"You've got it Lexie! Just give it some gas." Ted encouraged from his spot in the back seat.
Roy checked his seat belt for the third time, "It's called petrol here not gas. I can't believe this is happening."
"Come on, Roy! Where's your sense of adventure?"
"It evaporated from my fucking body the moment she got behind the wheel."
Keeley reached around the back of the passenger seat to aggressively flick Roy's ear, "Be nice! You're only going to make her more nervous!"
Roy turned around in his seat to look at Keeley, "She's the nervous one? This is a brand-new fucking car!"
Alex waited patiently for everyone to stop talking before piping up, "I don't have to drive if you're not comfortable."
Roy hesitated and looked in the mirror to see Keeley's warning face. Be nice.
"Just take it slow and keep your eyes on the road."
Alex took a deep breath and adjusted her mirrors for the third time. "Is everyone buckled?"
She looked in the rearview mirror at the two backseat passengers. Ted gave her an enthusiastic thumps up. "It's not as hard as you think," he advised. "Just keep an eye out for pedestrians and you'll be fine. There are a lot more folks riding bicycles out here than back home."
"And the small detail of other fucking cars on the road." Roy spoke gruffly, as he sat tensely in the passenger seat.
"That too!"
"Will you two shut up already? You're only making it more difficult for her to focus!"
Thank God for Keeley. Alex sent her an appreciative glance through the mirror before carefully stepping on the gas. They were headed to the Higgins' house to celebrate Leslie Higgins' birthday. His wife, Julie, was throwing him a party and invited all of the people at Richmond. Alex had met Higgins a few times in passing and from what she gathered, he seemed as sweet as cherry pie. Which is what she baked this morning to bring to the party. She hoped he liked cherries. Alex would really be kicking herself if she found out he was allergic or just didn't enjoy the fruit. Maybe she should have made an apple pie inst-
"BRAKE! Holy fuck!" Roy screamed in an almost girlish way. "My god, woman! You almost hit someone's Gran!"
The four of them stared out the windshield at the elderly woman at the crosswalk who was not even starting to walk across yet. Ted, Keeley, and Alex turned to Roy who had already started sweating.
"Alright, Roy in the boot with you." Keeley said crossly. "Jesus Christ, you acted as if she was in the middle of the bloody street!"
Roy cleared his throat and awkwardly looked at Alex. "She looked a lot closer when the car was moving, I apologize."
"I think you should just drive." Alex breathed, having Roy Kent shout at you in an already anxious situation was not a fun experience.
"No, I'm sorry for overreacting." Roy sighed, clearly apologetic. "You're trying to enjoy this experience-"
"Really, it's fine." She stressed.
"Okay," Roy answered instantly, unbuckling his seatbelt quickly and hopping out of the car. Alex huffed a laugh before putting the brake on and switching with Roy.
"Right then," Roy said with a smile. "To the Higgins'!"
Julie Higgins reminded Alex of her mother in the way she greeted them. When she answered the door for the group of four, it felt like a mother was welcoming her children home. "Please, come in!" She grinned.
Keeley gave Julie a peck on the cheek as she removed her jacket. "Oh Julie, the house looks incredible!" She did not hold back on the decorations. Streamers, lights, and a Happy Birthday banner filled the entrance of the home.
"Where's the birthday boy?" Ted exclaimed, giving Julie a sweet kiss on her cheek. "I've got a bottle of Jameson with his name on it."
"Leslie is in the kitchen with the boys!" She told Ted and Roy as she collected their jackets.
Alex waited awkwardly for her to finish hanging up the jackets in the nearby closet. "Hi, I'm Alex! Thank you for having me, ma'am!"
Julie pulled her into a warm hug and for some reason it made Alex's eyes water with emotion. "Call me Julie! We're happy to have you, dear."
A loud knock came from the front door. Julie opened it to reveal Richard, Sam, and Colin. The trio erupted with greetings as they rushed into the house. "Oh, you lads! Leslie is going to be so happy you came!"
"Of course we came!" Sam beamed, "After the wonderful Christmas party you had, we wouldn't miss this for anything."
"Rojas, Isaac, and Jamie should be on their way soon." Colin added, "We brought some food as well."
Julie happily took the container of what looked like cookies and headed for the kitchen. "Everyone is in the kitchen, boys. Come say hello!"
Upon seeing the treats they had brought, Alex remembered she left the cherry pies in the car. "I have to go out to the car, I realized I forgot something."
