14. Round 16

14

ROUND 16

Paige

Y esterday had been amazing. To tell anyone back home that we grilled outside in the middle of winter would see them think I was crazy. Winters are different here, though. Sure, we were rugged up, but there’s no snow, and the days can really be quite mild in fifties to sixties.

Nicola and Gio are amazing people. Gio sat next to me at the football and told me about his other children, Francesca and Lorenzo. Frankie is a teacher back in Bunyip Falls where they live, and Enzo is a doctor working in a large regional hospital with his wife. I got the impression Gio doesn’t care much for Enzo’s wife.

There were times over the weekend where I felt like I didn’t belong, though. When I was being interviewed after the game in the rooms, I thought it was all fun until it was pointed out that no one would want to see me naked. It’s like it was something I didn’t know. I’m well aware that my body is not my best feature. Willo liked it for a bit, but then he must have gotten sick of it.

Then there’s Billy. I really think the kid hates me. He avoids me at all costs, and I think I can count on two hands the number of words he’s ever said to me. Considering we spent a week together after the game in Brisbane, that’s saying something. Yesterday, he came inside for a glass of water after kicking the footy around with his uncles. I asked him if he was having fun, and he simply shrugged his shoulders.

I will not come between a father and their child. Billy’s obviously worked out I know nothing about kids and am faking it with his younger brother and sister. Willo wants to go out for dinner together. As tempted as I am, I need to let him down gently and remind him I’m only here for a few more months.

My memories of farm life aren’t fun. Dad was a farm labourer. He got up early to milk cows and ignored me. Mr Williams, the owner of the farm, was rude and a misogynistic prick. When I was fourteen, my father tried to use me as collateral in a poker game, telling his colleagues they could spend the night with me. I was fourteen. I’d never been more grateful that Jonah won the bet, and we spent the night with him telling me about the guy he liked in town. Eventually, the two of them got together and rode off into the sunset.

Other people get happy endings, not me. I was used at college by guys who just wanted a warm channel to poke their dick in. New York wankers who couldn’t pick up anyone else settled with me. Willo Lovemore would not use me.

Working with Marj has shown me I am worth more than how others have treated me. I’ve been able to identify people in my life who have helped me along the way. Brittany is one. She thinks I should talk to Willo and see if he is busy with football and his family, or if he doesn’t want to spend more time with me. I just don’t know. Bothering Brittany with my woes is the last thing I want to do, as it seems she has finally met someone worthy of her. She keeps telling me it’s early days, but she seems to spend a lot of time with her new man.

“Can you look over this?” Debbie sighs as she perches on my desk and hands me a printout of an ad copy she’s been working on. “Something’s not right. ”

Debbie yawns. The bags under her eyes look like they could hold everything in Mary Poppins’ tote. “You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah. I’m just not sleeping well. Claude is a night owl, and he’s up half the night working on the books to get them to the accountant, and that always stresses me, even though I know things are going well. Oh, and Lewis has made it on to the swim squad, which means I have to have him at the school pool by five.”

“Can Claude take him to training?” I ask.

“Yeah, he does Tuesdays and Fridays because I don’t usually work those days.” Debbie yawns again. “But enough about me. What am I missing?”

I chuckle. “Um, that’s our office number at the bottom, not Cyril’s Rug Emporium.”

“Shit. I knew it wasn’t right. Want to grab a coffee?”

“I’d love to”—I glance at the clock—“but I have to get to the stadium to record the podcast. Raincheck?”

“Of course.” Debbie smiles. “Say hi to Willo.”

I haven’t spoken to anyone at work about Willo and me. They know I took a week off and spent it with them on the Gold Coast, but they also know that there were two other families present. I wonder if people don’t talk because they think it’s implausible for me and Willo to be anything other than colleagues who produce a podcast each week.

Waving goodbye to Jenny through her open office door, I head outside and am surprised to find Willo waiting for me.

