Never Again - 13

Chapter 13 - meeting the friends

 

Next morning, Erin woke first, Jack was fast asleep, snoring softly, but he looked comfortable at last. She found some more of the medication and placed it next to the glass on his bedside table; he needed to take them when he woke. Then she wandered downstairs.

Michelle and Dave were already up, sharing coffee, decaf for her of course, at the kitchen table. As soon as she entered the room, all four eyes focussed on her. Laughing she grabbed a mug and poured herself a mug of the strong black coffee that she and Dave loved.

                “No comment!” She offered, lowering into a seat opposite them. Dave chuckled, but Michelle could barely restrain herself.

                “I presumed I’d find one of you on the sofa...”

Erin slowly sipped her coffee, keeping the straightest face, then she finally suggested, “We shared the bed, two adults can without it resorting to sex you know!”

                “But it wasn’t for the want of trying!” A deep voice added from the doorway, and they all looked up to see a rather delicious version of Jack stood there. His hair was more than ruffled from sleep, his eyes creased from the pillow, and he wore the same t-shirt he wore to bed, but a pair of training shorts covered the boxers he’d worn with it.

Michelle squealed with excitement, whereas Dave laughed and fist bumped Jack.

                “Coffee?” Dave jumped to his feet and poured a mug for his guest. Jack nodded appreciatively.

                “So can I shout you all to breakfast? I’m feeling a million dollars after that great night’s sleep. But I could eat a horse. What do you reckon?”

                “It’s been ages since we’ve taken the Sunday papers to Carlos’s cafe!” Dave immediately agreed. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

The women were reluctant to get dressed and leave the house yet, so they went with plan B, a delivery from the afore mentioned Carlos’s, which Dave insisted on paying for, in a battle of testosterone.

                “Thanks for letting him win,” Erin whispered once he’d left the room.

Jack nodded, “male pride, I get that, wanted to thank him for putting me up yesterday, but there’s plenty of time to thank him for that...and plenty of ways!”

                “See!” She placed a hand on his arm, “you can be nice sometimes!”

A few hours later, somehow, Erin ended up driving a hire car back to Manchester. She was angry at first, that he wasn’t prepared to take some of the load, especially when he barked out a tirade of instructions to negotiate the London streets that SHE was more familiar with than him, but he fell asleep on the outskirts of London and moaned in pain, so much so that she had to pull over to find his medication. He was more comfortable until they got back to Manchester.

                “So where am I taking you? I need to take this car to the drop off point by nine pm.”

Jack shook his head, “they’ll pick it up, I’ll call them. Will you drop me at mine?”

For all her arguments previously, she really didn’t want to go to his, it would complicate things and after their kisses...and more, the night before, the last thing she wanted was to wander back into that spider’s web.

                “Can we go to mine and then maybe you could drive to yours? It’s been a long day.”

He nodded, “if you’re sure.” When she nodded he smiled, “I owe you SO big for everything...again!”

It seemed surreal to return to work again after her bizarre and hectic weekend, but she did. There was a big contract screening young tennis players, and her day was jam packed. Michelle called her as she was leaving work.

                “Hey Mich, how goes it?”

Her friend squealed, “I came home to a huge hamper from Fortnum & Mason, you should SEE the stuff in it. Cheese, champagne, marmalade, pate, biscuits, tea...it’s AMAZING!” She gushed, “From Jack as a thank you! And Dave got a bottle of twenty year vintage malt whisky and the promise of tickets to any game he wants!”

And Jack gets even more fans! It exasperated Erin, and she needed an hour in the gym to get rid of her frustration. Back home, she flicked on the radio and made herself a pizza. A quiet night at home.  She didn’t want to hear from Jack, distance was safety, but every moment that he didn’t call or pester her, was a moment that he wasn’t thinking about her. And she hated that.  It was a perfect no win situation.

The week flew by, and other than the odd text, she heard nothing from him. But by Thursday she was planning another trip home to bring Barney back. She missed the old boy and couldn’t wait to have him back in her life.

She had just got in from work on Friday evening when her phone beeped.

                “Gutted I can’t play tomorrow. Will you watch the game with me?”

A HUGE decision, attend his work place as his ‘friend’, could she do that?

                “I can hear your indecision. I don’t bite...you know that! Neither do my colleagues. You LIKE football, please come - for me!”

The last words tugged her heartstrings, so she text him immediately, “God guilt trip central! I’m supposed to pick up Barney tomorrow.”

                “I can drive you down on Sunday? Help you out.”

