"Come on girls get it together." He shouted clapping hard. "Go again, he said frustrated.
"We're trying!"
"I need you two thinking together. Concentrate."
Mel gritted her teeth and tightened her hair. She was close to losing it with him, he knew that. But she didn't say a word.
He watched them pass to each other as they advanced up the field and he couldn't help but feel sad. Where was the magic?
/\\/\\/\\/\\
He couldn't believe he was doing this for a second time. Once had really been bad enough. Yet here he was again outside her house, not sure of what he was going to say. The noise coming from inside the house distracted him momentarily and he stepped forward and looked in the window.
There was so many people crammed into the room, it was full of colour and noise and it absolutely fascinated him.
It took a few seconds for him to spot Jess. She looked so different, dressed in red from head to toe. He couldn't tear his eyes away as she spun around and around. He would even admit he reached when she lost her balance. He was grinning just watching her.
He didn't even hear the door opening, he just saw Mr Bhamra and panicked. He was pretty sure he trod on all the plants he possibly could have.
"I'm sorry to bother you like this" he somehow managed to stumble out.
"I don't have anything to say to you ok" the older man replied.
"I appreciate it and I won't keep you long from your celebrations. But I wanted you to know there's a scout coming to our final match tomorrow" he said his voice steadying with each word.
He was doing this for her. With all that talent she deserved the best life could offer her.
"So it's the opportunity of a lifetime for Jess. Please Mr Bhamra don't let her talent go to waste."
That was the second he realised he meant every word of it. All he wanted was for her to be happy.
"Thank you." And that's all her father wanted too. Even if it was his version of happiness.
He nodded and turned to walk away.
He was on the path when he heard her voice, and he started walking slower.
Please follow me… he thought to himself. His heart seemed to slow down right until he heard her running. His grin had never been wider.
"Wait!" she called out, he turned and was almost stunned by the sight of her. Draped in red and gold with barely any makeup on and a bindi shining from her forehead. He had never seen her looking so breathtakingly beautiful.
"I'm sorry about the final" she said, after what felt like an eternity to him.
"No I'm sorry Jess." He said sadly. He wasn't too sure what about entirely.
"Got my results I'm starting university soon." She said, he tried to tear his gaze away from her eyes. She was clearly uncomfortable. "I won't have time to train and stuff" she finished weakly.
"Now that's a shame." He said honestly. "I could have seen you play for England someday….Jules still has a shot" there was so many thoughts running through his head he was surprised he could make a sentence.
"She told me about the scout coming. Sorry I'm letting her down" she was amazing, so modest.
"I asked that scout to come for you too. He's interested in both of you" had she really no idea of that.
"Me?" she as genuinely stunned. "Why are you doing this to me Joe?" sadness passed across her face. "Every time I talk myself out of it you come around and make it sound so easy"
"I guess I don't want to give up on you" possibly the most honest thing he had ever said. There was mountains of unspoken words building tension between them in that moment. They both turned to look at her house. Look back to her family. He found he couldn't resist. "So eh are you promised to one of those blokes in there?"
"Don't be silly I'm not promised to anyone" his heart leapt. A glimmer of hope. Shining bright until he remembered everything else in their way.
"You're lucky to have a family that cares that much about you I can understand you don't want to mess with it." they were standing close together again. Closer than necessary.
"Joe…" that voice was his weakness. It would be so simple to kiss her in that second.
"And I don't fancy being busted by you dad again." he grinned, unsure how many eyes could possibly be on them. "You better get back. I hope all goes well for you tomorrow and good luck with your studies." He leaned in further. "Come see us some time. Look back as she watches him walk away"
/\\/\\/\\/\\
The morning had come around excruciatingly slowly. He'd lain awake most of the night, flipping between playing out the match in his head and thinking about Jess. Then getting angry with himself for thinking about her.
So of course he was now sitting in their dug out thinking about her.
He had a pain in his head from clenching his jaw. She'd told him herself that she was starting university soon, he would be better off just forgetting about her now. Ye the very thought made something tighten in his chest. Was it possible he was actually truly upset at the thought of losing her? His friends had all said he'd changed. Now he saw it for real.
/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
It wasn't going well and he couldn't see it picking up any time soon. The girls were giving their all but it didn't look like it was going to pull them through. That was when he heard it.
