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Mike nods. “Absolutely, Sanjay. The Toffees just didn’t have an answer for him.”
Justin nods in agreement. “Yep. Two goals, including this fantastic one in the first few minutes to get them underway.”
The screen cuts to a replay of Archie’s first goal, and it looks even more spectacular than it did live. Mainly because of the epic way I set it up, but whatever. Let’s give the kid all the credit.?
“But perhaps even more impressive was the way the Croydon forward unit just clicked together,” Justin continues as the highlight reel moves on to other parts of the game. “And I think if there was anyone doubting Tom Whitford’s future in the game, he’s certainly showing how much he wants to stick around. Hat trick last week—admittedly in a pre-season game against an undermanned opponent—and a double last night with two assists to go with it.”
The reel ends and they cut back to the studio.?
“Whitford and Milligan worked together like parts of a machine,” Sanjay says, a grin spreading across his face. “It was beautiful to watch.”
“Is this a case of the master and the apprentice?” Mike suggests.
And the glow I felt from hearing Justin’s testimonial is sapped away in an instant, because bloody hell, the word ‘master’ makes me feel about a hundred. And yes, my ego is that fragile.
I’m about to switch the program off, when my phone buzzes on the coffee table in front of me.
Archie Milligan:So am I supposed to call you Master now?
Archie Milligan:I don’t entirely mind the sound of that??
Fuck. I’m not sure if that text is supposed to be packed with innuendo, but my dick seems to think it is. And suddenly I don’t feel about a hundred, I just feel like a creepy old bastard getting hard at the thought of a teenager calling him master.?
I sigh and slump back into the couch. IknowArchie’s an adult. To be honest, in a lot of ways he’s a hell of a lot more mature than I am. He’s certainly a lot smarter than I am. And a lot braver.
But he’s still only nineteen. Basically half my age.
I let out a groan of frustration, wiping a hand over my face. I don’t even know why I’m dwelling on this. The guy is fit, that’s an undeniable fact. He’s an incredibly attractive guy. But there are a lot of incredibly attractive guys in the world. Finding him hot doesn’t mean I’m actuallyinterestedin him. I don’t want to be with him. I really, really don’t.
And learning that he has posters of me on his bedroom wall definitely hasn’t changed that.
I decide he must just be teasing like usual, and not actually trying to be suggestive. He seemed genuinely mortified when the truth of the depth of his crush was revealed last night, after all.
After a second of thought, I tap back a reply .
Me:??Having an apprentice didn’t work out too well for Obi-Wan. Let’s just stick to training partners
Archie Milligan:Gotcha, partner!
Archie Milligan:BTW I didn’t realise you were into Star Wars! If you ever want to read any ObiXAni fanfic hit me up. The movies would have been WAY better if they’d gone down that route!
Me:1. If they’d gone down that route there’d be no Luke and Leia and 2. You write fan fic?
Archie Milligan:No but I read it.?
Archie Milligan:And are you seriously telling me a galaxy far, far away doesn’t have surrogacy?
Chapter ten
Archie
"I’mproperknackered,”Ican’t help whining as we make our way into the hotel room we’ll be sharing for the night.
That’s right. I’m going to be sharing a room with Tom Whitford. For awholenight.?
I should probably just start calling him Tom.
Playing an away match on a Friday night really isn’t my favourite thing in the world but it does mean I get to be here with Tom, and then I have the weekend to do whatever the fuck I want—AKA plonk my arse in front of the telly and watch the footy. I wonder if Tom is a snorer? Or if he sleeps naked? Probably not. Maybe he’s a sleep talker and he’ll spend the night moaning my name as I star in his sex dreams…