“I thought I’d save you a cab,” he says as he pushes away from where he’s been leaning against his car.

“Thanks,” I reply, my mouth suddenly dry.

My heart beats faster when he smiles at me. His hair is wet. I assume he’s been training or taking ice-baths or whatever players do. He’s dressed in purple joggers that have the club logo on the hip and a matching hoodie. He looks so casual, and yet so amazingly good looking.

A couple of people walk past and say hello to him, but he ignores them, his eyes on me as I approach him. Willo opens my door and holds my hand as I climb up into his Jeep. He doesn’t kiss me, but he rubs my fingers in a tender motion and bites his bottom lip as he smiles.

“Look, it’s not arctic temperatures, so I thought we might go to the Civic Gardens and find a picnic bench and have our lunch.” He sounds so confident as he holds my hand, having made no attempt to make his way to the driver’s side.

“That sounds lovely.” I smile, mimicking him and biting my own lip.

With a squeeze of my fingers, he draws his hand away and races around the car, pausing for oncoming traffic before he jumps in. He’s already started the engine remotely from his key fob.

“Nicola and Gio?—”

“Thanks for—” We both speak at the same time.

“No, you go,” Willo tells me.

“I was just saying how lovely Nicola and Gio are, and I think it’s amazing that you include them in big family celebrations like last weekend.” I fiddle with my hands in my lap.

“They’re special people, alright.” Willo indicates and pulls out into traffic. “And they’re family. I mean, they are my kids’ grandparents.”

“I was kinda glad Brad wasn’t there yesterday.” I take an inhale and let it out slowly, thinking back to before the game. “We, um… Saturday afternoon at the game, he made a pass at me, I think, and I found it a little creepy, to be honest.”

“Brad’s a douche canoe.” Willo huffs out a breath and shakes his head. “I really don’t know what my sister sees in him. He didn’t hurt you or anything?”

“No, it was just a vibe, really. I may have totally misread the situation.” I blow it off to Willo, but I am glad to hear he doesn’t like the guy either.

Willo finds a park near a gate that leads into the extensive garden in the centre of town and uses his phone to pay for parking. He tells me to stay put as he jumps out of the car and races around to open my door. I’m not used to this chivalrous behaviour, and to be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m capable of opening a door and climbing down from a vehicle.

What surprises me, though, is the basket in the trunk. Willo has a camping fridge in there too, and pulls out several containers, placing them carefully in the basket before covering it with a picnic rug. With the basket over one arm, he reaches for my hand, as if it is something we do every day. It appears romantic Willo has turned up today, and I’m not sure what to make of it.

Is he here to seduce me, or is he here for more? Do I want more? So many questions float around my head.

Willo must sense my unease. “I feel like I haven’t seen you for weeks. I mean, on the Gold Coast, there were so many people around all the time, and it was great seeing you getting along so well with Angelique and Bel, and since then, I’ve been so busy with footy and the kids, and…” He pauses.

“I get it, it’s okay.” I try to reassure him by squeezing his hand.

“No, it’s not.” Willo shakes his head. “Because I like you, Paige. I like you a lot, and I haven’t prioritised you. I mean, even last Monday when we had lunch, we were interrupted by Felicity and her wife joining us.”

I’m unsure how I feel about his declaration. If he was only here for sex, surely he would have found a hotel room or something. Despite our amazing days of sex, and our time together, we haven’t had sex in weeks, and I thought maybe Willo wasn’t that into me, yet he says and does sweet things like pack a picnic.

The park is fairly empty, possibly because it’s a workday, but there are a few office workers who have found a spot to eat their lunch. Willo leads me towards a more secluded space, several feet behind the path. If you didn’t know this spot was here, you’d definitely overlook it.

“Wilson told me about this spot. He brings Jenna here all the time, he was telling me,” Willo says as he lays out the picnic blanket. “Are you alright to sit on the ground? ”

“Of course.” I smile. “I might need a hand getting up again, though.”

