Page 100 of Playing the Game

Jonas stalked off. Before Adam had a chance to follow, he noticed Javier at the bottom of the stairs.

“Are you sick?”

That was the problem with telling fibs. They had a tendency to snowball into great big lies.

“Just a bit under the weather, Boss.”

“Then go home,” Javier fired back. “You know better than to bring illness here. If anything rips through my squad before Saturday, I’ll have your balls.”

Adam opened his mouth to correct Javier. Then he realised what a Pandora’s box that would open. Instead he nodded meekly.

“Yes, Boss.”

His head down, he went outside and to his car. One minute he hated himself for how he’d treated Jen historically. The next for how he was now behaving toward Jonas.

At least Olive loved him. The feeling was very much mutual. They’d only spent a few days together but already he was smitten.

As he drove out of the gates, he passed Goran who gave him a quizzical look. They rolled their windows down.

“Is there a fire?” Goran asked.

“Nah, I’m a bit under the weather,” Adam replied. “Listen, keep an eye on Jonas today.”

Goran frowned. “You two had a row?”

“You could say that.”

“Everything all right?”

Adam sighed. “I’ll tell you later. I’ve got to get home.”

With that he drove off. Maybe he should use the enforced time off to talk to Jen about the future. He didn’t want to push her. His life had suddenly become a minefield.

When he got home, he found them in the lounge. Olive babbling and wriggling on the rug. A tired Jen by the side of her.

“How come you’re home so early?”

“Javier overheard me telling Jonas I’m sick.”

Jen frowned. “Who is Jonas?”

“A new player.”

Adam sank down on the couch and squeezed the bridge of his nose. The beginning of a headache was forming. Maybe all these lies were becoming true and he actually was poorly. Babies did carry all sorts of germs.

“Do you want a smoothie?” Jen asked.

“Nah,” Adam replied. “I’ll be fine.”

He opened his eyes to find Jen watching him carefully.

“You seem stressed. Is that everything?”

It was sweet that even in the midst of all this, she still cared.

“There’s never a dull moment for the Skipper,” he replied. “Anyway I’ve got the day off. What shall we do?”

Jen dangled a toy in front of Olive. “I need to go to the shops. We’re running out of nappies and I could do with some bits.”