CHAPTER 10
I was laid face down, naked on the bed, having kicked my heels to the floor, as DeShaun showered.
He'd opened the window to let the cool February air soothe my pulsating ass.
I stretched to the floor for my purse and retrieved my mobile. “Shit,” I muttered.
Hot water ran loudly down DeShaun's body in the bathroom.
My phone, still on silent, started to receive another call. I ignored my first instinct to avoid it. “Hi, Kyle,” I said.
“Ma'am,” he replied.
There was an awkward silence, as if something had happened and – by the way my phone had already been lit up with unread texts, missed calls and social media notifications before I answered – I knew it had. “What can I do for you?”
“Perhaps you can give me a straight answer.”
My eyes went towards the bathroom, fearful of DeShaun walking in and saying something loud enough for Kyle to hear. “I'll try.”
“Ma'am, I can't understand why the YouTube channel just dropped an interview with you and Joe...”
Fuck.
“... When I've taken charge of the team and you're about to sack him.”
I browsed straight to social media to read the reactions.
“We won today.”
This couple is too cute.
“Convincingly so, I believe.”
OMG they're adorable.
“Three-nil away has to be a good audition, no?”
How amazing does Sasha look in that dress?
“Ma'am, we're sixth.”
The way Joe looks at her with sheer devotion.
“I checked the fixture list, there's eleven matches to go.”
I was a doubter, but not now. This is legit between them.
“I can get us up to League One through the play-offs.”
So good to see her moving on after her husband disappeared.
“Ma'am, I saw you there with DeShaun Wilkesboro.”
Nothing and nobody will stop this pair, fair play to them.
“Just think when he's back and partners Callum Entwistle up front with the form he found today.”
So glad to see this, it's made my day and inspired me to just be who I am and know happiness will find me too.
“We'll be unstoppable.”
This is love.
“Ma'am? You haven't said anything in a while... Is that a bad sign?”
“Sorry, Kyle, I was just listening to you,” I lied.
“And?” he asked, rather abruptly for my liking. “Is the job mine now or what?”
“Kyle, I know you're the right man for the job.”
He sighed down the phone.
“Today showed me that.”
“Please, ma'am, please honour our gentleman's agreement.”
“I want to.”
“But?”
“Kyle, have you seen the reaction to the video?”
He said nothing.
“I don't know if the club's ready to take the bad PR bullet from sacking Joe right now.”
“Because of a YouTube video?”
I knew how it sounded to him, but he was a football manager. It wasn't his job to run an entire club. “Because of the way it seems to have gone down.” While my responsibilities to the trans community ran even deeper than my responsibilities to Broxburgh. “The timing's not right.”
“Why'd you even record it?” he demanded.
“Kyle, no offence, but what the club puts on its YouTube channel isn't actually any of your concern.”
He said nothing.
“Look, thank you for the result today, good job, but leave the running of the club to me, okay?”
Kyle ended the call.
“Hey,” I said, smiling as I looked up to see DeShaun. I tossed my mobile onto my pillow.
“Hey, you.”
I slid carefully off the bed, then caught his bare torso with my fingers as a cool breeze blew across our bodies. “My turn,” I said, and strutted into the bathroom to shower.
I missed him with me, but I needed to cleanse my body in private. I could barely believe the sexual experience we'd shared. We clicked on such a physical level. While the feelings I felt for him were astronomical.
Even if he hadn't expressed the same in return when I told him.
Something told me he was holding back because of Joe. I understood. I sympathised. It was a bad situation to be in. But, as far as I was concerned, I had my man now. The right man. And no one was going to come between us.
Certainly not Joe.
I stepped out of the shower and started to dry myself.
It sounded like DeShaun was watching something in the main room.
I took a huge, dry towel and wrapped it around my body, cloaking my chest, back and crotch.
Me being me, I had to retouch my make-up before I made a reappearance.
I wasn't sure if DeShaun fancied another round before calling it a night, but my little clitty was tingling at the prospect.
And, surely, it wasn't selfish of me to expect an orgasm of my own this time?
I opened the bathroom door and walked out to the sound of my own voice.
DeShaun was staring at his mobile.
I froze.
“Your green dress,” he said. “You wore it in this video too.”
I was horrified.
“You must've recorded it before you came here.”
I was lost for words.
“I heard you mention YouTube to whoever you were on the phone with, in case you're wondering how I found out.”
