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Now that the action is over, I busy myself making tea, listening to Robbie and Tom talk as they sit at the breakfast island.
“So why are you here?” Tom asks bluntly.
Robbie shrugs. “Had nothing on and thought Odette could meet Philip and I could introduce you to Hannah. She’s proper nice.”
“Surprised you haven’t slept with her,” Tom grunts.
“How do you know I haven’t?” Robbie asks with a smirk.
Tom’s brows quirk up. “Have you?”
Robbie chuckles. “Nah, she’s in her fifties.”
“Wouldn’t bother me,” I pipe up.
“That surprises no one.” Robbie says with an eye roll. “She’s also a lesbian.”
We continue to talk about nothing for the next ten minutes until there’s a buzz at the front gate.
“You see how easy it is to use the gate buzzer?” Tom grumbles at Robbie, getting up to let in Hannah, I’m guessing.
“How do you put up with that grumpy prick?” Robbie says looking at me like he genuinely wants an answer.?
“Don’t be a wanker,” I tell him, finishing up the tea. I like Robbie, he’s probably my closest mate on the team, other than Tom of course, but I’m not going to put up with anyone shit-talking my boyfriend. “And his prick is never grumpy when it’s buried deep in my arse.”
I hear a splutter from the doorway and look up to see Rory standing there. His face, which often looks startled and rosy-cheeked at the best of times, is now turning the colour of a stop light.
“Alright mate,” I say, surprise clouding my voice. “What do we owe the pleasure?”?
“Um, Robbie texted me and said you got a dog. I’m here to measure him for a kit.”
“A kit?”
“Yeah,” Robbie says. “Can’t leave your furbaby out.”
“Don’t call it a fucking furbaby.” Tom grumbles. “And he’s not even our dog. He’s Keegan’s.”
Robbie shrugs. “Close enough.”
“I should probably get started,” Rory says.
“I still don’t understand why he needs to be measured,” Tom says, looking adorably bewildered. “He’s a medium-sized dog. Just get him a medium-sized kit.”
Rory just blinks at him. “It’s all custom-made, Tom. We need the exact numbers.”
Tom gives an exasperated shake of his head. I can tell it’s taking a great deal of effort to hold back what I’m sure is a curse-filled tirade about the absurdity of the situation, but he manages it. “Fine, they’re out with Keegan. Come with me.”
Tom shows Rory through the back of the house, leaving me in the kitchen with Robbie.
“Lancaster United next weekend,” he says, eyeing me with an uncharacteristically sombre expression. “You up for it?”
“Yeah, of course,” I say with a shrug. “I mean, if we could get up over Man City and West Ham the last couple of weeks I can’t see Lancaster United being any real threat.”
“You know that’s not what I meant,” he presses.
I sigh and take a sip of my tea. Yes, I know exactly what he meant. Next weekend will be my first time coming up against my old team. And unfortunately, we’ll be playing on their turf.
A couple of weeks ago, I told my teammates the truth behind why I left Lancaster in such a hurry. I wasn’t looking for sympathy, I just didn’t want there to be any secrets. The upshot is that everyone on the team is treating this weekend as though it’s the game that will decide the premiership.
