Page 11

CHAPTER 11

“ H ave you seen the news?” Ash’s mum, Debra, walked into the kitchen, phone held aloft. She clutched the top of one of the white wooden chairs. “Your friend has called off her engagement!”

“My friend?” Ash had no idea who her mum was talking about.

“Princess Victoria.”

Ash blushed despite herself. She hadn’t told anybody but Cam where she went the afternoon of the barbecue. It felt too sensitive to put out there, too dangerous. Even though nothing had happened.

Then again, everything had happened.

Ash had known this royal announcement was coming, and that was insanely weird. Victoria told her she was going to break the news by posting her relationship status on her socials to single. By deleting photos of her and Dexter looking coupley. However, Ash hadn’t known the exact moment it was going to happen.

She did now.

“I met her once, Mum.” A lie. “She’s hardly my friend.” Also a lie, as Victoria had been messaging her all week telling her how the trip was going.

“She spent at least ten seconds longer with you than she did anyone else at the MBE ceremony. I think there was a connection.” Her mum grinned like this was the best joke ever. “Plus, we sat in the royal box at Wimbledon two weeks ago. Who do you think puts in a good word on the invites?”

Ash had taken her mum to the women’s semi-final, and she had not stopped raving about sitting in the row behind Bradley Cooper.

Her mum tutted at her phone. “There are crowds forming at the Palace gates. People are holding up Victoria and Dexter tea towels and mugs. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always liked the royals. Victoria seems lovely, but that Dexter? He always seemed a little too try-hard for me. Too eager. But I hope she’s being taken care of in Australia if she’s upset.”

Ash gave in and opened her phone. Sure enough, her mum wasn’t lying. Outside the enormous iron Palace gates, crowds were gathered with candles and flowers, mourning the end of Victoria’s relationship. Which is exactly the reason Victoria had done it while she was out of the country.

Let the media frenzy peak, then die down before I get home, with luck.

That’s what Victoria had told Ash this week, via WhatsApp. Who knew that royalty used WhatsApp, too?

Now, watching the interviews on her phone, with reporters and the public speculating wildly on the reasons behind the split, Ash wasn’t sure it would die down quickly. People cared about who Victoria was coupled with. But it didn’t put Ash off. If anything, it made her more interested. Even though she’d said she wanted her next relationship to be low-key. Out of the limelight. Which made this precisely what she hadn’t ordered.

Sometimes, her choices didn’t make sense. But when the future Queen expresses interest in you, you had to see where it went. Even if it meant lying to your mum when you came to see her post-training. A teeny-tiny lie.

Ash had been following Victoria’s royal tour with an enthusiasm usually reserved for football stats. The princess’s schedule was dazzling, a whirlwind of state dinners, trade meetings, and charity events. Each appearance only made Ash’s impression of her grow. She wasn’t just beautiful; she was brilliant, commanding rooms full of diplomats as easily as she’d enchanted Ash in that hot tub.

She should probably be asking Victoria for public speaking tips next time they met, but she was pretty sure it wouldn’t be top of their agenda. Because every time Victoria appeared on her phone screen or TV, Ash found herself studying her lips, wondering what she was thinking behind that poised smile. Was she ready for today’s news? Nervous about tomorrow’s appearances, and the inevitable questions about the breakup?

Focus . Twice this morning, her drills coach had caught her drifting during training. She couldn’t tell him why. She couldn’t tell anyone.

There was nothing to tell.

Yet.

“Have you come to see me, or have you come to smirk at your phone at my kitchen table?”

Ash put it down. She’d message Victoria later. She’d be asleep now, anyway. 2pm here, which meant it was 3am in Australia.

“I’m here to see you, Mother Dearest.”

Debra smiled, placated. “How was training today? It’s weird having you around during the summer. You’re normally off at a tournament, have been forever. World Cup. Euros. Olympics. She Believes. Am I allowed to say I quite like that England didn’t qualify for the Olympics?”

“No, you’re not.” Ash shook her head, smiling all the same. It had stung at the time, but having no competitive games for a month was what her body needed. It was her mind that took more to convince.

“But I like it. You’re coming to see us a little more, which is always good.” Her mum paused, then nodded towards the counter, where familiar ingredients were laid out on top. “You can help me make some banana bread if you like. You want to do the wet ingredients, and I’ll do the dry?”

