“Geez, don’t choke.”
Coughing, I poured myself a glass of water and downed it greedily. “You scared the crap out of me!”
“Sorry. You and that hunk of cake looked like you were having a moment.”
“Get yourself a slice. I bet you’re moaning too!”
“Thanks, but I can’t. What are you doing over in my part of town anyway?” Beth asked, and guilt swallowed me. How did I tell her that I was job hunting? The last thing I wanted was for the info to get back to Isla and for me to lose very much needed shifts at the café. Or worse still, get fired altogether.
“Umm…”
Before I had a chance to come up with a plausible excuse, Beth flipped the folder over filled with copies of my resume. A smile crept over her face. “You’re job hunting!”
“Well…ah…yeah…kinda. I mean, I guess.”
“Hey! No skin off my nose, Claire. We’ve all got to do it.”
“Please don’t tell Isla.”
“Why?” She tilted her head confused.
“Cause I need that job. It’s just, well I don’t want to be a waitress all my life so I was hoping to get a job in a salon so I could finish my qualifications.”
With a wave of her hand, Beth sank down into the chair beside me. “Firstly, never apologise for wanting to better yourself. Ever. Secondly, don’t stress so much. You’ll give yourself wrinkles before you’re thirty and no one wants that. Isla will get it. And she’s cool. As long as you show up for your shifts and give her notice when you quit, it’s all good. She’s not stupid. She knows that people are just passing through. As long as we work hard and play by her rules, it’s all sweet.”
Heaving out a sigh of relief, I smiled. I hadn’t realised how concerned I’d be about jeopardising what I already had for what it was I really wanted. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
“Now, I better keep moving. I have a date and although I want him to wonder, being fashionably late is a thing, no showing is not good form. I’ll see you later.”
“Have fun. And thanks.”
Watching her walk away, I let her words replay in my head. She was right. There were many reasons I needed this job and money was only one of them. I had to stop thinking so small and consider the future. My future. No one was going to go out there and get it for me. I was going to have to do it myself.
Stuffing one final forkful of cake in my mouth, I bounced to my feet with renewed energy and my determination refilled. I was going to get a fucking job, and I was going to get the one I wanted. Checking my phone, I realised it was already after four-thirty and most places would be closing soon. If I was lucky, I could get in one more this afternoon and then I’d have to come back in the morning.
Turning the corner, I looked up at the sign on the next place on my list before turning my attention back to my phone. This couldn’t possibly be it. Double-checking the website, I was where I was supposed to be, but this place wasn’t what it was advertising. The website showed a sleek, chic salon with chrome and black chairs and a wall of mirrors. The silver and gold sparkling sign suggested luxury, and in this neighbourhood, that’s exactly what I expected. Hell, any house in a five-kilometre radius would set you back a couple of million without breaking a sweat. But the reality was very different. Overhead the sign was peeling, and paint faded. Inside, the once white tiles appeared grey and in desperate need of a serious scrub. The posters on the wall looked like they were straight out of the eighties and were peeling from the walls. More than that, it was empty. Like completely empty. Not a soul in sight. The four tattered vinyl chairs were vacant. No one stood behind the counter, and there was no one sweeping the floors – which they definitely should be.
I didn’t even bother hanging around.
Instead, I stuffed my resumes back in my purse and headed back to my car. As I was turning into the car park, my phone rang. Seeing Seth’s name perked me up in a way it really shouldn’t.
“What’s cooking good looking?” He asked as I answered.
“Just heading home actually. What are you up to?”
“Just finished training and heading home for a shower. Feel like catching up?”
“Seth Masters, is that your way of asking for a booty call?”
“Well…” From the way he stumbled over his words and the clearing of his throat, I knew I’d caught him off guard. Damn, I loved doing that. Tucking a mental note away to do it more often, I waited for him to continue. “I wasn’t.”
“Sure, you weren’t.”
“No. I actually wasn’t. But if you’re offering…”
“You’re insatiable.”
“Your fault.”
“Anyway, I wanted to know if you felt like getting some food.”
I did. I really did. Especially after last night. It had been the best. Fucking magical. And full of magical fucking. When he wasn’t playing my body like a master, we laughed and joked and just enjoyed hanging out. At three am, when my legs had given out and my vagina had called a time out, we were sitting up in bed eating cheesecake watching infomercials and swapping childhood stories. Seth’s face may grace the front page of the paper, and his salary may be public knowledge, but it was almost like he hadn’t realised. Some of the stories and anecdotes he’d shared about growing up, I was almost positive some sleazy reporter would pay good money to print. He was too trusting. I just hoped it was only with me and there wasn’t some other arsehole out there who’d destroy that part of him.
“I’d love to…”
“Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?”
“But…I really need to get some sleep. Someone kept me up all night.”
“If I remember correctly, I’m sure it was you keeping me up all night,” Seth teased back.
“You may have a point there.”
“Oh, I definitely have a point.”
“You’re terrible,” I told him, sliding into the car and dumping my bag on the front seat beside me.
“You love it.”
“Maybe.”
“How about a run in the morning then?”
“Ugh. You’re trying to kill me.”
