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‘Occasionally.’ She gave a quick shrug. ‘Burger sounds good. A beer, too, please. Whatever lager they have on tap.’
‘Coming up.’
The inside of the pub was warm and homely. A Christmas tree filled one corner, its coloured lights pulsating in time with the festive music playing softly in the background.
He watched as Kate shrugged off her cardigan and threw it over the back of a chair. Removing the elastic band from her hair, she let it fall loose onto her shoulders and ran her hands through it, as though she was trying to force her body to relax. The bright lick of flames from the fireplace bathed her in a soft glow and he was so mesmerised for a moment that he almost didn’t hear the barman asking him what he wanted.
Having ordered their food, he carried the drinks over to Kate. ‘Ten minutes for the burgers.’ He placed a beer in front of her. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘You mean, have I stopped imagining the care home is possessed by poltergeists?’
He sat down and observed her cautiously. ‘Is that what you believe is happening?’
She gave him a sarcastic look. ‘Credit me with some sanity. I have no idea what’s wrong with the place, but I don’t for one moment think it’s haunted.’
He let out a breath. ‘Thank goodness for that. You had me worried there.’
‘Why, were you concerned I might be emotionally unstable?’ She took a long sip of beer. ‘Sadly, that ship’s already sailed, as you know only too well… Nice beer, cheers.’ She lifted her glass.
‘Cheers.’ He clinked glasses with her. ‘Is being here in Kent making it worse?’
She seemed to mull over the question. ‘Strangely, no… although I’ve no idea why. It’s not exactly a restful place, or an easy job, but at least it’s keeping me occupied. Hopefully, it’ll result in me being debt-free soon, so it’s worth the effort.’ She rested her arms on the table and studied him. ‘Can I ask you a question?’
He relaxed back in his chair. ‘Fire away.’
‘How come you’re not playing football at the moment?’
The question caught him off guard and he lowered his eyes, suddenly transfixed by his beer. ‘How do you mean?’
‘Isn’t it the middle of the football season? I was curious as to how come you’re not playing.’
It was a fair enough question and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. ‘How do you know I was a footballer?’
She gave him a sheepish look. ‘I googled you. And before you accuse me of invading your privacy again, I was carrying out due diligence. There’s no way I was going to move here and accept a job without checking you out first. If you remember, you just showed up at my door unannounced. I had no idea who you were until I searched your name.’
He took a long slug of beer, needing a hit of alcohol to dull the ache that had crept into his chest.
Thankfully, the waiter arrived with their burgers, and he was given a few moments’ respite to compose himself while sauces and cutlery were being sorted out.
He waited until the waiter had disappeared, before replying. ‘If you googled me, then you would’ve read about why I’m no longer playing football.’
‘To be fair, I didn’t read much,’ she said, placing a napkin across her lap. ‘I just saw the main headlines about you playing for Leeds Park United and what a local hero you were. Stuff like that.’ She took a bite of burger and her eyelids fluttered closed in appreciation. ‘Oh, that’s good,’ she said, washing it down with a mouthful of beer. ‘Your girlfriend is very beautiful, by the way.’ She ate some more burger, oblivious to the injury her words had caused him.
He picked up his burger, but the tightness in his throat meant that eating wasn’t an option, so he placed it back on the plate.
‘So having read about your successful career,’ she said, swallowing a mouthful of food, ‘I was curious as to how you ended up here, dealing with your uncle’s estate?’
He rubbed his forehead. ‘Wow, you really didn’t read much, did you?’
She wiped her mouth with the napkin. ‘Did something happen? Are you injured?’
‘You could say that.’ He took another mouthful of beer, no longer hungry and needing a moment before replying.
The words never got any easier to say, no matter how many times he’d said them. He could change the subject and avoid answering, but what was the point? Why shouldn’t she know the truth? Everyone else at the care home did. It wasn’t fair to keep her in the dark.
‘My girlfriend is now my ex-girlfriend, and I’m not playing football anymore, because I’m no longer allowed to. I’m considered a liability.’
She frowned at him. ‘Why on earth would you be a liability?’ And then she lifted her hand. ‘Sorry, you don’t have to tell me, it’s none of my business. Forget I said anything. Let’s enjoy our food.’
