CHAPTER 20
It was late on Monday afternoon with the mid-April weather finally beginning to feel like a proper spring, as I locked my office door and started down the corridor to leave for the day.
I'd enjoyed my prolonged winter at the gym, but today I felt like picking DeShaun up from the hotel and going for a drive somewhere in the country before a good hour's hand-in-hand walk until the sun began to set.
Then perhaps a nasty cheeseburger on the way home-
“I know he hasn't kept a clean sheet yet!” yelled a familiar voice behind the door of Kyle's office. “What the fuck's that got to do with anything, knucklehead?”
“Drew, I'm just fucking saying,” Kyle shouted back.
I'd my ear planted firmly against the door.
“What then, Kyle? You wanna drop him? Put McInnes back in nets?”
“No-”
“Then shut the fuck up.”
I heard a third voice, but it was somewhat more muffled.
“Yeah,” Kyle said. “I agree. Let's get back to the subject at hand.”
Drew's reply was quieter, and I couldn't understand him, but I knew his voice when I heard it, his tone authoritative even when low.
The third voice said something.
Then Drew again.
“The takeover,” Kyle said, his voice crystal clear.
I gulped.
“Proposed takeover,” chimed the third voice.
I heard footsteps coming towards the door, bolted upright, then started to take a step forward.
The door opened behind me.
I walked on for a couple more steps, then looked over my shoulder to see who was there.
The groundsman Willie McGlinchey was closing the door to Kyle's office.
I kept walking.
The light of my lamp cast a long shadow over the letter, as I read every line again, studying each minute detail of the wording until I could be certain I understood every term and condition of what I was reading.
DeShaun kissed my shoulder, oblivious to its importance.
“Baby, stop that,” I snapped, pulling my skin away from him.
“What's wrong?” he asked.
“It's not you, it's this letter.”
“Sasha, you look like you've seen a ghost. What is it?”
I read the final figure again. “It's official, DeShaun.” It was less than what I'd paid. “It's a takeover bid for the club.”
“For real?”
I nodded.
“Who is it?” he asked, cracking his knuckles. “Who's the buyer?”
I felt at the lump in my throat. “It's from a supporter's trust... Broxburgh's own fans want to take over the club.”
“Woah.”
“Yeah, DeShaun... Woah indeed.”
“I didn't see that coming, babygirl.” He stroked my back. “Whaddaya gonna do?”
I turned to him. “Do they really hate me so much they want to take the club off my hands?”
“I don't know how anyone could hate you, Sasha.”
I snorted. “Tell me that again in twelve months.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry, I just... I'm not in a good place.”
“Sasha, it's okay. We're all under a lot of pressure at the minute. The run-in's taking its toll on everyone.”
“You don't need this on top of it, DeShaun.” I clutched his arm. “I'm sorry.”
He turned his arm over until he could take my hand in his. “I'm with you one hundred percent, wherever life takes us, babygirl. Believe that.”
I leaned my forehead into his chest. “I do. I really do. I know it.” I felt moisture fill my eyes. “I just wish we'd met under different circumstances.”
He put his free arm around me.
I felt so safe in his embrace, listening to his heartbeat. “I think I'm gonna sell.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, baby... They want me gone. They love this club too. My gut's telling me to go.”
His chest expanded under me.
“What's wrong, you think I'm being hasty?”
He said nothing.
“DeShaun?”
“I don't know, babygirl. I mean, yeah, I suppose I do. But does that mean you're wrong? I guess only you can answer that.”
I closed my eyes. “I just want it done, DeShaun. I want it over. I want out.” I crossed my legs tighter together. “My only real home's in your arms.” For now.
My pulse was thumping under DeShaun's fore and middle fingers.
“Sasha, I got you,” he insisted.
“I know, baby,” I said, snatching my wrist away and resuming my walk up and down his hotel room floor. “I just didn't expect to hear from him again, and now I'm shitting myself because I don't know what he's going to tell me.”
“You did the right thing, telling him to meet you here.”
“You sure?”
He nodded.
“Because you think I'm safer here than at some random car park?”
“No,” he said firmly, “because Imma beat that motherfucker if he tries it on with you again.”
I froze. “Baby, all he did was ask me to go for a drink.”
DeShaun smiled. “I'm kidding, babygirl. Relax.”
There was a gentle knock on DeShaun's door.
