Page 90 of After the Siren
‘Morning,’ Debbie called, and Stavs looked up and smiled.
Wow, Jake was fucked.
Chapter Twenty
Jake was in a good mood. He’d had a couple of seriously good games, he’d been the subject of a whole week of bizarre controversy about his pre-game routines, and he was having more – and better – sex than he’d ever been able to have in his life. The rain was pouring, the birds were hiding, but Jake was having a good fucking day.
They’d done an indoor session because the coaching staff didn’t want anyone to hurt themselves in the mud, and Jake had a few minutes to kill before he was due to see the physio. He’d gotten absolutely cleaned up in their last game, and his right shoulder was complaining a bit.
Kat poked her head out of her office as he walked past. ‘Jake, time for a word?’
‘Sure.’
Kat’s office had probably once been a printer room. If Jake had to work in a space that small, it would have immediately descended into complete chaos. But Kat had imposed a rigid order over the books and papers. She had a standing desk and one of those little under-desk treadmills. She’d even managed to find space for a couple of plants, which were surviving despite the complete absence of sunlight.
Kat shut the door behind her and gestured to the chair opposite her desk. She sat as well, steepling her fingers under her chin.
‘You’re not going to like this conversation,’ she told him. ‘But just hear me out.’
Ordinarily this sort of chat would be the precursor to being dropped for the next game. But there was no way Jake was being dropped. He was playing well.Reallywell. He was only three goals behind Sheds as the leading Falcons goalscorer, andnobodykicked more goals than Sheds.
‘This is not a coach talk,’ she continued. ‘This is a talk from someone who’s known you for a long time.’
‘Yeah?’
She looked him in the eye. ‘You need to think about what you’re doing with Bestavros.’
Jake had never been very good at controlling his face. He did his best.
‘What do you mean?’
Kat had known he was gay for years, but it wasn’t something either of them really acknowledged. He knew she was supportive, but he’d always preferred to keep his sexuality away from his footy.
She fixed him with a look he remembered from primary school. ‘I’m not asking you to tell me anything about what’s going on, I’m just asking you to listen. And then to think.’
‘Sure.’ Jake could listen. He tipped the chair back, waiting. He knew that Kat hated it when people did that.
‘So, let’s just say there was something’ – she hesitated – ‘romanticgoing on between you and Bestavros. All I’m saying is that you should think about the potential consequences. For him.’
That sounded bad. ‘What do you mean?’
‘He’s a good player, and he’s doing well. But if something happens,he’sthe one who’s expendable. You’re not going to get traded or delisted.’
Jake let the legs of his chair thump back to the ground. ‘“Something happens”?’
‘If whatever is going on affects one or both of you on the field. If things end badly and you can’t work together. If people find out and it affects the team dynamic. I’m not ... you know I’d stick up for him. But it’s not going to be my call. And putting the team first is going to mean putting you first.’
‘Right,’ Jake said, because she seemed to be waiting for him to say something. ‘You’re saying ... if we were doing anything, we should stop.’
Kat sighed. ‘No, Jake. I mean, Imarried my coach.I’m saying you should think about the risks and you should talk to Bestavros about them. Maybe you’ve done that already, in which case you can tell me to butt out.’
Jake shut his eyes for a second. He’dknownhe was going to have to think about this, but he’d been doing a pretty good job of pretending he didn’t. Stavs had to know too. He was way smarter than Jake, and even Jake could see that whatever they were doing was no longer just friends fucking around. It could all go pretty pear-shaped.
Kat was talking again. ‘I’m not saying you can’t be together and play here, but I just ... I like him, Jake. He’s a good guy. I want him to succeed.’
So did Jake.
She continued. ‘I’ve played with teammates who’ve been couples, and I’ve played with teammates who’ve broken up. It can work, but sometimes it doesn’t, and there isn’t always a better solution than one person leaving the club. You’re both adults, and you can make your own choices. But just don’t letit happen and then realise too late that you should have talked about it earlier.’
