Page 23 of Replay
“I suppose not.” I clench my fists to stop from remembering our past because it’s clearly not something she thinks fondly of. “Still, it was obvious you were different than your friends.”
“Well, I wasn’t a gem. And I’m not saying it so you can argue with me. I’m saying it because it’s the truth. I was on a very self-destructive path back then, and it’s why I had to make a big change in my life.”
I eye her thoughtfully for a moment, taking in the beautiful colour on her cheeks. Whatever changes she’s made have certainly made her ten times more beautiful. I pause, trying to form the right words, and ask cautiously, “Can I ask if…well…did you go to a treatment facility?”
Her eyes widen at my direct question, but she straightens in her chair and answers it like the strong woman she is. “I didn’t go to a facility, no. Actually, I didn’t even do Alcoholics Anonymous or anything like that. After I…well…had the…”
“Miscarriage?” I offer, a heaviness in my chest as I say the word she seems unable to say. I’d heard about Tilly’s loss a couple of months after she’d moved away. Mac was telling Roan in the team tunnel at Tower Park, and the acoustics carried the conversation around the corner right to my ears. It was as if I was meant to hear it. I hated that the news didn’t come from her, but we weren’t speaking at the time, so I can’t say I blamed her for not ringing me.
Wincing, she takes a quick drink of her coffee, avoiding my eyes like the plague. “Anyways, afterwards, I told my parents and my granddad that I was planning to stay off the booze for good. I asked them to be there for me and hold me accountable. That was pretty much all it took.”
“That’s impressive,” I reply, but in my mind, I’m thinking that if any woman could do it, it’s Tilly.
“I don’t like to tell people because it sounds like I’m simplifying a very real disease. But for me, it was just different. I think you cannotbe an alcoholic and still not have a good relationship with alcohol. It’s just so ingrained in our culture that we have to drink to have fun or to fit in. Which means that people find it bizarre when you want to just quit. And after a while, I became addicted to feeling healthier. It was nice going to work without a headache. I also took up running, which gave me the sort of buzz I was maybe missing.”
“I can understand all of that.”
My eyes lower to her body to appreciate the muscles I know weren’t there five years ago. She’s stunning, even if she did show up today looking like she’s fresh out of bed. She’s sitting here, speaking of a very personal issue with no wavering in her voice and no insecurity in her posture. She’s confident in her decision. She’s happy.
I shoot her a cheeky smile. “So, has it been a full five years sober?”
“Not fully,” she says with a half-smile. “I’ve had a wee nip of wine with my folks on occasion mostly because it was a safe space, and I wanted to see if I could handle it. Which I could.” She smirks victoriously, yet her face falls slightly when she adds, “And I had a whiskey with my granddad before he passed.”
I note the pain in her voice. “I was sorry to hear about your grandfather.”
“Thanks.” She exhales softly. “I heard you helped Mac get transferred to Scotland when granddad was sick.”
I shrug. “That’s sort of my job.”
“But it wasn’t your job to put a buy-back clause in his contract so he could come back to his team here in Bethnal Green eventually, was it?” Her eyes narrow on me in challenge, and my body reacts instinctually to that familiar look.
I clear my throat. “I knew Mac was acting emotionally, and I just wanted him to have options when he was ready.”
She gets a tender look in her eyes. “That was really kind of you.”
“It’s just my job.”
She blinks back at me curiously with a twitch to her nose. “I wouldn’t have expected you to do something like that five years ago.”
I pin Tilly with a look. “I told you on Friday…you’re not the only one who’s changed.”
We both go quiet for a moment as we finally absorb what each other has said. Honestly, this is what I wanted to achieve on Friday night. Just simple respect and consideration that life has not stood still since she’s been away. It’s important to me she knows that…even though I’m not exactly sure why yet.
The mood is fizzled when Tilly suddenly states, “God, I’m awful. Moaning on about things of the past when I swore I wouldn’t. And you have a proper job to get back to, so we really should get down to business.”
She digs into her bag to retrieve a manila envelope and slides it across the table. I do my best to focus on the papers in front of me as Tilly narrates the issues she’s flagged with tabs in the contract. I don’t have a lot of experience in retail contracts, but I’ve done enough endorsement deals for our players and various name brands to see what Harrods is trying to get away with.
“There are definitely some rights in here that Freya will want to keep hold of, and it looks as though they are trying to claim them with their tricky wording. It’s good you were dubious of this because I’d definitely make some revisions to this contract.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to get them to do over the past few weeks,” she says, her eyes severe as she looks down at the contract. “I tell them the terms I want amended, and they come back with a new contract that still doesn’t get everything quite right. It’s maddening.”
“I could draw up a new contract for you if you like. I mean, they’re the ones buying Freya’s product, so the contract really should come from her camp with her terms.”
“Would you be able to do that?” Tilly asks, chewing her plump lower lip nervously. “I’m meeting with them on Friday is the only problem. That doesn’t give you much time.”
“It’s no problem. I can get it done before then.”
“Sonny, that would be brilliant.” She pauses, and a nervous flush fills her cheeks. “I mean…Santino.”
