Page 22 of Serve (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1, #5)

Chapter Seventeen

Tyler- Paris

“I’ll be here for the tournament. Ajay is taking the kids to Disneyland Paris for a few days, then to Germany.

I’ll be with them a couple of days, but I mostly need to manage things here for you.

” Sania said. She’d arrived with her family in tow late last night.

So far, their conversation was light, gently skirting around the real reason she was there.

“If you think it’s for the best, I appreciate it.

” Tyler pushed his plate to the side, done with his breakfast. He longed for bacon and eggs, but he was in training, so he ate oatmeal and berries instead.

The hotel they were staying at was small, catering to a wealthy clientele who preferred discretion.

The waiter took their finished plates and left them alone.

They were the only ones in the back of the small dining room.

“Okay. Let’s talk about this.” She took a manilla folder out of her bag and slid it across the table. Tyler touched it, and pulled back reflexively. He grimaced and looked into her eyes. She nodded for him to open it.

“Oh, my God,” he said. Tyler anxiously looked around them, then picked up the pictures and eyed them one by one. His lips shut tightly together, forming a straight firm line. He shut the folder. His heart raced, and his vision blurred. He took a deep breath, then put his face in his hands.

“Yes, that was my reaction too.” She sighed, then took the folder back from him and slid it into her bag.

“We discovered a photographer and chased her off. We thought we’d be fine, because all we were doing was skinny dipping in the pool.

So she was there over a few days, not just…

fuck!” He picked up his napkin and started yanking on it.

He glanced down, noticed it was made from cotton, not paper, and threw it back on the table.

“Oh, Tyler, I wish there was something I could say to make this go away. I can’t. Whoever is doing this has you right where they want you.” Sania commiserated.

“Was there a note attached? Do you have any idea who could have done this?” He asked.

“We’ve checked everything, and we’ve come up with a big, fat zero. In my opinion, this is not the press because it would be all over the news by now if it were. This is the work of an individual, someone who has it out for you.” She said.

“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this. I treat everyone fairly, I’m…”

“C’mon, really? You know as well as I do who has it in for you.” She cut him off. He stared at her blankly for a moment, then it struck him who it might be. He laughed nervously, and blurted out his name.

“Scott.”

“Yes, I also think it’s Scott. We don’t have any proof, but he’s the only person I know who hates you enough to pay a photographer to spy on you. Now, I need to ask you an uncomfortable quest…”

“Don’t tell Chip. Let me do it.” Tyler interrupted.

“Of course, I wouldn’t dream of it. What are you going to do about him?

Send him home?” She asked, aware he was avoiding the topic of his former coach.

Tyler stood, realized he was in the hotel dining room and not his home and sat down again.

He drummed his fingers against the table for a few seconds, then spoke.

“You have noticed I’m on a winning streak, right?”

“Yes, you’ve been playing the way you did when you won slams. The whole agency is excited for you.” She said.

“I can’t send Chip home to Hidden Creek, because he’s the reason I’m winning.” He leaned forward in his chair, then back, fidgeting. He was incapable of sitting still, his body in fight or flight mode,

“Tyler, I know tennis players are superstitious, but he’s not a good luck charm. He’s human, and right now he’s capable of inflicting major damage to your career.” She sighed, got up from her chair and went to pat Tyler’s back. He flinched, then said in a low voice.

“I’m winning for him. It’s not superstitious, and I don’t think he’s a good luck charm. I love him, Sania.” His eyes grew soft, and she sat back down across from him.

“Honestly Tyler, my hands are tied. I don’t know what to tell you. If these pictures see the light of day, you will have to come out. In fact, you’ll be outed, because they leave nothing to the imagination.”

“I don’t think Scott wants to show them, otherwise he already would have done it. I mean, do you really think people will want to see…?”

“No, Tyler, nobody of importance wants to see this, but the scandal mongers out there will have a field day. People who’ve never thought about you before will suddenly have you on their radar.

Liberal folks will bash you for staying in the closet, and conservatives will be horrified by your so-called deviant lifestyle.

You will be put under a microscope, every nook and cranny examined.

Financially, expect to take a hit too, especially if you are outed by someone else.

” She took a deep breath and shook her head.

“Tyler, this would be so different if…” Her voice trailed off.

“What? Finish what you were going to say.” His dark eyes narrowed into slits.

“Okay. We have two options here, and all we’re doing is considering one of them. That you will be outed by someone without your consent, and that there will be a huge scandal and you’ll lose everything.” She said.

“What’s the alternative?”

“You could always out yourself.” Her gaze focused on his, determination building in her voice.

“What! Why? It’s such a risk.” He said, voice rising.

“There is an upside, potentially. I mean, c’mon, gay marriage is legal now. It’s easier than ever for athletes to come out.” Sania shook her head slowly back and forth.

“It’s easier for women athletes to come out, not men. We’ve seen that happen…” He said, then Sania interrupted him.

“The Olympics featured out of the closet gay men who not only braved the press, they grew their careers because of their openness. They are raking in cash through endorsements. I don’t think you’ve ever considered the money you could make by coming out.

” She stated. Tyler’s mouth dropped open, stunned by the thought.

Sania allowed her words to sink in for a moment, then continued.

“You’re overthinking this. If you want to come out, and still make great money, I think it’s doable. Five years ago, no way, but now you can.”

