Page 8 of Playing the Game

“I’ll be having a meeting with you all once you’ve settled in,” he said in a Texan drawl. “We’ll get cracking on the press stuff right away. That means I want to know about any skeletons hanging around in those closets. Let’s not be surprised again.”

He glared at Steven, who seemed more amused than upset.

“You did an amazing job,” he said. “And we all survived.”

“Once. Twice might kill me. Dead.”

They all chuckled. Everyone except Jamie.

“Media and sponsorships are all very well,” he said. “What matters most are results. If you’ve come here for an easy ride or to fuck about, you’ve made a mistake. I want your absolute best. Do you understand me?”

Jonas, Noah and Tito nodded.

“No worries about that, Mr Walter,” Tito said. “We’re gonna fly this year.”

Jamie appraised him, his face barely moving.

“I hope you’re right, otherwise there’ll be some more major changes at the end of the season.”

Jonas frowned. It was an unusual move to threaten them on their first day. Perhaps he wanted it to come across as motivational.

They strode away.

“He seems nice,” Tito said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Steven replied. “He panicked that he’d lost control of the club last year.”

That was putting it mildly. They’d been in every newspaper for weeks.

“Have things died down?” he asked.

Steven shrugged. “What’s new one minute is standard the next. Most of the lads don’t give a shit. There were a few who had a problem with Javier’s unusual recruitment campaign.”

“And now they’re gone,” Javier said, clapping his hands together. “So how about we get you boys changed and in possession of a ball? After all, that’s why we’re here.”

A flash of anticipation swept through Jonas. The time to prove himself had arrived.

He was ready.

THREE

ADAM

The locker room was full. Adam had his usual spot with goalie Goran Navojec on one side and striker Ewen Armitage on the other. Today, there were spare places in the room, which always gave Adam a sense of regret. They’d lost a few key players over the summer transfer period.

“Bit weird without Riggsy,” Ewen said, pulling his socks up.

Adam shrugged. “He made his choice.”

Shaun Riggs had been at Brockton for quite a few years. Yet when Javier had declared the club to be a safe space for any gay players, that had been too much for him. He’d immediately put in for a transfer. So had two other teammates.

“Yeah,” Goran added. “If people don’t want to be here, the best thing is for them to fuck off.”

He seemed tired.

“The baby keeping you up?” Adam asked.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” Goran replied. “He’s got the lungs of a bloody opera singer.”