“Sure.”

Ash jumped up, knowing this routine far better than the corner routines they’d been practising this morning. The Ravens lost the league by fine margins last year, and one was their inability to score from set pieces. Their coach, Jo Kendall, had hired a new set-piece coach to try to improve that element of their game. Ash was on corner duty, and had spent a frustrating morning trying to curl the ball to the back post, and failing for a long while. She got the hang of it by the end, but her foot just hadn’t wrapped around the ball today.

Set-piece coach, Dwayne, had been nothing but encouraging. However, Ash was her own worst enemy. It was only when she managed to silence her inner critic that her touch started to return. She hoped mashing together two ripe bananas and two eggs, along with some melted butter would prove far less problematic.

Ash had made banana bread with her mum since she was little. It was a staple. Did Victoria do things like this with her mum? She couldn’t imagine it.

She whipped the eggs, trying to clear her mind of any princess thoughts.

Her mum put the oven on and assessed her as Ash weighed out the butter.

“Remember to cover it as you melt it. It splattered all over the microwave that one time.”

“That was when I was still playing at Crystal Palace. Time to let it go.” When she thought about it, she’d always been at teams with royal names. Crystal Palace, then the Royal Ravens. Did that mean something?

Debra grinned. “You never answered my question. How was training? You seem a little distracted.”

Ash set the butter to melt at an appropriate temperature. “Fine. We did some gym work, then some corner drills. I was shit at them, but I got better. Then we had delicious salmon in the canteen.”

“You don’t know you’re born, getting your meals cooked at work.”

She was well aware. “I’m a peak-condition athlete. They need to make sure I maintain that.”

“You’re spoilt, that’s what you are.” But her mum kissed her cheek all the same. “Is there a new woman in the picture? I know the signs, you become all distracted. I remember it well with Danielle. You stop eating as much, and get a little tense, jittery.”

“I do not.” It was a reflexive response. Ash knew it was true.

“You’re not slick. Ever since Marbella, you’ve been distracted. And don’t think I missed that guilty little exchange of glances with Cam at the airport when I asked if you’d met anyone new or interesting.” She bumped Ash’s hip, grinning. “Trust me, love, I perfected that exact innocent face with my own mum, back in the day.”

“I’ll have to have a word with Cam about making better faces.” Ash was going for making light of it.

It might work.

Or perhaps not, if the raised eyebrow was anything to go by.

“Nothing happened. I didn’t kiss anyone.” She wasn’t lying. “I told you. It was a girls’ trip, pure and simple.”

Also, a trip where she’d met a girl who she couldn’t wait to see again.

Since the news had broken, they’d started to share regular messages, much to Ash’s delight.

You’re all over the news here. I can’t pick up my phone without somebody speculating about what went wrong for you and Dexter.

I know. He’s been keeping me up to date.

Can you handle it? Aren’t the Australians obsessed, too?

They are, but it’s not anywhere near as bad as it would be in London. I’m still glad my team planned it this way. It means I can avoid the main spotlight glare. Over here, it’s more a low-wattage bulb. Plus, I’ve had three proposals today now that I’m back on the market. You’d think people would leave it at least a day.

She was honest-to-goodness funny. For some reason, Ash hadn’t expected that. Perhaps because the royals were fed to us as bland and boring. Beige. Victoria was anything but beige.

How are you feeling?

Honestly? Lighter. Happier. Relieved I don’t have to pretend anymore. But this is just step one.

The following day, Victoria had flown to Uluru, where she’d gone to visit a lesbian-owned restaurant that did the best steak in the area. It was her third engagement of the day, after visiting a nursery in the morning, along with having lunch with indigenous leaders. However, it was the dinner with the sapphics that Victoria was most nervous about.

Please don’t watch it, because I always blush when I’m around lesbians or queer people in public life. I don’t know why. Guilt over not being out?

Nobody suspects. Just look gorgeous and be nice to the lesbians.

I’m always nice to lesbians.

I know.

I think I’m also nervous because I worry they’ll see right through me, and then my deepest secrets will be all over the press tomorrow. Stupid to worry about that. Especially right now.

The only person with the superpower to see through you is me. We already established that.

Ash loved that it was true.

In response, Victoria sent her back a row of double heart-eyes, along with the Superman logo.

