Page 101 of Take Her On

The crowd’s roar sent a shiver down Jamie’s spine as the Millton City women’s team stepped out onto the floodlit pitch. The stadium only had a couple of thousand capacity, but each seat was occupied with the home colours of blue and white, except for a small portion reserved for the away team.

Jamie dreamed of being on that pitch, playing professionally. It had always been her goal. Having three university championships under her belt would certainly work in her favour.

Maya had talked Jamie’s ear off about Millton City, but with studies and other dramas, she hadn’t had the chance to watch many games this season. But this wasn’t an ordinary game. The next ninety minutes determined whether or not Millton City FC would be promoted from the Championship into the WSL, the top flight of English football.

That was huge for a town like this.

It was also pretty exciting, given that Millton FC was one of the clubs Maya had applied to. She’d taken a bit of convincing, but seeing Maya pushing herself and possibly working in the women’s game after graduation had made Jamie want to push herself too.

She’d already registered for trials next month. Having the attention of a scout would fast-track the process, but this way she had a back-up plan.

Maya wolf-whistled next to her, cheeks red from the crisp air. Maddie and Alex flanked them on the left, with Hannah on the right with her latest potential boyfriend—a Bradley Cooper lookalike, enormous beanpole of a man called Chris. Maya’s friends had decided the game would be a good initiation for Chris to meet the gang. So far he’d been polite enough, but Maya had plans to quiz him further later. Whatever that entailed, Jamie hoped Chris was prepared—her girl was a fireball.

It was always a test of any relationship, meeting the friends, and Jamie was used to being too much for some people. It was a relief how well she’d got on with Hannah and Maddie since meeting them last week.

She cupped her hands around her mouth and cheered as they awaited kick-off. The atmosphere around them was thick with anticipation. Jamie’s heart did a silly little skip as she turned to Maya. She leaned in to her to whisper in her ear. “You look seriously hot in my clothes.”

Maya’s cheeks flushed even redder, and she snuggled her chin into the soft material of Jamie’s jumper—the same one she’d given her all those months ago, then regifted her at Christmas.

Maya laid her hand on Jamie’s knee and squeezed. “Well, play your cards right, and you can see me out of it later.”

Jamie grinned, giving her a quick kiss. Then the referee blew her whistle, and the game began.

It was a scrappy first half, the nerves evident in the way the Millton players forced unnecessary passes and took bad touches. The chants and calls from the crowd were restless. There was a lot of pressure—they could sympathise. Millton University only had a few games left themselves, and no room for error. Their final game of the season was away at the Harriers. They had to win. It would be their most challenging game yet, and Jamie was determined to be match-fit this time. She wasn’t going to let the Harriers get the last hurrah. She had to do this for the team—but for herself too, and all the shit they’d put her through last year.

The crowd roared, demanding a handball from the opposition, pulling her back into the present.

“Ref, if you had one more eye, you’d be a cyclops! A blind cyclops!” Chris’s outburst made Jamie and Maya swivel in shock. Maya and Hannah locked eyes, and Hannah raised her eyebrows, channelling the question: What the hell?

Chris collapsed back into his plastic seat, shooting them two thumbs up.

Hannah sure knows how to pick ’em.

After a tense forty-five minutes and more hurled insults from Chris—implying the ref was stupid and something about entertaining inappropriate relationships with a goat—the first half drew to a close, and they funnelled back into the stadium to get drinks.

“Anyone fancy pie and Hendo’s?” Alex asked, sidestepping a group of flag-wearing teenagers bearing the Millton crest. He weaved on his feet, trying to spy the menu through the row of heads waiting in line. A couple pushed past with two plastic cups bubbling with beer, and the queue moved forward.

“Henderson’s relish?” Chris scoffed. “You can’t be serious, mate. It’s piss poor.”

The rest of the group turned to him, quizzical looks on their faces. It was common knowledge you should never insult anything made in the North. Henderson’s relish was a sacred sauce, essential on pies and Sunday dinners. To imply otherwise would most likely result in a broken nose.

Especially in an enclosed space with so many Northerners.

“They’re bloody ten quid,” Hannah jumped in. “I’ll have to take another student loan out to eat here.”

“I say we have food at yours after. You have some leftovers, right? Noodles?” Maya winked at Maddie, who so far had barely said a word, except to ask how much time was left until they could leave. Jamie was surprised she’d come at all. Crowds and overly loud places weren’t usually her thing, but her noise reduction earplugs seemed to help, and it was sweet that she wanted to join them. Maybe it was partly to do with sizing up Chris. Jamie was extra relieved that so far she’d seemed to pass the screening process.

Maddie perked up at Maya’s question, which made Jamie wonder if she was missing out on some kind of joke. “Yeah. We’ve got enough to go around.”

Chris nudged Hannah. “You haven’t cooked though, have you, babe? Don’t wanna get salmonella, eh?” He cracked out laughing at his own joke, jostling Alex with his big forearms when no one joined in.

Maya tensed beside Jamie. Chris’s comment obviously didn’t sit well with her. Jamie gave her a little squeeze.

Alex scratched his stubble. “Erm…just me, then? Anyone else?”

The four of them left Alex and Maddie in the queue and headed back to their seats. Maddie rolled her eyes over Chris’s shoulder, before snuggling into Alex’s side. They looked an unlikely pairing, with Maddie dressed head-to-toe in black, and Alex with his silk teal shirt tucked into tight skinny jeans. But the two of them just…clicked. It worked.

It was a long ten minutes before the game restarted. Jamie and Maya chatted about the upcoming Harriers game while Chris continuously tried to interrupt with his opinion.