Chapter 3
THREE
ADAM
The locker room was full. Adam had his usual spot with goalie Goran Navojec on one side and striker Ewen Armitage on the other. Today, there were spare places in the room, which always gave Adam a sense of regret. They’d lost a few key players over the summer transfer period.
“Bit weird without Riggsy,” Ewen said, pulling his socks up.
Adam shrugged. “He made his choice.”
Shaun Riggs had been at Brockton for quite a few years. Yet when Javier had declared the club to be a safe space for any gay players, that had been too much for him. He’d immediately put in for a transfer. So had two other teammates.
“Yeah,” Goran added. “If people don’t want to be here, the best thing is for them to fuck off.”
He seemed tired.
“The baby keeping you up?” Adam asked.
“You wouldn’t believe it,” Goran replied. “He’s got the lungs of a bloody opera singer.”
They all sniggered.
“I don’t care really,” he added. “As long as he’s healthy. That’s all that matters.”
Goran’s son, Petar, had come into the world early and given everyone a scare. Now he was a bouncing three-month-old baby who was the apple of his father’s eye.
“You’ll have to bring him in,” Colin, the youngest player in the squad said. “He’s well cute.”
Goran and his soap star wife, Paloma, had held a summer party to introduce everyone to their new child. Paloma had made sure every player held the baby. Poor Colin had been sweating the whole time.
She’d made headlines for not having a nanny while she was on maternity leave. The media had accused her of being performative. Paloma simply loved being a parent. So did Goran. Adam had never seen his friend so happy.
Ewen stood. “Aren’t we going to talk about the fact we’re meeting our new colleagues today?”
He went to the mirror. Ewen had famous hair the press always commented on. His centre parting framed his handsome face perfectly.
Slowly he put a hair band in place. Whilst he never shied away from getting into the action, Ewen made it clear that didn’t have to result in a ruined hairstyle.
“Don’t worry,” Adam said. “They’ll think you’re gorgeous.”
“Who doesn’t?” Ewen replied.
Adam threw a balled-up sock at Ewen. It bounced off his head.
“Hey,” Ewen snarled. “Anywhere but the head.”
Edi, the other baby of the team, came through from the showers. He sat opposite Adam, seemingly preoccupied with something. Having lived his life in Kenya, Edi was still adapting to living in England.
“What’s up?” Adam asked.
Adam took his squad’s welfare seriously. His position created a buffer zone between the team and the management.
“Nothing,” Edi said.
Adam frowned. “There’s something wrong with you, so out with it.”
“Don’t jump down my throat,” he began. “My father says I shouldn’t have to play with people like…”
“Like what?” Ewen said, scowling.
Adam held his hand up. “Let him speak. Go on, Edi.”
“Gay,” he said quietly.
All eyes were on Udo. Adam had had enough of this last season. Of course, they would still be under scrutiny. Yet he’d expected the locker room would return to being a safe space for anyone.
“Right,” he said, walking into the middle of the room.
The team went silent.
“This is a one-time speech, okay? I know that it was a shock when we found out about Udo and Steven.”
Udo dropped his head.
“I think we went through enough shit last season. This is a new start. Certain people have gone and I’m not having any more division.”
He focused on Edi. “I understand what you’re saying but you should have come to me in private. How do you think Udo feels hearing that?”
Edi had the good grace to look embarrassed. “Udo, I’m sorry. I keep forgetting you’re gay.”
Udo burst out laughing.
“Shit, sorry,” Edi said, clutching his forehead. “I’m not going to talk all season.”
Adam went over and took hold of Edi’s face with both hands. “We’d miss you too much. Just think before you speak, yeah? And we’ll have a chat later.”
Edi nodded.
“Udo,” he said. “I hope I’ve not upset you. Honest, I am.”
“I know,” Udo replied.
Adam sat down at his spot again and began to put his socks on.
“I wonder if these newbies all gay,” Alain said.
The French defender was anything but. He and teammate Jerzy had well-earned reputations with the opposite sex.
“It doesn’t matter,” Colin replied.
“Well said, Colin,” Adam shouted over.
Poor Colin blushed. A regular occurrence in the locker room.
“I bet Tito Lopes is a dick,” Ewen said.