“I doubt that. You’re pretty fit.” Willo looks so sincere with his words.

“Says the star athlete!” I chuckle. “I am not fit.”

“You do regular exercise,” he says. “How many steps per day?”

I knew he’d seen me checking my watch. “At least 10,000, but I don’t have a car, remember, so it’s out of necessity.”

“Paige…” Willo pauses and presses his lips together as if he’s trying to work out what to say. “Look, I really like your body. I know I’ve told you how sexy I think you are, but you’re the complete package. I wanted to catch up tonight to talk, but now is as good a time, I suppose.”

He blows out a breath and drops his head before lightly gripping my hand as he sits next to me on the blanket before raising his head again to look me in the eye. “I feel like I’ve fucked up. I told you we’d not be serious or anything, and we had some of the best days of my life before we went to the Gold Coast. Exploring your body was no hardship, and I need to apologise that I haven’t explored it since then and that I might have given the impression I didn’t want to. You see, I do want to, but…”

His brows are drawn together as he looks at me, sincerity dripping from each word. “But?” I ask.

“I’m so busy with footy and the kids, and I forgot to make time for you. I enjoy spending time with you. I thought the sex was pretty amazing, and I’d be up for more of that, but I also need to bring the kids along with me. We’re a package deal.”

“Willo.” I place my hand over the top of his. “I’m heading home at the end of the year.”

“Is it wrong of me to want you to stay?” Willo bites his lip after he almost whispers his reply.

His response surprises me.

“I just…” I start, unsure of what to say. My heart is telling me this is like a fairy tale, but my head is reminding me that my life is an ything but the make-believe fantasy I’ve been led to believe I’m due.

“Can we perhaps wait until after the season?” Willo asks me. “I’ll have much more time then, and we’ll have a few months to decide if you staying is a possibility.”

“How long until then?” I ask. I should have looked up the fixture myself.

“The Grand Final is the last Saturday in September. I’m convinced we’ll be playing in it.” Confident Willo is back.

“Okay.” I breathe as I smile at him. He makes it easy to believe we are a possibility, that something might come from our friendship. It’s something I can talk to Marj about when I see her tomorrow.

“Let’s have lunch.” Willo lets go of my hand and starts rummaging in the basket. “Jedda’s expecting us in an hour, so we should eat.”

I’d read the information Jedda’s mum sent through via email about her son. She explained how he was born early and experienced a lack of oxygen to the brain at birth, which lead to some developmental delays. Later on, he also started experiencing psychotic episodes where he would hear voices telling him all sorts of things. I’ve not really met the man, but Willo speaks highly of him and says he’s an integral part of the support team at the club.

“So, Jedda,” I ask him after Willo has introduced him, “Willo tells me you’re the water boy. What do you have to do as a water boy?”

“Are you and Lover Boy boning?” he asks.

“Jedda.” Willo sighs.

I’m trying not to laugh. Willo said he had spoken with Jedda last week about the sort of questions we’d be asking.

“What?” he replies.

“Can you tell Paige about the jobs you do when we’re training?” Willo tries to redirect him .

“Yeah, in a minute. I mean, I asked Felicity, and she said if you had any sense, you would be, Lover Boy.”

“It’s not appropriate, Jedda. We spoke about this.” Willo is calm in his reply. I like seeing this side of him.

“Yeah, well, I want to know, because if you’re not, I want to take Paige to a movie on a date, because she’s hella pretty.”

“Hey, Jedda,” I say. “How about after this, the three of us can grab an ice cream, as friends?”

“It’s too cold for ice cream.” Jedda crosses his arms.

“Well, how about a hot chocolate then?” Willo asks.

“At the posh place in Main Arcade?” Jedda sits up in his chair.

“Yeah, we can go there.” Willo smiles.

