Striker (Book 1 in the 'Striker' Trilogy)

by Michelle Betham

  ‘Yes, thank you, can I stop you there before we stray into “too much information” territory? I’ll ask you again, what are you doing here?’

  ‘I was just getting my Dictaphone, if you must know.’

  ‘Why? You got something planned I don’t know about? Is the ever-surprising Ryan Fisher about to spill something of interest that might be useful to us?’

  ‘I’m off to Red Star’s training ground.’

  Kevin raised both eyebrows in an expression of utter surprise. ‘Really? Have you been invited? I mean, I know you’re sleeping with their star striker but I wasn’t aware that granted you carte blanche to accompany him to work every day.’

  ‘I’m going with my dad.’

  ‘Your dad?’

  ‘Yeah. Y’know, that ex-footballer who used to play for Newcastle Red Star, he was quite famous back in the 1970s…’

  ‘Jesus. When did you turn into a comedian? What’s your dad doing over there today?’

  Amber shrugged. ‘He’s helping Colin with some training sessions, apparently. Although, the first I heard about it was this morning, when Ryan told me. So, when Ryan asked me to come and watch him train, well, I’ve got nothing else planned, so I might as well go and spend my day off eyeing up sexy, young footballers.’

  Kevin narrowed his eyes and stared at her.

  ‘Christ, Kevin, come on,’ Amber laughed. ‘I haven’t suddenly turned into some sex-crazed cougar. I’m joking. But I am going to watch Ryan.’

  ‘So, what’s with the Dictaphone then?’

  ‘Well, I’m a reporter by nature, aren’t I? I should always be prepared for a story, no matter where I am. Especially with the derby match against Wearside Spartans coming up on Sunday.’

  ‘I’ve trained you well,’ Kevin grinned, giving her a pat on the shoulder before turning on his heel and heading back towards his office. ‘Now, get out of here.’

  Amber leaned back against her desk, smiling to herself as she looked out of the window at the view of the city stretching out ahead of her. Usually, once she was here at her desk, she’d find any reason to stay, any reason to lose herself in a pile of work, whether it needed doing or not, because she’d never had all that much else to do. Her career had been her priority for so long, but suddenly things were changing. Okay, so she didn’t really need the Dictaphone, and she’d only come into the office to make sure there was nothing that needed any urgent attention, but nobody said the habit was going to be an easy one to break. She just knew that, now she was here, she couldn’t wait to get away. She couldn’t wait to go and see Ryan. She really couldn’t wait.

  *

  ‘You’ve changed, mate,’ Gary said, throwing the ball at Ryan, the cold December wind whipping around the exposed pitch, but none of the lads were feeling it. They were way too busy getting stuck into the various training sessions Colin Bailey – Red Star’s Head Coach – had set up for them. And he was leaving no stone unturned in preparation for the upcoming derby match on Sunday. They were being worked harder than they’d ever been worked before.

  ‘Changed, how?’ Ryan asked, kicking the ball at goal, watching as it hit the back of the net, sending Rob Howard, their first-team goalkeeper, in the complete opposite direction. ‘Got ya there, Rob, mate,’ Ryan grinned, returning the good-natured but impolite hand gesture that Rob had given him.

  ‘Enough of that, you lot!’ Colin shouted over from the sidelines. ‘You’re supposed to be practising penalties, this isn’t a fucking playground. Let’s have some concentration, okay?’

  ‘You’re no frigging fun anymore,’ Gary replied, holding up a hand in apology to their Glaswegian coach. ‘I thought I’d found my partner-in-crime when you joined the club, I mean, your reputation went before you, didn’t it?’

  ‘People do change, Gary.’

  ‘Yeah, but, overnight? Because that’s what it seems like, mate. One minute you’re on an all-day bender and the next you’re spending cosy nights in and giving us the brush off. For a woman?’

  ‘Amber isn’t the reason I’ve decided not to spend my nights living the footballer-cliché of hanging around bars picking up random women.’

