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“You don’t know much about me, do you? I always get what I want. What do you want me to do? You want me to seduce you? I can do all that if you want it. You want to be wined and dined? Flowers? Dates? I’ll take you for dinner in Paris tonight.”
She snorted. “No.”
“Rome?”
“No.”
“Kuala Lumpur?”
“It doesn’t matter where. It’s all a means to an end.” A faint smile twisted her lips. “Aren’t you a sex addict? I shouldn’t be propping up your addiction.”
“I’m not a sex addict. That’s bullshit the papers say. I don’t get cold sweats if I don’t fuck. It’s been ages for me anyway. I’ve resisted a lot of temptation lately. A lot.”
She frowned and patted my knee. “Well done. You managed not to have sex for a while. Have a cookie.”
“How long has it been for you?”
She chewed her lip and picked at the stone step. “Aren’t we going to go inside? You wanted me to meet the team.”
She stood and I grabbed her wrist, stilling her. “Tell me. How long?”
She shook her wrist from my grip and lowered herself back down. “It’s been a while. I had a bad breakup. Let’s just say I’m fine without men.”
“Well, I know what a bad breakup feels like.”
Her eyes met mine. My throat closed up. The last thing I wanted to talk about was Emma or what had happened at this house.
I leaned in, lowering my voice. “You know the best way to get over a bad breakup? Mind-blowing sex with someone new. I don’t mind helping you out. It’s my duty. Nobody with a body like yours should be going without.”
She chewed her lip. “And what will people think if I hook up with the director of the team and then I get a spot to play?”
“I don’t live my life by what other people think of me.”
“How wonderful that you have that privilege. The rest of us have to pay attention.”
I frowned. “Privilege? I have cameras following my every step. I have papers writing bullshit about me every day. If I cared about other people’s judgment, I’d never leave the house. It’s a survival strategy, not a privilege.”
“I thought you brought me here to introduce me to the team. Or do you only want me to play if I’m sleeping with you?”
A pulse beat in my temple. I crushed the cigarette beneath my brogue. This conversation was not going well. “Of course not. I want you for the team regardless.” I held my hands up in surrender. “There is no pressure. No strings. You don’t have to turn it into something sordid.”
“But that’s what it is. That’s what people will think.”
A rough hand clamped on my shoulder. “There you are, Gabe.”
Lana and Sophie, two of the midfielders, lurked behind me. They were both pink cheeked and shiny eyed. Between them, they dragged me to my feet.
“What are you doing? I want you to meet my friend, Miri. She’s the striker I’ve been telling you about.”
Sophie flashed Miri a wave and a smile. “Hi.”
“We’ve wrestled the microphone from Mel. You’re on next.” Sophie shoved me forward into the house. “It’s tradition.”
My eyes narrowed. “What tradition?”
“Every new signing has to sing karaoke.”
“I’m not a new signing.”
