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The announcement was met with murmurs of discontent.
“Yes.” Kieran nodded, raising his hands. “I know that may feel unnecessary to many of you, uncomfortable even, or like I’m overstepping. But keep in mind that improved communication can translate to our game and help the whole team.” He inserted a meaningful break. “In other words, I expect you to build some camaraderie, even if it might not be with who you usually hang out with.”
That was… Lee didn’t even know what that was. Bold? Ballsy? It sure took guts to send a bunch of star players to their assigned rooms like a group of rowdy children.
There were some unhappy faces, but no one actually spoke up in defence of the status quo.
Given that Lee suspected his interactions with Alex had already put him on Kieran’s watchlist, he made sure to keep his mouth shut and hoped that his roommate would be someone,anyone, other than Alex. Like… Lee was a good person, mostly. Donated to charity, had practically raised his sisters, bought a house for his wayward mum. He’d never even dream of kicking a puppy. So, really, he couldn’t quite see what atrocious crime he’d committed that would be deserving of such a cruel and unusual punishment. Maybe he could do a better job using his social media for political activism, true, and he admittedly wasn’t the first guy to take a new player under his wing at the club—but that was because he needed a while to loosen up around new people, not because he had his nose too far up in the air to give a sod.
Anyone.Anyone.
Kieran shared a few more logistical details, then they were free to retrieve their room keys and retreat until dinner. The hotel employees had been briefed well, it appeared, since a smiling woman approached Lee just moments later to send his suitcase ahead to his room while she talked him through everything he needed to know. Two minutes later, he was equipped with a keycard that allowed him to confirm that Oliver was on the same floor but in a different room. Together, they headed for the lifts while Alex, all smiles, was still chatting with a hotel employee. Figured that he’d be the type who felt a personal need to charm everyone in his vicinity.
Unsurprisingly, the room was nice. Spacious, decorated in beiges and dark greens, with two large beds separated by bedside tables. Enormous windows and a balcony overlooked a garden with manicured lawns, tidy hedges, and a mosaic-tiled water basin, a dedicated pool area slightly further behind. Lee dropped his backpack on the bed closer to the window and crossed over to the suitcase that sat next to his own. The name tag said‘Alex Beaufort’.
Of fucking course.
Lee straightened just as the door opened. And—damn it all to hell. For a second, he and Alex stared at each other. Then Alex entered and turned to gently close the door.
Silence.
Lee cleared his throat. “So.”
Alex shifted to face him again, chewing on his bottom lip, and in that moment, he looked young. “Yeah,” he said softly. “So.”
“Here we are.”
“Yeah,” Alex repeated.
More silence. Well, this was delightfully awkward.
Alex shifted, shoving a hand through his wavy hair as he glanced around the room. “You already picked your side?” He sounded neutral, more like he was casting around for something to say. Beds, though, and what if the reason he was uncomfortable wasn’t their general dislike for each other, but the fact that he’d be rooming with someone who’d used to fancy him?
Lee stiffened slightly. “Yeah. Problem?”
“It’s fine.”
“If you’re sure.”
“It’sfine,” Alex repeated, a hint of annoyance colouring his voice. He crossed over to the unclaimed bed and set his backpack down next to it, presenting Lee with a stellar view of his backside, nicely outlined by jogging bottoms in the officially approved team design. Lee looked away.
“Okay then,” he said.
Alex huffed out a breath but didn’t respond otherwise.
Five seconds passed. Ten. Then Lee turned away, pushed open the balcony door, and stepped outside into the stifling afternoon heat. It wasn’t humid, so there was that, but playing in these conditions would take some getting used to. He propped his elbows on the railing and closed his eyes for a moment, the sun painting the backs of his lids a radiant orange.
They couldn’t keep this up—not for a month or longer. The Oliver-shaped angel on Lee’s shoulder wanted him to extend an olive branch, but Lee wasn’t even sure where to start. Possibly with a semi-normal conversation that consisted of more than one word at a time.
Too bad that Lee was much better at creating awkward moments than he was at dispelling them.
Of fucking course.
Alex should have known that Kieran wasn’t the type to just let things go. Kieran probably had a whole theory about challenging players’ comfort zones by means of surprise rooming arrangements, about how it would trigger personal growth. Granted, Alex had made a genuine effort to improve his interactions with Lee and could tell that Lee had done the same—unfortunately, it had been too little too late.
So here they were.
With a huffed breath, Alex stilled where he’d started unzipping his suitcase, then rose slowly. After escaping to the balcony a few minutes ago, Lee had stripped off his top and was now sprawled in one of the two blue-striped armchairs that sat in the shade of an umbrella, glaring at his phone. Even so, he was really bloody attractive, all angular features and smooth, tanned skin—but that was ancient news to Alex, and the sooner he got over it, the better.
