Page 30 of Playing the Game

Steven sighed. “They have signs. No rainbows at the Brock. That kind of thing.”

For fuck’s sake.

“Javier wanted you to know,” Steven continued. “Better than being surprised.”

Jonas swallowed. He could handle this.

“Thanks,” he said. “All we can do is turn this into fire.”

Next to him, Goran nodded.

“Fuck them all,” he said fiercely.

“Wise words,” Steven said, clapping his hands together. “Javier will be here in fifteen for a chat. Let’s get this show on the road.”

They all cheered as he left the locker room.

Alain walked forward. “Merde.I can’t take it anymore.”

Everyone fell silent.

“What?” Tito asked.

“Who is gay and who isn’t?” the French defender said.

The exasperation on his face made Jonas chuckle.

“Alain!” Adam said.

“Does it matter?” Tito asked.

Alain returned to his spot and sat down. He resembled an angry toddler.

“Not at all. It’s killing me. That is all.”

Tito shrugged. “Well I am and I don’t care who knows it.”

“Same here,” Noah added. “It would be a bit odd to transfer here if I wasn’t.”

All eyes rested on Jonas. It always shocked him that anyone would even ask. He thought it totally obvious.

“That’s a hat trick, boys,” he said.

They all cheered. He would never have experienced a moment like this at Canonbury.

“We’ll be outnumbered soon,” Alain said.

“When I first came here, my translator was gay,” Jerzy said. “It’s no big deal.”

“Absolutely correct,” Adam added. “Colin. Put Jerzy down for ten Skipper points.”

Colin typed furiously into his phone.

Alain held his hands up. “No argument from me. It’s less competition. Which is a good thing for Ewen here.”

Poor Ewen had been minding his own business, putting his shirt on. His head popped out of the top.

“Me? How did I get dragged into it?”