  ‘Yeah? Really? Because that’s what it seems like to us, Ryan.’ Gary took a shot at goal, his penalty saved by Rob, who just threw Gary a smug smile. ‘Y’know, I’m not saying I wouldn’t give a week’s wages to go where you go with the lovely Amber, but, come on, mate. We all thought she’d just be a quick shag so you could say you’d been the one to crack the ice-queen, we didn’t think you’d be halfway to marriage before Christmas. And talking of the region’s sexiest sports reporter…’

  Ryan followed Gary’s gaze, catching sight of Amber and Freddie Sullivan talking to Colin pitch-side. She was wrapped up against the cold in a waist-length black jacket, skinny jeans and knee-high boots, her dark red hair covered by a beanie hat, and as far as Ryan was concerned she looked as sexy-as-hell. Because he knew what she looked like underneath all those layers. He felt his stomach give another one of those uncharacteristic somersaults and he quickly turned away, placing the ball he was holding down on the penalty spot.

  ‘Come on. We’re supposed to be training here and I really can’t be arsed to face the wrath of Colin today.’

  ‘You don’t want to go over and say hello to the newest addition to the world of WAGs?’ Gary grinned, indicating Amber at the side of the pitch, who still hadn’t looked over in their direction, Ryan had noticed.

  ‘Something tells me she won’t be too pleased to hear you call her that,’ Ryan muttered, turning his attention back to the task in hand. ‘Besides, I’ll have plenty of time to talk to her later, won’t I?’

  ‘Whatever you say,’ Gary shrugged, wincing slightly as Ryan kicked the ball so hard it hammered straight into Rob’s chest, almost winding him. ‘Jesus, mate, take it easy. What the frig’s got into you?’

  ‘Your turn,’ Ryan said, throwing a ball at Gary and ignoring his comment.

  ‘You talking about penalty kicks there, mate, or are you finally inviting me to have a go on your girlfriend?’ Gary smirked, an expression that was quickly wiped off his face as Ryan lunged towards him, grabbing him by his sweatshirt, but Rob immediately threw himself between them, pushing them apart before Ryan had the chance to do anything more than shove his team-mate hard in the chest.

  ‘What the fucking hell is going on over here?’ Colin Bailey yelled, running onto the pitch. ‘Jesus Christ, can I not leave you lot alone for five bloody minutes? Sort it out, whatever it is, and before anyone starts speaking, I don’t want to fucking know. Just sort it out, or I’ll send the pair of you inside and you can explain to the boss just what the hell you’re playing at.’

  ‘That’ll be hard, considering he’s not even here yet,’ Gary said, throwing Ryan a look, one that was quickly returned.

  ‘Less of the smart mouth, Blandford. You’re acting like a couple of pre-school kids so just grow-up and get on with things. I’m watching you both.’

  Gary directed a mock-salute at Colin’s retreating back before walking over to the penalty area, gently nudging the ball back onto its spot with the heel of his boot.

  ‘You need to lighten up again, Ryan.’

  ‘Shut the fuck up and take the penalty, Gary.’

  Gary kicked the ball to the left of Rob, and this time it sailed past him, cannoning its way into the back netting of the goal. He turned to look at Ryan, folding his arms as he watched his team-mate look briefly over towards Amber. ‘You’re twenty-six-years-old, Ryan. You’re a professional footballer with one of the biggest clubs in the country, and if that wasn’t enough, you’re one handsome son-of-a-bitch, too, you bastard! Are you really ready to settle down? Huh?’

  Ryan looked at his team-mate; his best friend here at the club, and he didn’t have all that many friends if truth be told. Surely he didn’t have to alienate everyone else just to make sure he didn’t stray back into everything that was bad for him? What was he? Some fifteen-year-old kid that was easily le
d? He was an adult. He knew what he had to do now, and he had no intention of returning to anything that could threaten not only his career, but also his relationship with Amber. But that didn’t mean to say he had to lock himself away under some kind of house arrest.

  Ryan shrugged, leaning back against the goal post.

  ‘You’ll be back,’ Gary smirked, crouching down to tie his boot lace before standing back up, looking straight at Ryan. ‘I guarantee it.’

  *

  ‘What the hell was that all about?’ Amber asked as Colin arrived back on the touchline.

  ‘I don’t want to know,’ he sighed, facing the pitch and folding his arms as he surveyed the Red Star squad at work. ‘It doesn’t take much to start a kick-off around here, not with this lot. It’s like being in charge of a bunch of adolescents at times.’