“Nah. I just want to see you in those lycra pants again.”
“I might be able to arrange that.”
“Perfect. Six work for you?”
Six was early. Very freaking early. But if I wanted to spend time with Seth it was the best option. I could go see him before hitting another few salons and still make it to my afternoon shift on time. Juggling life and work was a bitch. I don’t know how people did it. Let alone throw in a couple of kids, a dog, and a house to look after…I was already exhausted. That life just seemed like way too much hard work for me.
“Throw in coffee, and you’ve got yourself a date.”
“A date, huh? Who said anything about a date?”
“Well then, if it’s not a date I don’t have to put out,” I explained with a wicked grin. Glancing in the rear-view mirror I checked my makeup. While I was smiling like a lunatic, my eye makeup was smudged, and I had lipstick on my teeth. Damn, I was disaster.
“I’ll remember that for future reference.”
“You do that.”
“All right then, little miss sleepy. I’ll let you go. See you bright and early.”
“See you in the morning, Seth.”
I did it.
I still can’t believe I was that girl.
I hated that girl.
We’d said goodbye and all I had to do was hang up. That’s it. Press the damn button and end the call. But no. Like the embarrassing idiot I was, I sat there staring at the phone waiting for him to hang up first. For a full forty-two seconds I sat there staring at my phone, hearing Seth’s breathing on the other end before the call was ended.
I was a damn moron.
Trying to shake the stupidity out of my head, I dropped my phone back in my bag and pulled out my sunglasses. There wasn’t much I could do about the racoon eyes right now so hiding them was my best
option. Jamming the key in the ignition, I turned it over only to hear it groan in protest.
“Not today,” I grumbled, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.
Trying again, I prayed the bloody thing would start. The last thing I was in the mood for this afternoon was car troubles. After a groan and a splutter, it fired up, and the radio blasted. Probably should’ve turned that down before I parked.
Tugging my seatbelt across my chest, I clipped it in place and released the handbrake. Before I had a chance to move, my door was yanked open, and someone stuck their head in.
“What the…” I started to ask before the blade of a kitchen knife was pressed against my throat.
“Shut the fuck up.”
22
Seth
I got to the beach early.
I’d like to think it was because I was anal about being on time and believing it was disrespectful to keep people waiting, but the truth was it probably had more to do with the fact that after spending the night dreaming about Claire and those lycra leggings she was so fond of, I’d woken up with my cock tenting the sheets begging for a release. After I whacked one off, or two, I’d cleaned up and gotten ready, watching the stairs where she usually appeared.
Feeling like a creeper, I was thankful for my dark glasses. On the water’s edge a group of beautiful women laid their towels out and started their yoga session. They were all in matching pink leggings and black sports bras and were truly beautiful women. And their flexibility was damn impressive, but they couldn’t hold my attention. It kept drifting back to the empty stairs.
Six came and went and still no sign of Claire.
Six fifteen came, and I pulled out my phone checking to see if she’d bailed.
Six twenty arrived and I sent her a text asking if sleeping beauty had slept in. She’d sounded absolutely buggered yesterday when we’d spoken, so it wouldn’t have surprised me if she slept through her alarm or forgot to set it all together.
Instead of sitting in the sand getting a soggy bum, I stood up, dusted my hands off, and turned to the dunes. I mightn’t have the incentive I’d hoped for this morning, but that wasn’t a good enough excuse to slack off.
Forty-minutes later my alarm beeped letting me know it was time to call it a day. Slumping down in the sand where I stood, I pulled out my phone and checked it again. Still nothing from Claire and my message was showing as unread. Feeling let down and a little pissed if I was being honest at being stood up, I headed home for a much-needed shower and some food. I’d been planning on taking Claire for breakfast but since she’d bailed, guess I was on my own.
Somehow, I managed to snag a booth at the café across the road from the club. I’d become a regular here mainly because of the location but the food wasn’t bad either. Ashleigh, my favourite waitress, was a middle-aged woman who talked too much, waved her hands in the air, and spoke to me as if I was her son. She scolded me when I ordered pastries and chastised me when I didn’t finish what was on my plate. After all, I was a growing boy didn’t I know.
“What’s it going to be today darlin’,” she asked with a crooked smile.
“Can I please have the big breakfast and pancakes?”
“Coffee?”
“Orange juice please.”
“No troubles. Anyone else joining you?” Ashleigh asked innocently.
“Yep. We are,” Angus announced as he ushered his son, Kade, into the booth opposite me.
“I guess they are.” I shrugged, offering Kade a fist bump.
He was the coolest six-year-old I knew. He’d been through a shit storm and so far, seemed completely and thankfully unaffected. He loved Star Wars, played soccer with his friends, and didn’t seem to cause his dad too much grief. I doubted I was as well behaved as he was when I was his age.
“What are you having, Kade?” Angus asked, handing him a menu.
While Kade tried to order everything he could think of, regardless of if it was on the menu or not, I studied Angus. Something was up. He looked like he’d been hit by a truck, twice. His eyes were half hanging out of his head, and for someone who I’d never seen looking anything less than put together, his unshaven jaw and the unironed shirt were screaming something was up.