“Cool. So, I get to take bottles of water to the players when they get puffed. Not that many Monarchs boys get puffed, because they’re all fit. But I fill the bottles, then I give them to them, and after, I rinse the bottles out. I come here on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Thursdays and Fridays and on game days, I sit in the stand and watch with Mum and Dad. If I don’t be the water boy, then the voices come back, and I hate the voices, so I keep on doing it.”

“Plus, you’re good at it, mate.” Willo praises, and I see Jedda sit that bit taller, a big smile on his face.

“Thanks, Lover Boy. You should ask Paige on a date. She’s hella pretty.”

I’ve got no idea how we’re going to edit this episode, but my heart is full from seeing Willo interact with someone he considers being integral to the success of the team.

“So, you were in the stands last Saturday for Willo’s big game?” I ask.

“Yeah. But it was a boring game. I saw your kids, Willo. I could babysit them when you and Paige go on a date.”

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll, um, keep that in mind.” Willo looks at me and winks.

Our chat continues for over half an hour. Kim usually edits the podcast for us, but I’ve got no idea what she’s going to be able to use this week. I’ll offer once again to help her and see what we can salvage.

Willo’s previewing the upcoming game against the Serpents.

“And then it’s the fucking Panthers,” Jedda adds with glee. “I fucking hate their guts.”

“Thanks for that, Jedda.” I laugh. “I was going to get Ricky Faith’s autograph for you.”

“He’s okay. I mean, he’s a bad boy, and that’s pretty cool, but he’s still a Panther. Can we go for hot chocolate now?” Jedda takes off his headphones and stands.

“Well, folks, Jedda has spoken. As always, I’m The Yank…” I say.

“And I’m The Tank,” Willo adds.

“Lover Boy,” Jedda giggles over the top of him.

“And we’ve been talking all things footy. See you next week.”

Jedda is one of the funniest people I’ve met since I’ve been here. It’s hard not to laugh along at his quips. He and I enjoy the richest hot chocolate I’ve had in a long time, and Willo has a coffee. Jedda tells me a story about a woman he likes at his Monday social group, but admits that she doesn’t like him the same way, so he’s not going to bone her. He talks a lot about boning. Willo reminds him he needs to wear a condom, and he tells Willo he still has some.

We drop him home, and I give him a hug. He tells us to go and bone, and his mother severely chastises him. It makes me laugh even more.

“That was awesome,” I tell Willo as he pulls out of Jedda’s driveway. “I’ve got no idea how we’re going to edit the show, but he’s so full of life. It must be impossible not to like him.”

“Yeah,” Willo chuckles. “Dinner?”

I hear his tone of hope, and I don’t want to let him down, but it’s been a full-on day. “Can we perhaps catch up another night this week?” I ask, biting my lip as I turn to face him .

“Sure.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. I can see the disappointment there. I want to say yes, but I need time to think.

Willo heads for my place, but as we draw closer, we see fire trucks blocking the street. I jump out and run towards the house, hoping Clive and Kath are alright.

“Oh, Paige.” Kath is standing on the front lawn and firefighters are winding hoses back up. “I was about to call you. I figured you weren’t home when the alarms wrecked going off and you hadn’t come out.”

“What’s happened?” I ask, my heart racing.

“We went to the shops and left the dishwasher running. Looks like it started a small fire. The kitchen’s been destroyed, but the firies got here quick enough to stop it spreading. The joys of a double brick house.” She offers a wry chuckle. “Our daughter’s on her way, and we’ll stay with her, which is a hassle, because Clive has his woodwork course, and it’s a long way to drive up each day.”

Clive had told me at length about this course and how he wanted to surprise his wife with a chopping board.

“You take the flat.” I grab her arm, glad that they are both alright. “I’ll find somewhere else. It’s no problem at all.”

“No, we can’t kick you out.” Tears are forming in Kath’s eyes. “You’re an amazing tenant.”

