Читать книгу Match Pointe - Indigo Bloome - Страница 8

Caesar’s relationship with Ivan Borisov dated back to the days when Ivan was a junior tennis champion. Now Ivan was Number One in the rankings of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and had been for the past two and a half years. Ivan was a client of The Edge, but his passion for ballet – as insatiable as Caesar’s own – ensured their friendship went much deeper than the connection Caesar shared with the other top players.

Ballet was in Ivan’s blood, which was why Caesar found their discussions on the topic so engaging. Ivan’s mother had been a prima ballerina in her youth, and still taught ballet in St Petersburg. Ivan had grown up around dance and could easily have made it his career, had his tennis not been identified as such a strength; comparatively, ballet was a new discovery for Caesar.

The two men met up at performances of the Royal Ballet as often as their schedules allowed. It was on one such evening, after the final curtain call of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, that Ivan turned to Caesar and commented: ‘I’ve seen this ballet on many occasions around the world, and never have I been so captivated by the ballerina dancing the lead roles of Odette and Odile. Yet she seems so young.’

Caesar nodded. ‘Indeed. Swan Lake is her first performance as Principal of the Royal Ballet. Her name is Eloise Lawrance. She’s one of our own, actually; studied at the Royal Ballet School.’

Ivan’s eyes shone with enthusiasm. ‘She is just beautiful; she illuminates the entire stage. The precision of her movements is a joy to watch, simply bewitching.’

‘It appears you are attracted in ballet to what you illustrate on the court, Ivan.’ Caesar’s features creased into a smile, which Ivan returned.

‘You’re being way too kind, Caesar. My mother, perhaps, but I’m afraid I have no such elegance.’

‘Until recently, no one could even get close to winning against you,’ Caesar observed, moving the conversation on to his other favourite subject.

‘I know, Caesar, you’re right.’ Ivan sighed. ‘It all depends on motivation, and I seem to have lost mine recently – which is why I didn’t compete in the Australian Open this year.’

‘You know better than I that it was a huge risk to take with your ranking; luckily your sponsors didn’t ask too many questions. The other top seeded players are all hungry to close in on you like a pack of wolves. Any thoughts on what you’re going to do to stay on top?’

‘In all honesty I’m not sure. All I know is these days, if I have to choose between training and ballet … well, as you can see, I’m here, aren’t I? Which is not such a good thing for the world Number One, is it?’

He shook his head as if to answer his own words.

‘Please understand,’ he went on, ‘I still enjoy it, but the monotony of training is getting to me. I go through the motions but my mind is in another world – like a swimmer focusing on the relentless black line at the bottom of the pool, no longer able to see the big picture. And all my commitments off the court … You know I dislike having to appear smiling in front of cameras for sponsors – making sure my watch is positioned just so – I’m just bored with all of it. I feel like I’ve already achieved what I set out to do.’

‘If you like, I can organise to reduce your commitments and free up more of your time – if that’s what it’ll take to get you back on form. Just a couple of calls, no problem.’

‘Believe me, I know if anyone can, you can, Caesar. But it’s not just that …’ Ivan reflected a moment longer then gestured towards the stage. ‘My heart is in this world, in dance and music and beauty, just what I have witnessed tonight. Now that I have seen Eloise – that was her name, yes?’

Caesar nodded.

‘Well, now that I’ve seen her onstage, it makes me want to attend every one of her performances. I know I shouldn’t feel this way – I should be focusing on my training – but there’s something about that exactness, that discipline she has over her mind and body …’ His thoughts meandered before he added, ‘If I could only capture a performance like that before I play – you know, bottle it up somehow – I have no doubt that my motivation would be sky-high.’ He sighed again, suddenly disheartened by the absurdity of his own suggestion. ‘But instead I must wait until her next performance like everyone else.’

Caesar looked thoughtful. ‘Are you saying you believe watching her dance before you play would improve your motivation?’

‘How could it not? Look at her! I’m sure I’m not the only one who would feel this way. There’s something captivating about the way she moves, like she brings the essence of the music to life … Well, if I could just bottle up a bit of ballet for my own personal use, that would be perfect.’ Ivan laughed, then added with a wink, ‘I know you are a resourceful man who is capable of many things, Mr King, but I doubt this is a problem you can solve. If you do come up with the answer, let me know; I’d love to hear about it.’ He chuckled at the path their conversation had taken, amiably patting Caesar on the back.

‘A fascinating challenge, just fascinating. In the meantime, my friend, come backstage with me, and I’ll see if I can introduce you to Eloise and the rest of the corps de ballet.’

‘Thank you but unfortunately I must be on my way, yet another plane to catch. Thanks for the chat. I shall look forward to seeing you again at another one of her performances.’

As the two men bid each other farewell, Caesar’s intrigued mind was clicking into gear, working on a variety of scenarios based on Ivan’s sketchy idea.

If Ivan could not manage to consolidate his position as the world’s Number One, men’s tennis would enter one of its most unpredictable eras. The Edge currently managed the top six male players in the world, which provided Caesar with tremendous insights into what was happening on the circuit – leading to substantial business opportunities.

The more inside information Caesar had, the more money he stood to make. And once an idea had seeded in his mind, it was rarely dislodged – particularly if it was coupled with a fire in his belly. There was no doubt this conversation had ignited the flame of an idea for Caesar and it was usually only ever a matter of time before it came to full fruition.