Page 84 of Playing the Field
He takes a deep breath and shakes his head again. ‘Angela Paramore– who would have thought it? You know, I didn’t think I was going to like turning fifty but it turns out I’m really quite enjoying it.’ Then he laughs softly to himself. ‘I might even treat myself to a haircut.’
By the time Cassie arrives at the house so we can all head to Dad’s party together, he has finally got used to the idea that he’s going to meet one of his idols and that Crawford United is now one of the most well-funded football clubs in the lower leagues. Once she’s got over the fact that we didn’t share any of this news with her immediately– ‘You were at school!’ I protest– Cassie goes through the same series of emotions as Dad and I, from disbelief to gradual acceptance to: ‘I don’t think I’ll ever stop smiling.’
As I watch them bouncing round the kitchen I find myself wishing Ben could have been here. It’s a moment I would have loved to share with him. I fire off a quick text to let him know the Frowley saga has panned out even better than I could have hoped for. He replies straight away, saying he’s so glad everything is working out for me. But looking at the kisses he’s added afterwards, I can’t help thinking,Not everything.
That evening, Phoebs’ party set-up is incredible. She’s gone all out with a purple theme, from the balloon arch to the plates for the nibbles. There’s a purple welcome cocktail– a mix of champagne, blue curacao and red grenadine, aka a Meet Me At Midnight, she informs me– and the band she’s hired kicks off with a rousing rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Purple Haze’ and ends with an impressive cover of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’.
All the players come to wish Dad a happy birthday, as well as Bob, Marge and Adam, Barbour and his family, Olly– who’s left his assistant manager in charge in the main bar– a few other fans we’ve got to know at The Fox and a handful of Dad’s colleagues. Phoebs flits about taking photos, making sure glasses stay full and ensuring the table of party food remains presentable.
There are more balloons above it, along with purple candles– far enough away from the balloons that they won’t pop– and two glass jars filled with white and purple fairy lights and two containing purple orchids. If anyone dares upset the ambience with a discarded paper plate or napkin, she sweeps it away and quickly disposes of it.
She’s pleased as punch with her efforts when I manage to get her on her own for a minute. ‘Look at your dad’s face.’ She beams. ‘He’s loving it.’
I glance over to see him surveying the room, eyes bright as he soaks up the scene. Then he’s swept back up into a conversation with Bob, Marge and Barbour, who take it in turns to clink their glasses against his.
‘It does look amazing,’ I tell her. ‘I hope you haven’t got yourself into debt doing all this.’
She tells me Craig gave her some money to help get her new business off the ground.
‘He doesn’t even care whether I pay him back or not, but I will once I start making a profit,’ she admits. ‘He says it’s enough that he’s making his dad happy by finally showing an interest in investing in a local business. Even if it ends up being the only time he does it. He’s been brilliant, to be honest– really encouraging me to build something where I can be my own boss. Without the two of you, I might never have chanced it.’
‘Does this mean you’re finally going to admit you’re in love with him?’ I ask.
‘God no, he’d probably run a mile if I said the L word to him.’
She laughs, but I notice she automatically seeks him out in the crowd. And as if he can feel her eyes on him, he looks across and winks. I may still think he’s a bit on the cocky side, but I have to admit he’s grown on me since I’ve seen how he looks out for Phoebs.
I scan the room, taking in all the happy faces, until I realise I’m subconsciously looking for the one person who to my mind has a bigger smile than everybody. But of course I don’t find him, because Ben isn’t here.
46
My stomach is in knots on the day of our Ashbridge game, and I don’t think I’m alone in that. Dad can’t sit still, pacing the corridor outside the locker room while we wait for the last of our players to arrive, and Cassie’s just as fidgety, glancing at the wall clock every two or three minutes. After six straight losses, we’re in desperate need of a win today. And with Alasdair and Angela here to watch us, it would be a good time for a victory.
We’ve called the team to the ground earlier than usual because we don’t know exactly what time our star guests will arrive and we want to make sure we’re all there to greet them. We’re also ready to share the news of Alasdair’s donation with the players, having calculated what we’ll now be able to pay them for the rest of the season. We’re hopeful it will give them a much-needed boost.
Dad claps to get everyone’s attention once the team is fully assembled. ‘Just a couple of club announcements today before we get started. First, as ever, a huge thank you to all of you for everything you put into Crawford United. We haven’t got off to the easiest of starts, but I want you all to know my faith in this club is unwavering.
‘And that’s why it’s an absolute privilege for me to be able to tell you that there are no longer any question marks hanging over our longevity. Thanks to an incredible donation from the author Alasdair Frowley this week, I’m now in a position to extend our contract here at Redmarsh to a minimum five-year tenure, which means Crawford United is here to stay.’
There are whoops across the room.
‘Way to go,’ Levi says with a grin.
‘Is that our best result so far?’ Jacob asks cheekily.
Dad laughs. ‘I think it might well be.’
He holds up his hands for silence again. ‘Back to the serious stuff, though. We want you to know this isn’t going to change anything in the way we run things. All it means from our side is that Cassie, Lily and I will now be official staff, not just volunteers. My title will officially be manager, Cassie is head coach and Lily is club secretary and treasurer.’
‘Do we have to start calling you sir?’ Adio asks.
Dad looks horrified. ‘Always just Mike if you don’t mind.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Adio says, laughing.
‘Thump him, will you, Elliot?’ Dad requests, then waits till everyone has settled again before continuing. ‘Lily will be looking after the day-to-day running of the club full-time. Cassie and I will be maintaining our other jobs, but all three of us are dedicated to making this club the success it absolutely deserves to be.
‘We can’t do that on our own though, of course, which is where you lot come in. The time and energy you’ve each devoted to this club has never gone unappreciated. So it gives me immense pleasure to be able to tell you that going forward there’ll be a fixed payment per match, regardless of your position or how long you’re on the pitch. And as an extra thank you, we’ll be backdating it to the start of the season.’