“She can come and stay with me.” I hadn’t noticed Willo come up behind us. “I’ve got the room. The kids love her, and she’s been telling me how she wants to learn to drive on the other side of the road. It will give me a chance to teach her.” Willo places his hand on my shoulder.

“Oh, really?” Kath looks so relieved. “That would be amazing. Thank you, Paige.”

I haven’t been able to get a word in edgeways. It’s not that I don’t enjoy spending time with Willo and his kids, but it’s a farm, and they’re kids, both things I swore I’d never do.

“Um, sure.” I smile, not at all sure why I’m agreeing to this.

It doesn’t take long for me to pack my worldly possessions into the suitcase and backpack I arrived with. The half of my wardrobe that doesn’t fit in the bags simply lies on the back seat of Willo’s car .

“Are you sure about this?” I ask after I’ve farewelled Kath and Clive and assured them I’ll keep in touch. Willo even told them they should come out to the farm for a Sunday lunch soon.

“Positive.” He grins at me. “I think it’s the perfect solution. Now, how about we grab some Chinese on the way home and tell the kids?”

The kids. My stomach sinks. I remind myself that these kids are great, and I really like them. “I don’t think Billy cares for me a lot.”

“Nah, that’s Billy. He’s quite reserved, like his mum was,” Willo tells me as we swing by and pick up dinner.

I’m not sure if I believe him or not, but he is Billy’s father, and he knows him better than me. Time will tell, I suppose.

“This is gold!” Kim laughs as she talks to me Tuesday morning. “I’m more than happy to edit it, but I’ll send you both the files to listen to before it’s uploaded so you’re both happy.”

“Okay.” I’m relieved with this. Willo and I can listen to it to ensure it isn’t too provocative.

We survived our first night with me at the farm. Jackson and Luna were thrilled with me staying in Gaga’s room, as they termed the spare room, and Luna insisted that I’d be able to sleep in her room when Gaga comes to stay. It’s another Friday night game at home, and Murray is going to pick the kids up after school and take them to Lovemore Gap for the weekend.

I know Willo is excited about this, because he thinks it will be a weekend of him and me in bed together. I’m still not sure how I feel about it all, and after talking with Marj, I decide I need to keep some form of Paige as the individual, so I tell Willo I’m going to watch the game with my colleagues at the pub on Friday night.

I can see he’s not happy about it, but he doesn’t argue and tells me he can pick me up afterwards if I need. It’s all good—I’ve arranged a lift with Debbie .

This week has been a whirlwind. It’s Friday, and I surprised Willo by getting up early and trying to organise the kids’ school lunches for him. I failed miserably, not realising there were sandwiches in the freezer already for them. Willo told me it was the thought that counts. It was another reminder that I’m not cut out to be maternal.

“So, you’re living with him?” Debbie passes me a glass of red wine as we wait for the game to start. “I wonder how June’s getting on.”

June is one of the gals from accounting and won the ticket to the President’s Function tonight. She was so excited and kept saying she hopes to meet some hot single player. My mind drifts back to the function I attended with Willo, and I’m glad my ticket was drawn in the office raffle.

“I’m living in his spare room,” I tell Debbie, who rolls her eyes.

“Whose spare room?” Jenny comes over with a bowl of fries.

“She’s living with Willo Lovemore,” Debbie tells our boss, wiggling her eyebrows as she speaks.

“Nice one, Paige.” Jenny taps her glass to mine, careful to not spill her wine. “So, we should start that visa extension process. I’m more than happy to keep you around next year. You’re an asset to our team.”

“I’m still thinking about it,” I tell her. Thoughts about staying have been creeping up on me, and I’ve come to realise I’ve got very little to head home for, well, apart from Brittany.