“Don’t get territorial, for fuck’s sake,” Adam replied. “This is going to be a drama-free season if it kills me.”
Adam suspected Ewen saw Tito as the biggest threat he’d faced in years. The young striker from Liverpool would be playing up front with Ewen, who’d been with Brockton for most of his career.
Like Adam, Ewen was on the wrong side of thirty. The life of a professional football player lasted twenty years at best. Adam would have a talk with him too. He had a busy week ahead.
Meg, the head physio, stuck her head around the door.
“Hey,” Ewen said. “We might be naked.”
“Don’t worry,” she replied. “I’ve haven’t got my glasses on.”
The lads all roared their approval.
It was a brave man who tried to go for Meg. In her early twenties and with the face of an angel, she packed a verbal punch as hard as a northern drag queen.
“Adam, Steven said you need to be out on the training pitch right now. They’re giving the newbies a tour then they’re coming to train with you.”
She let the door close behind her.
“You heard her,” Adam said. “Let’s see what we’ve got on our hands.”
It was drizzling as they kicked the ball from one to the other. Adam had led the warm-up. After a few weeks holiday, he’d expected them to be a bit fuzzy. To their credit, things were already pretty good. Bilbao had helped too.
“Split into pairs and practice short-range passing,” he shouted. “That’s where we fucked up in Spain. Long-range, we’re great. Udo, you’re with me.”
Adam intended to develop the midfield with himself, Udo and Jonas. Canonbury reject or not, they would have to work together.
“Don’t go hard on Edi,” Udo said as he sliced the ball over.
“I won’t,” Adam replied. “But he has to learn that words have consequences.”
He returned the pass.
“I’ve heard worse this year. And besides, you did ask him.”
“I had no idea he would come out with that. Bloody hell.”
“Fair enough.”
“I wonder what Jonas is like,” Adam said. “He’s always been reserved. Mind you, I don’t blame him.”
Udo crossed the ball to Adam. “He came on a night out with us at Chelsea once. He’s okay, you know. Bit closed, I suppose.”
“Not another gay with a hidden past.”
Udo pouted. “I think we all have those, don’t we, Adam?”
“Piss off,” he said. “We’ll have to make the effort. Let him know there’s no hard feelings.”
“Now’s your chance,” Udo replied.
He nodded toward the main building. There were Javier and Steven with the three new recruits.
“Okay, fellas,” Adam said. “Let’s go and make friends.”
They slow jogged over to the touchline. Adam scanned the faces before him. Tito Lopes grinned back at him.
Cocky sod.
Noah Farman looked nervous. Adam appreciated that. It meant he cared.
Then he stopped on Jonas Haber. He would be giving Udo a run for his money for most fanciable male at the end of year awards Jamie insisted on holding at the Christmas party.
He had it all. Tan, dark hair, deep eyes and a defiant stare.
So that’s the road you’re taking. Interesting.
Adam would show him from the off who was the boss around here.
He strode up to Jonas and took his hand.
“Adam Williams. Good to have you on board.”
He detected a glint in Jonas’ eye.
“Thank you, Adam. I’m very much looking forward to taking this team to where it belongs.”
They held each other’s stare for a smidge too long before Adam broke and moved onto Noah. He mumbled his way through that introduction.
Then came Tito.
“Mr Lopes,” Adam said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Now this is going to be interesting.”
Tito failed to hide his amusement. He’d got far too many balls past Adam over the last three years. Even so, he had a lot to learn. Unfortunately he didn’t appear to think he did.
“Morning, Skipper,” Tito said. “Reporting for duty.”
“That’s a good start,” Adam replied. “Ten Skipper points to Lopes.”
Jonas frowned. “What are Skipper points?”
“Ignore him,” Ewen said. “They’re pointless points that don’t amount to anything.”
“I told you,” Adam replied. “It’s the prestige.”
“How about you make them worth something this season then?” Jonas asked.
A ripple of chatter went through the lads.
“And how would that work?” Adam said.
“Easy,” Jonas replied. “Pick the most trustworthy one of us to keep a tally. At the end of the season we can have the big reveal.”
Who the fuck does he think he is?
“Fine,” he said. “Colin!”
