Chapter Nine

C hapter Nine

A ndy

Sebastian: All set for Poker on Monday?

Andy: Yeah, brother. Jack reckons he is going to clean us out but I'm certain he has never played before. Coop in too?

T he grey dots jumped on the screen before my phone rang, Sebastian's name indicating he was already done with the message thread he started.

"Surprised you didn't just call to start with." I said, chuckling into the phone as soon as I answered. Seb hated messaging and if you ever got a lengthy text you knew it was well thought out and had taken him a while to write. While we didn't go to the same high school, as teenagers we socialised in the same circles and found ourselves together at gatherings often. I met Cooper through him and now along with Jack, we caught up most months for a friendly game of poker and a couple of drinks at my place. I didn't have many friends outside of the team as it was always difficult to know who wanted you for the status which came along with it, but I appreciated these boys and their genuineness seeing as they'd been around long before I was drafted and never treated me any differently. "How you been?"

"Good, good. You know how it is." Seb replied, understanding in his tired tone.

"How's the club?" I asked, knowing the fatigue in his voice was due to the long nights he pulled at work. He opened Nexus, a nightclub in Sydney, a little over a year ago and it quickly became a favourite among patrons. When I did venture out, it was the only place I would go because I trusted Seb always had our backs and he ran a tight ship with who he allowed entry. Plus, I admired his loyalty. Some of his stricter regulations were because of me and that was not unnoticed. He had worked hard to get himself to where he was and like me, missed a lot of the mischief experienced in youth. We had come a long way from the days when I would be out in the park running laps and doing whatever I could to play elite, while he was putting in long hours behind bars and other odd jobs. Always working to increase his skills so he could fulfil his dream of owning his own establishment. And now he did.

"Nexus is busy, man. Have had some long nights lately. Coop and I were just saying the other day we want to come to a game once we get a free weekend."

"Let me know and I'll hook you up with a box."

"Yeah, for sure. Hearts have been on a good run lately, how's the rig holding up – you still smashing the weights?" Sebastian worked his own physique hard and it was no secret training helped him with his mental health too. It wasn't uncommon for him to join me for a weights session or me to meet him for his morning beach run in the off season and the accountability was a good motivator when training wasn't as strict.

"The rig's not the problem. I have an interview today with a journalist." I complained and Seb barked a laugh.

"Unlucky, bro. That's why you get paid the big bucks." He bantered and I ran my hand down my face in frustration.

"Absolute bullshit. Going to need to let off steam after for sure."

"Come to boxing with Cooper and I tonight? Although word of the wise, he won't go easy on you."

"How is that crazy bastard? He hasn't replied in the chat for a bit. Tied up with a new woman?" I asked. Cooper was a good mate but I didn't speak to him as often as I did Seb. Most of our text thread consisted of me asking when I could grab more of his whiskey – which was bloody good and him piling shit on me about a press release or a loss.

"Work is keeping him busy too, I think." He answered. "But a woman would probably be good for him." He muttered before sighing. Cooper owned and operated Golden Spades Whiskey Distillery and it was one of the biggest in the country. Like Seb, he built his business off his own back and was a one man show, which meant our monthly night was often the only time we got to catch up properly.

"We will both be there on Monday though." He added quickly. "Let me chase him later today. He has been off grid the last couple of weeks." Both he and Seb were solid blokes, but like the rest of us, I knew they had their demons and off-grid was never a good sign for Cooper especially if his past was anything to go off.

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked. There was an underlying ruthlessness to Coop and when Seb's groan came through the phone, I paused. "You sure it's work, or…" I waited for his reply, knowing he wouldn't speak if he didn't want to say too much. The last time Cooper had gone missing in action was a couple of years back and the people he was involved with were questionable at best. If his silence was any indication of this, it was taking its toll on Sebastian too. Seb was a man of his word and his devotion to his family was unwavering. To him, Cooper was family, so it was no surprise he kept his cards close to his chest when he thought something wasn't right.

