CHAPTER 28
I was applying the finishing touches to my make-up when my mobile rang.
“Good morning, Isobel,” I said, my voice wavering.
“Good morning to you too, Ms Liu,” she replied. “I trust you've attended to the last of your legal obligations since we last spoke?”
I paused.
“Ms Liu?”
“Isobel, I'm sorry to say your suspicions about a second bid were-”
“Completely unfounded,” she interrupted. “We were made aware of these claims, investigated them and found they amount to nothing at all.”
I said nothing.
“Little happens in Broxburgh without local people hearing about it, Ms Liu. I represent local people. We heard about it. We acted on it. And the source of the rumour was a manufactured lied, leaked from someone within your club to the press.”
I rushed to my bed to find my handwritten notes.
“Would you like to know who leaked it?” she asked.
I really didn't, as I found the card with the words I'd prepared for this situation.
“It was-”
“Isobel, I must say I find you very rude and obnoxious.” I hesitated as a text came in from David.
“And I find you most difficult and contrary, Ms Liu.”
His message said we should go see his brother together as soon as possible. “Your tone is condescending, Isobel, and borderline insulting, not to mention disrespectful.”
“Now hang on a second, Ms Liu-”
“No, you hang on. You interrupt me, your words are accusatory and within the subtext of several things you've said I sense a distaste for both my gender identity and lifestyle.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth, Ms Liu, I assure you.
On a personal level, I admire you. However, I'm not here to wax lyrical about your lifestyle.
I'm here to facilitate the sale of your football club to the consortium I represent.
Let's agree to that final meeting now, and put this behind us.”
I'd my fingernail on just the sentence I needed. “Not good enough, Isobel. I believe your attitude and personal hostility gives me just cause to demand the consortium replaces you as their representative.”
“Nice try, Sasha,” she said.
I gulped.
“I have the consortium's full backing. I loop them in on every call I conduct with you. They're listening now. So let me assure you that no threat from you will result in my firing. I'm their first and only choice to deal with you. You will not delay this deal further.”
I was stumped.
“This is your final warning. If you do not meet to finalise the sale, the bid will be withdrawn and they'll walk away.”
I just needed to meet David.
“These are serious business people who feel they've been treated in an extremely amateur manner.”
We needed to hear what Eddie had to say.
“Let me assure you, there'll be repercussions throughout Broxburgh if you allow this takeover to fall apart.”
I couldn't be in two places at once.
“We know there's no second bid.”
I didn't have the energy to fight them off any longer.
“We know it was you attempting to engineer another delay.”
I was all out of lies as well.
“You have twenty-four hours to meet us or the deal's off.”
I silenced my gasp with my palm.
“We'll be there in force to meet you at Lady Macbeth Park come nine o'clock in the morning, understood?”
“Yes.”
“We'll be watching until then.”
I was shaking as I clutched my mobile like my life depended on it.
She hung up.
I was still a bundle of nerves as I pulled into the car park of a local walking trail.
David waved from the entrance to the path.
I smiled as I waved back, then got out and set my boots down on the loose chippings on the ground.
“You changed your outfit,” he said. “I like the Broxburgh badge on your blazer.”
“Thank you,” I said, and smoothed it out with my palm, inadvertently accentuating the outline of my breasts through my blouse.
“You-”
“Why are-”
David laughed. “Sorry, you first, Sasha.”
“I was just going to ask why we're meeting Eddie here?”
“Actually, he's down at the reservoir.” David turned and we started down the path. “He's getting ready to film something for a video project.”
I looked at him.
“It's unrelated to Broxburgh FC.”
I guessed there was more to life than my football club.
“It's his day off, and I think he's more likely to talk here, away from everything, than at the ground.”
“And is he ready to talk?”
“He was ready earlier... I just hope he hasn't lost his nerve.”
The sunlight shone brightly through the hedges into my eyes. “What were you going to say, David?”
He looked at me.
“Go ahead,” I insisted.
“I was just going to say you look beautiful today, Sasha.”
I stopped.
He reluctantly stopped beside me.
“David...”
“You don't have to,” he said.
“I do, David. It's obvious we still need to have this conversation.”
He looked down the path towards the reservoir.
“Look, David, does Eddie know anything about... Us?”
“No... Unfortunately there's nothing to know, right?”
I half-smiled.
“Sasha, you don't need to explain. I know a relationship's not on the cards.” He began to walk again.
