Page 25 of Playing for Possession
I held my hands up. “No. It really is. It’s just a work thing.”
He laughed. “I understand. No problem. There are two bedrooms. Don’t look so worried.”
A bead of sweat rolled down my neck. If the two of us sharing this place looked suspicious to Ramirez then what would Mortimer think? When Joanie told him she was staying with me, he’d probably think I’d arranged this on purpose as some seduction attempt. I’d have to give Joanie a choice, and hope Mortimer didn’t read too much into it. It was presumptuous, anyway. Joanie probably wouldn’t want to come with me when she had her own room here. Either way, it was tricky. I’d promised Mortimer I’d keep an eye on his daughter. He wouldn’t be impressed with me ditching her on her own at the hotel. “I’ll ask her.”
“Good. Then it’s decided.”
A pair of slim, tanned arms wrapped around Ramirez’s neck, and a blonde woman kissed him on the cheek. He flashed a mischievous smile. “Got to go. I’ll text you the address. Martina doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” A third hand snaked into his hair, and a curvy brunette appeared. “And nor does Greta.”
Typical Ramirez. Women flocked to him wherever he went. “I’d better not keep you.”
He chuckled and hung up the phone.
In the hotel room, Joanie was up and riffling through her suitcase. Her red polka-dot sundress was lightweight and flowing to her calves. Her hair glimmered gold in the sunlight streaming through the window, and the flimsy fabric of her dress accentuated her beautiful curves. I busied myself with checking I’d collected all my stuff from the bathroom. No good would come of taking in that view. I wasn’t about to get kicked off my team, even for a woman who looked this beautiful in a sundress.
“I might have a solution for our accommodation problem. My friend has a place to stay. If you’d rather stay here, then—”
She rubbed her forehead. “I’m sorry, can we talk about this later? I’m stressed.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I have some medication. I’m sure I packed two bottles, but I can only find this one.” She held up a small, empty pill bottle. “I probably won’t need them, but if I do it’s going to be such a pain to get them here. I’ll have to find a doctor...” Joanie lifted her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “This isn’t like me. Organization is my middle name. I packed my case a week ago. I’ve turned it inside out looking.”
“I know where we can get more.”
She gave me a dubious look. “You do? I don’t think it’s going to be that easy. These are on prescription from the hospital.”
“Trust me. It’ll be fine. These things always work out fine.”
She chewed her lip. “I’m sorry. You probably wanted to relax today. This isn’t your problem.”
“I want to help you.”
She drew back a little, watching me, her expression shifting from skepticism to disbelief, as though she was trying to figure out if my offer to help was genuine. Did she really have such a low opinion of me?
She shot me an unsure smile and brushed her hair behind her ear. “Thanks, Kieran. I appreciate your help.”
“No problem.”
I had the sense that it wasn’t easy for her to ask for help. I got that. I’d been the same way when I was younger. I’d had to step up and look after Jack when Mum was working so many jobs to keep a roof over our heads. At some point, you got so used to getting shit done alone, you stopped looking to others for help.
Joanie’s childhood was hard to imagine. It was so alien to mine. No school. No friends to kick a ball around with down the park. A lot of time alone. It wasn’t a bad thing to be self-reliant. It was a strength, but sometimes it got you in trouble. Maybe this was the real reason she hadn’t been lifting with a spotter at the gym. It wasn’t that she was stubborn, or difficult, she’d just got used to taking care of herself. Maybe this was part of why Mortimer had wanted me to keep an eye on his daughter. He’d dropped the ball with her growing up and wanted to make amends. She needed someone to take better care of her. She needed a friend.
I could be Joanie’s friend on this trip. A genuine friend among the Calverdale crew wouldn’t go amiss for me either. One that didn’t revolve around drinking and banter. Less hangovers that way. Plus she didn’t look the type to draw a dick on my head when I passed out like some of these wankers on the team. Although I couldn’t rule it out entirely. You always had to watch the quiet ones.
Chapter 12
Joanie
Snatches of a murmured conversation in Spanish drifted to my ears. Patients occupied every seat in the medical center waiting room. I rolled my shoulders, trying to release the tension that had built up this morning. Tomorrow we’d be filming this ridiculous commercial, and I should have been preparing for that, not sitting in here.
Kieran sat calmly in the adjacent seat as he scrolled his phone. Nothing ruffled this man’s cool. A pair of teenage boys sitting in the row of plastic chairs opposite whispered furtively and shot Kieran excited glances. People had started to notice they were in the presence of an international football star, but nobody had dared approach us yet. An older lady angled her phone in Kieran’s direction over the top of a dog-eared magazine. Not exactly discreet.
A young boy was the first brave soul to approach Kieran. He looked around nine years old. Recognition flashed in his eyes before he advanced cautiously. Sparse patches of hair lined the boy’s head. A thin, clear feeding tube led from inside the boy’s nose and disappeared behind his ear.
The boy flashed a tremulous smile. “Kieran Earnshaw?”
Kieran lifted his head. “That’s right, mate.”
