Page 6 of Screw Me Daddy

I simply considered myself lucky to be doing a job that I loved – and if that meant that I had to hide one part of my identity, then that was just about okay with me.

But with retirement kicking in, my mind had been wandering and thoughts of settling down with a special baby boy were on my mind.

The idea of having a wonderful boy to care for, cuddle, and discipline too was something that kept me up late at night – and it was a feeling that was only getting stronger with each passing month too.

‘So, I’ll take that single nod as an emphatichell yeah,’ Trent laughs, breaking me out of my thoughts. ‘What’s stopping you? There’s a hundred sweet little boys in this city who’d do anything to be yours. And that’s not counting the thousands around the world.’

I consider my answer.

Trent probably knows what I’m going to say, but I try to think about it and come up with a fresh angle.

But as I think, I look in my rear view mirror and see a car lurking in the distance. I don’t know for sure and I’ve got no evidence… but it’s a sight all too familiar to me.

‘Motherfucking paparazzi,’ I growl, flicking a middle finger in the air in the car’s direction. ‘Let’s bounce.’

‘Hey, at least it gives us motivation to get to dinner even quicker, right?’ Trent laughs, revving his engine and getting ready to make the descent from atop Los Torros Canyon and back down to the town below.

After a chilled dinner with Trent, I went home and pretty much did was I always do. I watched the basketball highlights, football highlights, the baseball highlights, and of course the soccer highlights too.

Not only that, but I stayed up late to watch the big Italian derby game in Milan that I fell in love with during my years in Italy.

I may be a retired soccer player, but my passion for sports has most certainlynotretired.

While yesterday evening may have been business as usual, I’ve actually got something a little bit different going on today.

The place I live in now is great.

Honestly, I couldn’t ask for much more.

Except… it’s a rental and the landlord won’t sell no matter how high I take my offer.

I know there’s probably a crazy money amount I could name that would get the right answer, but it’s got to the point now where I can see that the landlord wants me to pay Reece Bellham money rather than what the place isactuallyworth in the real world.

I was never one to accept disrespect on the soccer field and I’m not about to start that now either. As far as the landlord is concerned, I’ll keep my money out of his pockets and he can kiss my ass.

After an extensive property search, I actually found a piece of land that was ripe for development. A large plot with incredible views, it offers me the one thing that I crave above pretty much everything else…privacy.

The plot of land wasn’t cheap, and building my dream home will cost me a significant amount too.

But I grew up in a tough part of New York City, and ever since I was old enough to kick a ball I’ve been battling and fighting every day to earn my keep.

I’ve come a long way in my life.

Growing up, it was just me, my five sisters, and my mom too. Mom worked two jobs, plus an extra job at the weekend. Life was tough. We learned how to make the best of things, and we usually did that with a smile on our faces too.

I made sure that my mom and sisters were looked after as my career took off, and they’re all living their best lives now. It makes me feel proud to have contributed something to their lives.

So, yeah, if I do have to spend a few million on my dream home I’ll do it with a smile on my face and knowing that I’ve paid my way in life and helped those around me too.

Speaking of my dream home build, it’s time for me to get my butt out of my SUV and see exactly what’s going on at theconstruction site. I’ve put a lot of faith in this construction firm, and I’m keen to see that faith repaid – or else.

I get out my SUV and adjust my shades.

The hot sun is beating down on me and in all honesty I probably couldn’t have picked a worse time to do a site inspection. It’s roasting hot and I can already feel myself start to sweat.

‘Come on, get a grip,’ I laugh, my mind throwing back to the time I played an international tournament in the Middle East. ‘I’ve been through much worse. Wait… who the hell is that?’

I can’t quite believe what I’m seeing.

---