Chapter 7
“Will this outfit be OK?” I ask Amanda as we get ready for the local rugby match.
I haven’t been to watch the rugby in years - I have no clue what to wear.
Years ago, I used to go every week with my dad and brother; it was our weekly thing that we did together.
Amanda’s husband, Greg, has joined a local team, and we’re going along to cheer him on.
I'm wearing biker boots and black skinny jeans with a cream knit jumper and have my hair piled on my head with a biker jacket – I'm loving the whole biker chick look right now.
“Yes, Kate, you look gorgeous . . . like you always do . . . sickening.” She says. “Have you got your outfit sorted for tonight?”
It’s Saturday and there’s a rugby event at the club. Amanda and Greg are going, as are Karen and Maria. It should be good fun, and hopefully, there will be plenty of attractive rugby players for me to look at. Damn my preference for rugby players.
“Yeah, I've got a sexy black number, halter neck and backless. I got it from Karen Millen ages ago in the sale, and I have banned myself from carbs this week!”
“Brilliant, I've got mine sorted too, it’s a prom style. I can’t wait, tonight’s going to be great!” Bless Amanda - she gets so excited.
We make our way to the pitch, pay our entry fee, and take our position near the halfway line, waiting for the players to come onto the pitch.
After five minutes, the crowd gets rowdy, applauding and cheering.
I look towards the pitch where the home players are running onto the field to warm up.
I get ready to eye up lovely rugby players; who needs Nate?
I've got lots of men to ogle right here. I'm determined not to think of HIM. The HIM I haven’t been able to stop thinking about, but hating myself for doing it, because he’s proved that he hasn’t changed one bit.
I scan the team and see Amanda’s husband, Greg. I scan further down the team and freeze, for staring straight at me while he does his warm-up is Nathan. Fuck. How did I not know that this was his team? I knew he still played locally; I should have at least considered this a possibility.
I tear my eyes away from his. “Shit, Amanda – Nathan is on this team.”
I’d filled her in with what had happened between us - she knew I liked him.
She turns to me in horror. “I had no idea, I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I had . . . I'm sorry, hun.”
I shake my head and try to smile, as though my insides aren't doing the impression of a washing machine.
“Don’t be silly, there’s no way you could have known, but I'm not going to be able to take my eyes off him all bloody match, and it’s not going to help me forget him.” I half-laugh as though I'm joking, but I'm serious.
He’s wearing white shorts that reach mid-thigh, showcasing his solid thighs perfectly, paired with knee-length socks and rugby boots, and, of course, the team jersey.
. . Jesus, he is hot. I mean, hot. He’s been texting me since the party last week, asking if I'm OK, or if he did or said something wrong – I've ignored them and managed to avoid him in the playground, with my new talent as a sleuth .
. . I've got turning up as the school doors open, down to a fine work of art, to the precise minute so that he doesn’t get a chance to speak to me.
Oh crap, he’s coming! He’s making his way across the pitch .
. . argh!! I try to be calm and composed, straightening my jumper and flicking my hair back, but instantly regret it - that’s a sure giveaway that I care what I look like in front of him.
He reaches the fence in front of me, separating the spectators from the pitch.
“What are you doing here?”
I nod towards Amanda. “Her hubby plays now, so we’ve come to watch. I didn’t realise this was your team.” I glance behind him where his teammates are watching. “Hadn’t you better get back?”
He checks behind him before turning back to me. “Yeah...” he sounds distracted “Listen, I've been trying to get hold of you all week. I need to talk to you. Please?”
“Are you going to the presentation tonight?” I ask him, embarrassed that I've avoided him now that we're face-to-face. I'm a coward, I should face him one final time and tell him that nothing is ever going to happen so that he’ll leave me alone.
He raises his eyebrows. “Why? Are you going?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ll talk to you then, OK?”
He smiles and turns to run back to the team. When he reaches them, they jump on him and rub their fists into his hair, like a dad does with his kid, and they're laughing, looking my way. He turns to glance at me shyly, shaking his head and smiling. What is that about?
The match soon began, and it was as I thought, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
The guy is all man. The speed, the strength - he tackles with ferociousness, he gets tackled, which has my heart in my mouth.
There is something caveman-like about this game; the stronger man wins, and all that.
I’m getting wet watching him. I bet sex after a game is hot, all the adrenaline, I squirm and try to take my mind off it.
He scores two tries - caught up in the whole match atmosphere, I cheer away with everyone else.
At one point, when he’s scored, he points to me and blows me a kiss.
My knees go weak. I have to keep reminding myself what a player he is (both on and off the field) and the fact that he probably has about four women on the go at the same time.
After the match, Amanda comes back to my house to get ready for tonight. Jess is at her dad's for the weekend. Karen’s meeting us there, and Greg is staying at the rugby club, getting ready with his teammates for after-match drinks - loosely translated, they’ll be hammered by the time we get there.
We get a little tipsy while getting ready.
I'm apprehensive about seeing Nate and worried about seeing him with another woman. He’s single, so what’s to stop him picking someone up tonight?
I bet all the single women in the place will want him, he’ll have had a drink, so why wouldn’t he?
My stomach churns at the thought of seeing him with someone.
When I say this to Amanda, she says I'm crazy. She says from the way he looks at me, he hasn’t got his mind on any other women.