Page 65 of Risky Match
“That would’ve been great. But I always mail the coins to him before I leave the country. It’s too much hassle to carry them around with me.”
Huh? That doesn’t match our intel. There’s supposed to be a handoff here.
“Oh. I see.” But I don’t really. I’m more confused than ever.
He kisses the top of my head and carefully disentangles us. “As much as I love lounging in bed with you and enjoying your slow morning routine, I need to have a quick breakfast and leave for my match.”
“Of course. I’d rather no one come looking for us anyway. I was thinking about watching you play again today. Would you mind?” I ask.
“That would be fantastic. You were a calming force for my first match. I’d love to have you at this one too. You can be my good luck charm.”
Blake kisses me on the cheek, pulls on his boxer briefs, and gathers the rest of his clothing. He peeks into the hallway, then quickly hurries to his room.
Finally, I’m alone and my thoughts are racing around my head.
Why would he admit to collecting coins for his grandfather. He must assume that I’m not aware of the laws. He didn’t admit knowing that certain coins were illegal to possess outside their home country.
More importantly, is our intel completely wrong? Does that mean the exchange is not happening at Wimbledon. Is he simply putting the coins in an envelope and mailing them to his grandfather to get them out of the various countries? If that’s thecase, then am I completely off base looking for hiding places in trophies?
Someone needs to check out Blake’s grandfather. I’ll send an encrypted text to Princes Stephen and Adrian.
Me: Grandfather is a collector. Receives items by mail.
Team: Will follow up.
Me: Thanks.
Now for the next part of my plan.
22
BLAKE
Josh and I arrive at Wimbledon two hours before my second-round match. Even though it’s my opponent’s first-time here, I can’t take winning for granted. When someone has nothing to lose, they often play their best and take risks that can lead to an upset. It’s important for me to stay focused and stick to my standard pre-match warmup routine.
As we walk to the practice court, Josh asks, “What’s different today?”
“What do you mean?”
“Man, you’re humming and smiling. I’d swear there’s an extra bounce in your step.”
Was I really humming? Whenever a random thought from last night pops into my head, I can’t help smiling. I knew another night with Bri wouldn’t be enough. It just fueled my craving for her. But I can’t share that with Josh.
Instead, I simply say, “I’m feeling good about today after Bri and I won yesterday. That’s all.”
“If you say so. Don’t be overconfident though. You’ll need to concentrate. This new guy is solid.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here to win. I’m ready to warm up with groundstrokes.”
After 45 minutes practicing my ground strokes and volleys, I work on my serve.
Josh says, “Your serve is on fire today. Don’t forget to kick a few wide. Geoff tends to lean toward the center and won’t move fast enough to reach those.”
“Will do.”
Josh says, “That’s enough court time for now. Let’s move to the outdoor workout area.”
“Great. Let me grab a granola bar from my bag to eat while we walk and discuss strategy.”
