Chapter 3
THREE
The team hotel near Alicante seemed undecided in its aspirations—one half of it wanted to be a massive old castle while the other veered towards clean, modern lines that abhorred any unnecessary ornamentation.
Palm trees dotted the surrounding landscape, barren hills stretching in the distance, the lush green of a golf course just off to the side.
The scent of orange blossom and jasmine mingled with the warm, briny scent of the nearby sea.
Under a hot afternoon sun, Lee wrestled his luggage from the team bus and joined the parade of players and entourage wending their way into an air-conditioned lobby decked out in white and red leather with hotel staff lined up to welcome them.
Kieran stood by the reception desk, chatting with the manager.
“Dibs on the first shower,” Lee told Oliver.
“Actually…” A hesitant look slid across Oliver’s face, and he lowered his voice. “Listen, just in case—keep your cool, yeah?”
Okay, cryptic. “In case of what?”
Oliver glanced around before his attention returned to Lee. “Kieran decided to take charge of rooming arrangements. Thinks it’s a chance to mix it up, improve the team dynamic.”
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
“Oliver Bramwell.” Lee leaned forward. “You’re our damn captain. It is your duty to—”
“I tried,” Oliver interrupted. “Told him people might find it more relaxing, easier to unwind, if we stick with the familiar arrangements—didn’t resonate. He said—”
“Everyone!” Kieran’s holler cut into whatever else Oliver might have added. “Gather round, please!”
With trepidation weighing heavy in his stomach, Lee turned to find Kieran at the center of the lobby, wearing his usual bright smile and a T-shirt that sported the words "Yes, you can!” They were declared by a green leaf identified as an encourage mint.
Along with his teammates, Lee shuffled closer, but made sure to keep at the back of the group.
If Kieran was about to announce what Oliver had implied he might…
Bloody hell. Lee was perfectly content with the equilibrium he and Alex had struck—steer clear of each other whenever they could and limit any exchange to the utmost necessary bits when they couldn’t.
Rooming together for a month, and longer if they survived the group stage? It was a blueprint for disaster.
“All right, lads,” Kieran continued, voice raised to carry. “Here’s the thing. We’re all human, right, and we like predictability. It’s bloody nice to hang out in your comfort zone, isn’t it? Well, I am here to push you a little.”
Clearly, Lee wasn’t the only one with rather mixed feelings about being pushed—there was a noticeable ripple of discomfort that ran through the group.
Kieran’s grin turned slightly mischievous. “I can see your enthusiasm, lads. Keep up the good work.” He paused to ensure that he had their undivided attention. “I took the liberty of sorting the rooming assignments, mostly on the grounds of who I think could combine well on the field.”
The announcement was met with murmurs of discontent.
“Yes.” Kieran nodded, raising his hands.
“I know that may feel unnecessary to many of you, uncomfortable even, or like I’m overstepping.
But keep in mind that improved communication can translate to our game and help the whole team.
” He inserted a meaningful break. “In other words, I expect you to build some camaraderie, even if it might not be with who you usually hang out with.”
That was… Lee didn’t even know what that was. Bold? Ballsy? It sure took guts to send a bunch of star players to their assigned rooms like a group of rowdy children.
There were some unhappy faces, but no one actually spoke up in defense of the status quo.
Given that Lee suspected his interactions with Alex had already put him on Kieran’s watchlist, he made sure to keep his mouth shut and hoped that his roommate would be someone, anyone, other than Alex.
Like… Lee was a good person, mostly. Donated to charity, had practically raised his sisters, bought a house for his wayward mum.
He’d never even dream of kicking a puppy.
So, really, he couldn’t quite see what atrocious crime he’d committed that would be deserving of such a cruel and unusual punishment.
Maybe he could do a better job using his social media for political activism, true, and he admittedly wasn’t the first guy to take a new player under his wing at the club—but that was because he needed a while to loosen up around new people, not because he had his nose too far up in the air to give a sod.
Anyone. Anyone.
Kieran shared a few more logistical details, then they were free to retrieve their room keys and retreat until dinner.
The hotel employees had been briefed well, it appeared, since a smiling woman approached Lee just moments later to send his suitcase ahead to his room while she talked him through everything he needed to know.