Sam stopped following the others, "Do you need help?"
"That would be great," She smiled and followed him back outside. The air was breezy and slightly chilly today. The sky was a grey color, which Alex was beginning to realize was normal here in England. She was wearing a long sleeve, rose-colored dress and was regretting the decision as goosebumps formed on her legs. Thankfully Roy left his brand-new car unlocked and she was able to open the trunk easily.
"What flavor are these?" Sam asked curiously, holding one carefully in his hands as they started walking back up the driveway.
"They're both cherry pies." She spoke bashfully. "It's my mom's recipe."
"Like the muffins? You and your mother must be very close." Sam observed innocently. Yet the statement knocked into her hard. She swallowed tightly.
"We are." Alex put a small smile on her face.
After the phone call she had with her mom a few nights ago at the charity event, she realized how much she missed her. This was the first time she'd been this far away from home, and it was starting to take a toll. When she first decided to visit Uncle Ted in England, she couldn't wait to be away from everyone and everything because she'd been stuck in that place her entire life. Every day was the same. She'd spend the morning helping on the farm before driving past numerous corn fields to her job that she didn't love. Alex didn't miss those things, but she missed the little moments in between all of that. Alex missed the unimportant conversations with her mom about who was hotter: Brad Pitt or George Clooney? (The correct answer is Brad Pitt). She missed her dad griping about the new baby calf not taking her bottle for him. She missed her dog, Lucy, who was always excited to see her when she got home. She missed the feeling of home.
"I didn't mean to overstep in any way," Sam sweetly apologized, noticing her change in demeanor.
"No, it's alright." Alex reassured. "I guess I'm just homesick."
"I understand. When I first left Nigeria, it was hard for me to be away from my family. I had never been out of the country before and missed them terribly. I still miss them, but it gets easier knowing I have people here now who I can count on." Sam looked at Alex sympathetically. "Sometimes when I really miss my mother, I try to make her jollof rice recipe. It never tastes as good as hers, but it helps."
"Can I count on you, Sam?" Alex asked with genuine curiosity. She was never good at keeping friends, but people like Sam were rare to come by.
He gave her a soft smile. "Any time you need me, Alexandra."
"Are we interrupting something?" The joking masculine voice cut through the air, and the pair turned to see Isaac, Dani, and Jamie coming up the driveway. They were all holding gifts and grinning like schoolboys.
"What did you lads bring to the party?" Sam asked, diverting the conversation to avoid embarrassing Alex.
"Other than my handsome looks?" Jamie joked arrogantly before holding up the gift he brought. "I figured Higgins might be needing a new pair of trainers to freshen up his wardrobe. He dresses like a stuffy headmaster most of the time."
"That was very thoughtful of you, Jamie." Alex said softly, giving him friendly smile. For a moment, she could have sworn his cheeks pinked a bit. He cleared his throat and gave her a half smile before heading inside.
"What's up with him?" Isaac asked Dani, who shrugged before turning his attention to the pastry in Alex's hand.
"Please tell me you've made more muffins, Alexandra?"
Alex giggled at Dani's boyish facial expression. "I've made the next best thing. My mother's cherry pie recipe!" She stated proudly.
Another gust of wind came by, reminding everyone to head into the house to join the others. The commotion from inside reminded Alex of the parties her family had every year around the holidays. Everyone was in the kitchen, laughing and talking.
"Hey, Higgins!" Ted said, red faced from laughter, "tell everyone about the time you threw down on the dancefloor last year at the charity event. I've never seen anyone do the worm so perfectly in all my years."
"You did the worm, Dad?" Dana, Leslie's second-oldest son, asked, mortified.
"Darn right, he did!" Ted said proudly. "You should be proud your old man can still move like that. He gives MC Hammer a run for his money."
After about an hour into the party, Rebecca had arrived with a bottle of champagne, and Coach Beard showed up with his girlfriend, Jane. Mostly everyone was starting to pair off into groups around the house. Leslie, Julie, Ted, Rebecca, Coach Beard, and Jane were standing in the kitchen discussing the great hits of Queen during the 70s and 80s. The footballers were hanging out in the living room watching Dana and Stevie play FIFA on their PlayStation. Roy and Keeley were snuggled up in the corner, talking quietly to each other.
