CHAPTER 12 #2
“Really?”
“Yes. Why, is that hard to believe or something?”
“Yes. You know, after thinking it over at home, I decided that it was an exceedingly boring movie.” He dipped his head, as if making an omission. “Except for the planes.”
“The planes were the most boring part of that film,” she countered. “The story was actually pretty good.”
“Bah. I didn’t buy it.”
“What was there to buy? It was a tragic story about the horrors of war.”
“Aye, I saw it.”
“And that didn’t interest you?”
He waggled his head from side to side. “Usually, it would. But for some reason, it didn’t grab me.”
Scarlett had felt the same way. She had always enjoyed old movies, particularly the pre-Code ones, since they humanized a generation in a more honest way than the movies of the 1940s and beyond.
But she hadn’t liked The Eagle and the Hawk, and she couldn’t put her finger on as to why. It even had Cary Grant in it.
Taking her silence as a cue, Theo rolled up his jacket and tucked it behind his head, closing his eyes as he did so.
Scarlett decided it was a good time to answer some comments.
The ride back to Manchester was blessingly fast. The team was still ecstatic about their win by the time they reached the stadium and were discussing having a celebratory dinner as they exited the vehicle.
The sky was orange and yellow, with fluffy clouds outlined in a deep blue as the sun set over the city. It was actually one of the more beautiful sunsets Scarlett had seen since landing in Manchester, and she was momentarily amazed by it as she climbed down off the bus.
“You’re coming tonight, right, Simmons?” Josh asked, shaking her from her thoughts. “We’re going to La Strega for drinks around eight.”
“Ah, yeah, I could come to that,” she said, “but I want to run into my office quickly and drop off my laptop.”
“Good,” Josh said with a grin. “See you there!”
“Yep,” she said as she headed into the stadium.
She needed to charge her phone as well, as she was nearly out of battery.
Not a problem, she decided as her blue heels click-clacked down the hallway.
Her feet were beginning to ache by the time she reached her office.
Running through the list of things she needed to do in her head, she figured she would take the train home, charge her phone, change her clothes and shoes, then invite Maxie and Devon to come with her to La Strega.
But when she entered her office, she found six large boxes spread out over her desk and the floor.
Curious, she put her phone and bag down on her desk and reached for a pen. Stabbing the center of the tape that ran down the box, she cut it open and found the new alternate jerseys for the women’s team.
“Finally,” she murmured to herself as she pulled them out.
The fabric shimmered iridescent beneath the lights of the office, and Scarlett couldn’t help but be excited. It was always a thrill to see new kits, and she was delighted with the stripe design.
Peering around the room, she knew she could leave them here in the office, but the women’s team had practice the next morning.
It would be a nice little surprise if they got to see their new kits hanging in their locker room when they came in, so she decided to haul the boxes down to the ground floor.
Hopefully, she’d meet one of the kit managers, either the head manager Elliot or his assistant Trevor, down there who could help set up the lockers.
By the time she reached the ground floor, however, she realized the women’s locker room had been locked, and without knowing the passcode, she couldn’t get in.
It made sense, as the two teams had been pranking each other for several weeks now, but with everyone gone for the day and not being able to get any help to get in, she decided to put them in the gear room, which was open for some reason.
Peering to the left of the box, she assumed someone was in there and spoke as she entered the room.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to park these kits here over night. I couldn’t get into the locker rooms— Oof!”
She tripped over something, and the box went flying as she fell forward, only to be caught in the nick of time by a pair of strong arms. Good Lord, she was forever tripping around this place. How she had ever managed to be an all-star soccer player was a mystery.
The air was knocked out of her lungs as she was hauled back up to her feet and instantly let go.
“No, no, no!” Theo said from behind her. Spinning around, she saw him, hands curled into fists as he banged on the door. “Hello!” Bang, bang, bang. “Hello, can anybody hear me?”
“What’s going on?”
A heavy sigh sounded, and he dropped his forehead to the door. He spun slowly, piercing gray eyes staring right through her.
“The door was propped open.”
“Yeah, I tripped on that. Why?”
“Because Miles and Templeton broke the damn keypad from changing the passcode too many times, what with all the pranking. Now the door doesn’t work properly, and it needs to be repaired, but they haven’t come yet, and now we’re stuck.”