I listened to Joe speak on the video too. “DeShaun, that isn't what it looks like.”
He kept watching.
“DeShaun, please, turn it off.”
His eyes wouldn't budge.
“I didn't want to do it.”
He listened as I told Eddie in the interview, DeShaun will be back soon. He's the man.
“He made me.”
Eddie asked, Do you think we'll reach the play-offs?
“DeShaun, listen to me, I want to be with you.”
DeShaun is the man, Eddie, my voice said in the video. With DeShaun, anything is possible.
Eddie wrapped up the interview, yet DeShaun continued staring at the screen.
“DeShaun, I promise you... I'm yours now.”
He almost laughed. “This is a wake-up call, Sash.”
“Don't say that.”
He set his phone down. “We can't keep doing what we've been doing.”
I rushed next to him on the bed. “We can.” I grabbed his hand. “I can't lose you now. I can't.”
He pulled away. “Not until you finish with Joe.”
“I will, DeShaun. I promise. But don't let him ruin what we have-”
“No, Sasha, whatever we have can't continue. You need to sort it with Joe.” He pulled back the duvet. “You're welcome to stay the night, but nothing's happening.”
“DeShaun-”
“I mean it... And, take this whatever way you wish, but I've lost a lot of respect for you with what you've done.”
“I've hurt you, DeShaun.”
“It's worse than that, Sash.” He looked right through me. “You've deceived me.” He got under the duvet. “Again.”
I felt suddenly cold as the air blew in from the window.
“Joe and the world still think you're his...” He turned on his side, his back to me. “And you are.”
I saw my broken fingernail lying on the bed.
Then my mobile phone no longer on my pillow where I'd left it.
I awoke to an empty bed on Sunday morning.
DeShaun appeared from the bathroom, fully clothed, moments later.
I smiled at him.
He didn't look at me.
“Good morning,” I said.
“Is it?” he asked, walking past the bed to the curtains. He opened them and looked out at the surrounding Broxburgh countryside.
I guessed our plans to spend the day in bed together had been well and truly scorched, and made a swift move to the shower. I applied my make-up again afterwards, striving for my most sophisticated look, yet it made little impact on him when I walked back out again.
He deliberately turned away when I discarded my towel.
I looked at my options for attire. It was either yesterday's clothes or the emerald green dress I'd arrived in.
He closed the window.
My mobile vibrated by my side of the bed. I reached for it.
“Joe?” DeShaun asked.
I hesitated.
“You should answer it.” He opened the door to the balcony. “I'll wait outside.”
I didn't want to answer it. And I certainly didn't wish for DeShaun to be so frosty with me. Yet I crossed my legs to conceal my clitty and swiped up. “Hello.”
“Sasha!” Joe shouted. “Finally, you fucking answer!”
“I'm just awake, Joe.”
“I'm not just talking about today. I've barely heard a fucking word from you since you left!”
I looked over my shoulder to see DeShaun leaning over the balcony, looking out at the fields.
“You may get home.”
Home? To my home he'd invaded without invite? I was still watching the only man I wanted inside my home.
“The fridge is almost empty and I can't go out to get anything.”
So, I was his mother now? “Joe, surely you can order whatever you need off-”
“Get home now, Sasha! This is ridiculous. I'm not likely to be infectious anymore. Your place is here.”
I exhaled down the phone, not afraid to hide my disdain for him. “No, Joe, I'm staying in the hotel until you test negative.”
“This is outrageous! Get your fucking-”
I hung up.
“You're not,” DeShaun said, standing inside the room again.
“What?” I asked.
“You're not staying here, Sasha. I need you to leave.”
I slipped into my underwear, then stood and turned to face him. “DeShaun, don't do this. We planned to spend the day in-”
“That's not happening,” he said firmly. “If you finish it with Joe, I'll be here for you.”
I ran my hands through my hair, mildly irked by my missing fingernail.
“It's really that simple.”
“Okay,” I said.
“Okay?”
“Okay, I'll do it.”
“You'll finish with him?”
I nodded.
“When, Sash? Today?”
I reached for yesterday's clothes as my mobile vibrated again.
DeShaun looked at it and saw who was calling.
I'd no wish to listen to Joe ranting again.
“You not gonna answer that?”
I slipped into my PVC shorts. “No.”
“You're not gonna finish it with him, are you?”
“I will, DeShaun.”
