the meal was excellent, and the wine with which they quietly toasted kicking French ass was even better. As they started a second bottle of wine, completely justified because they were celebrating and Brad had said they could do whatever they wanted so long as it didn’t involve getting into a goat-throwing competition while bombed on tequila—Josh promising to tell him the full story of that particular Davis Cup later—Ryan found himself gushing a bit about how excited he was to be on the World Tour.
Josh studied the wine in his glass for a minute before draining it. “Just—” he started, then ground to a halt and refilled his glass.
“Listen, Ryan,” he said in the end. “The Tour might not be everything you think it is, okay?”
Ryan waited for some sort of explanation. He didn’t know what Josh was talking about, but he could tell Josh was serious about whatever it was he was failing to say.
“It’s just, you’re quick to trust people,” Josh said eventually. “Don’t forget that there’s a lot of money involved, and where there’s money, there’s shit. Or is that flies?” His brow wrinkled as he swirled the wine in his glass. “Anyway, just be careful, okay?”
Ryan wasn’t entirely sure what Josh was trying to say, but he got the general idea. It wasn’t the first time he’d been told he was naïve about people.
Josh refused to meet Ryan’s eyes but instead concentrated on finishing yet another glass of burgundy. Ryan looked round for the waiter, who arrived at their table at the merest suggestion of a raised eyebrow, and asked for coffee. He wouldn’t intervene if Josh wanted to get drunk, but he had the strong feeling that Josh was the kind of guy who would hate to do that in public. He was too private for that. So they sat and drank coffee instead of wine, and whatever had been bothering Josh seemed to disappear along with the petits fours and a rather large volume of coffee.
“Guess we should head back,” Josh said at last, sounding reluctant.
“Unless you know where any goat-throwing competitions are being held.”
“Sadly, no. You should have gone out with Finn and Daniel for that.”
“I was kind of surprised they didn’t come out with us.”
Josh shrugged. “Some sort of tradition of theirs. They don’t want to do anything differently and risk breaking their winning streak. You know how superstitious some players are.”
Ryan snorted, because some players he’d encountered were just a tad extreme in that regard.
Josh must have exchanged some sort of invisible signal with the waiter, because moments later he was there with their check. Josh put his Amex down on the silver tray. Ryan fumbled for his wallet, only for Josh to shake his head. “I got this,” he said firmly. And as Ryan’s jaw set mutinously he said, “It’s Davis Cup tradition—the newest member of the team gets treated. You don’t want to jinx us, do you?”
Ryan stared very hard at Josh. He didn’t believe him for an instant, and Josh knew that, but he also couldn’t risk messing with Josh’s alleged superstition just in case he meant it, and Josh knew that too. In the end, he comforted himself with the thought that Josh made a lot more money than he did and accepted with reasonable grace.
Back at the hotel, they got the elevator up to the fourth floor, where they were both staying. Josh’s room was closest, and Ryan waited while he got his key card out.
“I enjoyed tonight,” Ryan said, then mentally winced as he realized it sounded like the end of a date. Well, if he’d embarrassed himself already, there was no reason not to make it even worse and say the thing he’d been wanting to say for the past week but had avoided because it sounded too gushing. “Thanks for everything , Josh. You made this whole thing so much easier.”
Josh took his ball cap off and rubbed a hand through his hair, looking slightly embarrassed but also pleased. “Glad I could help,” he said. “It can
Josh studied the wine in his glass for a minute before draining it. “Just—” he started, then ground to a halt and refilled his glass.
“Listen, Ryan,” he said in the end. “The Tour might not be everything you think it is, okay?”
Ryan waited for some sort of explanation. He didn’t know what Josh was talking about, but he could tell Josh was serious about whatever it was he was failing to say.
“It’s just, you’re quick to trust people,” Josh said eventually. “Don’t forget that there’s a lot of money involved, and where there’s money, there’s shit. Or is that flies?” His brow wrinkled as he swirled the wine in his glass. “Anyway, just be careful, okay?”
Ryan wasn’t entirely sure what Josh was trying to say, but he got the general idea. It wasn’t the first time he’d been told he was naïve about people.
Josh refused to meet Ryan’s eyes but instead concentrated on finishing yet another glass of burgundy. Ryan looked round for the waiter, who arrived at their table at the merest suggestion of a raised eyebrow, and asked for coffee. He wouldn’t intervene if Josh wanted to get drunk, but he had the strong feeling that Josh was the kind of guy who would hate to do that in public. He was too private for that. So they sat and drank coffee instead of wine, and whatever had been bothering Josh seemed to disappear along with the petits fours and a rather large volume of coffee.
“Guess we should head back,” Josh said at last, sounding reluctant.
“Unless you know where any goat-throwing competitions are being held.”
“Sadly, no. You should have gone out with Finn and Daniel for that.”
“I was kind of surprised they didn’t come out with us.”
Josh shrugged. “Some sort of tradition of theirs. They don’t want to do anything differently and risk breaking their winning streak. You know how superstitious some players are.”
Ryan snorted, because some players he’d encountered were just a tad extreme in that regard.
Josh must have exchanged some sort of invisible signal with the waiter, because moments later he was there with their check. Josh put his Amex down on the silver tray. Ryan fumbled for his wallet, only for Josh to shake his head. “I got this,” he said firmly. And as Ryan’s jaw set mutinously he said, “It’s Davis Cup tradition—the newest member of the team gets treated. You don’t want to jinx us, do you?”
Ryan stared very hard at Josh. He didn’t believe him for an instant, and Josh knew that, but he also couldn’t risk messing with Josh’s alleged superstition just in case he meant it, and Josh knew that too. In the end, he comforted himself with the thought that Josh made a lot more money than he did and accepted with reasonable grace.
Back at the hotel, they got the elevator up to the fourth floor, where they were both staying. Josh’s room was closest, and Ryan waited while he got his key card out.
“I enjoyed tonight,” Ryan said, then mentally winced as he realized it sounded like the end of a date. Well, if he’d embarrassed himself already, there was no reason not to make it even worse and say the thing he’d been wanting to say for the past week but had avoided because it sounded too gushing. “Thanks for everything , Josh. You made this whole thing so much easier.”
Josh took his ball cap off and rubbed a hand through his hair, looking slightly embarrassed but also pleased. “Glad I could help,” he said. “It can
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