  Amber pulled her collar up, shielding the back of her neck from the harsh, north east wind before burying her hands deep in the pockets of her jacket as she looked over at Ryan. He certainly appeared to have the adolescent stance down pat as he leaned against the goal post, his head down, an expression akin to that of a sulky teenager covering his handsome face. He’d been so cheerful when he’d left for the training ground just a couple of hours ago – what had happened to change all that?

  ‘Jim not here yet, then?’

  Her dad’s voice broke into her thoughts, and even though she knew this was never going to have been a Jim-free day, she secretly hoped that Colin was going to tell them that he’d changed his mind, that he had things to do over at Tynebridge and he wouldn’t be coming to the training ground at all.

  ‘He should be on his way,’ Colin replied, and Amber immediately felt her heart sink. ‘Should be here any time now.’

  ‘You gonna fill him in on what they’ve been up to?’ Freddie asked, nodding his head in the direction of a now-seemingly reunited Gary Blandford and Ryan Fisher.

  ‘No point,’ Colin went on. ‘I’m in charge here, and I can deal with them.’ He looked at Freddie, a small smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. ‘I like to keep the boss on a need-to-know-basis, if you get my drift.’

  Freddie couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Yeah. I know where you’re coming from.’

  Amber was slowly beginning to regret turning up at training now. She was freezing cold, Ryan appeared to be acting like an idiot, and her dad and Colin Bailey seemed happy enough to while the time away talking shop and reminiscing over the good-old-days of football. She just wanted to see Ryan and ask him what all that had been about with Gary – although whether he told her the truth or not remained to be seen.

  ‘Speak of the devil…’ Colin said.

  Amber looked up, frowning slightly, because she really wasn’t concentrating on what they were saying at all. ‘Huh? Sorry?’

  ‘The boss is here,’ Colin sighed, pulling his hat down further so it covered his ears.

  Amber looked over towards the block of buildings that made up the training ground’s offices and indoor facilities, watching as Jim Allen strode over towards them, and she couldn’t stop her stomach from flipping over double-time at the sight of him. Dressed in a dark suit and shirt, his eyes shielded from the low winter sun by aviator shades, his mobile phone attached firmly to his ear he looked every inch the business-savvy football manager that he was. He looked handsome and dangerously sexy, and Amber wished with all her heart that she didn’t feel the way she still felt when she looked at him. But she did.

  ‘Everything okay here?’ Jim asked, sliding his phone back into his jacket pocket as he approached them.

  ‘Any reason why it shouldn’t be?’ Colin replied, half-smiling at Jim. ‘It’s all under control, don’t worry.’

  Amber wished he wasn’t standing so close to her, and she stared straight ahead again, focusing on Ryan as he ran around the pitch, yelling instructions at his team-mates. She focused on his strong, toned legs that were now splattered with mud, his heavily tattooed arms, his handsome face as he laughed at something Rob shouted at him. Yeah, that little stomach somersault was just for him, she couldn’t deny that.

  ‘Everything okay with you and wonder boy over there?’ Jim asked, staring straight ahead, too, his eyes still covered by those aviator shades.

  ‘Fine, thanks,’ Amber replied. And even though she hadn’t really wanted to, she turned to look at him. ‘You don’t mind me being here, do you? Only, I know how private you like to keep these training sessions sometimes, especially with the derby match coming up.’

  ‘Of course I don’t mind you being here,’ he smiled, a smile that lit up his entire face, and Amber had to look away briefly again, just to compose herself. ‘It’s good to see you, Amber. It’s always good to see you.’

  She pushed her hands deeper into her pockets, unaware for a few seconds that she was clenching her fists, so hard she could feel her fingernails digging into her palms.

  ‘I’m going inside,’ she said, turning to walk away, back towards the training ground offices. ‘It’s freezing out here.’

  ‘You alright?’ Freddie asked, frowning slightly as he looked at his daughter.

  ‘I’m fine, Dad.’ She looked over at Jim, who held her gaze briefly before looking away again. ‘I just need a cup of coffee, that’s all.’

  *

  ‘We’re off out again tonight,’ Gary said, wrapping a towel around himself as he stepped out of the showers, ‘... seeing as we’re all on lock-down at the hotel from Saturday afternoon. Got to have some sort of blow-out before we’re confined to barracks. You gonna join us?’ He sat down next to Ryan, who was tapping out a text on his mobile phone. ‘Something to eat, a few drinks, maybe a club? You up for it?’

