“It’s cool. I’m just saying if it was me, or half the guys in the competition, well, I wouldn’t let that little bag of tricks out of my sight. You’re a very game man,” Ian taunted with a sneaky smile. “Anyway, I need my beauty sleep. See you bright and early.” And with that Ian rolled over and began snoring again.

James spent what little was left of the night tossing and turning. When Ian jumped on him just after six the next morning, he was ready to kill. “Fuck off!” James grumbled. He knew he had to get out of bed but knowing that didn’t make it any easier. Reluctantly he forced himself out of bed and made his way down to the pool and joined the group of men sitting in the stands.

One cocky swimmer from the Netherlands saw him coming. “Looks like someone’s had a big night. Or should I say busy?” All the other swimmers broke out in fits of laughter. James had no idea what they were going on about, but he didn’t have the energy to care. Instead he just dropped his bag at his feet and slumped in his chair.

Chapter 14

Someone thrust the newspaper into his lap. James felt sick. The front page was plastered with a tacky photo of him carrying Anna over his shoulder out of the pool and throwing her in the back of a taxi. But it wasn’t the photo that wasn’t making him queasy, it got worse. The bold headline read, “Champion Swimmer, but who is the girl?” The small print asked more questions than it answered. It was a barrage of intrusive unwelcome questions. They wanted to know who she was, where she was from and what exactly her connection was to James.

James was unable to mask his disgust. His face registered every emotion clearly. The change was immediate. Gone was the fatigue and disinterest to be replaced with rage and anger. Without a word they began stacking the papers haphazardly and stashing them out of sight when Ian joined them. “You seen this one?” Ian said, handing James another. The photo was the same as the others but the headline went too far. “Champion Swimmer takes home gold medal and hooker all in the same night.” Ian dropped his hand to James’s shoulder in a sign of support.

James sprung from his seat and raced across the pool deck, his feet barely touching the ground. The media coordinator, Tom Hanson, had just strode in with Joel. “Excuse me, James. I need to speak with you urgently,” Tom butted in. James didn’t give him a second glance as he continued running. He reached the nearest phone booth, still cursing his dead mobile in the bottom of his bag, and put a call straight through to his mother. After explaining everything, he hung up and drifted back to the others in a daze. Ian had already destroyed every copy in sight.

James’s intense hatred of the English press had just been reaffirmed. He’d always considered them to be an invasive, malicious bunch of quivering cowards, but calling his wife a common prostitute had pushed him too far. He was determined to shut them up once and for all. And he knew the only way to do this: Win. Without hesitation James stripped off and dived in. By the time the others joined him in the water he had already pushed past five hundred metres and was showing no signs of slowing.

***

Diana

Diana raced into Anna’s room, determined to get to her before she saw the papers. She was too late. Anna was sitting on the floor in the centre of her suite, the newspapers scattered before her, not a floorboard in sight. Anna glanced up as Diana entered. Her face was stained from the salty tears streaming down her face. Her dressing gown was damp around the collar and Diana could see the pain and hurt was tearing Anna apart.

“Anna.” Diana squatted down beside her, pushing the papers out of the way. “It’s all okay. It’s going to be fine. I promise,” Diana assured her, stroking her hair. Anna’s body hunched over. Within seconds she’d curled herself into a tiny ball, her head resting in Diana’s lap.

“Why would they say all these horrible things?” Anna sobbed.

“Because they can see how much you mean to James. Everyone can. And they know that James will do anything to protect you,” Diana reassured her. “He loves you. And he would move heaven and earth to protect you. He’s on his way. I promise you, he will fix this. You know James.” Anna couldn’t retain the snort and her gut wrenching sobs.

Half an hour later Anna had cried herself to sleep in Diana’s arms. Even a knock at the door could not wake the sleeping beauty. Michael entered, carrying a steaming cup of coffee for Diana. He couldn’t hide the surprise from his eyes. Anna looked exhausted, weak, and broken, lying there in Diana’s lap.

James arrived soon after. His father met him in the corridor as James was running up the stairs. “How is she?” James asked hastily.

“Honestly, I don’t know. She’s asleep in your mother’s lap. I think she was pretty devastated about what they wrote. It was pretty nasty. They really are heartless bastards, aren’t they?” Michael asked rhetorically as he led James towards Anna’s room.

***

James

James walked in and still Anna didn’t stir. Silently he squatted on the floor, and kissed his mother with thanks. Carefully he slid his leg under Anna’s head and helped Diana untangle herself. Still Anna didn’t stir. “Could you just give us a minute?” James smiled, but his eyes begged. Michael helped Diana to her feet before gathering all the papers and abandoning them in the trash on the way out the door.

James was reluctant to wake her. It caused him physical pain to wake her. But James knew that it was up to him to reassure his new wife that he was in no way going to tolerate this shit. He wouldn’t let anyone treat her like that, ever. He shook her shoulder lightly and she began to stir, but still she didn’t wake. Eventually, after some gentle shaking, Anna bumbled to life. As her eyes took in her surroundings and she shook off the blurred vision, Anna’s shock made James smile. James didn’t care. Anna was smiling and even though it looked like it had been painted on it didn’t matter.

“Hey gorgeous. How you holding up?” James asked, running his fingers through her hair distractedly. His big brown eyes were apologetic and his tone was filled with sincerity.

“I’ve had better days,” she answered honestly. Anna started to sit up before dismissing the idea and collapsing back into James’s lap. “I just…I don’t understand why they would say that…that horrible stuff. I mean…it’s bullshit,” Anna’s cried as the tears came on again.

“I know why they said those things…” James started. Anna sat bolt upright, her eyes were wide as James watched as the wave of ‘what the fuck are you talking about’ washed over her. “They said all that because I refused to talk. I wouldn’t play their game. I wouldn’t give them what they wanted. I thought our private life was exactly that. Our private life. I was not willing to jeopardise us for anyone.” James’s lopsided grin sent goose bumps all over her skin.

“So, what do we do?” Anna squeezed James’s hand as if it was her lifeline. He could hear the desperation in her plea.

“Well, it’s your call. We can confess that we’re married and be at their mercy. We can tell them we’re just friends and lie to ourselves. We can tell them that we’re dating. Or we can tell them that we’re engaged. The other option is we say nothing and let them keep printing whatever rubbish that they want. It’s your call. Whatever you want to do, I’ll do,” James’s honesty was admirable.

“I don’t want to hurt you…” Anna blubbered.

Grabbing her hands in his, James looked Anna straight in the eye. “Nothing you say is going to hurt me, Anna. I can promise you that.”

“But…”

“It’s okay. Just tell me what you want to do. Whatever it is, we’ll be okay.” His long arms wrapped around her scared and crumpled body. James never wanted to let her go and this was the only way he knew how to show her that no matter what she decided, he was there.