Alex had never been seated in first class on an airplane before. So naturally, the idea of stepping onto a private jet was something she never would have thought she would have experienced in her lifetime. It was clearly written across her face as she took in her surroundings as her travel mates got settled in their individual reclining seats.
"What would you ladies like to drink?" The attendant asked, pulling Alex from her thoughts.
"I would love a glass of champagne," Keeley, who had been quite excited and very ready to get comfortable on the jet, asked.
"Champagne would be great. Alex?" Rebecca asked her.
"Why not?" Alex shrugged, smiling back.
Three glasses of champagne and many giggles later, Rebecca had disclosed to them that this weekend was her anniversary with Rupert. It was something that had been weighing on her for the entirety of the morning. There was no good opportunity to have shared this information with anyone else, but there was a buzz in her head and a comfort she felt with Keeley and Alex that gave her enough courage to mention it.
"I am so sorry, Rebecca," Alex began, finishing the last of her glass. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm not sure there's much to talk about," Rebecca said solemnly, busying herself with folding and creasing the cocktail napkin on her knee. "I just know the last thing I want to be doing on a weekend like this is to think about that bastard.
"Then fuck him," Keeley spoke up.
"Right." Alex agreed, "fuck him. He's taken enough from you, don't let him take this weekend from you, too!"
Rebecca smiled, nodded, "fuck him."
"So, Keeley is out sowing her wild oats, what are you doing with your love life, Alex?" Rebecca asked, taking a sip of her wine.
"Absolutely. Not. A. Thing." Alex responded with decisiveness.
"Oohhh, there's a story there!" Flo had astutely observed, pointing across the table at Alex.
"Alex never talks about her love life, go on!" Keeley encouraged.
"There is absolutely no story." Alex laughed, "Just a string of very bland one night stands over the past few years while I have focused on my career."
"And now that you've got the career?" Flo asked, gesturing to the club owner who had her hired. Rebecca nodded with a smile and looked back at Alex expectantly.
Alex swallowed the rest of her drink and the slight tightness that rose in her throat. The head shake and shrug she responded with felt much less casual than she would have liked.
"Liar!" Keeley barked back with a laugh. "You've not seen the way Roy looks at her," she turned to Rebecca.
"Roy Kent?" Flo perked up with a sly smile. "Does your boss condone interdepartmental fraternization?"Rebecca snorted into her wine glass and sat back as she laughed.
"There's nothing going on there! We just get on well," Alex defended. "His knee has him in my office nearly every day of the week, is all."
"Which I'm sure you're so very upset by," Keeley teased.
"You know, now that you mention it…" Rebecca began.
"Enough!" Alex laughed, her cheeks flushed. Certainly a response to the wine she had surely downed too quickly.
The women at the table threw up their hands in resignation, giggling as well.
"Well, if you don't have any plans to, I guess I'll take up the gauntlet this trip and bag myself a footballer," Flo shrugged, as if the burden had all been laid on her.
"I would be disappointed if you didn't," Rebecca smirked, reaching across the table so the two could clink their glasses together.
"And don't you think you're off the hook either, Stinky. We'll get you a nice gentlemen to service you before the season's out."
"Service me?!" Rebecca gawked, "since when am I a horse?"
The table burst into laughter once more.
When Alex arrived at the stadium the morning before the match, she felt the weight of the anticipation for the day. The boys had been quiet on the bus ride over. She was surprised that there was not the same level of buzzing chatter she had been used to in other games this season. Each player seemed pensive and meditative. Even Ted was a little more quiet than usual in his seat across the aisle from her. Of course, they had exchanged pleasantries when she took her seat and threw over a few anecdotes throughout the drive, but nothing like the consistent chatter she had come to expect from the American coach.
When they unloaded from the bus, she stood, waiting for them to pass so she could navigate the narrow space with her heavy bag of equipment. Each of them passed, nodding good morning to her. She exchanged hellos with each of them as she sipped on her to-go cup.
Roy stopped in front of her. He looked at her, nodded and then reached behind her. Alex was confused, both at the gesture and her acute awareness of the smell of his aftershave. When he gently and silently pressed his hand to her back to guide her forward so he could get a good grip of her bag, the realization hit.
"Oh, that's okay," she turned to reach for the bag, "I got it."
"You do not," he responded. "Go," he nudged her forward gently.
"Roy, really-"
"This isn't an anti-feminist statement I'm trying to make," he huffed, putting the bag over his shoulder. "I'm just not going to walk next to you like a prick with empty hands while you lug in this massive shit kit in there."
Alex laughed, "Roy Kent, feminist. Got it."
Roy cracked a smile and nodded, "proud uncle and brother to two badass women. Now get off the bus." Alex smiled warmly and followed his instructions.
Roy was in the visitor's training room, keenly aware of the way Alex's hands felt as they worked on his calves. Every movement worked at sore muscles, he held back a groan of relief. She worked on him quietly. She had spent enough time around him to know that it was typical for the gruff man to go even more nonverbal on match days.
Alex let her thoughts wander, considering the weight of the match that was ahead of them. She could feel a tension in Roy's muscles that had not been there when she worked on him last. Not daring to mention it, she skillfully pressed her thumbs into a knot in his hamstring.
