Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
W arren was in a daze as he walked through the pub. Nina was stunning, absolutely beautiful. She’s engaged and pregnant, he reminded himself, having noticed the massive diamond ring on her left hand. Calm down. Family was important, he knew that. and he would never come between a couple, even if he had a chance. He shook himself out as he stood by the board.
“Hey, he’s limbering up,” Rob called out. “We thought you’d done a runner.” Rob approached him then lowered his voice. “I saw you chatting Nina up at the bar. You’re punching there, mate. Her bloke’s a flash git with a Maserati.” He held out his hand. “Anyway, here’s the darts. You’ll need your own for the league, though.”
Warren took the darts with Rob’s words milling around his head. Even if Nina was single, she would still be out of reach. But maybe this encounter was for a reason. Perhaps it’s a sign I should find a girlfriend? He pushed the thought from his mind as he threw his first dart, straight in the triple twenty.
“Oi! Where’d you get him from?” his opponent said. “Is he a ringer?”
“Calm down, Digger,” Carl said. “He works for Booth, over at the farm.”
“Right,” the guy said as Warren’s second dart also went in the triple twenty.
They cheered and Warren paused, losing his concentration. The remainder of the triple twenty was obscured so he went for triple nineteen but only managed the single. He retrieved the darts and stood behind the oche, as Digger took his throw.
Rob slapped him on the back. “You’ve got this, mate.”
Warren was surprised at how well the darts glided in and he sealed his win with a double ten.
Jaz approached him with a huge grin. “Well done, Warren, you’re even better than I imagined.” She turned around. “Right, Carl, you’re on next! Don’t let me down.”
“Who am I playing?” Carl asked.
“My Dad!”
“Hey, love. Aren’t you going to support me?” the short man beside her said. He shared Jaz’s brown eyes and dark hair, albeit with flecks of grey.
“You could have played for The Eversley! You had your chance!” Her hands were on her hips.
“I didn’t know you were the manager!” her father said.
“She’s not,” Rob slurred from a table as he stared into his pint. “I am.”
“Our Daz ain’t defecting,” Digger shouted.
Jaz laughed as she nudged her dad then turned to Carl. “Thrash him!”
Warren laughed at the good nature of the place. He felt warmth envelop him. Can I really fit in here? he asked himself as he watched Jaz’s dad make mincemeat of Carl, the noisy Dog and Horn team supporting him.
The Eversley Arms lost the match, having only won two games out of the seven, both of which involved Warren. After playing the singles, he had teamed up with Carl to play in the doubles match. The room quietened as they ate their sausage and chips and Jaz called the team together at a long table.
“It was a good effort guys, we expected to get beaten.” She turned to Warren. “What’s your honest opinion of our team?”
He finished the hot dog he had made up with the rolls provided and wiped his hands on a napkin. “It’s a bit small – if someone’s sick you might have to throw a game.”
“I’ll try to drum up interest at my Sunday service,” Reverend Stephens said.
“What do you think we need skills-wise?” Jaz said.
“Practice,” Warren said. “A lot of it.”
“Right, Monday night is practice night,” Jaz said gesturing at Warren. “Is that okay with you?”
“He’s always free,” Mitch said.
“Great, you’re our trainer,” Jaz said.
“Oh, okay, yeah,” Warren said, hoping Jaz didn’t have too high expectations of the team.
“And I’m the new manager,” Jaz said looking at everyone as if ready to beat off an objection.
Rob raised his hand from the end of the table. “Oi, I founded the team.”
“And were too drunk to play!” She stood up, went to the end of the table and picked up his pint. “No drink for you on a Monday or a Friday before ten. I need you on the team.”
Rob puffed out and sat back in his chair but did not protest.
Warren smiled. Even though Jaz was a small woman, it would appear no one wanted to cross her, not even a champion boxer.
Everyone dispersed and he stood up and turned around to find Nina there. He’d thought she’d left as he’d not seen her.
“I watched your game. You’re brilliant at it!”
“I had a lot of practice as a teenager. I spent more time in the pubs than at school.” As she was out of his league, he didn’t bother to try to impress her. The truth was easier.
“I was just thinking, I’m having a sale at my boutique in Wells.” Nina took in a deep breath. “So if you bring your mum over to the shop tomorrow morning between nine and half past, I’ve plenty of dresses. It’s called Something Special and it’s on the market square.”
“I’ll bring her over.” Warren smiled at her, hoping Jane had not managed to sort a dress and at the same time feeling terrible for looking forward to seeing some other guy’s fiancée. She’s just being friendly.
“I’m off home now,” Nina said. “I might see you tomorrow.” She gave him a smile which made him wish he could go with her, but he knew that even if she didn’t have the fiancé she was starting a family with, he’d still have no chance.
“Warren!” Jaz waved at him from a table and beckoned him over.
He sat at the table with Holly, Jaz and Belle who was glued to her smartphone.
“I saw you chatting to Nina!” Jaz said.
“She said she might have a dress for Jane, my adoptive mother.”
“Do you like the older woman?” Jaz asked.
“Jaz, leave him alone,” Holly said.
Warren laughed. “She’s engaged, but I was surprised, she looks a lot younger than her age.”
“You mean a lot younger than us?” Jaz asked, suddenly looking quite annoyed.
“I…er…”
Holly laughed. “She’s winding you up.”
“It’ll be the Botox,” Jaz said.
Holly shook her head. “Jaz, don’t be unkind.”
“Sorry, I sometimes lose my filter when I’ve had a couple of drinks,” she said then took a sip of her cider.
“What filter?” Holly said. “You’ve never had one!”
“Jaz,” a woman called out who had been supporting ‘the Dogs’ as they were being called. “We’re going now.”
Jaz tapped Holly on the arm. “Let’s have a quick chat with Mel and Sian. I want to speak to them about that idea you had for the PTA, now it’s a bit quieter.” Jaz and Holly were on the parent-teacher association at Eversley Village Primary School. They’d mentioned it a few times at the weekly family meals. Holly stood up and Jaz followed.
Warren found himself sitting opposite Belle, still staring at her phone. She frowned.
“Is something wrong?” he asked her.
Belle shook her head and didn’t look up.
He felt there was a conversation to be had but left it for another time. He knew if there was something up, she was unlikely to tell him straight away. Better to build her trust slowly, he thought.
Mitch came to the table and placed another pint in front of him.
“Hey thanks,” Warren said. “It must be my round by now.”
“It’s a thank you, for coming. If you hadn’t been here, I don’t think they’d be bothering with the team.”
“Or without Jaz.” Warren looked at Rob as he staggered past their table.
“Rob needs to clean himself up. Jaz said she’s going to be on his case. Since she moved out of here to Ashbury Gardens, he’s got worse.”
They sat in thoughtful silence for a while.
“This better be my last,” Warren said, “as I’ve got to get back for Nick and Jane.”
“What time are they arriving?”
“They’re going to text me when they leave Bristol, so I can head back, but I think I’ll go earlier, otherwise I’ll be dozing off.”
Mitch grinned at him. “I’m pleased you were playing instead of me. And it’s great you’ll be up here on Mondays. Do you think the team have any hope?”
“They might have. A lot of it is mindset. Once they gain confidence it could make all the difference. Carl said that when Rob’s sober, he can throw a dart.”
“That’s the thing, you don’t often see him sober.”
They continued to chat until Holly and Jaz returned to the table and Warren decided it was a good time for him to call it a night.
As he walked home his thoughts returned to Nina and he conjured up an image of her in his mind. Why can’t I find someone like that, but single?