Colin pushed past Edi and Ingvar. “Yes, Skipper?”
“You’re keeping tally.”
“Me?”
Give me strength.
“Yes. Colin. You.”
“Okay, Skipper.”
“What’s the prize?” Jonas asked. The power in his eyes did something to Adam and it wasn’t good.
“Hundred grand,” Adam replied quickly.
A collective gasp came from the whole squad.
“Nice,” Jonas said.
Adam wouldn’t be belittled in front of his team by anyone.
“Okay everyone. Introduce yourselves then out there in five. Let’s hope they play better for Brockton.”
Before Jonas had a chance to reply, Colin shook his hand violently.
“So good to have you here,” he said.
Adam made a sharp exit. Colin’s introductions tended to include an element of life story when he was nervous.
He stood to the side of the throng and watched. Steven approached him.
“Everything okay?”
Adam shrugged. “Well I’m a hundred grand down. Can I put it through expenses?”
“Can you fuck,” Steven replied.
“You need to tell him to take it down a notch,” Adam said. “I mean it. I’m not having any crap in the team.”
Adam watched Jonas introducing himself to Alain.
“I’ll have a word,” Steven said.
“First impressions count,” Adam replied. “Typical Canonbury shit.”
“Hey. Don’t let Javier hear you say that.”
Adam shook his head. “I don’t mean it really. He’s riled me.”
“No Skipper points for Jonas then?”
He burst out laughing. “Bugger off. A hundred big ones. Bollocks.”
“I bet he’d have taken half of that.”
“He’d better be fucking lightning on that pitch,” Adam said.
Steven nudged him. “Come on then. Get it going.”
Adam jogged over to the team.
“Right. No pissing around. Ten against ten. Ewen, you lead one, I’m leading the other. I want you and Tito together. Udo and Jonas with me. The rest of you go to which team you like.”
Adam didn’t believe in rigidly picking sides. He found it demotivating and pointless. Things got far more interesting when they had random mixes.
“Two alphas in one side?” Tito said.
“One alpha,” Ewen replied. “Me.”
Oh for fuck’s sake.
Adam noticed Jerzy had joined their team.
“Jerzy is the boss then. You two play nice.”
Both glared. Adam didn’t care. Sometimes as captain he had to lay down the law. He never shied away from those situations. No matter who they involved.
He walked to his squad. Noah had joined them.
“Looking forward to playing with you,” Adam said as he passed him.
Noah beamed. “You too, Skipper.”
“Wait,” Javier said, walking onto the pitch. “I have some news before you burn off all that testosterone.”
Adam glanced at Udo with concern.
“As we’re all aware, the press will be watching our every move,” he said. “This season is going to be a ride. We will only make it if we’re a team. Of old and new members.”
Adam took in the faces of the squad. They were listening intently to Javier. A rush of pride ran through him. Then his eye rested on Jonas.
As he listened intently, he chewed his bottom lip. A strand of his dark hair was falling over his forehead.
He’s fucking gorgeous. And probably knows it too.
“To allow us to gel that much better, we’re introducing a buddy system for the new guys.”
Adam snapped to attention.
“A what?”
“Three of the old guard are buddying our friends here. “
This sounded horrible. He hoped to God that being the captain gave him an exemption.
“Who do you have in mind, Boss?” Ewen asked.
Steven joined Javier in the centre.
“It’s all decided,” Steven said. “Noah with Goran.”
They nodded at each other awkwardly.
“Tito and Ewen.”
They both groaned.
A bit of forced proximity might do them so good. They hadn’t got off to the best of starts after all.
“And finally Jonas and Adam.”
No exemption then?
Jonas sidled up to him.
“Hey, buddy,” he whispered.
“Right,” Javier said, clapping his hands. “I want to see some fire.”
Adam turned to Jonas.
“You heard the man,” he said. “Time to show us what you’re made of.”
With a nod, Jonas ran onto the pitch. Adam watched for a second. The potential for Jonas, Udo and Adam to control most of the games was huge. But there was something else about this man.
If he was honest, Adam was unsettled by him. It had been a long time since he’d felt that.
Oh well. They were buddies now. There was no avoiding this man. Even if he wanted to.