Alex watched from the corner, admittedly feeling like the odd ball, as everyone already knew each other so well. She knew everyone was nice to her and welcomed her, but it was still hard for her to feel like a part of the group. Terry, the youngest son of Higgins, came running in with a soccer ball in his hands.
He approached the footballers, who were all squeezed onto the couch, and held out his ball. "I just got this football for my birthday last month. Would you mind playing with me out in the garden?"
"Oh, Stevie dear, it's much too cold out there for that." Julie chided at him from the kitchen. Mothers had super hearing when it came to their children.
"What do you think, amigos?" Dani grinned at his teammates. "Are you up for the challenge?"
They all shot up off the couch with excitement and followed the small boy outside.
"Would you like to play, Alexandra?" Dani called back to Alex. She perked up from her spot in the corner and started following them.
As she passed Keeley and Roy she asked, "Ready to play some football?" She gave her best British impression, but judging by the grimace Roy gave, it wasn't very good.
"I'm not playing football in fucking March unless I'm getting paid for it." Roy spoke dismissingly, he stood and headed for the kitchen.
"What about you, Keeley?" Alex asked hopefully. It would be nice to have another girl out there, especially considering Alex hadn't played soccer since high school. She was bound to embarrass herself out there.
The tiny blonde looked like she wanted to say no. Alex gave her the best pleading face she could muster. "Alright," She sighed. "You're way too good at that puppy dog face. Remember to use it whenever you can."
Alex giggled as the two walked outside together to face the cold temperatures and testosterone.
They had divided into two teams. Isaac, Terry, Dani, Richard, Jamie, and Alex were on one team. Sam, Dana, Colin, Stevie, and Keeley were on the other. The set up two small goals on either end of the yard, about half the size of a professional pitch, but they were making do. So far both teams hadn't scored, and the competitiveness was growing thick.
"Oi! What was that, Colin?!" Stevie griped at the left winger, "You should have passed to me, I was open!"
Colin scratched his head, not sure how to react to the eleven-year-old. "Sorry, little lad. I didn't see you."
Jamie had the ball now and was running it across the yard until he was tripped by a blur of blonde hair and was sent crashing into the grass. "What the fuck, Keeley?!"
Keeley stood proudly in her heels, "Sorry, Jamie, but I'm here to win and I'm out for blood. I used to trip all the mean girls in school and never got caught."
Isaac helped Jamie stand up, peering at Keeley with a look of adoration and respect as he did so.
"That's my girl!" Roy called from the kitchen window.
She grinned cheekily and blew a kiss to her boyfriend, before taking the ball and handing it over to Sam.
Alex had kicked off her shoes before they started playing, not wanting to chance getting a twisted ankle from her 2- inch heels. Her girl crush on Keeley was growing even bigger as she watched her play in her stilettos.
Sam placed the ball in position and caught Alex's eye. "You think you can stop me, Alexandra?" He teased lightly.
She narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Bring it on, Obisanya."
"Enough with the flirting, yeah? Just get on with it." Jamie called from further down the yard, looking adorably grumpy in his now ruffled clothes, thanks to Keeley.
Sam took off down the field. Alex was doing her best to keep up but was too slow for the professional footballer. Rojas was at the goal, prepared to block the kick Sam was about to give. The ball went flying into the goal, giving Sam's team the upper hand.
Alex had the ball now and felt the knots start to twist in her stomach. She looked at Terry, the small six-year-old who was only a little better than her, but he was the closest to her. She tried kicking the ball in his direction, but it was stolen by Colin. Jamie quickly caught up to him and got the ball back in their possession and scored the goal. He trotted over to her with the ball securely under his arm.
"You were too slow with your cross kick." He stated bluntly.
She crossed her arms defensively and spoke with resignation, "I'm sorry. I'm not very good at soccer."
He assessed her quietly for a moment before turning to everyone else. "Can we pause the game for a second? I want to show her how to do it properly."
Everyone shrugged and started talking to each other as Jamie placed the ball at her feet. He walked back a few yards from her on an angle. "Right, get the ball moving then kick it to me."
She tucked her hair back behind her ears and let out a shaky breath. She moved with the ball a few feet before looking over at Jamie and kicking it at on angle. He got the ball but didn't look satisfied.
"You're too tense. Don't look over at me, just trust that I will be there." Jamie placed the ball at her feet again and got back in the same position.
"I'm not trying to be a soccer player, you know?" She didn't appreciate being singled out like this.
Instead of being offended, Jamie laughed at her. "Just give it a go, yeah?"