"JOE!" he turned so quickly he nearly hurt himself. She hopped onto the pitch and was by his side before could fully realise she was standing there.
She gripped his shoulder nodding intently.
"Start warming up Bhamra, we're one nil down with half an hour to go." He grinned widely. Trying his best to play it cool but failing miserably.
"REF!" he called out and patted her on the back as she headed onto the field.
He looked on still grinning as Jules and Jess reconciled. Maybe there was some saving in this.
He could not stop smiling for a second. Yes they were still losing but God he was happy. He kept looking up trying to shake himself out of it. but nothing worked.
Eejit! He scolded himself internally. Get the grin off your face.
The magic was back in its entirety, he watched as his two star players weaved their way up the pitch.
"YESSS!" he roared as Jules sent the ball straight into the back of the net.
There wasn't much time for celebrating though as the tackle on Jess came within minutes. She was on the floor and his heart was in his mouth. A sensation he'd become all too familiar with now that she was in his life.
He watched, arms crossed tight as she got up slowly. Fingers clenching as she lined up for her penalty. Chest tight as she struck the ball.
It was gorgeous, with a bend like nothing he'd ever seen before. He practically combusted when it struck the back of the net.
He'd deny it, but when he watched her celebrating there was a tear in the corner of his eye.
/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
"Yes sir, they're wicked when they get together." He said nodding. "They have a connection like none I've ever seen before."
"They've truly only played together for a few months?"
"Yes that's all. Bhamra was never trained up until the beginning of the summer. It's all raw talent."
The two men spoke animatedly about the two girls, right up until they came out the dressing room door.
He watched her face light up as the scout delivered the news. She was radiant.
Stealing a glance back as they walked away he saw her pink form jumping up and down, his stomach did a flip. He had made her that happy.
/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
There was one place that had always cleared his head. Let him think clearly. On the pitch kicking ball he was attempting to get his head together. He knew all the lads on the pitch with him and the chat had been flowing easily but he was still a little distracted. The keep ups were barely doing their job. He actually thought he was imagining it when he heard her voice.
"Joe!" the yell cut across the pitch. "I'm going! They said I can go" she was sprinting across the grass, skirts in he hands.
As she leapt into his arms he gripped her tightly, loath to believe she was actually there, committing the feel of her in his arms to memory. He barely heard the cheers of the gang behind him until she pulled away.
"Sorry I forgot" she muttered and he could see her retreating back into her shell just as quickly as she came out of it.
"Its ok now!" he said quickly. "I'm not your coach anymore. We can do what we want" he leaned in slowly, realising it the lack of guilt he finally felt. How right it all felt.
"Joe…" she said just before his lips finally met hers. The fear of god went through him.
"Your dad's not here is he?" he leapt back so fast he was immediately embarrassed.
"I'm sorry Joe I can't…" she said, her face falling slightly.
His stomach nearly dropped out of him. Had he completely misread this entire thing? Had he spent months completely mistaken?
"I thought you wanted…" he managed to choke out.
He has never found himself so desperate for reassurance, he was starting to feel a little ill until she reached up and grabbed his zip, playfully tugging it gently.
He barely registered that that was the first time she'd touched him like that, so easily.
"Letting me go is a really big step for my mom and dad. I don't know how they'd survive if I told them about you too."
He reached up at rubbed her hand. Holding it close to his chest he rubbed little circles on her soft skin. There was so much he wanted to say, but he knew there was only one thing he could say.
"I guess there's not much point with you going to America anyway is there."
He shook his head slowly trying to convince himself to say nothing more. She opened her mouth to speak and as he noticed the slight tear in her eye he decided to hug her tightly and took the second of closeness to rub back, closing his eyes as he almost let his lips graze neck.
"I better go…" she murmured as the group behind them began to grow louder.
He just nodded. Knowing if he spoke he'd say the wrong thing.
/\\/\\/\\/\\
The drink tasted bitter, he could barely bring himself to drink it.
He could barely bring himself to do anything the last week or so. Now here he was at their leaving do.
He watched from behind the bar as all the girls laughed together. Possibly the best tea he'd ever worked with. He smiled lightly as Jess brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled, listening animatedly to Mel. They hadn't spoken alone since that night on the pitch, he told himself it was right. Told himself he was fine with it. The feeling in his gut said something else thought.
