Loving The Game (Thirty-Something in the City - The Lunchtime Sorority Book 1)

by Bailie Hantam

  Loving The Game

  Bailie Hantam © 2019

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are strictly the product of the author or used fictitiously. Any similarities between actual persons, living or dead, events, setting or locations are entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Cover Design - Kayla Reese at Destiny Productions

  Editing - Rose Amberly

  Table of contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Dedication

  To my husband, because whirlwind romances definitely happen.

  Chapter 1

  Tyler

  The game was more a matter of pride than points for a league match. Tyler Beyers watched as his captain, Callum Cooper, gave instructions to the forwards on the team. They were down by four points. A penalty wouldn’t do, neither would a kick at goal. What they needed was the five points from a try.

  The Jozi Thunder rugby team had been split in two for the series of charity matches to celebrate Callum’s ten year anniversary with the team. The open slots were filled with family, friends, and various celebrities around Johannesburg.

  The games were meant to be fun, while raising money for charity. The packed stadium suggested that they were achieving at least one of those goals. As for fun? Nothing generated quite as much testosterone as competing against your own teammates.

  Callum signaled him to come closer. His signature mischievous smile played across his lips. “They know all our moves. We need something unexpected.”

  Under-fucking-statement. Tyler raised his brow. “You have anything in mind?”

  “Yeah.” Callum wiped away the sweat rolling from his pitch black hair. He gazed across the field, as he formulated a plan. He was a good strategist. “Swap places with me. You and Derrick pulled off the wing-center combination move once before.”

  “In high school.” Tyler remembered the move. He was surprised Callum remembered it since they went to different high schools and were big rivals back then. “I’m not sure Derrick even remembers it.”

  Derrick Skosana had been Tyler’s best friend since primary school. They’d played rugby together in high school before Tyler went pro and Derrick went to medical school. They were both an indispensable part of the most formidable backline in the school’s league. But that was over a decade ago.

  “He’ll remember.” Callum put his hands on his hips. “He may have moved on to better things, but that was the last game he played with you before today. He’ll remember.”

  “Then you do it. You’re the winger.” Tyler knew not only his own strengths but those of his teammates. Callum was the best left wing in the country. “I’ll get the kick accurate enough for you two to pull it off.”

  The captain shook his head. “I can’t read him. You know him, you’ll do it.”

  There was no room for arguing. Still, Tyler wasn’t going to leave without having the last word. “You fuck up that kick and that mouth guard won’t be enough protection for you.”

  Callum snorted. “I have no doubt that you’re capable. But we wouldn’t want to ruin you cool-calm-collected reputation.

  Tyler turned and walked off to where Callum would normally stand. Derrick looked over and raised an eyebrow, his dark skin glistening with sweat. Tyler hoped he could still communicate silently with his friend from across the field. He narrowed his eyes at Derrick. The subtle nod was all the confirmation he needed to proceed.

  He blocked out the sounds of the divided crowd as the referee’s whistle went. It was the last play of the match. They were already several minutes into injury time.

  The scrum huddled, his team gaining about ten meters before the scrumhalf pulled the ball out and passed it back to Callum, in the fly-half position. Callum wasted no time in dropping the ball to his boot and kicking forward.

  The kick wasn’t as deep as Tyler would’ve liked, but Derrick was right under the ball as he caught it. He dummied to the inside center, who ran forward, anticipating what would happen next. Derrick passed to Tyler who used his speed to gain as much ground as he could before kicking the ball forward. The full-back caught it and gained more ground. Tyler used all his speed to get to his teammate before he got tackled. He was just behind the full-back, and caught the pass just as his teammate was tackled by the opposition.

  Tyler used the element of surprise to gain speed. Once he got some momentum, he was unstoppable. He shrugged off one, two tackles and ran straight for the poles. The great lunge for the touchline wasn’t necessary, but Tyler did it for show anyway. He’d scored the five points necessary to win. The goal-kick that would follow, was just a bonus.

  His teammates ran up to him, patting his back and high-fiving him.

  Callum’s smile had an I told you so air about it. “Let’s finish this off.”

  Tyler took the ball stand from the kid assisting on the sidelines. Kicking at goal was what he did. It was why he was in the team.

  The referee placed the ball stand in the correct spot before Tyler placed the ball on it. Once again, he blocked out the cheering crowd. He blocked out his teammates, before taking five steps backwards. Inhaling deeply, he allowed himself to feel the wind. Not too breezy but definitely coming from his left. He made the smallest adjustment to his angle from ball. His run-up was short. His boot connected with the ball in just the right spot. He watched the ball lift up, and between the poles. He waited the extra second for the two touch-judges to each lift their flags before celebrating.

  The referee’s whistle confirmed what everyone had already known. The match was over, and they had narrowly beaten the opposition thirty-one to twenty eight.

