Page 1 of King of Jokers

Jack

Chapter One

“I’mout,”Islurred,throwing my losing hand down onto the table and lifting the next shot glass to my lips. I was far too drunk to continue claiming every new hand was going to be the one where I won my money back.

“You were talking a big game before, Jacky boy.” Cooper said, sliding another shot in front of me, six empties already sitting next to the fresh one. With Seb’s new bar closed for the evening, there was no one to clean our glasses which meant we were surrounded by a reminder of how much we had slammed.

“Loser on and off the field this week.” Jay added, enjoying my misery far too much.

“Can we keep the insults away from my team?” Andy asked while indicating to Seb that he wanted another card.

“When you play like you boys did last week, the gloves are off.” Cooper chipped.

“The gloves are always off with you.” Seb’s always serious face not even cracking in the slightest when Coop shoved him playfully.

“First time we haven’t made the finals in eight years.” Andy huffed, the pain still just as raw as it was last weekend when that final buzzer sounded and we were down eighteen points.

“First season I haven’t been on the field in eight years too. What a coincidence.” Jay quipped and I did my best not to flinch. He was laughing, but I still sensed the way the room quietened the tiniest bit and how everyone suddenly avoided looking at me. After all, it was my fault he took early retirement last season and didn’t I know it.

Jay had never once thrown anything back at me. In fact, the one time we did discuss it, he was adamant it was his time and it was the push he needed — but I felt it all the same. A mentor, a leader, an altruistic mother fucker to the core and despite his resolve that he had to finish for his health, every bloke sitting around this table knew it was brought forward to save my dumbarse from a tainted career.

What was a ridiculously stupid decision to dabble in recreational drugs on a night out at Seb’s club, Nexus, turned into a media shit storm when someone used my status and position on the Hearts Football Team as an opportunity and leaked it to the media within the hour. I’d been hauled in for aplease fucking explainat two in the morning, still pretty trashed on drinks and reckless decisions. I was barely able to tie my shoelaces let alone interpret the mess I was walking into and if it wasn’t for Jay I would have copped it all. The evidence was there and while the images were grainy and the public couldn’t be certain it was me, assumptions would be made. But Jay had met with his medical team only two days prior after another nasty head knock and they gave him the ultimatum – your health or your career. Officially he was told he could finish the season before hanging up his boots but ever the impulsive martyr, he formulated a plan which saw him labelled as the Hearts drug mule and me as an innocent bystander. Retiring effective immediately, he pleased his medical team and family but unfairly took the blame for what the media labelled as ‘Cocaine-Gate’, thankfully with no impact to his retirement payout.

“Yeah, and it was also the first year the boys could shower without worrying someone would take off with their gear. Right, Jacko?” I knew Andy was trying to reel me back in, to remind me there were no hard feelings, but the guilt was heavy and I was reminded of it often. An unspoken, ever-present shadow I wore as a second skin.

“Losing your kit is a rite of passage,” Jay said, nudging me with his elbow, “Ask this prick.”

Everyone laughed and with the shots comfortably swimming through my veins, the guilt eased a little with Jay’s quip, and I chuckled too, recounting a time he had not only taken my gear but cleared the entire changeroom of anything resembling clothing.

“I had to cover myself with a bloody Hearts scarf.” I laughed and Jay threw an arm around my shoulder rubbing his knuckles across my head.

“You were my favourite to get because your face turns as pink as a fucking pig.” I rolled my eyes, wishing like hell I hadn’t gotten that little gem from my old man.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I reached for it while the boys finished the round. Swiping open the message from my mum I sighed louder than I realised when Andy questioned who had pissed me off.

“Mum and Dad think they’re renovation gurus so their guest house is out of action. I was planning on heading home for the break but maybe not.” I knew despite Mum’s attempt at euphemising, the place would be a demolition site. Any time they decided to DIY something, it ended up taking six months longer than necessary and cost them double what it would have if they’d just paid professionals. But, as retirees with nothing else to do, it made them happy and kept them out of my hair.

“Doesn’t your wife have a place of her own? Stay with her.” Andy said, referring to my long-term friend and not even remotely close to being my wife, Winter.

Visions of soft dark hair and almond shaped eyes watching me as if I walked on water drifted through my murky thoughts.

“When did you get married and why weren’t we invited?” Seb asked knowing full well the boys were only geeing me up.

“He wishes they were married. Winter is the one who got away, isn’t she, Jacky?” Jay ruffled my hair and I swatted his hand away which only made his smirk turn into a laugh.

“Shut the fuck up, would ya?” I retorted. I did not need them to know how deep that one hit because I would never hear the end of it. As it was, he only knew about her because he heard us on the phone pretty regularly, but she wasWinter. My beautifully brilliant, but very much takenbest-friend. She was kind, familiar and undoubtedly the smartest woman I had ever known, making me laugh more than all of these dickheads combined, but she was in a relationship and had never been interested in anything more than what we always were. Friends.

“When do you head home?” Andy asked, throwing his cards down and taking his own losers shot.

“Meant to be tomorrow…” I shrugged, wondering if maybe I should call Winter for a place to crash. We’d stayed together plenty of times before so it wouldn’t be out of character. I was in desperate need of a break from the city and it had been a few years since I’d had the time to actually get back home. With the season ending a month earlier than anticipated, it was the perfect opportunity to spend time with my folks, decompress away from the hustle of all that came with being part of the Hearts and spend some time with Win before the new season started and I would be back on the training paddock for another gruelling year.

I could tolerate whatever dipshit she was dating for a couple of months, surely.Kai or Kyle or whatever his name was would understand we were just friends. And if he didn’t, what the fuck did I care? She was never one to hold back with me, if there was an issue she would say so.

I pushed back from the table indicating I was going to the bathroom, but before I’d even closed the door I was calling her number, my face already breaking into a smile in anticipation of hearing her voice.

“This better be important, J-Man, because the enemies are just about to become lovers and it is about to get steamy up in here.” Her voice was honey, oozing through my body and softening any aches and pains. It was the most comforting, consistent sound in the world – so matter of fact and unfiltered when she was with me.

“Hey, Win.” I drawled, the shots well and truly loosening the chords. “Ooooh, tell me about these lovers.”

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