Two minutes later, he was equipped with a keycard that allowed him to confirm that Oliver was on the same floor but in a different room.
Together, they headed for the lifts while Alex, all smiles, was still chatting with a hotel employee.
Figured that he’d be the type who felt a personal need to charm everyone in his vicinity.
Unsurprisingly, the room was nice. Spacious, decorated in beiges and dark greens, with two large beds separated by bedside tables.
Enormous windows and a balcony overlooked a garden with manicured lawns, tidy hedges, and a mosaic-tiled water basin, a dedicated pool area slightly further behind.
Lee dropped his backpack on the bed closer to the window and crossed over to the suitcase that sat next to his own. The name tag said ‘Alex Beaufort’.
Of fucking course.
Lee straightened just as the door opened. And—damn it all to hell. For a second, he and Alex stared at each other. Then Alex entered and turned to gently close the door.
Silence.
Lee cleared his throat. “So.”
Alex shifted to face him again, chewing on his bottom lip, and in that moment, he looked young. “Yeah,” he said softly. “So.”
“Here we are.”
“Yeah,” Alex repeated.
More silence. Well, this was delightfully awkward.
Alex shifted, shoving a hand through his wavy hair as he glanced around the room.
“You already picked your side?” He sounded neutral, more like he was casting around for something to say.
Beds, though, and what if the reason he was uncomfortable wasn’t their general dislike for each other, but the fact that he’d be rooming with someone who used to want him?
Lee stiffened slightly. “Yeah. Problem?”
“It’s fine.”
“If you’re sure.”
“It’s fine,” Alex repeated, a hint of annoyance coloring his voice. He crossed over to the unclaimed bed and set his backpack down next to it, presenting Lee with a stellar view of his backside, nicely outlined by jogging bottoms in the officially approved team design. Lee looked away.
“Okay then,” he said.
Alex huffed out a breath but didn’t respond otherwise.
Five seconds passed. Ten. Then Lee turned away, pushed open the balcony door, and stepped outside into the stifling afternoon heat.
It wasn’t humid, so there was that, but playing in these conditions would take some getting used to.
He propped his elbows on the railing and closed his eyes for a moment, the sun painting the backs of his lids a radiant orange.
They couldn’t keep this up—not for a month or longer. The Oliver-shaped angel on Lee’s shoulder wanted him to extend an olive branch, but Lee wasn’t even sure where to start. Possibly with a semi-normal conversation that consisted of more than one word at a time.
Too bad that Lee was much better at creating awkward moments than he was at dispelling them.
Of fucking course.
Alex should have known that Kieran wasn’t the type to just let things go.
Kieran probably had a whole theory about challenging players’ comfort zones by means of surprise rooming arrangements, about how it would trigger personal growth.
Granted, Alex had made a genuine effort to improve his interactions with Lee and could tell that Lee had done the same—unfortunately, it had been too little too late.
So here they were.
With a huffed breath, Alex stilled where he’d started unzipping his suitcase, then rose slowly.
After escaping to the balcony a few minutes ago, Lee had stripped off his top and was now sprawled in one of the two blue-striped armchairs that sat in the shade of an umbrella, glaring at his phone.
Even so, he was really bloody attractive, all angular features and smooth, tanned skin—but that was ancient news to Alex, and the sooner he got over it, the better.
He rolled back his shoulders and straightened his stance, then headed for the balcony. Lee looked up when Alex stepped outside, expression unreadable. Another moment of silence as they looked at each other, and Christ, Lee’s eyes were really very dark, had anyone ever told him?
Alex located his ability to speak at the bottom of a deep intake of breath, hot afternoon air filling his lungs. “All right, look.” His smile felt a little strained, but he clung to it nonetheless. “We should talk.”
A shadow crossed Lee’s face, then the corners of his mouth quirked into a sarcastic grin. “The three words every man dreads to hear.”
Don’t let him get to you.
“Do you disagree?” Alex asked evenly.
Lee’s eyes narrowed before he shook his head and got up. “No. Inside, though.” He grabbed his jersey off the back of the armchair he’d occupied, Alex needing just a second to divert his attention away from the dark dusting of hair that disappeared into the waistband of Lee’s jogging bottoms.