There was something so appealing in him wanting her, needing her that she was powerless to resist.

                “One condition. No ‘who’s that girl?’ photos, I am not front page gossip!”

                “Discretion guaranteed! Meet you there at twelve? I’ve got a scan at ten, be best if I meet you there?”

What to wear? She’d been to hundreds of football matches, and often VIP with her father. But she’d never gone as the companion of the injured star striker. She couldn’t ask Michelle, that was too much, so she pulled every item out of her wardrobe until she finally settled on black leggings, her heeled knee high boots, and a chunky knit sweater. Comfy, warm, and definitely football worthy.

At dead on twelve she entered the stadium reception. A young overly made up brunette grinned at her in a rather exaggerated way.

“Can I help you?” Thought the expression on her face was at odds with the words.

“I’m supposed to meet Jack Reilly here.”

There was a long pause as the girl looked at Erin incredulously, “Jack? I haven’t seen him yet...do you want to take a seat over there...”

Erin shook her head, “no I really don’t, what I want is you to direct me to the Player’s Bar...or I’ll have to call Jack myself.” As if to prove the point, Erin pulled the phone out of her bag.

She other woman floundered, “up the stairs, second floor, follow the corridor to the right. It’s the last door on the left.”

                “Thank you SO much! You’ve been really helpful.” Feeling strong and in control for the first time in years, Erin climbed the stairs with a smile lighting her face.

It didn’t last. Opening the door to the bar, she walked in confidently, then fell apart. The room was full of glamorous women and suited men, the place oozed money, and she had never felt so out of place. Sauntering towards the bar as casually as she could, she smiled at the young boy who stood there smiling.

                “A beer please? Something bottled?”

He grinned, “Sure!” Then turned to the fridge behind him. Glancing around the room again Erin noticed that all the women were drinking what looked like soft drinks...or wine. She was SO uncouth. Normally she wouldn’t mind, but without Jack at her side she felt exposed and vulnerable.

                “Here you go!” The man handed her the drink and rang at extortionate amount in to the till, and Erin started to root around in her bag for some money, when two arms encircled her from behind.

                “Put it on my tab Harry, this lady pays for NOTHING today, do you hear?”

As Jack’s lips nipped at her earlobe, his body pressed tightly against her spine, the young boy grinned, “of course Mr Reilly!”

“You look good enough to eat Miss Bailey, and I hear that you took on Adele the bitch downstairs and won!”

Erin turned in his arms and cocked her head to the side, “how do you know that?”

He laughed, the leaned in for a conspiratorial whisper, “the security guys hate her, she’s always rude to them, so they were more than keen to share the cctv footage of her being put in her place!” he kissed her forehead, “I was so proud!”

Erin grinned, then watched him as he dropped the embrace and turned to order a drink himself, he looked devastatingly good, lounging against the bar. His grey trousers were tailored, smart but trendy, and the cashmere sweater in the same colour was hugging and definitely sexy - when he had stopped being annoying and starting being all those adjectives, she wasn’t sure, but he was.

Jack was equally enthralled, he had woken thinking about Erin every morning, and fell asleep thinking about  her. Stood beside him, her unruly auburn curls framing that beautiful face, her body literally coated by the softest looking jumper, and those long legs encased in equally clinging leggings. He was a lucky man, and he wasn’t unaware of the ripples of interest in this woman from the usual set of WAGS and families. But then it had been a LONG time since he’d brought anyone to a game.

Taking his bottle in one hand, and Erin’s spare hand in the other, he led her across the room to a table near the tinted window overlooking the pitch.

                “Thanks for coming!”

She sat opposite him and smiled her natural smile, “thanks for asking. I haven’t been to a game in ages, I’m really pleased to be here!”

Jack leaned back in his chair, a warm feeling rushing through him at the expression of pleasure on her face, “well it won’t be as good as it could be, as you won’t be able to ogle me as I run around the pitch!”

She laughed out loud, “Like I’d be ogling the old man when there are a dozen younger fitter men on the pitch?”

Suppressing a laugh he tried to raise an eyebrow in anger and failed, “there’s a lot to be said for experience and stamina...us oldies have by the bucket loads!”

                “Touché!” She was laughing as she sipped her beer. “Though I have to say as you sit here injured, you can prove neither today!”

Jack’s eyes widened, he loved these banters with her, almost as much as he loved kissing her, but that didn’t happen anywhere near often enough...though he was planning to rectify that later. Tonight he was all set to show her exactly what she was missing out on.