CHAPTER 13
I'd been back less than a day and I already felt like I needed another holiday. “DeShaun,” I purred down the phone. “I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say.”
“Everybody's pissing me off today, Sash.”
I held in a deep inhalation, then turned from my mobile to exhale. I didn't want him to realise how more problems on top of all my other problems were the last things I needed right now. Not after he'd been there for me every second in Portugal.
“I'm not looking special treatment because... Well, y'know.”
“Because you're sleeping with me, I'm your employer and the world now knows about it?”
“Exactly, Sash. I'm just so fucking pissed with it all... With them all.”
“DeShaun, Hilary said you're possibly another week away from returning to training. You'll get through it. The time will pass. I'll make sure it does.”
“That's not what's really pissing me off. I can accept that. It's Kyle and this new cocksucker.”
Cocksucker?
“Drew Heseltine's his name. A real motherfucker. The two of them act like they're managing more than the team.”
“What d'you mean, DeShaun?”
“Call me paranoid, but it's like they think they're running the whole club. It was as if Hilary had made their mind up before I got there... And I think Kyle and Drew had something to do with it.”
“That's crazy,” I insisted, despite Joe's parting he'll destroy you and your precious club warning still ringing in my mind. “Why would they wanna sabotage your comeback? You're Kyle's best chance of winning matches.”
“Hell if I can tell, Sash, maybe it's outta loyalty to Joe. I dunno, but I've been around long enough to know when something's going on. You need to get a pulse on the situation here.”
I was terrified to leave the house again after what I'd been greeted with at Glasgow Airport.
There was an increasing sound of traffic in the background of DeShaun's end of the call.
“Where are you now, anyway?” I asked.
“Waiting for the bus.”
“To go where?”
“Back to the hotel.”
I looked at the time. “Wait, shouldn't you be back in training by now? In your coaching role, I mean.”
He laughed in that way that suggested he found something anything but funny.
“What is it, DeShaun?”
“So, Kyle didn't speak with you this morning?”
“No, he didn't... Not yet, at least.”
DeShaun really let loose with a laugh. “He's such a fucking liar.”
“DeShaun, what am I missing? Why aren't you in training?”
He sighed. “Sasha, call your manager. He can explain it to you.”
I had my laptop open on Twitter, reading through posts and comments filled with judgement and hatred.
TWEET – Oh look at me, I'm Sasha Liu, I'm all for trans rights, I want trans people and their relationships to be taken serious, I'm so in love with my boyfriend, the manager Joe, oh wait, who's that handsome black guy who also works for me? The so-called woman is a joke.
While right beside me was a physical copy of yesterday's local paper, which I knew had to be read sooner or later. Still, I kept looking at Twitter.
TWEET – Sasha Liu is the biggest attention whore in the world. Has everyone crawling over her about her game-changing relationship with Joe McDonald, then cheats on the poor guy with the club's star striker. Sanctimonious filth doesn't begin to describe it.
Cabin fever was brewing in my house already, and it was barely the early afternoon.
TWEET – I tore up my season ticket the moment I read the story. I won't be back. My family won't be back. And I hope to hell Sasha Liu sells up and gets the hell out of Broxburgh for good.
I felt the anger inside me fire up the strength to unfold the newspaper and read the exclusive from Angus Hamilton – the local reporter I'd fallen out with several months earlier over misreporting my words – about why Joe had been fired.
I gave my heart to Sasha Liu, Joe had told Angus. I loved her and I wanted to marry her.
That was news to me too.
I believed we made the best team together.
For the better part of eight months, we were in a loving, committed relationship which she insisted had to be clandestine.
I wanted to go public. Sasha insisted people wouldn't understand.
It's now clear to me it was because she was using me.
And when results started to go against us, she didn't just sack me to save herself, she threw me to the wolves and threw her legs around another man.
That man was DeShaun Wilkesboro, a Broxburgh player.
Angus Hamilton had done another hatchet job on me.
It makes me see nothing about Sasha Liu is real or genuine. She uses people. And she'll use DeShaun Wilkesboro until she's done with him. He might only have another season or two left in him. Watch how she disposes of him too.
But Joe had really gone for the jugular.
I read the final paragraph of the interview, where Angus asked Joe what he thought of his successor.
