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Her eyes snapped to mine. “Fine?”
“Yes.”
She pulled at the strings of her hoodie and turned her face away. “How quickly would I get the money?”
“It will need to go through accounts. A couple of days. You’ll get another ten thousand when you complete your probation period.”
She paled and drifted to the goalpost. She ran her hand over the frame, and I noticed her fingers trembled. This was it. A little nudge and I’d have her. I planted myself next to her. “You came to speak to me. You could have said no. Some part of you is interested in a transfer.”
A rueful smile pulled at her lips. “I’m not going to turn down a chance to stand on this pitch. This is Calverdale bloody United.”
I chuckled. I liked her bluntness. It was refreshing. A stray ball sat at our feet by the goal. I passed it to her. She caught it under her foot.
“Come on,” I said, moving into the goal. “Take a shot. Score a goal in Calverdale Stadium. Unless you think you can’t get one past me.”
She quirked a bemused eyebrow. “Have you ever kicked a ball before, Rivers?”
“Once or twice.”
I took off my suit jacket and passed it to one of the camera guys. Carefully, I rolled my sleeves up. Her guilty eyes dropped to my forearms before she quickly averted her gaze. I’d be useless in slippery brogues, but I needed to give her a taste of what she could have here. A little temptation wouldn’t hurt.
Miri blasted a ball at me. I sidestepped to save it, but I had no chance without diving, and I didn’t much fancy covering an Armani suit in mud. Miri’s face lit with a smug smile and she patted her hands together.
“You got lucky,” I shouted.
Her laugh was full hearted. “Don’t confuse skill for luck.”
I toed the ball back to her and she blasted it straight into the top corner. This girl had raw talent. That strange spark that some people were born with. I’d trained hard, but I’d never had this quality. I’d wanted it so badly, but I couldn’t quite cut it. Miri blasted another ball at me. I jumped, but it soared over my head. There was so much power behind the shot. Nobody would stand a chance.
“You don’t get your hands dirty often, do you, Rivers?”
“I’m just warming up.”
I rolled the ball back toward her.
A goading smirk twisted her lips, “Are we going to have some fun, then, Rivers? You want to see if you can get the ball off me, or do you need more time to warm up?”
I snorted. “Why don’t you show me what you’ve got? Or do you just want to talk about it?”
I ran at her for a tackle. She dodged and weaved, dancing away from my every attempt to get to the ball. She held me at bay effortlessly. She was too good. By some miracle, I kicked the ball out and got free of her. She tore after me, hooking her foot to get to the ball. She moved in front of me and my foot connected with hers. I tripped, landing hard on my knees. Pain shot through my shin.
She stood over me, concern flashed in her eyes. “God. Sorry. Are you okay?”
Pain radiated through my knee, but I kept my face level and gave her a reassuring nod. “Fine. I have an old injury from when I used to play. It gives me trouble sometimes.”
She extended a hand to pull me up. “You used to play?”
Her palm was smooth against mine as she pulled me to my feet. “I played for the Junior Academy, but I broke my leg. I thought I could get back there with rehab, but it’s never been the same.”
She pressed her lips together and frowned. “I’m sorry.”
I forced a smile. “It’s one of those things. Everybody talks about the success stories … the kids that have been playing since they were four and make it all the way. Nobody talks about the failures. The kids that gave their heart and soul to a junior team but were never quite good enough to make it as a professional. Football was everything. All I ever wanted was to play for Calverdale. When I knew I wasn’t going to make it as a player, I started working as a talent scout, but it’s not the same. Being on the pitch, being part of a team like that, the exhilaration of a match. It’s a feeling you can’t find anywhere else.”
Her eyes clung to mine, gentle and understanding. “It makes you feel alive.”
“Exactly.”
Miri watched me with a thoughtful expression, rolling the ball underfoot. I cleared my throat. “You look good on this pitch, Forster, like you were born to play here.”
