Page 19 of Hotshot

Sloane ran to celebrate with her.

“You’re a fucking legend!” she shouted, smothering her in a hug. The rest of the team did the same, and Nat emerged with a massive grin. Sloane knew it would last for days.

“You’re the fucking legend,” Nat told her, with a grin.

They high-fived on their way back to the centre circle. Job well started. Not yet done.

They took their slender lead into the second half, as the sun cranked up its dial. Almost from the kick-off, Nat thundered down the left wing as if jet-propelled, before cutting it back for Sloane on the edge of the area. She took the ball in her stride and saw the keeper set for a far-post shot. Sloane shaped her body to shoot that way, before hitting the ball towards the inside post. The shot hit the back of the net before the keeper even moved. Sloane raised her eyes to the sky, and grinned the sweetest grin. 2-0 to Rovers.

She wasn’t done, though. Ten minutes later, Layla surged into the area and was brought down by their centre back. Frankfurt was reduced to ten players, and Sloane stepped up to take the penalty. She was supremely confident. Sometimes, she just knew. Plus, she practised this shit every day for occasions just like these. When the ref blew her whistle, Sloane sized up the keeper and sent her the wrong way. The net rippled, and Sloane had her brace. She ran left, did her trademark jump and fist bump, then turned to take the acclaim of her teammates. Days like these? She would happily live them over and over again.

When the final whistle went, Salchester had triumphed 3-1. The teams embraced, then Sloane took time to sign autographs and pose for photos with a cluster of fans near the dugout. When she walked towards Ella and threw her a satisfied grin, Ella held out her arms, and Sloane accepted the hug. When they pulled back, there was something in Ella’s eyes Sloane couldn’t quite pin down. Respect perhaps? Appreciation of her talent? Maybe something else?

“Good work today, Hotshot.” Ella’s gaze lowered to Sloane’s grazed thighs and her bleeding knee. She’d collided with a defender towards the end of the game, but that was the life of a soccer player.

Sloane followed her focus. “My knee’s stinging, but the win makes it better. Although I’m looking forward to a hot shower.”

Ella blinked, then gave a quick nod. “Of course.” She flicked her head right. “Get in the changing room, soak up the adulation. Tomorrow, we work some more.”

“More pancakes?”

Ella gave her a wicked grin. “You should be so lucky.”

CHAPTER10

The high spirits were still there later when they went for a Korean meal. The location had been picked to challenge the team’s tastebuds, but also because it had a private room that offered karaoke. Ella wasn’t sure what it was with sports teams and karaoke, but they always seemed to love it. Personally, she thought it was a fate worse than death, and that was just listening. She’d always ducked the microphone at any karaoke she’d ever been to, and she fully intended to do the same here, even though she was technically a newbie. However, surely being staff gave her a free pass? Her intention was to sink into the background and hope everyone forgot her. Plus, she was sat next to Lucy, and nobody was going to hassle her.

Lucy stood and clapped her hands. The 40 people around the long table fell silent. “Okay team! Great performance today, good to get some minutes on the pitch and in the legs. We’ll have a proper debrief tomorrow before our next game the day after and talk about what we need to work on. But for now, enjoy this Korean feast. Try all the various meats and the vegetables, even the kimchi. I guarantee you, it’s nicer than Nando’s.”

Ella stifled a laugh. She liked Nando’s as much as the next person, but the reverence it was afforded by some of the younger players made her smile.

“And the microphone is coming around the table, so make your song selection. First up, the newbies have to give us a song.” Lucy pointed across the table and three seats down at Sloane. “You’re up first, Patterson. You shared your story, now it’s time to share your hidden talents.”

Sloane’s mouth dropped open and she put a hand to her chest. “Why me?” Sloane held up a fork in protest.

“Because you’re old enough and ugly enough to take it.” Lucy gave her a wink.

“Whatever you say, boss.” Sloane stood and pointed down the table. “I nominate Nat after me. Pick a song, Tyler.”

“Already done!” she replied with the confidence of youth.

In the end, Nat went first as Sloane had to take a phone call just as the microphone appeared. She walked back in as Nat was launching into her version of ‘Sweet Caroline’. Nat wasn’t the tallest player at 5ft 5, but you’d never guess that from her performance. She held the notes, got everyone involved, and when she galloped into the final chorus, she stood on her chair and led the whole group. Even Ella joined in. Nat finished with a flourish and jumped down to great applause. Then she ferried the mic down the table and leaned over to pass it to Sloane.

“Follow that, partner.”

Somehow, Ella knew Sloane would accept the challenge with gusto. You didn’t get to be such a top striker without being competitive, after all. Sloane walked over to the machine, keyed in her song, then came back to her seat as the opening notes chimed through the speakers. ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’. A karaoke classic and a massive crowd-pleaser. Ella should have known.

Plus, the way Sloane handled the mic and didn’t even look at the screen told Ella this wasn’t the first time she’d done this. Whoops from the crowd as she got into her stride, whirling her way to the showy chorus, then walking down Ella’s side of the table. Ella swivelled her head to follow Sloane’s progress. She couldn’t do anything else. She was transfixed.

Sloane shimmied past Ella, her close presence lifting the hairs on the back of her neck.

Sloane smelt of bergamot and success. When she reached the chorus, the whole table joined in as Ella knew they would, singing at the top of their voices. Beside her, Lucy had a grin on her face. By the second verse, Sloane was on the opposite side of the table, back where she’d started. She arrived at her seat, three down from Ella, but didn’t sit. Instead, she, too, got up on her chair and sang the final verse as if she were a pop star and not a star striker. There were a lot of similarities. Showstopper, crowd-pleaser, dream-maker.

When Sloane reached the final chorus, she sang it to Viv two seats down, then flicked her gaze to Welshy, sat next to Ella. Then finally, to Ella.

When their gazes connected, a firework went off in Ella’s chest; one with enough force to make her suck in a gasp. She swallowed it down and tried not to flinch as she stared at Sloane. What the hell was that? She’d spent enough time in Sloane’s company of late. They were friends, nothing more.

But Ella didn’t remember the last friend who made her tremble in the way Sloane just had. Who made her breath come in rasps. Who made her forget everyone else in the room and focus on her alone. The lights dimmed. The volume went low. Until all Ella could see was Sloane, and all she could hear was her elevated heartbeat.

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