Page 235 of Off the Pitch

JordanShut up =P

JordanAlso, dinner is at Nan’s. Will message you the address. It takes like thirty or forty minutes to get here from mine, so leave early if you’re getting an Uber

JordanSee you at six?

FélixIt’s a date =)

I couldn’t stop grinning as I made tea, putting the two mugs and two plates of cake on a tray and carrying them carefully through to the living room. I felt like I wanted to scream and shout and dance really fucking hideously because I was so happy. I had a boyfriend.

I mean, I’d had one for a while, but it was nice to know for sure.

“You look happy,” Nan said.

“Félix is coming for dinner.” I put the tray on the little coffee table between the armchairs and settled into mine. “He’ll be here about six.”

“Well, that will give us time to watch the rest of this and then you can give me a hand making something. Do you know if there’s anything he doesn’t like?”

“Nah, I don’t think so. He’s not really that picky. We had some of your leftover chicken curry a couple of months ago, and he really liked that.”

“We’ll make that then,” she said. “At least then he’ll know what it should taste like.”

“But it was good when we had it,” I said, not really understanding what she meant. “Food’s food, right?”

Nan gave me a pointed look and sighed. I was clearly missing the point here, but no doubt she’d explain it to me at great length later. There was just one question nagging at my mind though, a little worm of doubt that hadn’t quite disappeared despite everything. “So, um, you don’t mind that Félix is a man?”

“Why would I mind?”

“Well, you know, some people say…” I trailed off, withering under Nan’s gaze.

“God made you just the way you are, and He doesn’t make mistakes,” Nan said. She smiled at me, reaching over to gently pat my thigh. “Even if you do insist on feeding the special people in your life leftovers instead of homecooked food.”

“It was good though! He loved it!”

Nan ignored me, shaking her head and turning back to the TV, where the second half was starting up again. I smiled to myself and took a bite of my ginger cake. At least this was one good thing about staying home. There was no ginger cake at the World Cup.

I didn’t know what Grant or Christian had said during half-time, but whatever it was had worked. England looked like a renewed team, bursting onto the pitch with new energy and determination.

Belgium’s defence could only do so much, and ten minutes later, England pocketed a goal.

The crowd went nuts, singing and hollering in excitement while Nan and I cheered from the comfort of our chairs. Even though I wasn’t there, I felt like I was part of the experience again. It didn’t make me feel any better, but it didn’t make me feel worse either. I was so fucking proud of this team, and that was never going to change.

England won one-nil, sending them through to their first quarter-final in eight years, and I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt. Their next match wasn’t going to be easy, since we already knew it was going to be against Spain, who were one of the best teams in Europe at the moment, but right then, it didn’t matter. England were heading for the quarter-finals, and I knew I’d be cheering for them.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

#quarterfinals #worldcup2020 #givemesnacks

Félix

I wouldn’t say I was nervous about all of Jordan’s family, and his best friend, Dani, coming over to watch the England quarter-final; I’d say I was terrified.

I’d met his grandmother, his parents, and Mia at separate times, and that was fine, but spending several hours in a room together with them was a very different prospect. It was one I couldn’t avoid though. Jordan was happy for his family to know about us, and I wanted to do everything I could to support his decision to be open with them.

We still hadn’t told Lucas we were dating. That required a little more careful thought because it involved Jordan’s career, so we’d decided to wait until after everyone was back from the World Cup and the summer break, and then we’d make a plan. There was an unfamiliar permanent weight to our discussions, as if our relationship was something that was going to last a long time.

I didn’t mind. In fact, I almost felt relieved because I wanted that permanence with him, even though I’d never wanted it before. It was funny how things changed.

Dani arrived first with her girlfriend, Kat, in tow. Dani pulled Jordan into a giant hug on the doorstep before she held her arms out to me.

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