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Nordstrom’s response was electrifying as he pumped his fists into the air and released what sounded like a lion’s roar. Ivan continued on smoothly, undeterred by the Swede’s momentum on the other side of the net, maintaining his trademark cool, calm and collected persona while the fifth set climbed into double digits. Both players remained supreme professionals in front of an utterly engrossed crowd. Decorum was apparently everything at Wimbledon, and the umpire’s reminders of ‘Quiet, please’ felt like a restraining order on a ball of energy. Not one person could tell which way the match would go and all were literally sitting on the edge of their seats, gasping at the force and stamina behind each point.
The battle of the titans was won in four hours and fifty-three minutes … by first-time Wimbledon champion Stephan Nordstrom. Both players collapsed in sheer exhaustion before hauling their tortured bodies to the net to shake hands with each other and the umpire.
Stephan stripped off his shirt, flaunting his bronzed and superbly defined chest and abdominals, pumping both clenched fists high in the air and unleashing another almighty roar to the global audience. The power of his voice reverberated around the arena, causing the crowd to roar in return as he flung his shirt and sweatbands into the stands.
Eloise was as engaged as anyone, her hands becoming numb from clapping so hard. Discovering Noah had made the semifinals only added to her now undeniable interest in the game, and more particularly in its ranking system. Ivan’s failure to win didn’t result in his losing his status as Number One, but it did mean it was definitely under threat.
Carefree
Ivan went into complete hibernation after losing the momentous match. His coach informed Eloise that she would not see him for at least two days. Therefore she eagerly called Noah, knowing she wouldn’t be letting anyone down and thrilled to have an opportunity to see him again.
She was staying at the Dorchester, and was delighted to see a very funky Noah arrive in the foyer wearing faded red jeans, a white V-neck T-shirt and a fitted navy blazer with the sleeves pushed up above his elbows. She found herself staring at him, more than a little mesmerised, drawn towards his confident, casual stride and muscled body. She was caught a little off guard when he rushed up and scooped her off the ground in a bear hug, swinging her around before kissing her on both cheeks.
‘You look hot!’ were his first words as he returned her feet to the ground.
Eloise hadn’t been sure what to wear and had changed outfits five times, before deciding at the last minute to be bold, choosing a deep burgundy lace bodycon mini-dress with a boat neckline, a gathered front and, most importantly, a plunging scooped back. She wasn’t big-breasted, but she felt good in the dress because it showed off her slender, toned legs and the muscular definition of her back.
Before she had the opportunity to respond to his compliment he took hold of her hand. ‘Let’s get you out of here to some place more in our age bracket.’
The uniformed doorman motioned for a black cab to approach and held the door open for Eloise while Noah bounded around to the cabbie, handing him a card.
‘Right you are, sir,’ came the confirmation from the driver’s seat as Noah settled in beside Eloise.
‘So, Liam – Noah – where are you from?’
‘Ah, the inquisition begins. You know I much prefer talking about you,’ he countered with a grin.
‘No way – it’s time for you to answer some questions! It’s only fair.’
‘OK, OK, I give in. My dad is French and my mum is Australian. They divorced when I was young and I lived with my mum in Townsville but spent my holidays with Dad in Europe which was handy for competing as a junior.’
‘Right – but you, well, I’m not sure how I should say this …’
‘You’re asking about my perpetual suntan? Are you sure that’s politically correct?’ His dimples showed that he didn’t mind talking about it and was just having some fun.
‘Let’s just say you are beautifully bronzed compared with me.’
‘No doubt about it. But that’s not to say there is anything wrong with your delicate alabaster skin. You just need to keep out of the sun more than me.’ As he held her hand in the back of the cab, his thumb caressed her palm and she could feel his warmth as tingles raced up her arm. ‘My nan is Aboriginal, and just in case you hadn’t worked it out, that’s where I get my exceptional sense of tribal rhythm.’
She couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Well, of course! I’d like to see some of that rhythm one day.’
She had never been so comfortable talking to a member of the opposite sex. He was so easygoing that she felt completely relaxed, laughing and chatting to him without any self-consciousness or pretence.
‘I’m hoping you’ll get that chance tonight when we hit the dance floor – unless you’re referring to my tennis?’
‘So cheeky! I’d love to see both.’
They looked at each other and smiled, both sensing their relationship was set to move way beyond their last fleeting yet fortuitous meeting.
The driver turned off Kensington High Street onto Derry Street and pulled over. Noah promptly paid and jumped out to open Eloise’s door, and they made their way up in the lift to The Roof Gardens, Virgin’s rooftop club.
She had heard about the club from some of the other dancers, but had never been there before. It was weird having lived in London for so long yet realising there was still so much to discover and experience.
‘Normally it wouldn’t be open tonight. One of the perks of being sponsored by Virgin, I guess,’ he said with a cheeky wink.
‘Ah, I see!’ She smiled back.
‘Come on.’ He grabbed hold of her hand and excitedly headed towards the bar. ‘Tommy makes awesome cocktails. I’ll introduce you.’