  Leaving the field was slow going with congratulations and celebrations. Even though it was a charity match, it was still good to start the year off with a win.

  Just before Tyler made his way to the tunnel one of the cheerleaders — Sarah — caught his attention. “Hey Tyler.” She battered her clear blue eyes, her sexy grin all but inviting him to spend the night with her. “Catch you at Legends later?”

  The pub was the team’s usual post-game hangout. The cheerleaders tended to hang out there too. They didn’t really have any groupies among them. They hung out with the team because it was safer. No one messed with them when they were surrounded by rugby players. He’d hung out with Sarah a few times. More than hung out, actually. It wasn’t just that the sex was good. Sarah was smart with a good head on her shoulders and a bright future in the performing arts.

  “Sure thing, sweetheart.” He gave her a wink as he made his way into the players tunnel.

  Callum stepped up to him. “I want everyone to hang around after the press conference.”

  Sarah would have to wait,
then. It wasn’t like they were a couple. They’d just hooked up a few times when they were both single. “No problem, but why?”

  His captain gave him that mischievous smile. The one Tyler associated with something he usually didn’t like. “Holly wants to introduce us to the woman who will be assisting her. Jill Sanders.”

  Tyler narrowed his eyes and his stomach tightened. Callum knew he had a history with Jill and had been dreading her joining the organizing team for the charity season. He hadn’t seen her much since she went to university in Cape Town many years ago. He was over her though.

  Still, he’d avoided her for a reason. And he wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with her yet. “I’ll get you back for this.”

  Callum chuckled and walked ahead. Tyler turned back to where the cheerleaders were still bouncing around. He had a sneaking suspicion he would not be seeing Sarah that evening. Or any evening in the foreseeable future.

  ***

  Jill

  Shoulders back, chest forward, back slightly arched.

  Jill Sanders repeated the mantra in her head as her boss nodded at her new outfit. She looked up at the large television screen on the wall before twirling around once again for her boss, Mary-Ann. If she turned anymore, the conference room at Johannesburg Rugby Stadium would continue spinning on its own. As it was, the mottled brown carpet already blurred below her feet when she looked down.

  “Very nice.” Mary-Ann’s platinum blonde, heavily sprayed head bobbed up and down. She removed her glasses and continued to study Jill.

  The make-over had cost Jill a fortune, but it would be worth every penny if she got the promotion to event organizer. She’d worked hard, and the other organizers had assured her she was a shoe-in. Still, she didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

  Jill paid Tracey, one of her best friends and an image consultant, a pretty sum to give her a complete overhaul. Mary-Ann had insisted that if she wanted to be an event planner, she needed to look and play the part. She had remarked that Jill had all the makings of a planner, but her client base wanted someone a little more… fun. Life of the Party, Mary-Anne’s company, was desperately in need of younger event planners, to attract a new crowd. But Jill’s wardrobe of black-boho-not-quite-goth, — her words — did not set the right tone for someone in the sports event’s world.

  Standing in the conference room with its large window overlooking the rugby field, she was already feeling the part. She had been Mary-Ann’s assistant since she finished university eight years ago. Truth be told, her boss relied heavily on her organized mind and attention to detail. Mary-Ann possessed both those qualities, but Jill’s younger perspective was what the older woman appreciated the most. At thirty years old, Jill was one of Mary-Ann’s youngest employees. She was under no illusion that she would be handling the wedding of the century anytime soon. But that wasn’t where interests were, anyway.

  Mary-Anne walked around her, inspecting the effects of Tracey’s instructions. Jill’s dark frizzy hair was flat ironed within an inch of its life and trimmed and layered to just below her shoulders. She had to lose her glasses which apparently hid her sparkling light brown eyes. The contacts were less comfortable, but Tracey assured her that she’d get used to them. Her brown skin was buffed and polished, but she refused to wear a lot of makeup. She would rather sleep an extra ten minutes than spend the time figuring out liquid liner. Lipstick and mascara was all she needed.

  What impressed Mary-Ann most was Jill’s new clothes. She stifled a giggle as her boss continued to ooh and aah over her new wardrobe choices. Even Jill could admit that her new clothes were far better from what she usually wore.

  Her lavender button up blouse was more fitted than she was used to, and the pushup bra did wonders for her shape. Her floral A-line skirt skimmed over her hips with the hem about five centimeters above her knee. Gone was her basic wardrobe of basic baby doll tunics and capri pants. It wasn’t a complete turnaround. Just a few enhancements and a little more color.

  Then there were the shoes. Her ten centimeter heels were killing her. The deep purple peep-toe sling backs with white piping along the edges gave her some extra height. And her short legs did look good.