That had been followed by an interminable 20-minute gap where Victoria had been typing, stopped, restarted, stopped.

Where are you writing these messages?

Back of my car. I’ve told my aide, Tanya, that I’m checking in on Dex, but I don’t think she believes me. I’m grinning too much at my phone. I love Dex, but now is not the time to grin at any conversation between us. Right now, he’s regretting his choices from three years ago. Anyway, both Tanya and I are thrilled to be in the car as it’s air-conditioned and away from flies, who attacked us yesterday. They have no regard for royalty.

Off with their heads.

Tried that. They were too quick. How’s your week been?

Victoria, Ash was learning, was always interested in what she was doing.

Yesterday I made banana bread with my mum and was terrible at corners. Plus, it was arm day in the gym.

I’m a fan of arm day, especially for you.

That text had made Ash sit back on her sofa, then almost fan herself.

Are you flirting with me, Your Royal Highness?

Well spotted. No flies on you.

Ash had wondered if this constant messaging at all hours might be a distraction. While the answer was a definite yes, it was also something she’d come to truly look forward to. A highlight of her day. Getting to know a woman she was interested in. Someone she hadn’t even kissed yet. It felt like she was courting. Like she was back in the days of her grandmother, or even older.

She’d never done it before. She’d only ever dated footballers, and she’d wanted to change that. Her past girlfriends had always played on the same team or in the same league, so they were usually on the same schedules. With Victoria, there was none of that. Her schedule was the craziest Ash had ever encountered, her downtime non-existent.

I worked on my biceps, then got them out today for the new Tiffany campaign I’m doing. It’s about strength and jewellery. I drive a cool sports car in the ad, I hope you get to see it soon.

So do I. It sounds right up my ally. Your arms and fast cars are two of my favourite things.

Messaging made Victoria way bolder than in real life. Ash had to up her game. Marianne had sent some initial proof shots already. Ash quickly edited a couple, then messaged them to Victoria. It didn’t take long for a row of fire emojis to light up her phone.

Your football skills drew me in, but your biceps and calves don’t hurt. You look incredible.

Ash’s heart did a backflip. She could totally get used to being chatted up by royalty.

I can’t wait to get back and run my fingers over your biceps.

Ash blinked. They still hadn’t spoken about when they were going to meet up.

I hope I’m allowed to say that, and you don’t feel too objectified.

On the contrary, I particularly enjoy being objectified by you.

Ash was in so much trouble. She was already skipping her regular sleep patterns to message Victoria in the middle of the night. She didn’t care.

It was a slippery slope, she knew that. But somehow, despite knowing it was the wrong thing to do, she couldn’t stop herself. She made excuses, saying it was still pre-season. That her sleep didn’t matter so much when the games weren’t truly high stakes.

But they mattered. After the previous season, every game was a step back to her very best. Past-Ash would never have let anything get in the way of her journey back to peak fitness. Evenings out were routinely turned down. Movie premieres were slipped away from. Alcohol received a shake of the head. But a two-line message with a smiley face from a princess was the catalyst to turn her head.

However, she had it under control. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself. If her mum thought she was distracted, and if her coach wondered why her corner kicks kept going awry, they could keep wondering. Right now, it didn’t matter. All that mattered to Ash was Victoria’s plane landing again and them somehow breathing the same air. Where maybe, just maybe, she might get to kiss her.

By the way, when I’m back next week, Tanya tells me as FA Women’s Patron, I’m slotted in to open a new facility at the National Women’s Training Centre in Birmingham. Will you be there, too?

She’d woken up to this message this morning, and then plunged into an ice bath of anxiety. She’d imagined her next meeting with Victoria would be behind closed doors. Just the two of them. Not with the whole world watching, and probably still itching to ask her about what happened with Dexter.

I will be there. We’re in England training camp that week, and that’s media day. It’s a nice surprise you’ll be there, too.

Not quite the intimate setting I’d hoped for, but beggars can’t be choosers. It’ll still be lovely to see you.

Ash had stared at her phone as if it were a bomb. Her head throbbed with excitement, but also fear. While the princess was far away, flirting had been easy. Now that she was due back, it was about to get a whole lot more real.

But she was in this now. She was well aware of that. She had to see how this would turn out, good or bad.

Ash’s heart wanted Victoria.

There was no turning back.