“Not today. Not after the PR stunt on YouTube. I've seen the reaction. You two make a real lovely couple. People who've never even heard of Broxburgh before are hoping the club gets promoted.”
My mobile was still ringing.
“Just make this easy and go be with him, Sasha. Being with him obviously means more to you than being with me.”
I made quickly for him on my bare feet. “DeShaun, you know that isn't true.”
He looked over me. “No, I don't.”
“I will finish it. I promise you. He'll be gone-”
“Just leave, Sasha. I wanna get down the gym and do a work-out.” He patted his leg. “Play my part in this promotion.”
My phone continued to vibrate.
“Go,” he insisted.
I turned, slid my feet into my heels and grabbed my top. “Just one thing before I do, DeShaun.”
“What?”
“Can we exchange numbers?”
He didn't answer.
“Please, DeShaun. I want to know I can contact you-”
“I'll swap numbers, Sash, but on one condition.”
I looked at him, full of hope. “Yeah?”
“You don't call me until you and Joe are through, okay?”
“I promise.” I grabbed my phone and hit ignore on Joe's call. “Call your number out, DeShaun.”
He did, then took mine and replaced his mobile in his pocket. “I mean it, Sash, no calls, no texts. Not until it's done.”
I lifted the rest of my luggage, then turned to him before I walked out the door. “You'll hear from me sooner than you think,” I said.
I was driving through the winding country roads as the sun tried to break through the overcast sky.
My eyes were repeatedly distracted by my phone lighting up over and over, each time with another text from Joe. I hadn't read a single one of them.
“Call Kyle,” I commanded.
My mobile connected, and the line dialled out.
“Hello?” he answered, sounding rough.
“Were you celebrating your win last night or drowning your sorrows, Kyle?”
Something toppled over in the background of his end. “I'd a late one.”
“Okay, well make sure you've sobered up by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, Ms Liu?”
I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, as a taxi passed in the opposite direction. “I'm on my way to tell Joe his services as manager are no longer required.”
He said nothing.
“Kyle, did you hear me?”
“Yeah... Just... Uh... Call me back when it's actually done.”
I ended the call as my driveway came into sight and parked, apprehensive about what I was about to confront. I decided forewarned was forearmed and grabbed my mobile to catch up on his texts.
JOE – I'm calling the hotel to cancel your room
JOE – WTF Sasha? The hotel said you already cancelled your room yesterday
JOE – Where the fuck have you been staying?
JOE – Who the fuck are you with?
JOE – Who is he?
JOE – Fuck this. I'm outta here. Good luck to him.
I looked to the house. The curtains were still drawn. The front door shut. And there'd been that taxi I'd passed before I reached home. Was it really possible I'd missed him?
Summoning courage, I grabbed my purse and opened the car door. Just as I set one heel on the ground, I felt my mobile vibrate in my palm.
It was DeShaun!
“Hello,” I said joyfully.
“Hey,” he said.
I closed the car door.
“Listen, I didn't like how we left things.”
I was almost giddy. “Neither did I.” I fumbled my fingers through my keys to find the one to my front door. “I'm just about to walk into my house.”
“You went home?”
“I told you I was going to deal with... You know who.”
“Shit, Sash, I should go and let you... Y'know.”
I started to open the door. “I don't think he's...” Oh my God. “Here.”
“What is it?” he demanded, as if sensing the fear in my voice. “Do you need me to be there?”
I surveyed the broken chair in the hall, the smashed mirror, the cracked ornament, the scattering of soil, china and petals of a flower-
“Sash?”
“He's wrecked my house,” I said, walking on and throwing a glance into the living room. “Oh God, the rooms are a mess too.” The huge television had the print of a boot in the broken screen.
“Gimme the address, I'm coming over.”
I walked to the kitchen and froze.
“What is it?”
I almost dropped the phone.
“Sasha?”
I looked at the rack of expensive wines my husband had spent years collecting, glass strewn across the tiled floor underneath and the thick aroma of rich French vintages inflicting my nostrils. “It's tens of thousands of pounds' worth of damage,” I whispered.
“You can afford it,” said a voice behind me.
“Sasha?!?” shouted DeShaun down the phone.
I turned around.
“We need to talk,” Joe said. “Hang up the phone.”
“Sasha, don't listen to him.”
I nodded.
“Sasha, tell me where you live so I can-”
I hung up.
“Who is he, Sasha?” Joe asked.