Into The Team (8 page)

“And if you do decide to leave,” Aiden said sharply, making him look up again. “Don’t think you can go talking about our little conversation. On Tuesday you signed an official secrecy statement. It forbids you to discuss outside of the team anything relating to the strategies used within it. And if you did decide to speak, no one would believe you. It would be your word against the words of myself and eleven other players. And this club has a firm full of lawyers who’d make sure you never made a penny from kicking a ball for the rest of your life.”

Todd felt as though a massive hand had gripped the top of his head and was pushing him down hard. What he felt now must have shown on his face, for Aiden took on a softer expression.

“I don’t think you should fret,” he said. “The lads on the team are good lads. They won’t make you do anything you don’t want to. I won’t either. All I’m saying is that you will need to show solidarity. You’re the new boy, and they are trying their best to welcome you. But it’s also up to you to fit in with them.”

Todd nodded, his mouth dry again.

“I want to succeed,” he croaked. “I understand I have to fit in. It’s just that I found it unusual that’s all.”

Aiden nodded regretfully.

“You’re in a bigger world now,” he said. “Take it slow. That’s my advice. The most important thing is the training, I want you match-ready within the next few months. So focus on that. Everything else is irrelevant, unless it harms your ability on the pitch.”

Silence filled the room.

“You may need to have a think about what I’ve said. You may not be sure that whatever happened to make you frown a few minutes ago is something you can deal with. But I hope it is, Todd. Because I’ve seen what you can do with a ball at your feet, I know you’ve got the ability and the drive, and I don’t want you to throw it away because of some silly prejudice you’ve learnt whilst growing up. Just remember that great things await you if you get over this.”

Todd saw hopeful eyes in the man delivering those words. And in the seconds that followed he began to wonder if what had happened in that bathtub was as bad as he’d first thought. Maybe Jason Collier had simply been relaxed and that was why he got hard. Some men were more cock ready than others, and he remembered the odd time in the showers after a game at school when one or two lads got a boner. And Jason did have a wife after all, so it couldn’t have been anything sexual.

“It’s your choice,” the boss went on. “You can be a man and deal with it, or you can chicken out and head back to Blackmoor and the life you had there.”

There was no threat in the tone, and the boss’s eyes didn’t harden as he spoke, but the words were clearly meant to be a threat. Todd slowly nodded.

“I’m sorry if I reacted in the wrong way,” he said.

Aiden smiled and pointed to the door.

“Take the weekend to think,” Aiden said as Todd got up from the chair. “Come to the match tomorrow and watch how well the team plays. Hopefully you’ll be back here on Monday for training.”

Todd gave the man a smile, nodded once, and left the room. He closed the door quietly, and once in the corridor he felt stupid and childish, as though he’d just gone to the headmaster on his first day of school to say he’d been called names.

But his frown wouldn’t lift as he walked along the corridor and passed the windows that looked out over the car park. A Porsche and a Ferrari and a BMW gleamed in the low sun. Seeing those cars was confirmation that he was in a big man’s world now. He wasn’t in little old Blackmoor with its humble streets and petty gossiping neighbors. He was in a multi-billion pound football club.

But something else, aside from what had happened today, troubled him, and annoyed him. Somebody could have warned him of this, surely the lads at the house knew. At least one of them could have given him a heads up.

Perhaps they didn’t know about it.

Walking towards the stairs, he remembered that last time his father hugged him. It was on the night his father went out for the last time with his mates to have a drinking session. What would his father’s advice be now? Todd never got to have that father and son talk he presumed most other boys got, and he wondered if his father would have said something similar to what Aiden had just told him. Perhaps men could be affectionate and caring to each other in a way that didn’t mean they’re what some people called “queers” or “poofs”. Perhaps it wasn’t all beer drinking and violence and hard talking that men could do with each other.

He’d like to think that if his father could see him now he’d be smiling down at him, in an amused but caring way, thinking that his son was growing up and making it in the bigger world. But Todd knew his father wasn’t seeing him at this moment, and would never see him again.

If only I could talk to you now….

He left The Valley feeling alone, walked back to the house instead of asking for a lift. The quiet road dulled as the sun reached the horizon, and the still, late afternoon dusk didn’t settle his mind.

He arrived at the house just in time for the evening meal. Gavin and Marco had made Spaghetti Bolognese and they ate in the dining room, rather than huddled around the kitchen table as they had done on previous days. The boss had picked Gavin, Brad, and Luke as subs for Saturday’s game, so they wanted a good meal and a slow evening.

The lads said it was normal for the house to wind down before Saturdays, allowing them to recover from the week. So they settled in the TV room with a couple of DVD’s.

Gavin lay feet up on one couch with his head rested against Trent’s shoulder. Marco and Luke sat together on another couch, while Jake and Brad lay belly down on the carpet. Todd sat alone on the third couch, his mind still catching up with all he’d seen and been told today.

