Page 79 of Match Point

Both of us chuckled at that.

Miranda gazed up, and gasped. “You can see the stars! How can you see them? The New York skyline is so close, there’s usually so much light pollution!”

“It is an effect with the stadium,” I explained. “I do not understand it, but an astronomer once explained it to me. It helps negate some of the light pollution. Not all, but some.” I gestured and looked at her. “This is better than a restaurant, no?”

She leaned over and pressed her lips to mine, tasting of mustard. “Much better.”

We finished our meals and then laid on our backs, gazing up at the sky. “Gabriel, I have to tell you something.”

“Does it involve my footwork while playing on grass?” I asked. “Because I am aware of my inefficiency.”

“It’s about my personal life. I want to be totally open and honest with you.”

“I know you have been seeing him,” I said gently.

Miranda rolled over to face me. She was beautiful in the darkness, so beautiful it nearly brought tears to my eyes. “This isn’t about Tristan. It’s actually about…”

“I did not mean Tristan,” I said, cutting her off. “I meant Dominic deGrom. I know you have been seeing him.”

She flinched as if a gunshot had gone off. “How do you know that?”

“It was obvious to me. The way you look at each other when you think nobody else is watching. I saw it that night at the Australian Open welcome dinner, and it has remained ever since.” I rolled over to face her directly. “I am many things, but one truth is that I am a very observant man. It is what gives me an advantage on the court, noticing subtle clues about my opponent’s intentions.”

“So you’ve known since January…” She shook her head in confusion. “It doesn’t bother you? About DominicorTristan?”

“It does not.”

When I didn’t say more, Miranda added, “Can you elaborate on that? I’m actually shocked you’re not upset.”

“I have been competing with Tristan and Dominic since I was a teenager,” I explained. “Mostly, we have competed on the court. It is fitting that now I am competing with them for the heart of the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Even in the darkness, I could see Miranda’s cheeks turn red.

“And as on the court,” I finished, “I intend to win in the end. No matter how long such a victory takes.”

Miranda smiled sadly at me. “I like both of them, Gabriel.”

“I am quite sure you do. For now.”

She hesitated, then said, “I like both of them a lot. I likeyoua lot, too. But I don’t think my feelings for them will disappear.”

I cupped her cheek. Her skin was so smooth, smoother than I had ever dreamed. “I am not concerned about this. So long as you give me a chance, I am happy.”

“Even if it means I continue seeing each of them?” she asked.

“Even if you pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the stomach right now,” I said confidently. “It would not so much as diminish my affection for you by a single gram.”

She put her hand over mine and smiled back at me. “Grams? What are those?”

I snorted a laugh.

“Can you please convert those into freedom units?” she insisted. “I don’t understand the metaphor because of my American education.”

“Ounces,” I said. “My affection would not be diminished by a single ounce.”

“Aww, that’s sweet.” She leaned in and kissed me again, with the barest flick of tongue. I rolled onto my back once again, and she rolled with me so she could cuddle. I savored the way her bare leg felt against mine, smooth and warm and intimate.

“Can I ask you a question?” she whispered in the night.

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