CHAPTER 31
I was home by myself on Saturday evening after the match, browsing comments online which made the positions of the hardcore fans clear.
They hated me for dismissing Kyle and Drew, especially at this stage of the season, while some were even threatening to riot if I dared take charge again next week.
I was wasting time when I knew I should be considering Blair's suggestion more seriously.
And I was feeling lonely.
I knew it'd be selfish to text. Yet I scrolled through my contacts all the same, admitting to myself I'd been a little jealous when I found out.
ME - How'd your date go last night? X
I felt a little buzz.
DAVID MAYNE – It was ok x
I poured more wine.
ME – Who was the lucky girl? Xx
DAVID MAYNE – I'm actually out with her again now x
I put my mobile down and paced the kitchen, annoyed by the development, never mind feeling snubbed at the one x. I tried to find something else to distract myself with, yet it didn't work and I raced back to my phone when another text came through.
DAVID MAYNE – She's the same one I did you know what with last time x
ME - You can say the actual word you know. What's she like? What age? x
The next text came in swiftly, but it wasn't from David.
ANGUS HAMILTON – Yes we'll meet tomorrow. Bring me all the information on Kyle and Drew you can. I'll make sure people know the truth.
ME – Okay
It started to look like David wasn't going to reply. I told myself it was none of my concern where he ploughed his young cock next.
I left my phone on the kitchen table and went upstairs to change into my night clothes. It was the end of April and certainly warm enough to mosey around the house in my most revealing lingerie, even if there was no one else here to appreciate it.
I came back down, delighted to find a reply.
DAVID MAYNE - I don't think she's too impressed I'm on my phone so much x
ME - Am I making her jealous? xx
DAVID MAYNE - Are you flirting with me? xx
ME - A little :) xxx
DAVID MAYNE - I'm hard xxx
ME - Why? What did she do? xxx
DAVID MAYNE - For you xxx
I set my wine glass down and asked myself what I was doing. I didn't know. I didn't ever seem to know with men.
ME - Are you gonna fuck her? xxx
DAVID MAYNE - Would it bother you if I did? xxx
ME - Is it wrong if it does? xxx
DAVID MAYNE - You tell me
No X's?!? I swallowed a mouthful of wine.
ME - I want you in my bed tonight xxx
I felt my heart pound. It'd been impulsive. It'd possibly been down to alcohol. But I meant it. Until the minutes began to tick away with no reply and I started to feel regret. I'd played my ace card and nothing happened.
I touched up my make-up nevertheless.
Then I waited in the living room, hoping for a knock on my door.
I entered the main foyer of the Broxburgh Evening News.
“Ms Liu,” Angus said, beckoning me towards him. “Good to see you, great timing, I've just made coffee.”
I walked past the skeleton crew unlucky enough to be working on a Sunday, smiling politely but picking up on an underlying whim of suspicion, then entered Angus' office.
He shut the door behind me. “Sit, please.”
“I've brought everything I have,” I said, producing the folders my PI had compiled.
Angus began to go through them.
I sipped my coffee.
“My, my,” he muttered.
I let my eyes roam the room, taking note of the number of awards he'd won down the years.
“This is really something.”
“You think you've enough to go on for a story?”
His finger rested on the picture of Drew amongst the protesters. “I... Think... So.”
“There's also this,” I said, and reached inside my blazer pocket to produce the note that'd come through my window with the brick.
“And this.” I showed him the comparative sample of Kyle's handwriting.
“The club's former groundsman, Willie McGlinchey, can provide testimony that Kyle bragged about smashing my window.”
“Former?” Angus asked.
“I accepted his resignation on Friday.”
“Retirement?”
I reluctantly nodded, hesitant to throw Willie under the bus.
“The evidence is staggering, Ms Liu. I'll definitely be able to do the story. The actions of Mr Guernsey and Mr Heseltine are tantamount to conspiracy, and in Mr Guernsey's case criminal. I don't see how either will work in football again after this.”
“I just want people to know the truth.”
“They will, I assure you of that.” He fixed his glasses. “I'll need to reach out to both men, give them a right to reply.”
“I understand. There is something I hope you could do for me in return, Angus.”
“I might've known there'd be a catch.”
“I just want the truth about something.”
“Go ahead,” he said.
“When you ran the story that I was about to sell the club, did the information come from DeShaun Wilkesboro?”
“This isn't the first time you've asked me this. Why the obsession?”
I crossed my tanned, nylon-clad legs. “Angus, you know full well DeShaun and I were in a relationship. I confided in him of my decision to sell. Only him. And the next thing I knew you published that revelation.”
“Have you asked him?”
