‘Marcus has always been driven,’ said Patrick, ‘but he has been working harder than ever before this season. We have got him changing a few things up, right, Marcus? Shots that weren’tworking before but that his old coach did not think it was necessary to adjust.’
‘Is that why you split with him?’ I asked Marcus. ‘Did it feel like you weren’t making the progress you needed to?’
He’d been working with an American guy before, who was now a co-coach for Mia Stephens.
‘Partly,’ said Marcus. ‘Is this going in your article?’
‘I think it’s worth mentioning why you’re working with Patrick and why now, at this point in your career?’
And then the waiter came to bring more wine, and I listened as Marcus and Patrick discussed rumours that were flying around involving somebody having an injury they hadn’t fully recovered from and somebody else falling out with his coach.
It took me a second to work out what was going on when the waiter returned to our table and very casually let me know that there was someone in the hotel who wanted to see me.
‘Me?’ I said, thinking he must be mistaken.
‘Got a secret admirer?’ teased Marcus.
‘They are seated at the bar, madam,’ said the waiter. ‘They asked me to let you know that it is your mother and your sister.’
My heart sank, or at least it certainly felt like it had. Surely they couldn’t be here? They’d be at home in Reading. There must be some kind of mix-up.
‘What, they’re here, at the hotel?’ said Marcus.
I cleared my throat, achingly embarrassed. What were they doing?? I should never have told them where I was going, but then I’d never expected them to do something like this, so why would I have kept it from them?
‘Seems like it,’ I said, cringing.
Patrick looked surprised. ‘They are also here for the gala dinner?’
‘No, they arenot,’ I said, snatching my napkin off my lap and throwing it on to the table.
Marcus stood up to let me out. He touched my arm lightly. ‘Want me to come with you?’
I shook my head. That was the very last thing I wanted. ‘Back in a sec,’ I said.
Trying not to panic, I hotfooted it to the bar (a delight under normal circumstances, I was sure), where, to my horror – each sitting on a bar chair, dressed up to the nines – were Mum and Cassie. When they saw me standing there, probably with my mouth hanging open in disbelief, they smiled and waved, as though there was nothing at all strange about them rocking up at a restaurant in Mayfair – an area of London I was pretty sure neither of them hadeverfrequented – and to the very hotel I’d told Mum I was coming to!
Taking a calming breath, I tried to reduce my annoyance as I approached them, or at least internalise it – Cassie didn’t deal well with thinking she’d upset people and took it very personally. But seriously, what were theythinking? They were clearly only here to nose at Marcus, and if I’d wanted them to meet him, I would have taken him to Reading, wouldn’t I? Imagine if I’d done the same thing to Cassie.
When I reached them, Mum got in early with a ridiculous explanation.
‘Now, don’t be upset, Ava. We happened to be in the area and I looked up Claridge’s and thought it would be nice to have one drink on the way back to the station so we could say hello.’
‘Happened to be in the area? You live in Reading!’ I hissed.
‘Impromptu shopping trip,’ said Cassie unconvincingly.
‘If you were in London, why didn’t you mention it before so that we could have met up?’ I quite reasonably questioned. It made no sense whatsoever that they would come here for the day and not let me know.
‘Last-minute decision,’ said Mum. ‘And I knew you were busy over at the tennis place.’
‘I haven’t even been to Queen’s today, I’ve been working from home. You could have given me the option to come and see you, at least!’
‘Oh yes, I suppose we could. Sorry,’ she said, looking a little bit sheepish.
‘Anyway, never mind logistics, where’s Marcus Taylor?’ said Cassie, looking over my shoulder.
‘We’re at a gala dinner,’ I said. ‘He can’t just leave the table, and neither should I. His team are here and everything. I really don’t think it’s appropriate for you two—’