  Jill looked up at the television once more. The press conference seemed to be wrapping up. One of the journalists was asking Tyler a question. Her stomach flipped watching him on the big screen. His light brown hair was still damp. She guessed he was talking to a female journalist judging by the hint of flirtation in those baby blue eyes. And how could she ignore that killer smile. It had been her undoing for years. After all the time they’d spent apart, seeing him on TV still did funny things to her.

  She looked away from the television and back to Mary-Ann. Her anticipation and nerves were getting the better of her. She desperately wanted to know if all the effort she’d put in was worth it.

  “So, do I get the promotion?” Jill couldn’t handle waiting any longer.

  Mary-Ann folded her arms, giving Jill one more head-to-toe glance. “Well, you certainly look the part of an event organizer.” She nodded at Jill. “A deal’s a deal. Yes, you’re officially a junior planner. You and Holly pull off this benefit season, and we’ll look into removing the junior from your title.”

  Jill would’ve jumped on the spot if she wasn’t afraid of toppling over on her heels. Instead, she just clapped her hands, the corners of her mouth stretching from her big smile. Who would’ve believed that Jill Sanders would be getting excited about planning sports games. The job was not as glamorous as it seemed but relied heavily on some of Jill’s greatest strengths.

  A buzzing on one of the chairs drew Jill’s attention to her phone. She ignored it and looked up at the television once more. The players were making their way out of the press conference.

  “Please,” Mary-Ann sighed, “tell me why you are so distracted? Do you have somewhere to be?”

  “So sorry.” Jill picked the phone off the desk. “Holly wants to introduce me to the team. She didn’t want to stay too long, and she’s my ride.”

  Mary-Ann waved her hand to the door “Then best you go. We can finalize salary and duties later. I have a meeting with the Thunder CEO in a few, anyway.”

  She pressed the screen lock on her phone, ignoring the missed call from an unknown number. She could return the call as soon as she was done meeting the team.

  Jill checked the television screen once more and turned to leave. “Thanks Mary-Ann. I will be the best planner you’ve ever hired.

  “No doubt,” Mary-Ann answered, walking Jill to the door. “Just remember the number one rule. No entanglements with the clients.”

  Jill offered Mary-Ann a small smile before she left the conference room. “Of course.”

  She pressed the button to the elevator, reminding herself of the number one rule. The one that made her a little anxious. She was not nervous about the job. She was confident she could pull off the series of charity rugby matches, press conferences and dinners Callum Cooper had planned for the next few months. No, her anxiety stemmed from the idea of seeing Tyler on a somewhat regular basis for the next few months.

  Tyler was Tracey’s older brother. Jill had known him as long as she knew his sister. Which was pretty much since her first day of school. As she stepped out of the elevator, her phone began ringing again. The same unknown number appeared on screen.

  She pressed the green icon and held the phone to her ear. “Jill Sanders speaking, good day.”

  “Ms. Sanders?” The voice of the woman on the other end was calm, almost detached. “You’re listed as the emergency contact for Tracey Beyers.”

  Jill halted at the top of the stairs down to the training field. Her stomach turned. “What happened?”

  There was a slight pause before the woman spoke again. “She’s been in an accident. She been admitted to Sandton hospital. If you—”

  Panic rose in Jill’s veins. “Is she okay? Do you know how bad?”

  “We know nothing yet. She’s being examined.
If you could—”

  “I’ll be there.” She looked down but none of the players were on the field. “I’ll get hold of her family as well.”

  The woman exhaled. “Thank you so much.”

  Jill ended the call and headed in the direction of the players dressing rooms.

  The darkness of the tunnel leading off the field didn’t help the anxiety settling in her stomach. She was well aware that she was in a dark and mostly deserted area, walking alone, and a few meters away was the biggest collection of testosterone in the city.

  She shook away the silly thoughts and focused on the situation at hand. She walked as fast as her high heels would allow her, the noise clacking on the concrete floor.

  Tracey had been her friend most of her childhood. They’d negotiated all the pitfalls of growing up together. The two of them, along with Natalie and Tina, had been inseparable since their first day of school. Even in high school, where they all had varied interests, they had remained close.

  Concrete gave way to black carpet, and the halls were a little more lit as she got closer to the dressing rooms. She blinked away tears, trying not to worry prematurely about her friend.

  It wouldn’t help to be a tearful mess before she spoke to Tyler. As much as they’d avoided each other over the years, she was still the one who needed to tell him what was happening.

  She read the red and white sign over head. The dressing rooms were around the corner. Her thoughts went back to her friend. How bad was the accident? Hopefully, it wasn’t major, and she’d recover quickly. What about the secret she’d been carrying?

  With her mind filled with worry, she had no warning as she turned the corner and walked straight into a wall of… muscle.

  The smell of sandalwood filled her nostrils, the hands gripping her were steady. “Careful.”

  She recognized that voice. She squared her shoulders and looked up into those familiar blue eyes. The shock of seeing him, the circumstances, and just being in his presence knocked the wind out of her.