"Not sure. Will keep you posted if I need anything, yeah?" The farewell in his tone was enough to know he had it handled for now.

"I'll shoot a text once we get off the phone. You know where I am." I said before ending the call and opening the group chat where we usually organised our catch ups.

Andy: 7:00 pm Monday – no excuses, boys.

Sebastian: See you then.

Jack: Looking forward to taking all your money.

Andy: Whatever, dickhead.

Cooper: I'll be there.

I nodded satisfactorily when Cooper replied, knowing Sebastian would be relieved too. Most of the time you saw him he had a larger-than-life smile on his face and was the first to whip you into line with a cocky joke or banter. But the rumours of his younger days were enough of a reminder that he was once involved in some pretty dark shit in the underground fighting world. The more concerning part was his success rate, especially given who some of his alleged opponents were. It was safe to say, I was glad we were mates and while the distillery meant he was busy and focused, it never stopped Seb worrying something would pull him back.

Sebastian: Cheers, bro.

I acknowledged his message with a thumbs up and grabbed the rest of my things before heading to the clubhouse for training. I would call to check-in later and drop through the distillery if Seb thought it would help. For now, it was business as usual which meant a heavy day of training and another meeting with my interviewer.

"Why the hell won't this sit straight?" Aggressively adjusting his tie, Kieran watched himself in the mirror of the change rooms. It didn't matter where he was going, he always wore a suit and tie. He said you never knew who you would meet and it was always better to be overdressed than under. I thought he looked like a bag of dicks, given it was 33° and he was sweating as much as I was, although I had just spent two hours out on the field training.

"How's the interview coming along, Andy? Derek has called me twice this week to ask when it will go live?"

I shook my head. With the way Pup dragged me away as soon as training ended, I thought it would be for something important.

"Tell Derek to fuck off. It'll be done when it's done." I replied, wiping my face with a towel.

Sighing, Kieran turned to face me. "You know they just want publicity and do I need to remind you that it's part of your contract." He looked at me condescendingly.

Speaking through clenched teeth I refrained from telling him to shove the contract up his arse.

"I realise this. That's why I'm doing my best to get it sorted. She couldn't do much last time because she was sick or something. And Derek only cares about his pay cheque." The prick was head of marketing and the biggest arsehat I'd ever met. He didn't care about the players or their families, only about how much money the club made and how fat his wallet was as a result. Everyone had a role, but you could easily see who had the Hearts at the forefront and who only cared for themselves. Derek was the latter.

"Good session, Cap," Jack said, walking towards the showers with Jay and one of the forwards, Smitty, and I raised my chin in thanks.

"Jay, I need to speak with you before you leave." Pup said, addressing one of his other clients. He managed four of us from the team, but Jay made up a decent portion of his workload because of his inability to think before he spoke and his I don't give a fuck attitude.

Speaking of the cheery dickhead, Jay winked and started stripping off his clothes.

"Do you have to do that right here?" I said, turning back to face Pup before Jay could windmill me, which was his new favourite party trick.

"Of course. How else would I prove I'm top dog around here?"

"Maybe you could actually score a goal this week." Jack said, whipping him with a towel before running into the showers, Jay taking off after him.

I shook my head just as Pup narrowly avoided a ball being tossed in our direction as the rest of the team began trickling into the room.

"Can you sort them out, Gloss? Christ, it's like a high school changing room!"

"I'm too busy doing the last thing you asked of me, Pup. She's coming here soon for another interview, by the way."

He nodded, seemingly pleased. "Excellent. And stop calling me that. What do I have to do to get some respect around here?"

"You know I say it with love. It's those eyes, they remind me of Beethoven. So large and brown just like the big sloppy puppy dog." I cooed, while ruffling his hair.

"If you can windmill like this, we can call you Big Dog instead." Jay answered, walking back into the room with his towel draped around his neck.

"Put your damn towel on, Jay. Also, there is no way you showered that quickly, you animal." I said as I shoved my clothes into my bag.

Jay laughed but was quickly cut off when Smitty retorted, "He doesn't need a shower. He didn't train hard enough to work up a sweat."