The teams run through the banners onto the ground and start their pregame drills. Willo looks relaxed as the camera pans in on him. They’re wearing their gold shorts tonight. I thought Willo told me the gold shorts were worn on away games and the purple shorts at home, but I may have gotten my wires crossed. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Willo is starting in the centre of the ground. I know little about the Serpents. The guy playing on Willo keeps bumping him with his shoulder, but I can see that Willo is trying to ignore it. Willo’s mouth stays shut as the other guy mouths off at him. I can only imagine what’s being said.

The siren blows, and the pub erupts. Almost everyone here is wearing Monarchs’ colours. I can’t hear the commentary as the ball bounces and Declan O’Connor, the Monarchs’ ruck, taps it to Willo. He weaves and dodges and sends the ball forward.

“Marks, marks!” The pub erupts when Wilson catches the ball straight in front of the goals, about twenty feet out.

It’s the perfect start to the game when he slots the ball through between the posts. Willo’s told me about some signals the players give to each other and how most people would miss them if they didn’t know what they were looking for. Willo’s opponent must cotton on though, because he’s there when the ball’s tapped towards Willo again and blocks him, his hand wrapping around Willo’s neck, sending him to the ground.

The umpire blows his whistle and awards Willo the free kick. Even I know you can’t touch a player above the shoulders. Once again, Willo sends the ball forward, but the Serpents’ players are ready for it and tie up Matty in a fair tackle, resulting in a ball up.

Again, Willo is in the centre of the play, but this time, there are more players around him. He grabs the ball and attempts to weave his way through the pack, but is dragged awkwardly to the ground. The umpire’s whistle blows, and the players stand up, all except for Willo, who is gripping his knee, the same one that put him out for the season last year.

The pub is silent as he tries to stand. Wilson and Matty have signalled for the team physio and doctor to come and check Willo out, and play has stopped. They aren’t letting him up. Finally, Willo stands up and flexes his leg. Felicity is there yelling at him, and the doctor shakes his head. They’re pulling him from the ground to investigate if it is an injury. He’s had three touches of the ball in the first few minutes.

In my mind, I’m chanting no, no, no, no, no. He can’t be injured. This would end his career. He lives for this game, and I know he has no plans for what to do when his playing days are over. Willo has to be okay. He must be okay. I’m not religious, but I shoot up a prayer to the football gods asking that it not be serious.

Play continues, and Matty gets the ball and kicks another goal .

“We’ve got you on the boundary, JT.” The commentator passes to the same idiot who interviewed us last weekend. “Any news on Willo Lovemore?”

“Yeah, thanks, mate. Looks like Willo wants to keep playing, but the coach and physio are sending him for tests. He’s been subbed out five minutes into the first quarter. I reckon he’s done his knee again.”

“That’s bullshit,” Debbie yells from behind me. “He walked off the fucking ground.”

I’ve never heard Debbie so fired up. My stomach sinks, and I feel like I’m going to bring up the wine and fries. I pull out my phone.

Hey, are you okay? Let me know. Where are they taking you?

I don’t know why I’m texting him, as he won’t have his phone. I want to jump in a cab and rush to the ground, but the commentators seemed to think he was going to hospital.

My phone vibrates.

Bel

Hey, gorgeous. I just spoke with Kim, who spoke to Felicity. They’re taking him to St Agatha’s. Willo doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with his knee, but Flick isn’t taking any chances.

Thanks. Do you think he’d mind if I head there?

Bel

I’m pretty sure it would make his night. Give him a hug from me, and all of us up here are rooting for him, but not in the same way you root him.

Bloody hell. At least Bel makes me laugh.

“Hey, Debbie, thanks for the offer of a lift, but I’m heading to St Agatha’s.” I slip my phone into my bag.

“I hope it’s not serious.” Debbie squeezes my arm. “Let us know if we need to feed stock or anything for him. You know we’ll be there in a flash.”

They really are amazing neighbours.

Now, though, I have to get to the hospital. I have to know if he’s alright, and I have to be there for him. I want to be there for him . How has it taken this for me to realise that I’ve grown close to him and I want to be closer still?