Chapter 16 Joanie
Joanie
We drove through one quaint village after the next in silence.
Kieran glanced at me from the driver’s seat. “Talk to me. Are you OK?”
“I can’t believe I said that to Elena. She’s going to think I’m a diva.”
“You’re not a diva. Trust me. You should see the men’s team on photo day at the start of the season.
I’ll show you divas.” He frowned. “Anyway, you can’t control what other people think about you.
That’s their business. People can think whatever the fuck they want.
It’s fine. You stood up for yourself, and the world didn’t collapse. ”
“We’re going to get into trouble.”
“With who?”
“The Fizzz people . . . the club.”
“Fuck them. They need us more than we need them.” He shot me a wry glance. “Everyone is in too deep. They already gave us the lifetime supply.”
I didn’t have it in me to laugh. Silence fell between us. Maybe if I had the goal-scoring track record of Kieran, I could throw my weight around like this. I didn’t have his leverage. I couldn’t shake the uneasiness inside my chest.
“I don’t like letting Claire down.”
“Claire is letting you down if she expects you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take the heat. Blame me. I’m always in trouble anyway. What’s a little more?”
A rush of anxiety made me throw my hands up. “That bikini though! It’s like dental floss. What are they thinking?”
“Probably that the sight of you in a bikini distracts people from the fact that the drink is disgusting. They’re pulling out all the stops.”
“It’s going to take a lot more than that.”
“I don’t think so. I’m sure it would be very diverting,” he said quietly.
Another compliment? I dared a glance at him. His expression was level and his gaze fixed ahead as though he hadn’t said anything.
“I just hope they can sort it out without involving the club. You’re going to have your work cut out trying to win Elena back. She looked so mad at you.”
He flexed his fingers around the wheel. “Are you mad at me?”
How could I be? His confidence had helped me find the strength to stand up for myself. “No. I just want to do the right thing.”
“You are. The right thing for yourself. You don’t have to follow other people’s rules all the time.”
“And you don’t have to break them all the time either.”
He cut me an amused glance. We drove in silence the rest of the way until Ramirez’s grand house loomed ahead. Kieran cleared his throat. “You know the first rule of Fizzz club?”
“Don’t talk about Fizzz club?”
“No.” He kept his face level, but humor threaded his voice. “Don’t shake the can.”
A laugh burst out of me. “I can’t believe how much of a dork you are sometimes. Seriously, that’s a sensational level of dork-hood.”
“Should it be dork-hood or dork-dom?”
“The fact that you’re seeking clarification qualifies you as the king of both realms.”
Amazing that a man who never smiled could have such a good sense of humor.
I liked his wit. He was so deadpan in his delivery that you’d miss it if you didn’t pay attention.
He also didn’t mind me poking fun. I’d met all manner of celebrities through Dad, from minor reality stars to Hollywood A-listers.
Fame could be toxic. But it hadn’t corrupted Kieran. Not in the way I’d first imagined.
I wound the window down, letting the soft breeze ruffle my hair. It was still roasting hot, but it had cooled a little as we’d slipped into late afternoon.
He glanced at me again. “The second rule of Fizzz club?”
“Don’t drink it in excessive amounts?”
He nodded his approval. “That’s a good one. Don’t drink it in any amount. The Calverdale insurance doesn’t cover it.”
“The third rule of Fizzz club? Don’t forget to put emphasis on the z’s.”
“Yes. That’s very important. Sadie is a firm believer in that one, too.”
Kieran pulled the car up in front of the huge colonial house and walked around to the passenger side.
He held the door open for me. The sound of children’s laughter reverberated around the grounds.
A group of kids chased after a football on a patch of rough grass next to the cow field in the distance.
Kieran shielded his eyes from the sun and drew closer to watch them.
“I remember that, don’t you? Coats for goalposts. Nothing ever beat a good kick-around with your mates.”
My childhood had revolved around football.
It had been my escape. Ollie and I had played together all the time at the park with a couple of his mates.
Those were my happiest memories. The ball flew out of play and a young boy ran to collect it.
The boy glanced up at us as he scooped the ball into his hands.
His eyes drifted over Kieran and he stood silently transfixed for so long, I worried he might never move again.
“What have you done to him? You’re like a football Medusa. He’s frozen solid,” I whispered.
“Are you OK, mate?” Kieran called. “?Estás bien, amigo?”
The boy sparked to life and edged nearer. He looked around ten years old with dark, messy hair, dirt all over his face, and knees covered in bruises.
He flashed a tentative smile. “Kieran? Kieran Earnshaw? ?Eres tú?”
Kieran nodded. “?Sí, cómo te llamas? Your name?”
The boy pointed to himself in surprise. “?A mí?” His eyes watered and he blinked hard. “Daniel.” He gulped and spoke in faltering English. “It is really you?”
Kieran approached the boy slowly and dropped in front of him. He softened his voice and ruffled the boy’s hair. “It’s OK. Don’t look so stressed.”
“You play?” Daniel gestured wildly to the group of kids, who had stopped play and were shuffling around impatiently, waiting for the ball to come back. “You come play with us?”
He was looking at Kieran as if the next words out of his mouth meant everything to him. They probably did. If I’d had the chance to play with an international footballer at his age, I would have been in heaven.
Kieran threw me a casual glance. “What do you think? Shall we have a kick-around?”
“Me?” Anxiety raced the length of my spine. With the change of scenery and the lack of training in the gym, I’d almost been able to forget about my knee. “He doesn’t want me. He wants you.”
“Imagine if he had both of us? Two professional footballers.”
Daniel put his palms together in prayer. His watery eyes were pleading. “Por favor. Please.”
Kieran rolled up the sleeves of his linen shirt. “We can just take it easy.”
I tried to keep my eyes on his face and not his beautiful tanned, toned forearms. It would only take one fall. One awkward twist. “No. I don’t think so. You should, though.”
Kieran studied my face. “You’re sure?”
“Maybe another time.”
Kieran dropped and tightened his shoelaces. “Fine. Come on then, Daniel. Let’s have some fun.”
Daniel whooped, and I couldn’t help my laugh at his excitement. The little boy dashed off so fast to share the good news with his friends that he almost toppled over.
“You can go back to the villa if you like,” Kieran said.
“No. I’ll watch you.” I shot Kieran a faux-concerned look and mustered some bravado I didn’t really feel. “Go steady out there, won’t you? These kids look serious.”
“I intend to. You know the fourth rule of Fizzz club? Don’t get your arse handed to you by a bunch of ten-year-olds.”