Page 26 of Playing the Field
‘That’s fair. He does look out for me,’ Bailey agrees. ‘Remember that time you brought me home in a shopping trolley?’
‘He couldn’t walk,’ Ben explains, laughing at the memory. ‘What were you, fifteen or something?’
‘About that. It was the first time I’d ever had alcohol.’
‘He was round his mate’s house and I got this barely comprehensible voice message asking if I could come to the rescue. I tried to piggyback him home initially, but must have decided he was too heavy. So I broke a trolley free from outside the Morrisons and got him back that way. Mum and Dad were so annoyed they made us offer to pay for the damage the next day. We were let off though, luckily.’
‘And he’s been getting me out of trouble ever since then,’ Bailey says.
Ben nods to confirm this. ‘You’re good today though, yeah?’
‘Absolutely,’ Bailey agrees. ‘But I’m glad we don’t do this at every training session.’
The afternoon gradually winds down once all the food is finished. I think everyone’s too stuffed to do any more running around– and I suspect a couple of hangovers might already be kicking in. When Elliot stands up and admits he’s ready to call it a day, there are calls of ‘lightweight’ before two of the reserve team players also say they need to head off. One has a birthday do to get to, the other a demanding two-year-old.
Dad calls for everyone’s attention and thanks us for really throwing ourselves into it today. ‘It’s been a pleasure for me to get to know each of you a little bit better and I hope you all feel the same way. Before you go, I have some news to share that I think will be the perfect way to round off the afternoon. I know you must have been wondering what’s going on with our league application and the ground share, and I want to thank you all for your patience...’
‘Have you got them?’ Craig interrupts, sitting up straighter.
The other players who were reclined on their elbows also push themselves upright, poised for Dad’s answer, but before he says anything, I think they’ve already guessed from his face. No one smiles that broadly if they’re about to about to crush someone’s dreams.
‘That will be a yes!’ Dad declares.
Which sparks a similar scene to the one in our kitchen, with half the team rolling on to their backs and kicking their arms and legs in the air, and the rest leaping to their feet and tearing round each other in circles before pulling Dad into a bouncing group hug while their cheers ring out across the park. It’s the photo that Helen ends up using on theHeraldwebsite when she breaks the news to the rest of Hamcott.
‘This is the best Saturday ever,’ Jacob says, beaming.
‘Out of interest, by a show of hands, can I see how many of you would be able to make this a regular Saturday meet-up over the summer?’ Cassie asks. ‘I’m not suggesting we play rounders every week, we’d just have a fun, relaxed session to bolster our other training. Maybe two till five, to get us in the right kind of routine before we start match days.’
Scott is first to reply. ‘I’m down for that.’
It’s followed by a chorus of ‘me too’s.
‘Let’s make it official then,’ Cassie says. ‘Two till five every Saturday. We’ll work on a few things but we’ll keep it light. Thanks, guys. You’re the best.’
Bit by bit everyone starts drifting off after that, and I have good reason to be one of them. My first exam is on Tuesday– I can’t believe how quickly it’s come round– and I need to cram some last-minute study in. I can’t help feeling disappointed, though. I’d assumed Ben and I would sneak off somewhere first after our last two liaisons, but although I think I detect an inquisitive narrowing of his eyes as we’re saying goodbye, he doesn’t suggest it.
I walk out of the park with Phoebs, the ache in my stomach making me realise how much I’d been looking forward to more time with just him. Phoebs, meanwhile, excitedly tells me she’s decided, now she’s met all the players, that it’s Craig she wants to get together with.
‘You don’t want to pick someone nicer?’ I can’t help asking. ‘You know he’s been a bit over-friendly with me and Cassie and he can come across like he thinks he’s superior to his teammates.’
‘I’m not planning on marrying him.’ She laughs. ‘Seriously, who’d want to lumber themselves with a footballer? All those girls flinging themselves at them every weekend. No thank you.’
She stops in her tracks. ‘Wait a minute. When you told me Ben had grown on you, you didn’t mean you’d actually consider dating him, did you?’
I’m about to protest, but the words don’t come. I know I was hesitant to even go for one drink with him initially, but that was before I’d got to know him a bit. Now, for the few weeks he’s here in Hamcott, I’d be happy to spend more time in his company.
‘Oh no, no, no.’ Phoebs shakes her head emphatically. ‘You don’t date the Ben Pryces of this world. He’ll break your heart faster than you can say offside.’
‘It doesn’t matter anyway.’ I shrug. ‘If he wanted to, I’d be with him now.’
And it’s at that exact moment that his name pops up on my ringing mobile phone, instantly making my heart race.
‘Speak of the devil?’ Phoebs asks as I lift the phone to my ear and nod my head.
‘Can you talk?’ he says after my tentative hello. ‘It was a bit tricky before, under the watchful eye of your dad.’
I feel my shoulders relaxing. So that’s why he didn’t say anything earlier. ‘Yes, I can talk. Where are you now?’
