Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
NAOMI
Washington, D.C. – July
DC Open
The humidity of Washington always felt like a slap in the face.
Or maybe, more accurately, it felt like being shoved under a weighted blanket with no escape.
It was my least favourite condition to play in, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t having a great time winning.
There had been an underlying fear that the Eastbourne run might have been a fluke, and I was doomed to play below what I knew I was capable of and kill my own chances of making Team GB before they even really started.
The main question running through my head as I took to the court for the first time was: How much do I really want a shot at this gold medal, and am I really good enough now to get it?
But reaching the semi-final, beating two top ten players en route, had buried those thoughts. Mostly.
I think I’d come to accept that it was always going to be haunting a corner of my mind until I’d either won or lost my chance to get the medal around my neck.
There was no time for me to dwell on it today anyway because I was once again playing Lois, and that required more focus than any negative thoughts I might have about my own ability.
As I started warming up on the treadmill, my phone lit up with a call.
There weren’t many people I would accept a phone call from while starting to get into match mode, but fortunately for Isaac, he was one of them.
I’d kept meaning to check in with him to see how he was settling in following his move back across the world, but life and time zones meant it hadn’t happened.
I double-checked that my earbuds were connected to my phone and answered.
“Hey, I’m on a treadmill FYI.”
Isaac’s low laugh rumbled down the phone. “Hey, yourself. You could’ve just ignored the call. I would’ve understood. You going in or coming out?”
“Thank you so much for paying attention to my career,” I teased. “I’m warming up, about half an hour out from getting on court.”
“Now I really don’t know why you answered the phone. This conversation isn’t going to be remotely important.”
“Because I did. How are you? Settled in okay?”
“I have no idea what day or time it is or if I’m even still on the same planet. So no, but it’s good to be back on home soil.”
“Ugh, don’t. I miss it.”
The treadmill on my left started, and Sam stepped onto it. His semi-final was the one I’d been waiting to finish before I could play. I smiled at him.
“You’ve not even been gone that long.” He laughed.
“I know. That’s the problem. It was a bad idea to schedule a comeback when we were in the home section of the season because I got to play the sport I love and go back to my own bed. Mostly. Now that’s been taken from me.”
“Oh, the trials of being an elite athlete,” he drawled.
“Yeah, yeah, I know you’ve got no sympathy for me. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to be counting down the days until I’m back.”
“And what is the current count?”
I increased my pace slightly. “Depends on how much of the Asian swing I do. Anywhere between seventy and ninety, maybe?”
“That’s rough.”
“Tell me about it, hon—” I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Sam stumbled on his treadmill. I turned my head, but he seemed to have recovered and was focused on the wall in front of us. A muscle in his jaw clenched before I looked forward again.
“Guess it won’t make you feel better if I tell you that I’ve been getting quality Logan cuddles. You failed to get across just how adorable he is.”
I groaned. “No, I don’t want to hear about how you’re getting all the Logan love. I miss him maybe more than I miss anything else.”
“Can’t even pretend to be offended by that, seeing as I’ve been in Oz for so long.”
“Also hard to miss someone you can text at any given moment,” I pointed out and heard another stumble beside me.
“How are you feeling about getting back to work? Have you seen your office? Mum was excited about the way she maximised the space,” I continued.
He was officially joining the team at S&S on Monday.
“Yeah, I got that. She watched me like a proud parent as I first walked in. It’s nice.
Will be even better when I commit to adding some personal touches.
And I’m excited to get back to work. Pretty much the only constant in my life right now is the fact that I know I’m good at my job, and I have faith in that. ”
“You’re right to have faith in that. I hate to cut this short, but I’m about to push this treadmill up to a pace where I’m not going to be able to hold a conversation.”
“No worries. Thanks for taking the call. I’d say good luck, but I’m pretty sure it’s pure determination that’ll get you over the line against Lois.”
“Ah, so you do pay attention!”
“Every now and then, Mimi.”
I laughed. “You’re not wrong, though. Anyway, give Logan a kiss from me.”
“I will. Talk to you later.”
The second Isaac hung up, I turned the treadmill up. The only sound in the gym was the steady thump of mine and Sam’s feet hitting the treadmills.
“Everything okay?” Sam asked after a few minutes.
His voice sounded tight. I flicked my eyes to him and noticed the same could be said about his body.
His running form looked almost forced. Sam had won, and even though he never looked completely relaxed, he was usually a little looser after a win. But not right now.
“Fine. Just Isaac,” I managed to get out in between breaths.
A tick in his jaw was the only response I got to that.
I didn’t have time to dwell on it as I needed to get in the zone. So I did just that.