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Roger flicked through the TV channels in hotel suite to see if there was anything to grab his interest. Nothing. He flung the remote across the room, watching it land in the middle of the king size bed. He was bored and he’d had more to drink than was good for him. Interacting with fans on Twitter was fun but he couldn’t spend the whole day doing that. It was the wrong time for him to call home, breakfasts were always chaotic in the Federer household; he stared at his phone, thinking about another call he wanted to make. To hell with it Roger, he told himself, just do it.
With heart racing he called Rafa’s number and waited. He checked the time again, surely it wasn’t too early for Rafa, he was an early riser and first thing in the morning was a good time to get him. Rafa wasn’t picking up though. Roger started to get anxious. Was there some problem? Perhaps Mary was with him. He frowned, that was one thought track he didn’t want to go down. Ending the call, he paced up and down the room; perhaps he would open another bottle of champagne. The phone bleeped – it was Rafa’s ID. Roger answered almost too quickly.
“Hey, Raf.”
“Hola, Roger.”
“You didn’t answer my call.” Roger said in a half joking manner.
There was a silence and then a sigh. “Rogi, I call you back as soon as I can, no? My mother was here.”
“Ah okay.” Roger couldn’t help feeling relieved that it wasn’t Mary.
“I miss you Raf.”
“Si, I miss you too Roger.”
“It, er, it’s sort of hard, you know? Since Geneva.”
“Si, for me also.”
“Really?”
“Of course! But after Laver Cup, I am busy, busy so I … not think so much.”
Why did Rafa seem so together whilst he sounded like a whining mess? “Well yeah, but being busy doesn’t stop me thinking Rafa.”
There was a pause before Rafa answered. “Are you okay, Roger?”
“Well, apart from missing you, you mean?”
“I mean ….Roger, have you been drinking?”
“A little, but nothing that anyone would notice.” Perhaps he would open that second bottle.
“Rogi, I have noticed so it is not ‘nothing’. You have a match tomorrow, no? This is not good, not good at all.”
“Raf ...”
“No, you must tell me you not drink any more today.”
Roger pulled a face. “Okay, okay.”
“I am worried about you, Rogi.”
It’s a pity this worry didn’t translate into joining him in Shanghai, Roger thought, although he knew that was totally selfish and unreasonable.
“Why you go on Twitter so much?” Rafa demanded.
Roger was a bit taken aback at this. Rafa never showed much interest in Twitter.
“Well, you know, talk to the fans, have fun, stop the boredom.”
Roger knew Rafa would be shaking his head.
“I do not understand this. There is too much Twitter already, too much talk about us. You go on there, it make things worse.”
“Hey, it’s good they talk, gets the fans together – better than all these fan wars.”
“Roger, you definitely not thinking right. I talk to Feli, he show me things on Twitter about us. It is …. well, you would not believe.”
Roger frowned. “Feli Lopez?” For some reason he always felt himself to be on the back foot when Rafa referenced his Spanish colleagues.
Rafa spoke slowly as if talking to a difficult child. “Of course, I told you he was in Majorca!”
He was sure Rafa hadn’t mentioned it but let it pass.
“Feli understands the Twitter. He says it is best for you, for us, to stay away.”
So Feli had been reading his posts and reporting back to Rafa. Great. Once Rafa got an idea in his head it was hard to shift it.
“Look baby, let’s not get hung up on this, ok? The thing is, not to take it too seriously.”
“Mmm so you say.”
“I mean we did kind of provide ammunition.”
“Ammunition? What is this?” Rafa was puzzled.
“Well, er, the amount of time we spent together you know? I think it’s pretty obvious how much we like each other.” Roger shrugged his shoulders. “The result is people will talk.”
There was a pause as Rafa absorbed this. “So Rogi, we have to be more careful, no?
The conversation wasn’t going the way he envisaged.
“The thing is babe, I’m tired of being careful. I enjoyed having you at my side for three whole days, sitting next to you, sharing with you, touching you, holding you in my arms – the whole damned thing. ”
“And I thought you felt the same Raf.”
“You know that I do.” Rafa’s voice was softer, slower. “Laver Cup is a special time, I wish things could always be so …. but how, Rogi? So many times we talk but always we have the same answer, being together all the time is imposible”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t stop me wanting it more than ever.”
“We have the Laver Cup, Rogi. Those three days were beautiful, no?”
“I’ll let you into a secret Rafa. Honouring Rod Laver wasn’t the only idea behind the Laver Cup.”
“No?”
Roger had tears in his eyes. “No, you were. You and me baby, being inseparable in every way. When I thought of it, you were there right at the centre. I created it for us.”
“Rogi, I don’t know what to say….”
“Just say you love me Raf, please?”
"Te quiero Roger”.
“Now please, no more drink and no more Twitter?”