Page 16 of Playing for Possession
Everything about flying on a private jet is supposed to be relaxing. The younger me could never have imagined this kind of luxury. I’d never been on a plane before I signed with Madrid. It had been thrilling to get so much free stuff. I’d worn the hideous red woolly flight socks for that entire flight because I’d thought you were supposed to. Everyone took the piss out of me. I’d been called Socks at Madrid right until the day I left. Still, I’d take Socks over Fizzz.
I’d never been a fan of flying. Neither was Joanie, from the look of her. She sat stiff and upright, with her eyes squeezed shut. Her knuckles were white where she gripped the armrests. I’d spent this past week watching her in the mirrors at the gym. I had no time to babysit Mortimer Fox’s daughter, but this woman had unknowingly presented me with a problem. She insisted on lifting beyond capacity without a spotter, and walking around that sketchy parking lot after dark in those little shorts. I’d seen syringes scattered around by the exit. There were all kinds of people in that underpass that led to the car park. Every night, I’d had to walk back to my car at the same time as her, or I’d never be able to sleep, wondering whether she’d got home OK.
Joanie Fox wasn’t my problem, but if I didn’t keep an eye out, who would? She didn’t seem to have a gym partner. The women’s team trained in the afternoon. She must have had a reason to train alone at night. I couldn’t turn a blind eye now I’d seen the problem. Looking after her in the UK wasn’t part of my remit, but I didn’t want to have to explain to Mortimer that his little princess had crushed herself to death through her own stubbornness.
Not that I could moan too much. I couldn’t deny there was something... interesting about watching her lift. She didn’t stop even when the sweat was pouring and her cheeks were pink with the effort. Not what I’d expected. These nepo-babies usually had no grit or determination. Sean couldn’t handle any kind of disappointment on the pitch without a tantrum, but Joanie had surprised me. It also didn’t hurt that her ass looked divine when she was bent over doing barbell rows. Not that I should have been looking. Checking her out was definitely not within my remit.
I settled into the reclining leather seat. Any attempt at relaxing just made the low engine rumble grow more intense. Joanie fiddled with her seat belt for the hundredth time. She sucked in gasps of air and blew them out slowly. I could have happily done this trip in silence, but this woman looked ready to have a panic attack, and that wasn’t part of keeping her “safe and happy.”
I cleared my throat. “Not a fan of flying?”
She darted me a nervous glance. “I don’t love it.”
“You’re more likely to die in a car crash on the way to the airport than on the plane.”
Her pretty lips twisted with irritation before she smoothed her expression and gave me a polite smile. “That’s very... helpful. Thank you.”
I snorted. I would have preferred whatever she wanted to say to me when she’d looked annoyed. Better than insincere smiles andforced courtesy. That might have worked in her world, but I’d spent years honing my bullshit detector.
I opened my mouth, but she held up her hand to silence me. “Wait. They’re about to do the safety briefing.”
She shot up straight in her seat and turned to give the flight attendant her full attention.
I leaned close, inhaling her sweet cherry perfume. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on her, not baiting her, but I couldn’t help myself.
“You know there’s no medal for most attentive passenger.”
She stiffened. “There isn’t one for most obnoxious passenger either.”
She muttered the words so quietly, I would have missed them if I hadn’t been leaning so close. Amusement went through me. I’d take snark over a fake smile any day. The cabin lights dimmed and the plane halted on the runway. I gripped the armrests, readying myself for takeoff. The engine roared and the plane surged forward. I glanced past Joanie out of the window and at the world shrinking away outside as we began a sharp ascent.
Joanie paled and her fingers shook in her lap. I could almost feel Mortimer Fox breathing down my neck, telling me to keep up my agreement. Maybe he’d snuck into the hold in his bat form. I’d have to do something to put her at ease. A deal was a deal.
“Look at me,” I said.
She shot me a worried glance.
“Do you know what I tell myself when I’m in the tunnel about to go on for a game? Fear and excitement are the same thing. Your heart is racing, your stomach is churning. It’s a matter of perception. I run onto the pitch feeling excited, not fearful, because I choose excitement. This is going to be fun. I promise you.”
“Fun?”
I settled back in my seat, hoping she’d pick up on the casual vibe and relax. “The weather is looking great out there. Nice to get away from England for a bit. I’m looking forward to some sun, aren’t you? Look at it this way, we’re getting a holiday at the expense of Fizzz. You don’t have to worry about a thing. We’re both Calverdale. I’ve got your back.”
Her eyes widened, incredulously. “You’ve got my back?”
Was it really so surprising? I didn’t want to be her enemy. Mortimer had some notion that she was in need of a friend. Maybe she was. Rehab after an injury was tough. I’d known guys that hadn’t been able to return to the pitch. It made you isolated. Everything was going on around you and you ended up a shadow on the sidelines.
“The way I see it, we’re here together as professionals representing the club. This commercial is annoying for me too. It will be easier if we support each other,” I said.
She turned to give me her full attention. She had a kind of unexpected innocence about her—those wide hazel eyes and pouty lips gave her an earnest expression. Sweet and wholesome-looking.
She gave me a wary glance. “Fine. We’re representing the club. We can be professional.”
“We can do better than professional.”
Pink flushed her face. “What do you mean?”
What did I mean?I just wanted to put her at ease and I’d need to get creative because she looked at me as though I was a wild dog. My insides felt heavy and warm. This was the same feeling I had in the gym, like I wanted to make her life easier somehow. This was the last person who needed me to make her life easier. She’d had the world handed to her on a silver platter, but I sensed something vulnerable lurking in her shy glances.