Eloise couldn’t believe the size and lushness of the rooftop garden. The flora looked almost technicoloured against the somewhat monochromatic landscape of London.
They found a table for two within the garden, and just as they had settled in, two French pear martinis arrived along with some canapés, compliments of the chef. Just as Noah had promised, they would be drinking something stronger than a pint. Eloise was not used to spirits, but the fresh-tasting vodka and champagne concoction slid down her throat all too easily, while their discussion flowed effortlessly amidst interruptions of congratulations from the staff, who obviously knew Noah well.
The grey clouds in the sky turned a vivid orange as the sun finally began to set on the mild evening. Eloise couldn’t remember a night out when she had felt so at ease; this was one of the rare occasions when she was able to have a few drinks without having to worry about a performance the next day. It was on this basis that she happily reached for her second martini when another round of drinks arrived at their table as if by magic.
‘So, what’s next for you in the tennis schedule?’
‘I’m hanging around London for a week to catch up with some friends, before heading to Hamburg for the German Championships. Then it’s off to America to prepare for the US Open.’
‘You don’t get too much downtime after something as major as Wimbledon.’
‘I suppose not, though it would be much the same for you, wouldn’t it? With your performances and travel.’
Eloise shifted slightly in her seat. She hadn’t spoken to anyone about having left the Royal Ballet and wasn’t sure exactly what to say.
‘I’m sorry, have I said something wrong? It’s just that when we met you mentioned dance, travel …’ His voice trailed off. ‘Are you no longer performing?’
‘Well, I’m no longer with the Royal Ballet, so I’m not performing quite like I used to …’
‘And are you going to elaborate on that, or will I have to ply you with straight martinis to get to the truth?’ he asked jokingly, just as she noticed the delicious impact of vodka filtering through her body.
She deliberately placed her glass back on the table and picked up a coconut crumbed prawn to dip into the tangy sauce alongside it. ‘You know how I mentioned a decision the afternoon we met?’
‘Sure, and talked about taking risks.’
‘Well, I ended up accepting the risks and everything else that came with them. And here I am, now indirectly part of the tennis world.’
‘Whoa, wait up! Really? You weren’t just there for the final like thousands of other fans?’
‘Not exactly …’ She wasn’t sure how much she should mention with her mind already feeling a little blurred. She had signed a confidentiality agreement as part of Caesar’s requirements and didn’t want to jeopardise anything by having loose lips.
‘At the moment, I only perform for Ivan,’ she said rather sheepishly as she glanced towards Noah, who had raised his eyebrows at this admission. ‘He loves ballet,’ she added, as if that disclosure should explain everything.
‘Wow. I’ve never heard of anything like that.’
‘Yeah, it was weird for me at first, but now I really enjoy it. Each time I’ve danced for him, he’s won. That is, up until today.’ She absently wondered how he was taking the loss.
‘So, if I become Number One in the world, will you dance for me too?’
So thrown was Eloise by the accuracy of his mischievous offhand query that she quickly reached for her martini and drank the remainder down in one gulp.
Noah could sense her unease. ‘Hey, it’s OK. As long as you’re happy, it’s none of my business. Honestly.’ He squeezed her hand as she tried to compose herself.
‘Nothing makes me happier than when I’m dancing. But tonight, I’m very happy that I’m out with you,’ she added sincerely.
Noah sensed she wanted to drop the subject, so he dabbed his mouth with a serviette and readily accepted her compliment. ‘Well, if dancing makes you happy and I do too, let’s go get some groove on to the music.’
If anyone else had said the words, she would have thought they were nerdy, but coming from Noah they felt exactly right. There was no denying he was gorgeous and lovable, and he made her feel as light and carefree as a feather. She knew she could never deny anything that kept him smiling. She accepted his hand graciously, and the next few hours slipped into a fun-loving blur.
* * *
The next morning she awoke in her suite at the Dorchester to find two envelopes under the door. She opened the top one first, recognising Ivan’s crisp white stationery. Fleetingly she wondered whether she might be in some trouble, then immediately pushed the thought from her mind.
I have returned to St Petersburg and will not be requiring any performances from you for the next ten days.
The impersonal nature of the note felt like a punch in the gut, though she shouldn’t have been surprised; he was never one for small talk, or much talk at all, for that matter.
It meant she had over a week to herself. She had no idea what she would do with the time, since an opportunity like this had never arisen before.
The second envelope was on Dorchester stationery.
Hey Elle,
I hated saying goodbye to you last night. So I was thinking you might want to spend a bit more time together in London – too much too soon, maybe? I’ll never know if I don’t ask! Either way, give me a call. I’d love to see you again, and sooner rather than later.
Noah xox
Eloise couldn’t contain her excitement as she called him to make arrangements. Problem solved. As he’d said, the universe worked in strange ways and right now it seemed to be doing exactly that – in their favour!
Friends?
Noah and Eloise spent the next week cruising around the canals of greater London. She met his friends, ‘the lads’ as he called them, in various pubs along the waterways, and found them just as easygoing and unpretentious as he was. No one would have guessed Noah was one of the top tennis players in the world, and rapidly rising further up the ranks thanks to his Wimbledon performance.