Scarlett blinked. This was not happening. She stepped toward the door, grabbed the handle, and began to jiggle and pull at it, but it wouldn’t budge. Frantic, she raised her fists and started banging.
“Hello? Anyone! Help. We’re trapped!” Bang, bang, bang. “Hello?”
“No one’s here. All the kit managers left.”
“How are we going to get out?”
“We’re not. Not until the morning.”
“Are you serious?” Theo nodded, and Scarlett’s head fell backward. “Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening. I don’t even have my phone.” She paused. “Do you?”
“Right here,” he said, tossing it to her.
A glimmer of hope shot through her, until she tried to turn it on. Nothing. Only a black screen.
She looked up at him and saw an apologetic expression. “It died on the bus.”
Handing it back to him, she brought her other hand up to her face and rubbed her temple. “Oh my God, this isn’t happening.”
The gear room was exactly that, and one of many that could be found in this part of the stadium.
They housed a number of things for the teams. The one they were locked in was about twelve feet long by twelve feet wide and was where all the extra shorts and kits were kept.
Any player could come into the kit room and find a jersey in their size, with their number, in a home, away, or alternate style.
There was a small sink in the corner of the room as well as a small, square hatch that led down into the industrial-sized laundry area where gear was washed, folded, and replaced. Scarlett glanced at that door, then at Theo.
“You can try it shimmying down that laundry shoot, but you’ll probably get wedged in there.”
Scarlett sighed. “So we’re stuck here?”
“Until morning, I’m afraid.”
“Great. That’s great.”
Scarlett bent to pick up the box, which had opened. Setting it straight, she grabbed a few of the jerseys that had fallen out and folded them before replacing them in the box, all while Theo studied her.
“New kits?”
“Yeah. The rest are in my office. I was going to hang them in the women’s locker room as a surprise, but I couldn’t get in, and… Oh well.” After placing the last jersey on top of the pile, she closed the box. “What are you doing in here?”
“Aban’s jersey was torn during that foul during the second half. I was grabbing a new one.”
“That’s nice of you.”
“Is it?”
“Well, isn’t that the kit manager’s job?”
“Yeah, but I was here and remembered it, so I figured I’d do it really quick.” He leaned his back against the door and crossed his arms. “No good deed, I suppose.”
“Hmm,” she said as she took a seat on the floor opposite him. “So now what?”
“I don’t know. We could play twenty questions.”
“We could.”
“I could ask you about your airport boyfriend, or did you guys break up?”
“No, no, that’s not on the table for discussion.”
“Then what is?” he asked, sliding down the door until his knees bent.
“We could talk about you and that selfish comment you made during our little game.”
One brow rose. “What? That people are selfish?” His shoulders hunched up and then dropped. “They are. There’s not really much to add to it.”
“Yeah, but you said something along the lines of relationships. That people will be happy unless something better comes along.” The same guarded expression as that day shone in his eyes. She cleared her throat. “I asked if that was what happened to you.”
“And I didn’t answer.”
“So, I guess that’s off the table as well?” she asked. He didn’t respond. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on her. “Fine. Then what was it like growing up in Scotland?”
“It was all right, I guess. How was it growing up in…?”
“Jersey.”
“New Jersey, you mean.”
“Yeah, but everyone calls it Jersey.”
“They shouldn’t, considering there’s already a Jersey, but go on.”
She gave him a sarcastic look. “It was fine. I have a sister who I’m pretty close with, although I haven’t been keeping in contact with her lately. It’s been a little difficult, what with the time difference and all.”
“Do you not like it here because of that?”
“Oh, no, I love it here. It’s just hard to remember that I’m five hours ahead of her. I was three hours behind her before I moved here.”
“That sounds like it could be challenging.”
She shrugged, fighting off a yawn, ignoring the pain in her arches. Now that she wasn’t rushing around, a wave of exhaustion came over her.
“I guess, but it’ll all shake out once I’ve been here for a while. That is, if I have a job next year.”
“Chard won’t fire you. He likes you, and you’ve managed to start getting the city behind us. Not an easy task with two Premier League teams around here.”
“I do like it here. I’m hoping I can be an asset to the women’s team too. They’re the reason I signed up for the job.”
“Really? I thought it was because your old boss recommended you.” Scarlett’s smile fell, and Theo apparently saw it. “Uh-oh.”
“No. No uh-oh.”
“Yes, your face changed. What’s wrong? Have a falling out with him, did you?”