The film was a Star Wars prequel, and he gazed blankly at the screen as space crafts battled through the void. He figured the other lads in the house had all received the same talk from the boss, so he supposed it wouldn’t do any harm to mention it, or ask what their opinions were. But he didn’t, because part of him still wondered if they were oblivious.

Besides, it seemed best to leave it as an unspoken issue, something that had to be accepted and not talked about. They might even be embarrassed to discuss it.

But as Todd glanced at each of them, he couldn’t help wonder how far they had gone in the club’s locker room with the main team. Or even how far they’d gone with each other in this house.

“How long have you lived in this house Gavin?” he asked.

Gavin lifted his head wearily and turned to look at him. “Four years.”

“How come you don’t get your own place?”

Gavin passed Todd an irritated expression. “Have you seen the cost of property around here?” He carried on watching the film.

“This house belongs to the club,” Luke said. “It costs us nothing to live here. And it’s easy. We spend all our time at The Valley, or if not we’re at the stadium, or on an away match. If we had our own places we’d hardly be there.”

Todd couldn’t argue with that.

“What’s wrong with you tonight?” Trent asked lazily. “You’ve had a glum face since you came back. Has the extra training pissed you off?”

The rest of the lads stopped looking at the screen and focused their attention on Todd. He regretted starting the conversation.

“I’m ok.” He smiled.

Gavin, Jake, and Luke went back to the screen. But Trent’s eyes lingered on him, as did Brad’s and Marco’s

“Are you bringing Cherrie to the match tomorrow?” Trent asked.

Todd nodded. He’d finally spoken to her on his way home from training. Just hearing her voice again had been enough to clear his head. She knew all about where he was and who he was training with of course – his mother had apparently told the entire neighborhood.

“Be great to meet this soccer mad girl.” Trent smiled. “Any plans after the match?”

“I’ve booked a hotel in the city,” Todd said. “We’re gonna have a meal and head to the room.”

Trent winked. “Bet you’re gagging for it.”

After the film’s climax, where some long haired character lay mutilated on a lava landscape, Gavin, Luke, and Brad decided to get an early night. Five minutes after they left the room, Trent suggested the rest of them go down to the pool.

Jake and Marco were on their feet with Trent. But Todd didn’t get up. The time was nudging nine, and he felt too tired for a swim; a sauna would be too difficult after sweating so much in the bath after training.

“I’m gonna get an early night,” he said.

Brad and Marco shrugged and headed out the door, but Trent lingered in the room after they had left. He didn’t say anything, but he looked at Todd with a hint of concern. When Todd said nothing more, Trent smiled and left.

Saturday’s match kicked off at three. Todd met Cherrie at the train station an hour before. She had greeted him with a dazzling smile, smelling like she was fresh from the salon with her shining golden hair and glowing skin. She’d given herself only a subtle brush with the make-up – something he appreciated whenever they touched.

With what he’d learned yesterday, all thoughts of telling her about his club trial had dispersed in his mind, and he was glad his mother had beaten him to it.

“I knew you’d do it, I just knew that one day it would happen for you.” Those were her first words before she’d kissed him.

He’d taken her mouth gladly, holding it longer than he had before.

They’d eaten a fish lunch, during which he’d told her of the hard training of the past week without going into yesterday’s issue.

Sitting in the stadium, Cherrie watched the match with interest, clinging to Todd’s arm and giving the odd squeeze every time a Reds player took the ball near the net. Seated four rows back from the bench, Todd felt small pangs of envy every time he looked at Brad and Luke, waiting in their kits under that clear shelter with the boss close by. Gavin was on the pitch and doing a fierce job in defense.

From the look on the boss’s face, he appeared unruffled by yesterday’s talk. His eyes were only for the pitch today, and they watched with close attention at every pass and tackle and shot.

It was a breeze for the team. Sean Thompson put two in the net. Daryl hammered one home. Cherrie gripped Todd’s arm even tighter every time the blue-eyed stud, as she put it, took possession. It made Todd wonder who she’d come here for.

Afterwards, they went to the clubroom where a gathering with wine and nibbles awaited the players, their wives and girlfriends, and other acquaintances.

Walking in, Todd and Cherrie were stopped by Trent and a tall brunette. Trent introduced her and Todd took in the mini dress that clung to her hips and breasts. She too looked like she’d stepped out of a hairdresser’s, and straight away she began chatting to Cherrie about her shoes.

“Nice….” Todd muttered to Trent while the girls beamed questions at each other.

Trent gave him a smug look and remarked on Cherrie. He appeared to be taking in her blue top that was cut low enough to show ample cleavage.

They mingled through the room, meeting up with Luke and Brad. Todd kept Cherrie close.

