Page 40 of After the Siren
Fucking around with Stavs would be a bad idea. Even if it was a possibility, which it probably wasn’t. Stavs did not seem like a bros-with-blowies kind of guy. He’d overheard Stavs say that his bisexuality was only theoretical, so if Jake sometimes spent time in the shower thinking about giving him somepracticalexperience, well ... he was only human. Stavs had really good biceps, and thoseeyelashes.And he was wound tight in a way that made Jake want to mess him up. Or to rile him up enoughthat he decided to mess Jake up. That would probably be even better. Jake wanted ... well, he wanted things he wasn’t going to get. And shouldn’t be thinking about. Stavs had obviously had a bad time, was trying to shake off whatever had happened last year, and he needed to feel comfortable in the team. Fucking one of his teammates was not the way to accomplish that.
Jake locked his car and jogged across the car park. Stavs was waiting for him in the foyer of the training centre, looking like he was going before the AFL Tribunal, not filming social-media content. Because he was a good boy, he’d put on a pink polo for the occasion (Greg had told them to ‘dress in theme’). Pink was a good colour on him. A really good colour. He’d had his hair cut as well, and the newly crisp fade did things to his cheekbones.
Jake was wearing a Taylor SwiftErassinglet. Stavs gave it a judgemental look, because his taste in music was shit.
‘Ready?’ Jake asked.
‘I don’t know why they wantedmeto do this.’
Jake knew, but he wasn’t going to confess. ‘Come on, Greg’ll bitch if we’re late.’
Greg had put a high round table and two bar stools in front of a whiteboard that he’d draped in a pink picnic blanket. Jake wondered if he’d meant to make it look like they were on a date. Probably not. It had probably never crossed Greg’s mind that two men who played football could date each other.
Greg looked very pleased with himself. A bad sign. As was the stack of love-heart-shaped cards in the centre of the table.
Stavs arranged himself on the stool, looking more and more like he was at his own wake. Jake hopped up and looked at Greg for instructions. Nothing to do but get it over with.
‘You’re going to ask one another questions,’ Greg explained. ‘They’re Valentine’s Day themed.’
‘Great,’ Jake said.
‘Okay.’ Theo looked like he was considering faking illness. Or ‘accidentally’ falling back off the stool.
Greg gave Theo a concerned look. ‘Are you alright? Jake said you were very keen, but if you’re not —’
Whoops.
Stavs no longer looked ill. He looked murderous.
‘I’m fine,’ Stavs ground out, giving Jake awe’ll talk about this laterlook that definitely wasn’tintendedto be sexy.
Jake needed to get laid. He needed to find some hot, anonymous man and get this attraction to Stavs railed right out of him.
‘Right,’ Greg said, straightening the cards. ‘Let’s get started.’
He pulled one out of the pack and handed it to Jake.
Jake took a second to read it, then looked at Stavs, who was still looking murderous. ‘What’s your favourite type of first date?’Boring.
Stavs visibly forced the scowl off his face. He’d obviously decided to make an effort, probably because he didn’t want Greg to tell anyone that he wasn’t a team player. He even smiled a little while he pretended to think before he answered. ‘Something low-key, I guess. If I don’t know the person that well, going for a coffee or brunch and then a walk somewhere nice. If I do know them, maybe dinner – nothing wrong with a classic.’
‘Yeah, you’re so chill, bro,’ Jake teased.
Stavs kicked him under the table and then had to reach out to grab him so he didn’t topple off the stool.
‘What’syourfavourite type of first date?’ Stavs asked, even though he was supposed to get a new question from the next card. Greg wouldn’t like that.
‘Walk on the beach,’ Jake said, instead of the truth, which wasI’ve never been on one. ‘A swim if the weather’s good.’ Maybe the New Year’s thing with Kyle counted as a date. But it didn’t feel like it.Datingseemed like something you did where peoplecould see you. It didn’t count if you couldn’t even hold hands in public.
Stavs rolled his eyes. ‘Of course.’
‘What’s wrong with the beach on a first date?’Wasthere something wrong with the beach on a first date? It seemed like a fine first date to him.
Theo gave the camera aseriouslytype of look. Maybe you weren’t supposed to take girls to the beach on the first date? Was that the sort of first date that felt a bit murdery if you were a girl? He’d ask Keeley.
Greg handed Stavs a card. A little pointedly.
‘Flowers or chocolates?’ Stavs asked.