She unleashed an irritated sigh. She didn't know why him trying to teach her was annoying, but it was. Alex lined up the ball, got it moving, then gave a forceful kick as best she could.
It went flying in the air, instead of rolling across the grass, and smacked Jamie right in the face.
"Oh my god," She gasped, and ran to his side. The force of the kick knocked him down onto the ground. Jamie groaned, covering his nose with his hand.
"What did I do to the women at this party?"
Everyone was crowded around him. "Are you alright, amigo?" Dani asked, concerned.
When Jamie lifted his hand away from his nose, everyone winced in unison. Blood was pouring out of his nose and Alex wanted to throw up. Oh god, she broke one of Uncle Ted's players.
She started pleading immediately. "I'm so sorry, Jamie! I didn't mean to!"
Terry stared down at his favorite footballer in shock. "There's bandages inside," He squeaked. "In the upstairs toilet."
Alex helped Jamie to his feet and started guiding him inside. "I'm so sorry."
"You already said that." Jamie groaned, "Just get a bloody bandage."
"Don't worry, with the amount of blood coming from your nose, I'm sure the band aids will get bloody very fast."
The look her gave her told her to shut her mouth. Alex pursed her lips, "Got it, not the time for jokes."
They made their way upstairs while everyone else came back in to tell the others what happened.
"Jamie finally got knocked in the face by a girl?" She heard Roy laugh. "About fucking time."
Alex ushered Jamie into the small bathroom and gently pushed him to sit on the closed toilet while she looked through the medicine cabinet.
"That was an impressive kick," he said nasally, still cupping his hand around the wound. "Even though me face is fucked."
She grimaced, "Please don't hold it against me. I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't pushed me."
"Pushed you?" He repeated in confusion. "I just knew you could do better."
Alex paused in her search and closed her eyes. Those words were said to her often growing up, hearing them now made her want to punch something.
"Well, that's not really up to you."
He was silent after that and allowed her to focus on finding the band aids. She finally found them in the small closet. "Your choices are Peppa Pig or Paw Patrol."
Jamie pursed his lips, seriously considering his options. "Paw Patrol is a bit manlier, yeah?"
She stifled a laugh, "I'm not sure how manly cartoon puppies can be."
Alex walked over to his seated position and a began wiping the blood with a cloth. "I have to clean it before putting on the band aid." She murmured.
She stood between his spread knees and was trying hard not acknowledge how close their bodies were. It was hard when his warmth was radiating onto her, and his eyes were watching her every move. He stayed still, only wincing a bit towards the end of her prodding.
"Well, it's not broken." She said light-heartedly, hoping she masked her awkwardness.
"Thank god, women everywhere would be devastated." He grinned at her for the first time, and she was taken aback at how the genuine smile changed his face. There were crinkles around his gleaming blue eyes and the stretch of his full lips showed his slightly crooked teeth. So, he wasn't perfect. Still, he was ridiculously handsome, and his accent was frustratingly attractive.
"We wouldn't want that." She quipped, picking up the band aid and hoping he didn't see the tremor of her hand as she placed it gently over the bridge of his nose.
Alex smoothed her finger across the band aid one last time and heard the slight hitch in his breath. "There, good as new."
Instead of stepping away like she should have, Alex couldn't bring her body to move away from him. Jamie was staring up at her in a way she's never been looked at. Confidence, curiosity, lust, and gentleness all swarmed in his bluish grey eyes.
"Alexandra," He murmured, reaching with his fingertips to lightly touch her hips. Their heads leaned towards each other, like there was a gravitational pull willing them closer. His forehead rested softly against hers, and she brought her hands to rest on his strong shoulders.
His breath shuttered against her mouth, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her body. Her heart was pounding, and she felt lightheaded as she felt his fingers start to grip more firmly on her ass.
She let out a shaky breath, "Jamie, I…"
The door opened abruptly, "Do you two need any help?" Julie Higgins chirped as she walked in.
Alex jolted away from Jamie, knocking into the shelf across from the toilet causing toilet paper rolls to crash onto the floor. Kill me, please.
"I'm so sorry." She stammered, kneeling to start picking up the mess.
"Oh, that's quite all right dear." Julie started helping her and Jamie took the opportunity to mumble something about heading back downstairs.
Alex's face was flushed a bright red and her heart was still hammering. Her body was thrumming from the physical intimacy it almost just experienced.
What just happened?