Eloise was privy to a world she’d never imagined could be possible for a professional athlete. Her life with the ballet had ensured she was strict and disciplined with herself around the clock – regardless of whether she had the day off or not – and her enforced breaks over summer had only meant an opportunity to train harder to ensure she was always better than her peers. Noah, on the other hand, happily drank with his friends as though tennis was the furthest thing from his mind. She had to wonder how someone so nonchalant had the stamina for the demands of the game.
On their first afternoon together, lazing in the sunshine, it was impossible for Eloise not to admire his loose locks tickling his shoulders and delectable shirtless body as his feet dangled over the side of the boat. She didn’t even bother to hide her sideways glances towards him.
When he casually lit a cigarette as though it weren’t an issue at all, the look on her face sent him into a fit of laughter. She watched, frankly aghast, as he deeply inhaled.
‘What? Don’t tell me you’ve never had a smoke before?’ He took another drag and began puffing smoke rings towards the water.
Eloise was speechless. Even more so when he offered it to her!
‘Well …?’ He paused to look at her more intently. ‘My God, you haven’t, have you? You’ve never had a single puff of a cigarette!’ He shook his head in disbelief, smiling nonetheless. ‘It’s not illegal, you know …’
She had no idea whether it was the look of horror he saw on her face that eventually made him reluctantly stub it out. Next, in one swift move, he grabbed her, dangling her upper body over the water while keeping a grip on her thighs and legs, a giant grin on his face all the while.
‘No, Noah, don’t …!’ she shrieked, for the first time not thinking about who was around or what people might think.
‘Have you or not?’ he insisted, threatening to cleanse her of her prim and proper attitude, completely ignoring her shrieks as her mass of loose hair dangled precariously close to the murky water.
‘Noah, please – you could drop me!’ she panted as he gave in and hauled her back up.
‘I promise you, I would never, ever drop you, Elle.’
Instead of letting her be, he carried her into the cabin, tossing her easily onto the bed and pinning her arms by her sides as he straddled her body. He tickled her mercilessly until she couldn’t hold back any longer, her hysteria eventually replacing any trace of nervousness as she begged him to stop. She had never been treated that way, not having grown up with any siblings or cousins of her own.
They stared into each other’s eyes as they both took a moment to catch their breath.
‘I’d give anything to kiss you right now.’ He lowered his face towards her, and just as his soft lips touched hers she reluctantly turned away. He guided her face back to meet his questioning gaze.
‘I’m sorry, I just can’t … It might go too far …’
Their attraction to each other had been all too obvious since their first night out, but until this point had remained unspoken. Although Eloise’s desire had been supercharged since meeting up with Noah again, she had done her best to bury it. She had never made the first move in the few relationships she’d had – it just wasn’t her style and the potential for rejection caused her no end of fear – but this time she knew she couldn’t have even if she’d wanted to. Being well aware that nothing would ever happen with Ivan anyway, she would have given anything to say yes to Noah, right here, right now, and take their relationship to the next level. But heaven forbid the wrath of Caesar, not to mention the thought of kissing her future financial freedom goodbye. The clause in her contract about sexual relations with anyone other than her Number One was abundantly clear and always top of her mind; it just wasn’t worth the risk.
With a sigh, Noah collapsed beside her on the bed, placed his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling, suddenly deep in thought.
‘You’ve gone all quiet on me.’ Eloise didn’t know what to say, but wanted some kind of response from him at least.
He turned onto his side, facing her, and started playing with her hair, their bodies almost touching but not quite, though their feet comfortably rubbed against each other.
‘I’m not quite sure what to say. I thought …’
‘Noah, it’s not you. I’d love to – honestly. It’s just … so complicated.’ She couldn’t help but tense at the words.
‘Let me guess: complicated in a way you can’t explain.’ He couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice, and it upset her deeply.
‘I’d give anything for my situation to be different, but it is what it is and I have to honour the agreement I’ve made.’
‘Are you with Ivan? Is it more than just ballet?’
‘No. I only dance for him, but …’ She was at a loss as to how to explain it to him without disclosing the details. Details she was not at liberty to discuss.
‘I’ve never met anyone like you before. You’re so beautiful, vivacious, graceful, oh so incredibly hot, and – what’s the word I’m looking for? – oh yeah, pure at the same time. How could I forget that? It’s a lethal mix for any guy.’ His shook his head in dismay.
‘Noah, I think the same about you, but I just can’t do anything about it at the moment. I promise you, I would if I could.’
‘Honestly?’ His eyes were hopeful and his mischievous grin returned when he added, ‘You think I’m pure?’
She laughed, punching him lightly on the arm, and he pretended to roll over injured.
‘Very funny!’ she responded. ‘No, I’m not as pure as you think I am, just because I’ve never smoked – and by the way, as an athlete you should never smoke, ever! Particularly not if you want to be Number One.’
‘All I do know is that I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, ever!’
He made sure he emphasised the word in the same way as she had. Neither of them could hide their smiles. ‘Anyway, what gives you the impression I want to be Number One?’