Eventually, Kade settled on waffles with strawberry ice cream, a damn good choice if I could say so, Angus sticking to coffee. Focusing on Kade, he and I started chatting.
“Hey. Isn’t it a school day?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Then why aren’t you in your uniform?”
“Dad said I could have the day off.” Kade shrugged like it was no big deal.
“Did he now?” I asked, directing my question at Angus.
“Yep. And I’m coming to training with you guys instead.”
“Oh, cool.”
“You going to show us up and teach us a couple of things?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’m going to score five goals on you.”
“Five goals?”
“Yep. Five goals!” He grinned the cheesiest, toothless smile I’d seen in a long time. Missing his two front teeth, the kid was damn cute.
“Hope you’ve got your running shoes on then.” I winked at him.
After breakfast, we made our way across the road and changed into our training gear. Sitting in the bleachers, I checked my phone finding my messages still empty, and no missed calls. As much as it was bugging me, I tried calling Claire. I might not know everything about the girl, but I didn’t think she was the type of girl who’d just stand me up either.
It didn’t even connect.
Without time to worry about it, Coach blew the whistle and training began. By the time I stumbled from the field, a sweaty, smelly mess all I could think about was a cold shower, food, and a nap. Taking on the dunes before our last full-on hit out session before the season started in only four days time hadn’t been my smartest move. But then again, I wasn’t exactly thinking with my brain when I’d suggested it.
Falling through the door in the locker room, I collapsed on the wooden bench, lying down and dropping my arm across my eyes trying to block out the harsh overhead lights. Sucking in deep breaths, I willed my heart rate to steady as I started to question had I done enough. The truth was until Luca posted the starting roster tomorrow, I had no idea. I’d busted my arse and given it my all, but I wasn’t convinced it was enough. Sure, at first, I’d struggled to gel with the others, but that was normal. The new guy on the team never knew the plays on day one. And of course, I was going to do everything I could to impress them. I had to. It wasn’t a secret, as much as I wished it was, what my contract had been worth. Expectations were high. None higher than my own.
“Nice miss, Rookie.” Hamish chuckled, and I responded with a groan. What else could I say? He was right. It was the perfect shot. One I’d nailed a million times but today, when it mattered, I sprayed it and it sailed through the air three feet higher than the net. Damn goalie didn’t even have to move.
“Give the kid a break,” someone defended, glad they had the energy to. I sure as shit didn’t.
“Why’d you miss, Seth?” a small voice asked that had me cracking open my eyes and sitting back up.
Coming face to face with Kade was a reality shock I wasn’t ready for. Letting my team mates down, sucked. Disappointing coach sucked even harder. Disappointing Kade, a kid, a kid who thought soccer was a fun sport to play with his friends, that felt like a knife being stabbed straight into my back, right between my shoulder blades.
Running my hand through my hair, I looked at his wide, innocent eyes and knew I owed him an answer. A truthful answer at that. He didn’t deserve a lie or some lame arse, bullshit excuse. He deserved the truth. “I don’t know, Kade. Maybe I just need some more practice,” I offered in a way of explanation.
“I can practice with you if you want?” he offered generously.
Standing there in the locker room, stinking and surrounded by my teammates I made the decision then and there that no matter what ha
ppened, good, bad, or indifferent, I’d never lie to the media or anyone about my performances or what was going on. There was no point. With my luck, I’d be caught out anyway, but that wasn’t the point. The point was standing right there in front of me, looking at me like I was his god damned hero. There was no way I was going to fuck that up.
“That would be awesome,” I told him, sticking my hand out to shake his. “Maybe your dad could come too?” I suggested, seeing Angus standing there with his chest puffed out looking like the proud papa he deserved to be.
“Yeah! Cool!” Kade bounced where he was standing before turning to Angus. “Dad! Did you hear? I’m going to help Seth ’cause he sucks.”
Angus’ loud laugh bounced off the concrete walls. Not that I could blame him. Kade was damn funny, even if it stung a little that he was right. “Sounds awesome, buddy. But now, I need to shower, and we need to get going.”
“Do we have to?” he whined, right back to being the six-year-old brat we’d come to adopt as our team mascot and our conscience.
“Yep, we do. Now hustle up and get your stuff together please.”
Leaving Angus to have that argument, I grabbed my shower stuff and headed in.
By the time I made it out, most people had already gone. Not watching where I was walking, more focused on my phone, I walked straight into a wall, banging my shoulder on the concrete. “Motherfucker!” I exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot.
“What? Wall jump out and bite you?”
Turning around I saw Luca standing there grinning like an idiot. Shame I was the one who’d walked into the wall not him.
“Very funny,” I mumbled.
“From where I was standing, it was.”
“Thanks. Real supportive coach you are,” I complained, dragging my sunglasses down over my eyes as we stepped out of the tunnel and into the early afternoon sun.
“I’m more than your coach you know. I’m your friend too. At least, I can be if you want,” Luca offered, and I stopped fidgeting with my still silent phone and turned to face him.
Rookie (Playing The Field Book 2) Page 13
