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Chapter 12
About midday the following day, Sasha gave me a call. I stepped away from my desk, and headed to The Sports Daily kitchen to chat.
“Hey you,” I said, “how're things?”
“Good,” she said, “very good in fact. Just checking you’re coming to the media box for the next game?”
“I haven’t got my weekly roster from The Sports Daily yet, but assume yes and I’ll confirm ASAP,” I said. “They’ve sent me to everyone this season, so the odds are good. Why, short on space?”
She sighed. “The national league magazine is going to be in town and wants four places ... it shouldn’t be a problem, but I just want to look after our regulars first.”
“Thanks, appreciate it.”
“So, what have you done to The Russian?” she asked.
Last time I had heard he was okay. My breath hitched.
“Nothing, why?”
“Because when I dropped in on him before, he was watching one of your old games on his computer ... hmm ...” she said, “sounds like someone’s a bit keen.”
“Really?” I asked, with a bit of a squeal, unfortunately.
“From what I could see before he paused it and glared at me, it was the finals against the New York Sparks,” she said. Sasha knew her sport.
“Good, I won best on the court for that game,” I said, a big smile on my face, which fortunately she couldn’t see.
“Did you do a gym wear photo shoot too?” she asked.
“Yes! A couple of years ago for Planet Fit Sportswear, paid off half my car. Don’t tell me ...”
“Yep, your lover was checking that out too, I saw the tab open. Don’t tell him I told you, just thought you’d like to know he was perving on you,” Sasha said.
“You’re right, very happy about that. Thanks for calling, you wonderful source of good news.”
Sasha laughed. “See you at the game unless I hear otherwise,” she said.
So The Russian was watching me play and checking out my modeling work ... The Russian liked me enough to go on YouTube and find my last finals game and watch me play. Yes! I wondered if he’d bring it up.
*****
That evening, just after seven p.m., The Russian parked kerbside outside his parents’ house. Their house was big, but not obnoxious ... it was stately but didn’t stand out. I suspect regardless of the money The Russian made and could have—and most likely would have offered them—they liked to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground. The house was in a new estate with wide streets and other similar sized big homes, that all shared a communal park; it had a nice vibe about it. I relaxed a bit on seeing it – I don’t know what I had been expecting, a mansion maybe. My family home was attached to the church ... a reverend usually got it as part of his package so I’d lived in churchyards all my life. Sometimes with cemeteries out the front too, which other kids thought was weird, but when you didn’t know any different ...
I felt The Russian’s hand cover mine for just a moment before he turned off the ignition.
“You’re not nervous, are you?” he asked with the hint of a grin.
“No, more curious to find out what sort of superior beings created this perfect specimen,” I said, playing into his hand. “I’ll be okay, I’ve met a few parents in my time.”
“Have you now,” he said, undoing his seatbelt. He made a sort of unimpressed sound as if I should have been a virgin, at home waiting for him.
I unbuckled and opened the door; The Russian was on my side before I finished stepping out; he closed the door for me. As we made our way up the driveway, the door opened and a young girl and a beautiful cream Labrador came bounding towards us.
“Alex,” she screamed with delight, her braids dancing as she looked from me to Alex and back. So did the dog. Not sure where to go first, she ran headlong into Alex, wrapping herself around him, and the dog jumped on me with his tongue at the ready for an affectionate lick. Good thing I loved dogs.
“Brodie, down,” Alex ordered the dog, “Tia, Tia, Tia,” he spun her around as she squealed in delight. He put her down and she raced up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
I laughed with surprise.
