Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
UDO
Training hadn’t gone so badly. Of course, Shaun tried to goad him at every opportunity. The others were slowly coming onto his side. Goran’s child was still very poorly. By now, the press had got hold of it, giving Howard another headache.
Udo had been disappointed that Steven wasn’t there. He desperately wanted to see him. Conversations on the phone weren’t the same and never would be.
As soon as he’d got home, Udo had stood in the shower for ages. He couldn’t be too long, because he had a telephone appointment.
After towelling off, he threw on a pair of grey sweatpants and a white T-shirt. Falling down on the bed, he dialled.
“Udo?”
“Hi, Rob.”
“Buddy. How’s it going? Stupid question. I’ve been trying to get hold of you.”
To his shame, Udo had been ignoring everyone except his mum. She’d been on the phone almost constantly since the scandal broke.
“I’m sorry.”
“I was relieved to get your text this morning,” Rob said. He was talking unusually quickly. “Thing is bud, I’ve got some bad news.”
Great. Just what I need.
“Go on.”
“I’ve been speaking to the partners and we don’t think we can represent you well enough at this time. You need someone who’s more…accustomed to this sort of thing.”
Was he fucking kidding?
“Any suggestions?”
“Sorry.”
Udo rubbed the bridge of his nose. He didn’t see much point in arguing. If Rob, or his bosses, wanted out, then so be it.
“Fine. Thanks for the last few months.”
“Udo. I really am sorry.”
“Same here.”
Udo terminated the call. He didn’t want to hear any more false platitudes from Rob. What a piece of shit he turned out to be.
Almost as soon as he’d put his phone down, it began ringing. Udo’s first thought was it would be Steven. Yet it was too early. He’d still be at Newby Park with Javier.
He frowned when he saw Adam was calling.
“Skipper?”
“Hiya, mate.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Why don’t you pack a bag and kip here for a few nights? It’s shit what you’re going through and you shouldn’t be alone.”
This touched Udo beyond belief.
“You don’t have to do that,” he said.
“I know I don’t have to,” Adam replied. “But I’d like to. Come on.”
“Thank you.”
After packing a bag, Udo set off. The reporters at his gates barked their incessant questions but he ignored them.
Thank God for tinted windows.
As he drove through a small village that lay between his and Adam’s house, he pulled over. There was an amazing Thai takeaway that he and Steven had used on more than one occasion. It would be good manners to turn up with their dinner.
He hopped out of the car. On the little street lay a pub with the usual collection of smokers congregated outside.
“Holtmann!”
Udo turned to see a red-faced man approaching at speed.
Fuck.
“Hello,” Udo said to the man.
“I’ve been a Brockton FC fan for forty years. People like you are ruining my team.”
The force at which those words were served to him made Udo take a step back. Rage filled this man’s face.
“I’m sorry that you feel that.”
“I bloody do feel that. The fans think you should walk. I agree with them.”
Udo hadn’t been paying much attention to social media. Down that road madness lay.
“I have a contract,” Udo replied. “I can’t do that even if I wanted to. Which I don’t.”
The man stared at him with venom. “There’s no room for your sort. Do us all a favour and disappear.”
He stormed off toward the pub before Udo had a chance to respond. Which was handy because he had absolutely no idea what to say.
All thoughts of getting a takeaway were abandoned. He leapt back into his car and sped off. Was this really what the world thought of him?
The welcoming gates of Adam’s house greeted him in no time. He pressed the button and sank down in his seat. Anything to avoid another confrontation.
Once the gates had opened, he drove up to Adam’s house.
The captain was waiting for him in the doorway.
“Are you okay?” he asked when he saw Udo’s face.
“Yeah,” Udo replied. “Had a run-in with a fan.”
“Come in, mate.”
He followed his host inside. The house was much quieter without their teammates hollering and laughing.
“What did they say?” Adam asked.
“Not worth going into,” Udo replied.
“It won’t last, you know,” Adam said. “When Jen and I split up for the second time, I was public enemy number one.”
Udo leant against the kitchen wall. “What happened with you two?”
Jen was a famous social media influencer. They had been a hot couple for a while.
Adam shook his head. “She wanted a wedding. I didn’t.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But we didn’t just break up once, we went back for seconds.”
Love sucked for everyone evidently.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “Shit doing it in the public eye, isn’t it?”
“You’re not kidding.”
“Do you ever hear from her?”
“Nope,” he replied. “She’s closed her accounts and fucked off back to Ireland. Let’s change the subject, eh?”
“Sorry, I’ve just walked into your house and am giving you the third degree on your love life.”
Adam clapped him on the shoulder. “It must make a change from talking about yours. Don’t sweat it.”
A couple of hours later, they were lazing on the sofas. Adam had found two beers. They decided they were for medicinal purposes and cracked them open.
“Do you think Howard is as good as they say he is?” Udo asked. “Things aren’t dying down much.”
Adam sat up. “You can trust him.”
“You seem pretty sure about that.”
“I am,” Adam replied. He took a swig from his bottle. “He kept a story out of the press for me last year.”
“Oh yes?”
Adam sighed. “Someone from my past popped up for a payday. He dealt with the lot.”
Udo frowned. “An ex?”
“Something like that.”
Shit. I never knew this.
“Was she going to do a kiss and tell?”
Adam stared straight at him. “He was.”
“He?”
Adam shifted. “I don’t make a big thing of it.”
Udo thought he was going to have to manually pick his jaw up from the floor.
“I have so many questions.”
Adam burst out laughing. “Ask away. I don’t make a thing of it but it doesn’t bother me. The lads don’t know so I’m trusting you here.”
“It goes without saying,” Udo replied. “Did Jen know?”
Adam nodded. “And no, it had nothing to do with our breakup. Jen is better than that.”
“What did Howard do?”
“Ah well, he was pretty canny. He got in touch with Darryl and told him he had no proof. Which he didn’t, by the way. It would just look like someone on the make.”
“And he accepted that.”
“That and a hundred grand to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”
Udo was seeing the stalwart player in a whole different light. There were always rumours about gay players. No one had ever looked Adam’s way.
“You’ve done a much better job of hiding it than me,” he said.
“Which is bullshit,” Adam replied. “None of us should have to.”
He was right. Fear was ruining lives left, right and centre at the moment.
“I won’t be doing anymore,” Udo declared. “No matter what the press or the fans say. I love Steven and I’m going to be with him.”