As she and Brad exchanged small talk, Todd clocked the attention of Wayne and the boss, standing by the windows with several women. They stared at Cherrie, muttered something to each other and nodded. In one corner, Jason Collier stood close to a slender blonde. Todd recognized her as his wife. She cast her gaze confidently around the room, as though she’d been in such a setting countless times. At Jason’s knee was a small, fresh-faced boy, sipping a cup of orange as he gazed wide-eyed around himself.

It was unusual to remember the feel of that man’s hard cock as Todd eyed the model family. And it made him feel almost intrusive to even look upon them. When Jason caught his eye and gave his glass a subtle raise, Todd returned a simple smile and looked away.

A gentle, tentative hand on his shoulder, made him turn.

Daryl Atkins, in a slim fitting glossy shirt, stood by his side. The faint purple cotton twinkled in the light and hugged his pecs enough to show them off.

“Hi.” He smiled, timidly. “Enjoy the match?”

“It was pretty good.” Todd nodded and fought to hold back a grin. Seeing Daryl again gave him a slight lift after that incident yesterday. He couldn’t imagine Daryl, being as shy as he seemed, ever doing anything like what Jason had done. “You gunned a good one in.”

Daryl smiled with boyish embarrassment.

“Hi.” Cherrie held out a dainty hand. “I’m Cherrie.”

Daryl smiled pleasantly and shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

“You played so well, Daryl. I just knew you were going to score.”

Todd glanced at Cherrie, seeing that dazed look in her eye. It was a look he’d seen whenever the man was mentioned on TV, or spotted on a magazine stand. She went on complimenting him and Todd tried to keep neutral. Daryl was polite, and his shyness seemed to disappear for her. But in the end he excused himself and walked to where Sean Thompson stood with Eduardo Manila.

Watching him go, Cherrie’s eyes grew distant.

“He doesn’t appear to be with anyone,” she muttered.

With that comment, Todd put his arm across her shoulder.

“Have you forgotten who you’re with or something?” he said in her ear.

The question made her giggle in that toy-like way he’d heard countless times.

“Oh, babe. I love it when you get jealous.” She kissed him as he laughed. “Don’t worry; I’m just intrigued to know who he’s dating that’s all.”

The boss appeared.

“Todd, introduce me to this delightful young lady,” he said with narrow, almost amused eyes, as if trying to push away that conversation they’d had yesterday.

Todd smiled and formally introduced his girlfriend. Cherrie appeared star struck, told Aiden how handsome he was, and giggled softly at everything he said. As Todd stood by, he suddenly felt his life being encroached. And when the boss asked if he could steal Cherrie for a moment, Todd could only nod blankly.

Not wanting to be alone, he headed over to where Wayne stood with Craig, Trent, and Gavin. After a brief word with them, Todd looked across to where the boss had taken Cherrie. They were in the corner with Jason and his wife and kid, already introduced and chatting. Watching Cherrie and Jason’s wife in close conversation made him curious. The boss and Jason looked to be having a mouth to ear moment.

Todd settled again when she returned, looking all confident and smiling.

“Where did Daryl go?” she asked.

“He’s gone back to his parents for the night,” Wayne told her.

“Oh, that’s so sweet.” Her eyes almost bled tears.

Wayne looked at Todd. “You ok?”

With a brief nod, Todd smiled. He could tell Wayne knew about his chat with the boss, could see the thoughts behind his eyes.

More people left and the room emptied. On his way out, Jason gave a soft clench on Todd’s shoulder but said nothing as he and his wife and kid walked by. Todd tried not to think about what that soft clench meant, if it meant anything.

That night, after the meal, Todd and Cherrie went back to the hotel. A moderate four star in the city center, they had a room on the tenth floor that looked out over the west side of the city. In the distance, like a gleaming beacon, stood The Quayside stadium with the club name glowing bright red along the upper stands. Todd closed the curtains and turned to Cherrie.

“I can’t believe you’ve made it, babe,” Cherrie purred as he stepped towards her.

After the week he’d had, the talk with the boss, and the game today, Todd believed it. He now had other things not to believe.

He gripped her for a kiss. She delved into his mouth, her tongue showing eagerness he’d not felt from her in a while. His cock lifted and filled his underwear. He rubbed it into her.

After a few seconds of kissing and rubbing, she stepped away.

“Come on, babe,” he said, peeling away one of the straps from her top.

“The food has made me so full,” she groaned. “Let’s rest it off with something from the mini bar.”

Her face showed strain, so he nodded and broke the seal on the door beneath the TV. He poured her a vodka and orange, grabbed a lager for himself. Remembering the document he’d signed about no alcohol unless the boss authorizes, he hesitated before opening it. But he’d been given the weekend off, so that must mean he can drink, and it would help to relax his urgent cock.