  Ryan looked at Gary. His immediate reaction was to say yes, he was up for it, he was more than up for it. But he couldn’t, could he? He’d promised Amber. He’d promised Max. He’d promised his mam and dad. ‘I can’t, mate.’

  ‘Which is it? “Can’t” or “won’t”,?’ Gary asked, roughly towel-drying his light-brown hair. ‘Come on, mate. We know you’ve got your very own WAG now, and you probably still need a bit of time to wear her in…’

  ‘Jesus, Gary, do you want to try and be a bit more offensive there? I’m beginning to see why she turned you down now.’

  ‘Hey, listen, it looks like I had a lucky escape. If she’s the kind of lass that turns you into some kind of stay-at-home bore then you can keep her. I’ll take my Debbie any day. She knows the score.’

  ‘Yeah, thanks for that.’

  ‘A couple of hours, Ryan. That’s all we’re talking about. A chicken madras down the TyneGate Tandoori, some shots, and a few beers in a couple of bars, maybe a quick visit to the casino, what do you say? There’s always some decent talent in there…’

  ‘I’m not after any talent, Gary. For Christ’s sake…’

  ‘Okay, okay. Hey, listen, if you’re off-limits then that only means all the more for the rest of us, so don’t worry about it. You can occupy yourself at the frigging Blackjack table for all I care, all I know is that I’m on the look-out for a bit of pre-match fun. And I’m sure The Goldman will be quite happy to accommodate us, should we feel the need.’

  Ryan sat back, closing his eyes and running a hand through his damp hair.

  ‘What you so scared of, mate?’ Gary persisted. ‘She hasn’t got you on some kind of leash, has she?’

  ‘Fuck off, Gary. Shit!’ Ryan sat forward, bowing his head and clasping his hands together between his knees. ‘It’s not like that, okay? You don’t understand…’

  ‘I understand you’ve suddenly turned into a boring prick.’

  ‘For fuck’s sake!’ Ryan sighed, sitting back again. ‘I’ll come, okay? If only to stop you frigging banging on about it.’

  ‘Good man,’ Gary grinned, slapping Ryan hard on the shoulder. ‘You know you wanted to all along. You’ve just got to remember how to keep her indoors happy, mate, and you’ll have this relationship lark sorted in no time. Take it from one who knows.’ He tapped his no
se and winked as he got up to retrieve some clean clothes from his locker.

  Ryan closed his eyes again. This was all proving to be way harder than he’d ever imagined. Part of him really did just want to stay home with Amber and do all those things normal couples did, whilst another part of him couldn’t bear the thought of leaving a lifestyle he loved behind. The fame, the glamour; the women – he’d be lying if he said he could say goodbye to all of that and not regret it. It made him forget all the low times and the bad days that also came with that self-same lifestyle.

  ‘I’m going to see Amber,’ Ryan sighed, pulling his t-shirt over his head as he stood up, running his hands through his still-damp dark hair.

  ‘Asking permission, huh?’ Gary smirked.

  Ryan ignored him. Yes, he knew it was all just dressing room banter but it was getting to him maybe slightly more than it should do. So it was probably best to get out of there for a while, spend the break they’d been given for lunch with Amber. They weren’t supposed to leave the training ground – they still had a couple of hours of training left, with a little bit of help from Amber’s dad – but that wasn’t a problem. Ryan was sure they could find somewhere quiet, away from prying eyes, to spend a bit of time together. He needed to get her on-side, anyway, if he stood any chance of leaving the house that night without some kind of confrontation. Jesus, he felt about fifteen. It wasn’t as if he was grounded or anything. He could come and go as he pleased; he didn’t need anyone’s permission, despite what Gary thought.

  ‘You look as though you’ve got a lot on your mind.’

  Jim Allen’s voice caused Ryan to jump. He’d been so deep in thought he hadn’t heard him walk up beside him. ‘No, I’m… I’m fine. This morning’s training was tough going, that’s all. I’m a bit tired.’

  ‘Tired? You’re young and fit, you shouldn’t be tired. I hope this isn’t a sign that your love life’s beginning to get in the way of your football.’

  Ryan looked at his manager through slightly-narrowed eyes. ‘No.’