"Piss off, Smitty. Just make sure you wash that hairy arse of yours."

"Jay, I'll come find you soon." Pup said as he followed me out of the room.

I needed to eat before she arrived and the longer I stayed in here, the more likely I was to be drawn into their shenanigans. Arna's business card sat on my bench staring at me for five days after our meeting and I wanted to message her less than an hour after she left to see if she was okay. She didn't look good when I walked her to her car, but I shut those thoughts down quickly given we barely knew each other and I had little reason to care. Why would I – she meant nothing to me. I wasn't fascinated by her intelligence and breezy personality. I was clearly just bamboozled by a woman with substance and a body to match. So, with that in mind, I left it untouched, exactly where I placed it that first day, until it practically screamed my name last night.

Andy: Hey. I will be at the clubhouse tomorrow if you are available to continue with the feature?

I realised a second too late that I presumptuously forgot to include my name but before I could think too much about a follow up text she replied.

Arna: Excellent. 2:00 pm okay?

An unexpected smile lined my features and I shook it away, keeping my reply curt with a simple thumbs up. I would have preferred to have her at my house again which was strange in itself. When did I ever want a female in my place? The exhilaration I felt at the thought was enough to remind me that despite that very fuckable arse, this was someone who worked in the media industry. That knowledge showered me with a cold dose of reality and a plan to meet here instead. Besides, being here at the club meant it would give her more to ask about rather than just delve into me as a person.

Finishing off my second dish of the best chicken and pumpkin risotto I'd ever eaten, courtesy of the in-house cooks we had at the club, I saw Pup leading Arna to the door of the dining area. The room fell silent as all twenty of my teammates stopped chatting to stare through the glass panes and into the hall. And I could see why. The black pants she wore were all class, highlighting every single curve and with the red button up shirt, she was a powerhouse. Her golden hair was loosely curled and cascaded down her back.

Shit! Cascaded? I was lucky to remember the colour of a woman's hair, let alone the way they had it styled.

Mumbling my thanks to the cooking staff, I headed straight to the door just as one of the boys to my left said, "Haven't seen an arse like that walk these halls before."

The glare I directed at the table told them all exactly what I couldn't bring myself to say, and wisely, they all looked down at their plates, a couple of suppressed laughs the only noise as I continued walking. I was going to be asked about that later but at this moment, the thought of any of them even thinking about her made my stomach clench.

"Andy," Pup's face was gleaming as he gestured towards Arna who was smiling back at him. "I ran into Arna as I went to grab something from my car. Thought I would bring her up here myself in case she got lost."

"Bet that's why," I mumbled, before facing her properly. "Thanks for coming down at such short notice." I said.

Her crystal eyes stared directly at me as a large smile spread across her face. It was warmer than the one she gave Pup and that pleased me.

"Thanks for inviting me. I'm really looking forward to seeing the place." There was no sarcastic undertone to her words. She genuinely seemed happy to be here, which was strange. I knew she was an editor and not interested in the sport so I couldn't imagine why she would be so excited. Most of the reporters who came through exaggerated their curiosity, laughing at the right times and asking questions they thought we wanted. But not Arna. Her face gave no hint of mockery.

"Thanks for bringing her, Pup." I said dismissively before he could offer to join us for the afternoon. "Let's go get a room – a place. Argh - to chat - is what I mean."

She nodded, but I didn't miss the way her cheeks turned a cute shade of pink, or the multiple snickers from behind.

Smooth, Andy .

I guided her forward and led her through the hall, placing a light hand on the small of her back. As we walked past the dining area where the boys were all still watching through the glass, Jay stood behind one, catching my attention as he proceeded to thrust his hips while holding the back of Smitty's shirt, a shit eating grin on his face.

I smirked, rolling my eyes. Fuck off, I mouthed as the players watching the interaction broke into raucous laughter. They wouldn't be so happy tomorrow when I gave them an extra thirty minutes of training and I would be sure to make it particularly gruelling.