“Wait,” I said. “Sometimes in my life, David, I've trusted too easily and early.
Other times, too slowly and without heart.
With you, I've never had a reason to distrust you.
I mean that. You've a glow about you. It's something I hope you never lose.” I took a deep breath.
“I don't want to be the one to take that away from you.”
“I'm not a virgin anymore,” he said firmly.
“That wasn't what I meant-”
“I've had sex in the last few weeks.”
I hesitated. “You've been with a girl?”
“She was trans.”
My head was whirling at this information and I'd no time to process it before I said what I'd set out to say to him.
“David, I have to be honest with you, the age difference between us is always going to be an issue for me.
I can't see myself ever getting past it.
It's just too great. And the passage of time isn't going to be an ally.
In ten years, I'll be getting close to fifty and you'll still not even be thirty.
I can't even imagine ten years after that.
As lovely and as great as you are, as attracted to you as I am, I know it's not for me. You deserve more than someone with my reluctance.”
“I understand your perspective, Sasha...”
I felt relief.
“But, respectfully, I disagree.”
I almost laughed, he just wouldn't give up. “You are sweet... And cute.”
He smiled. “Sasha, make me a deal, okay? If you find yourself at a loose end and just want a no-strings fuck, call me. No one else could appreciate you the way I would.”
I grinned as I shook my head and rolled my eyes.
“Is that a no?”
“You're incorrigible, David,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Delightfully so.”
“Hey!” shouted a voice from the direction of the reservoir.
I pulled my hand away.
“Down here!” called Eddie, turning away.
David and I resumed our steps down the path, saying nothing more on the subject.
Eddie had three cameras set up, one centred on the reservoir, another on the horizon and a final one pointing to a spot where I guessed he'd stand to present a spot.
My heels gave a final tap on the ground as David and I stopped.
Eddie looked particularly sheepish.
“Your brother tells me you're ready to talk,” I said.
Eddie looked over my shoulder.
I followed his glance, but no one was there.
“Ms Liu,” he began, “listen, you must stand up to the consortium. You can't sell to them. If you use the information I have and still go on to sell, I'm finished at Broxburgh. I'll lose the best job I've ever had. Don't make this be for nothing.”
I felt the cool breeze of the watery air snap at my nylon-clad legs. “Does this mean you're going to tell me what you know?”
David flinched.
“Are you going to sell?” Eddie demanded.
I contemplated lying – and probably would've if his brother hadn't been stood next to me. “It looks that way, Eddie.”
He sighed.
“But that's why I'm trying so hard to get all the info I can. My gut tells me there's so much wrong here I can't prove yet. If what you have to tell me is worth it, I promise you you'll still have a job at Broxburgh.”
“You cannae promise me you won't sell anyway?”
I reluctantly shook my head.
“I cannae get my heid 'round this all.”
“Eddie, please.”
“Sash,” David started, his arm out in front of my chest, “just give him a minute.”
“Sash?” Eddie said. “You two on first name terms? Very cosy.”
“Bro.”
Eddie turned to the reservoir and let out a long exhalation.
I looked to David.
David raised his forefinger to his lips.
“Kyle was my source at the club when I ran my own unofficial Broxburgh channel,” Eddie said. “It was Kyle who pushed me to ask the personal questions when I first interviewed you for my channel.”
I recalled the interview. It'd been back in November of last year.
“It was Kyle who leaked information to me about you having a relationship with someone at the club, prior to that interview, information I chose not to reveal.
He hasn't wanted you at the club from day one, ma'am.
In fact, he signalled his discontent when Aroon first tried to buy the club.
He didn't approve of your marriage to Aroon...” Eddie turned to face us.
“With you being trans. He didn't agree with it.” He cleared his throat.
“He doesn't agree with it. And he's had an agenda against you ever since.”
My stomach was in knots. None of this was enough.
“Since I started working for you, Kyle's made my life difficult. One moment he acts like my best friend, and the next he drops little hints that I could be for the chop-”
“He's no power to do that,” I insisted.
“Not now, ma'am, but ever since he's become manager he's got worse.
He takes every opportunity to remind me of his past leaks, or, as he puts it, how he helped my YouTube channel before I worked for the club, how he's always been good to me, having my back and even Drew's made it clear my career would be over if I ever opened my mouth about Kyle's animosity towards you.”
“They've no authority to do that, Eddie.”