I wish him the best of luck. If it was anyone else, I'd warn him to watch his back where Sasha Liu's concerned. But I know Kyle. He's ambitious. If there's one person who can wrestle the club from her clutches, it's him.
I'd paced the floors of my house for over an hour when I finally checked my mobile to see how many steps I'd walked since lunch. 7163. I noticed the time too.
I was sure Kyle was free from training, so I called him.
“Ma'am,” he said. “What can I do for you?”
I cringed at the sound of his voice. So forced with niceness. “How'd training go today?”
“Great.”
“Great, Kyle?”
“Yeah, the young 'keeper McQuillan pulled off some amazing saves. If he keeps this up, I might have to consider sticking him in the first team.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. McInnes dropped a clanger on Saturday. I could forgive McQuillan for doing that, with his inexperience, but based on what he's been doing in training I wouldn't see it happening.”
I drummed my free fingers on the kitchen table, knowing fine rightly no manager in their right mind would consider throwing a 16-year-old novice into nets.
“Ms Liu, there's something else I wish to discuss with you. It's just a discussion. The decision is at your discretion.”
“Go ahead, Kyle.”
“All this attention on the club since Joe left, it's only escalated since what came out in the paper yesterday...”
I felt my face fluster, doubting he'd dare talk to a man in charge in this manner.
“I think it'd be for the best if you continue to stay away from matches for the time being, so the focus can be on the pitch.”
I drummed my fingers harder. “That was only for one match, Kyle.”
“Of course, ma'am. It'd only be temporary. But the lads dropped two points they shouldn't have against Annan. They need to be at their absolute best against Stirling to get back to winning ways. Blair McKay's finally back from his suspension for this one, and he's been giving his all in training.”
I'd never intended to travel away from home for the next match, yet I thought it best to let Kyle think it was his decision. “If you believe it's in the best interests of the club,” I said.
“I do, ma'am.”
“And what does your assistant think?”
“Ma'am?”
“Drew Heseltine, Kyle, what does he think about me staying away?”
“Actually, ma'am, on that subject,” he started, without missing a beat, “he made an altogether different suggestion this morning, and I backed him on it.”
“What, Kyle?”
“We don't want DeShaun working as a coach anymore. It's distracting the players.”
“Is it really?”
“With the greatest respect, Ms Liu, yes. My loyalty is to the club, not Joe McDonald, but the rest of the lads will take time to adjust. And, to be frank, DeShaun's reputation among them has been damaged with the revelations.”
“It's your job to make them adjust, Kyle. DeShaun got good news from the physio this morning.”
“He did?”
“Yes, he was told he'll be fit to return to action next week,” I said, knowing I was exaggerating yet feeling it necessary.
“I'm not sure-”
“He's the star striker, Kyle. Under no circumstances is he to be made the fall guy in this.”
“Ms Liu, team selection has to be solely my department.”
I clenched the phone tighter. “And it is. I'm just saying don't make DeShaun your scapegoat.”
“My scapegoat, ma'am?”
I steeled my teeth together.
“Ms Liu, I assure you, I will always put the team first in all my decisions. If he's fit and performing well in training, he'll have a place in my team... I just have to manage this unfortunate situation.”
I pulled my fingers from the table before I broke another fingernail. “Yes, Kyle, it is an unfortunate situation... Tell me, have you heard anything from Joe?”
Kyle groaned. “Yes, I have. He's called me a couple of times drunk, rambling. I probably shouldn't have answered, but believe me I let him do the talking and I've taken no notice of what he's said about you.”
I wondered if Joe was drunk when he spoke to Angus Hamilton.
“My focus is on winning promotion, ma'am. If necessary, I'll cut all ties with Joe.”
“As long as any conversation you have with him in future avoids club matters, I don't have a problem with you speaking to him. But all Broxburgh matters must be treated with the strictest of confidence.”
“Of course.”
“Okay, Kyle, but just one more thing before I go.”
“Yes?”
“I'd like to meet this Drew Heseltine.”
“Right?”
“While I'll continue to stay away from match days, I'm coming to the ground tomorrow. Make sure he's there for a meeting in my office at nine in the morning.”
Kyle hesitated.
My gut instinct told me I'd got him.
“Of course, ma'am... In fact, I can tell you now he's looking forward to meeting you too.”