and Dominic, giving them kisses on the cheeks, too.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I watched the award ceremony. Gabriel’s victory speech was very gracious, although that didn’t come as a surprise to me by this point.

“I want to thank Tristan Carfrae and Dominic deGrom,” he said to the packed stadium. “They have helped push me more than they will ever know. And I want to thank a very special woman in my life who is out there somewhere. You know who you are. For fifteen years, you have been on my mind, and in my soul. Without you, I would not be standing here holding this trophy. That is not an empty compliment! I truly mean that without your existence, I would not have accomplished all of this. Thank you for everything.”

“Who do you reckon he’s talking about?” Tristan whispered. “The virgin Mary?”

I busted out laughing, adding a different set of tears to those already pouring out of my eyes.

We met him in the locker room afterward, and shared some long hugs. He also shared a long kiss with me, one that wasnoton the cheek.

“Everything I said out there was true,” Gabriel told us, his blue eyes watering with emotion. “I have you to thank for so much. For giving me passion throughout my career. For inspiring me to be the best I can be. Your encouragement today is the only reason I was able to rally in the fourth and fifth sets.”

“I expected you to win in straight sets,” Tristan admitted. “When Djokovic took the lead, and came close to beating you, I realized that I reallydidwant to see you do it.” He shook his head. “A calendar slam. You accomplished something incredible today.”

“I just wish I was on the court trying to stop you,” Dominic said with a laugh. “But I’m glad Djokovic gave you a fight. You earned it.”

Gabriel ran a hand through his curly hair. “I would have liked to have had a match against you as well. Alas, I am happy with how it happened. And regarding Miranda…”

“We don’t need to talk about this right now,” I said.

“I would be honored to share her love with a man such as you.” He turned to Tristan. “And you as well.”

He held out his fists, one toward each man. Slowly, Tristan bumped it with his own fist. But Dominic stood there for a long moment, not moving.

“Fuck that,” he said, and then wrapped Gabriel in a big bro-hug.

“Now I feel like a cunt for not hugging him too,” Tristan said, joining in the group hug.

I almost cried at the sight. All three men were getting along. How could I have ever deserved this?

“So, this is awkward,” I said while their hug went on and on. “I actually don’t want to be with any of you. I was happier when I was single.”

“Mind your own business,” Tristan said as their hug continued. “We’re trying to bond.”

*

The meeting didn’t last long, because Tristan and Dominic needed to prepare for their doubles match. Gabriel headed off to the media room to get bombarded with questions and interviews, while I returned to my seat in Arthur Ashe.

I’d kept my phone on mute during the match, and blinked in surprise when I realized I had about a hundred new text messages. Friends, family, and people I knew in the tennis world were all asking if I was the mystery woman Gabriel had mentioned in his victory speech. The funniest texts came from Hammy:

Hamilton: Oh god, you’ve collected another one, haven’t you?

Hamilton: No judgment. I might even be able to pitch a reality TV show to one of the streaming networks. Think The Bachelorette, but with tennis players all vying for your hand.

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