Page 111 of Playing the Game

“Haber the queer,” another added.

“Oi,” a man in the Brockton crowd screamed, “shut the fuck up.”

Jonas wanted to get into the locker room.

“It’ll be gay pride at Brockton next,” an away fan hollered.

“So what?” a woman replied. “We got your cream. You got our shite. Bugger off.”

Jonas caught her eye. She gave him a double thumbs-up.

He winked.

“The tide is turning,” Goran said as he walked next to Jonas.

“You think?”

“You just heard it.”

They were at the tunnel. Jonas waved to the crowd. To his joy a lot of them cheered.

“Perhaps you’re right.”

The clatter of football boot studs filled the air.

“You’re doing press,” Javier shouted to Jonas.

“Ugh,” Jonas said to Goran. “Still at least it will give Adam the chance to get changed and out of here before he has to talk to me.”

“Hey,” Goran replied. “Give him a break.”

Jonas stopped dead. Goran knew something.

“What is going on?”

“I can’t tell you. Hear my words, Jonas. Yeah?”

Jonas watched the goalkeeper stride off to the showers.

What did he mean by that? Something was going on and Jonas was determined to get to the bottom of it.

TWENTY-ONE

ADAM

Olive kicked her legs with gusto. The sheer joy as she flexed her limbs written all over her face.

“Are you going to be a footballer like Daddy?” Adam cooed.

Maybe it’s in the genes.

He stared into her blue eyes.

“No matter what happens, I won’t abandon you,” he said. “I promise you that.”

With less difficulty, he fastened the nappy. Each time he got better. He’d barely retched that time.

“What does my lioness in training want to wear today?” he asked as he scooped her into his arms. “We have to make sure she’s looking her best.”