“He's here,” I said.
“You want me to-”
I was already breezing by my lover towards the door. I quickly opened it. “Dex, come in.”
He hesitated.
“Now,” I snapped, and pulled him in by his shoulder before shutting the door.
DeShaun was already standing tall between the bed and the big mirror opposite.
I still felt butterflies. “Dex, this is DeShaun. DeShaun, Dex.”
DeShaun deliberately slapped my PI's palm as he went to shake his hand.
“Right, what've you got for me, Dex?” I asked, the vibrations in my long fingernails giving away my nerves.
“Well, Ms Liu, last time we spoke I was concerned my findings didn't set your mind at ease about Mr Heseltine. It niggled at me. But I'm afraid when there's nothing to be found, I can't make stuff up about someone.”
“Dex, you said on the phone you'd found something.”
He nodded, then pulled out his mobile and unlocked it. “I kept digging.”
My mouth was so dry.
“And I kept digging.”
DeShaun passed me a bottle of low calorie beer.
“Not really knowing what I was looking for.”
I cast my reluctances aside and took a swig.
“And I found this on some random Broxburgh resident's Facebook,” Dex said, holding his phone out to me.
“What am I looking at?” I asked, focusing my eyes. “It looks like the protesters who wanted me out of the club, right?”
“That's right, Ms Liu. It was taken outside Lady Macbeth Park late last year.” Dex reached his thumb and forefinger over the phone, zooming in on the face of one of the protesters in the crowd. “It might not be much, but-”
“Oh my God, it's Drew. Fuck, now I can place him! I remember him! I met him! I served him tea! It was a show of goodwill towards the protesters. I was trying to show them I'm human.”
DeShaun folded his arms.
“It's not much, I know,” Dex said.
“No, Dex, it's something. I know who he is now. I might not know much, but I know more about what he's doing at my club.”
Dex put his mobile away.
I looked at DeShaun. “I can't believe that.”
“It's probably not enough to dismiss him,” Dex said. “After all, everyone has a right to protest, but-”
“It shows I was right to be concerned,” I said. “He's not with me. He's against me. And he's practically managing the team.” I ran my fingers through my hair and shook it down. “There's got to be more, Dex, can you try looking further?”
“On it, Ms Liu.” He turned to leave, then stopped for a moment. He turned to DeShaun. “What about you, big man, you get any reading off Drew?”
DeShaun's arms noticeably tensed. “Nothing.”
“Okay,” Dex said, and clicked his tongue. “I guess that's my cue.” He headed to the door.
I followed him. “Thank you again, Dex.”
“Yeah, we can sort out payment another time.”
“Thanks.”
He opened the door and left.
I walked back to DeShaun.
“Sasha,” he started, “I don't trust that guy.”
“Baby-”
“No, Sasha, you need to be careful. It seems the deeper you dig into this shit the more likely something's gonna go down and you wanna make sure he isn't the one dragging you down with it-”
“DeShaun, if it wasn't for Dex we wouldn't know about Drew being a protester.”
“And what, Sasha? It proves jack shit.”
I glared at him in a way I never had before.
“Don't,” he said. “Don't look at me like I'm Joe. I'm not fucking Joe-”
“No, baby, I'm looking at you and wondering whose side you're on.”
“Yours, Sasha. Always, yours. But, hear me out. You remember what I said when I found out you were trans?”
I looked away.
“Yeah, and you forgave me. Look at us now.”
I looked back at him.
“What I said was terrible at worst, and a misunderstanding at best. We worked it out. But the truth is, you don't even know what Drew was doing at the protests.”
“Drinking my fucking tea,” I said, then gave a slight laugh. “I'm sorry.”
“Babygirl, my point is, he might not be the villain you think he is... Maybe you should talk to him. Clear the air. Find out what's what.”
I looked at my purse on the bed, thinking about the letter inside it. “Or maybe I should just accept the takeover bid and be done with all this, DeShaun.”
“All this?” he demanded.
My temper was taut and I almost blurted out the word everything. “The club,” I whispered.
He stared at me like he knew what I was thinking.
I felt shame as I swallowed another swig of beer. I was going to ruin this relationship, just as I'd ruined every relationship I'd ever had.
His eyes said I love you, yet his lips had already learned words would cure very little when I was like this. So he said nothing.
“I'm sorry,” I lied.