"Your eyes are going to fall out." Said a quiet voice from his left hand side. He turned slowly, already knowing the source.
"What do you mean Paxton?"
"You're staring at her."
"Don't know what you're talking about." He said, handing her a full drink.
"It wasn't just a drunken kiss was it?" she asked taking a drink. He looked at her expecting her to look hurt or angry. Instead she smiled at him.
He shook his head.
"Did you… sort it out."
"There's no point. Yer going away."
"That doesn't sound like you Joe." She turned looked straight at him. "I always thought you'd go after what you wanted." He smiled at her.
"Thanks Jules."
/\\/\\/\\/
"It's been good to see you." He said, and he meant it.
"You too boy. It's been too long."
"I'm sorry Da." He said "I…"
"No I'm sorry. I know now I pushed you too far. I wasn't a father I was a coach."
Joe smiled.
"It's a fine line."
"And look at you now. Coaching a professional side." His father shook his head smiling. "I'm very proud of you Joe. You could have just given up. But you're doing so well."
His fathers words stunned him momentarily.
"Are you alright Joseph?"
"Yeah, it's just a friend of mine said you'd say that. Nearly exactly." He laughed lightly.
"Good friend of yours?" he looked up to see his father raise his eyebrow.
"Not really, only known her a few months."
"So it is a woman."
"She's from my team." He sighed, rolling his eyes at his father's grin.
"Can I meet her?" Joe's smile faltered.
"She's going to America for uni. Today."
"And?"
"And that's it. she has a lot to deal with her family and…"
"Look I told you I haven't been much of a dad to you over the years. But I'm going to try now. When you get to my age you don't think about all the things you do half as much as the things you didn't." Joes heart skipped a beat as his father reached out and clasped him on the shoulder. "I would very much like to someday meet the girl that gave you that grin."
/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
His heart was pounding and he was ashamed to admit he was getting the beginnings of a stich, but the end of in site, he was slowly getting up to their gate. He prayed silently he was in time.
"Jess!" he yelled as he spotted the small group.
"What are you doing here?" he felt immediate relief as she smiled at him. That was it his mind completely made up.
"They offered me the job, coaching the men's side. No more pulling pints." He grinned.
"That's great Joe" she threw him one of the brightest smiles he'd seen in years.
"Yeah. I turned them down." He knew his grin was turning ridiculous but he couldn't seem to care.
"What why did you…"
"They're gonna let me coach the girls side." He got more excited by the second. She was so close to him now, and that alone had cheered him up exceptionally. "They want us to turn pro next year.""
"Woah that's..." the look of genuine joy on her face nearly made is heart explode. Play it cool Joe God. He mentally chided himself.
"Can't keep losing all my best players to the yanks now can I?"
"That's brilliant Joe…" she looked at him with a different glint in her eye now. "You should tell your dad you know"
"I already did…" her smirk was worth all the courage it had taken to make that phone call first day. The look on her face as she raised her eyebrows would have been worth anything.
"Maybe after they've trained you up I'll sign ya. If I can afford ya." He laughed. There was another knot in his stomach now it was getting close to the now or never moment.
"Ya you wish" the laughter between them filled the air for a second, and it gave him the courage he didn't know he needed.
"Look I can't let you go without knowing"
"What?" her voice was changed slightly.
"That even with the distance and the concerns of your family we might still have something." It was the most vulnerable thing he'd ever said, but he was praying she didn't realise that. "Don't you think"
Her grin was all the answer he needed.
It was soft and sweet, everything he'd honestly thought it would be. He also knew that if he had to, he wouldn't be able to speak.
Seeing Beckham was just the icing on the cake, he honestly barely even registered the superstar appearance as he tore his eyes away from her for a second. How unfair was it that he had to let her go now. He knew he'd never think of the right things to say, so they just kissed again.
"I'm back at Christmas we'll tackle my mom and dad then…" she said, he could tell that was all she was capable of at that moment in time too.
He said goodbye to Jules, who hugged him tight and made him promise to email. He noticed she avoided too much eye contact, and he knew he'd have to rebuild a lot of bridges there, but this was a start.
He stood behind the group waving them off grinning broadly as they two girls turned for a final wave. He was feeling an odd mixture of pride and loss. Both happy and sad. Yet he was still grinning. Now for the next hurdle.