“It’s not just about the money Sania. You know my net worth, and I never have to work another day in my life.

It’s about the game, and it’s about being the best athlete I can be.

How are the other players going to react?

Are they going to give me the cold shoulder in the locker room?

Will they worry that I’m trying to hit on them in the showers?

How will I be able to compete like that?

” He groaned. The waiter entered the room, refilled their water glasses and left.

Tyler’s brain went in a different direction, and now he knew the most important consideration must be addressed first.

“It’s not just about me, Sania. I have to keep Chip’s needs in mind too.

Will he want to be out to the entire world?

I feel horrible just thinking about it. He had a private life until he met me.

Now he’s on the verge of being famous, not because of something he’s done, but because of something I am.

Nobody deserves that. I, I think I’m going to send him home.

Damn it, I need him here, but I can’t put him through this. ”

“You’re right, if you want to save Chip from exposure, you need to send him home.” She said. Tyler looked to the ceiling, then back at her. He felt cornered, his choices becoming narrower with each passing second.

“What I started to say earlier, is that Chip is the reason I’m winning. When I see him in the stands watching me, I play harder for him. I don’t want to lose with him watching. I’m winning trophies because he’s there. He inspires me. How can I send him home?”

Sania scooted her chair next to his and took his hands in hers.

“This is the point where I need to step away. You have a lot of decisions to make, and you need to involve Chip. I am your agent, and I’ve informed you of your options.

I would like to talk more about coming out, if you don’t mind?

” She said. Tyler stared blankly into the space over her head, then nodded for her to continue.

“If you are the first, major athlete to come out in tennis, you will be exposing yourself to a lot of harm, but you will also be doing a lot of good. The potential is there not only to help others, but also to build a business outside of competition. You would become sought after by the media to give your opinions on sports and social issues. This would lead to more paid work on television. Your experience as a grand slam champion and a gay celebrity would be unique. The LGBTQ market is big, and growing bigger every day. Seriously, coming out could potentially provide you with the same level of income you enjoy now, if not more. Your ability to do good things with this exposure would increase. You know, there is something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for a long time, but never have. ”

“What’s that?”

“You don’t have a foundation, and you barely do any charitable work in public.” She said.

“I make donations to worthy causes all the time, you know that.” He said. Drawing attention to his philanthropic endeavors repulsed him.

“Yes, but nobody else does. If you come out of the closet you’d not only be able to use your good fortune to help others, you’d inspire others to do the same, especially if it’s done in your name.

Honestly, I think if there ever was a good time for coming out, this is it.

” She said, excitement building in her voice.

“I need to think about it. Shit, I’ve been thinking about it for years. This is always in the back of my head. Usually it’s in the context of me being caught, not me deliberately telling everyone. Seriously, I want to come out, but on my terms. Not because some dickhead is blackmailing me.”

“That dickhead will make your life miserable.”

“Was there a note? Did he ask for money?” He asked. She shook her head no.

“If it’s Scott, I think I know what he wants.”

“Okay, then tell me what you think he wants, but also tell me why he has it in for you in the first place? Because I remember him quitting, not getting fired.” Sania said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’ve never told anyone this because despite the way he left, I didn’t want him to be hurt. If it’s him doing this, I don’t care any more.” He said, hesitation evident in his voice. Sania motioned for him to continue.

“We were in South America, Chile to be exact. I’d just won a tournament, so we were out celebrating. Both of us had too much to drink, and…”

“Don’t tell me you came on to him?” She interrupted, eyes open wide.

“No, no, I didn’t come on to him. He made a pass at me.” He shook his head at the memory. Sania started to say something, then thought better of it. A moment later, Tyler continued his story.

“I didn’t know what to do, but say no. I’ve never thought of him like that, you know, sexually. Plus he’s my coach, or was my coach. He’d been with me since the beginning. He was like my Dad, and how the hell could I do anything like that with him?”

“Go on. What happened next?”

“We were in my room. He didn’t say anything when I told him no.

He just got up and left. The next morning I knocked on the door of his room and he was gone.

I asked the front desk, and apparently he left in the middle of the night.

The hotel’s driver took me to the airport to see if he was still there, but he was already gone.

A week later, he quit. You knew that part, since he told you first, not me. ”

Sania was stunned. Scott, the good old boy, made a pass at Tyler, who turned him down. Suddenly, she realized why there was no note attached to the photos. She knew exactly what Scott wanted.

“So he expects you to throw any match his player…” Her voice trailed off as Tyler nodded his head yes.

“I’ve lucked out. I’ve only faced his player Travis once.

He was easy to avoid because he wasn’t ranked very high.

Thing is, Scott’s been doing his job well, and the guy’s been winning a lot.

You had his copy of the NDA to keep him at bay in Houston, but now he’s got the photos, if he’s the one who sent them, of course.

Travis is in the main draw at the French Open for the first time in his career.

The odds of me facing him are a lot higher. ” A glazed look settled on his face.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. The odds of you facing him are…”

“Excellent.” Tyler interrupted. “The odds are excellent. He’s in the top thirty now. If he plays well, and I do too, we could meet in the last sixteen.” He said, then checked his phone, frowning.

He slammed his fist against the table. Sania shook her head, frustration evident on her features. Tyler signaled to the waiter for their check, then spoke.

“I need to get Chip on the next flight to Houston.”