“He denied it, of course, and I ended the relationship.”
Angus pursed his lips. “Ms Liu, I can confirm to you now that Mr Wilkesboro was not the source of my leak.”
“He wasn't? Then who? Your article said it was a source within the club.”
“Sources,” he corrected. “I won't divulge who, but I acknowledge now the information was flawed.”
“It was right at the time. But I changed my mind.” I looked Angus in the eye. “Were the sources Kyle and Drew?”
“A good journalist could never admit that... But a good person wouldn't deny it. Take from that what you can, Ms Liu.” He patted the folders I'd set on his desk. “May I keep these until I've finished the story?”
I nodded.
“I'll see they're returned to you after.” He offered his hand across the desk. “On a personal note, I'm glad the takeover failed and I wish you and the club every success in chasing promotion. I hope you do it for this town.”
I decided against buying a bottle of wine on my way home, instead making a small, healthy dinner, then heading upstairs to pamper myself.
I was applying face cream in the bathroom when I heard my mobile in the bedroom.
I hurried in to check it.
DAVID MAYNE - Guess who's on another date? xx
I couldn't believe it. Not the audacity of his text after ignoring my last message. Not the two x's. And certainly not the sudden grip jealousy had on my whole body.
I tossed my phone onto the bed, then tried to walk out of the room.
I froze at the double doors, turning my head back to my mobile. It'd be madness to reply. What could I possibly say to that? There was no way to answer without giving away my jealousy.
I pulled on one door handle.
I let it go.
I strutted back to the bed.
ME – The same lucky girl? This must be getting serious xx
DAVID MAYNE – Of course it's the same girl. When I commit to someone I'm properly committed to them xx
ME – Pity xx
And then I waited in utter frustration as the minutes ticked away with no reply.
I'd no motivation to go back to the bathroom and continue where I'd left off.
All I wanted was a text from him. I couldn't understand how someone so young had got such a sudden hold over me when it'd always been older men or men my own age.
I couldn't wait any longer.
ME – Are you committed to her? Are the two of you together now? Xx
I felt sheer anguish when he ignored that text too. How was he driving me so wild? Was it the forbidden nature of being an older woman with a younger man? Or his sudden reluctance to jump into my bed? Whichever, or both, it was only stoking my fires higher.
I wanted him.
Yet all I could picture was David and his girlfriend somewhere together, and he was making love to her instead of me.
I decided to bite the bullet and send a text to DeShaun instead.
ME – Hi. Can I see you in my office tomorrow morning? Love Sasha x
I arrived at Lady Macbeth Park early on Monday morning, wearing a short, black skirt and DeShaun's favourite pair of pink panties underneath, only to be greeted by the news that the league had issued a hefty fine due to my taking charge of the team without having the required coaching badges.
I'd been warned to expect a punishment, but ￡22,000 was still a whopping bill for a League Two outfit.
I had to ensure the same fate didn't befall us for the next match.
The phone on my desk rang at 9am.
“Good morning, Ms Liu,” said the club receptionist. “Mr Wilkesboro has just arrived and asked me to notify you he's here.”
“Excellent,” I replied, beginning to fix my hair. “Ask him to come to my office.”
The knock on the door came a couple of minutes later.
“Come in.”
DeShaun entered, leaving the door open behind him.
I knew him well enough to know when his intentions didn't align with mine, but I stood to greet him regardless and show how daringly short my skirt was. “Hi, DeShaun.”
“Ms Liu,” he replied.
“Sit, please.”
DeShaun hesitated, then sat. “What's this about?”
“It's awkward. In fact...” I walked slowly around my desk on my stilettos, hoping his eyes would drink in the sight of me as they once had, and strutted across the floor to shut the door. “That's better.”
He hadn't moved an inch.
I returned to my side of the table, pulled my chair further back than before and sat, crossing my legs and hoping he'd catch a tempting glimpse of my panties. “I've asked you in today to discuss two subjects. One professional and one personal.”
His shoulders hunched.
“I'd prefer to deal with the personal first, DeShaun.”
He nodded.
“I owe you an apology. I got it wrong about you leaking to the press. I should've trusted you and I didn't. I take full responsibility for our break-up.”
He stared at me in silence.
“I regret my actions so much.”
He was so cold.
“I'm sorry, DeShaun.”
“I accept your apology,” he said quietly.
“But?” I asked, sensing he'd no desire to try again.
He opened his beautiful, pale palms. “Sasha, it's best we leave this conversation where it is.”
I gazed at him, fearing I'd truly never hear him call me his babygirl again.
“And the professional matter?”
I was staring.
“Sasha?”