"Jesus Christ," he murmured.
"I know," Alex reassured him. She worked her thumbs in tandem, circling as she pressed deeply into the knot in his muscle. Through clenched teeth, Roy took in a deep breath. "Don't hold that in," she encouraged, modeling a deep breath and an exaggerated exhale for him.
She only increased the pressure, causing a groan to escape Roy, whose knuckles were turning white as he gripped the table below him.
"Fucking hell, I hate you," he gasped as she worked even harder. She could feel the knot starting to become less rigid.
"I know, I know." She chuckled, "give me three more deep breaths and I promise you'll love me."
Roy inhaled deeply, letting out a deep breath with an elongated growl. He almost found himself thankful for the pain he was experiencing so he had an excuse for the lack of witty retort to her last words.
The tension in the locker room settled noticeably in Alex's shoulders. As she walked Dani through ankle stretches, the murmurs of the other team members about their doubts and frustrations were hard to ignore. Much smaller than the Richmond locker room, she found herself in the midst of what seemed like every conversation in the room.
"Excellent, Dani," she encouraged. "Give me one more alphabet and you should be good to go."
Dani nodded, "gracias, Alex."
"Of course," she smiled, reaching over and taking a heating pad Richard had on his sore hamstring.
"Alright, Kent. How are you feeling?" She asked, turning only slightly to make eye contact with a very concentrated Roy. She received a grunt in response. "Excellent," she smiled, squatting down in front of him."I'm taping you up today. I don't want to take any risks." Roy grunted in response.
She worked quietly. Her nimble fingers worked over his skin, securing each strip with ease. Roy watched her as she deftly worked. He noticed the way she bit the inside of her cheek as she went, pressing her lips together intermittently. He licked his lips unconsciously and looked away when he saw her head raise to meet his gaze.
"All set," she smiled. "Go show 'em what you're made of."
Though still wordless in response, Roy gave her a genuine toothless smile. She patted his
good knee as she got to her feet and turned to put both the tape and Richard's heating pack back in her bag.
"Alright listen up fellas," Ted commanded the attention of the locker room. He patted
Nate's shoulder. "As of late I feel like y'all have heard enough of my jibber jabber. So I asked Nate the Great here to jot down a few of his thoughts and ideas about you guys and today's game. Let's focus up." He stepped back and encouraged an ashen looking Nate, "all yours."
"Okay," Nate steps up and takes a deep breath. The entire locker room was quite encouraging as he stepped forward. Clearly struggling to gain his composure. Nate steeled himself, cleared his throat, and began, "Issac…I've noticed as of late…"
Nate looked at Ted like a child looking for reassurance.
"Go on," Ted encouraged.
"-that you've been playing like a big dumb pussy." The room gasped and murmured.
"What the fuck did you say to me, bruv?" Isaac snapped, his brow deeply furrowed.
"You're more concerned about looking tough than being tough. There's a way to look intimidating without getting physical. I hope you don't mind me saying."
The room was stunned, but Nate continued, "Um, Sam."
"Oh, no." Sam attempted to decline Nate's input, but he was on a roll.
"You're constantly getting beat on the wings. It's because you're indecisive. You second guess yourself more than a shitty psychic." There was another awed response from the team, "the only African I know more imprisoned by their own thoughts is God-Damned Nelson Mandela."
There was a rolling laugh that erupted in the room. Sam joined in, always a good spirit.
"You think that's funny, do you, Colin?" Colin's face fell as the attention turned to him. "You and all your fancy stepover bullshit. Let me ask you this-do you wax your pubes?"
The room went silent. "What?" asked Colin.
"Did I stutter, dickhead? Do you wax your pubes, yes or no?" Nate spoke to him like a condescending school teacher.
"No."
"Then why are you always trying to play like a Brazilian?" The team lost it again. Colin was left looking bewildered.
"What just happened?" he asked.
"Rojas!" Nate had gained an unsettling amount of confidence in such a short period of time.
"Roast me, amigo!" Dani responded eagerly.
"Right. You say that football is life, right?"
"Si, Futbol is life." Dani beamed.
"Well, then your defense is death." The team hissed at the heat from Nate's words. "The only person I've seen lose their man more often is Carrie fucking Bradshaw."
"Right, Roy." The entire room fell to a deafening silence. No one expected the ballsy kit man to go after Goliath himself.
Nate approached him and immediately felt the density of Roy's presence. He swallowed, looking quite intimidated.
"Go on," Roy encouraged in an even tone. "Say what you're gonna say."
Nate lifts his note cards to reference his next statement. Roy reaches down without missing a beat and crumples them, littering the floor with them. Nate gulps.
"Don't read it." Alex had goosebumps. "Say it to my face.
"The great Roy Kent," Nate met his eyes. "You're old now. And slow. And your focus drifts." The silence in the room caused Alex's ears to ring. "But your speed and your smarts were never what made you who you are. It's your anger. It's your superpower. It's what made you one of the best players in the history of this league. But I haven't seen it on the pitch at all this season. I mean, you used to run line you were angry at the grass. You'd kick the ball like you'd caught it fucking your wife, for Christ's sake. But that anger doesn't come out anymore when you play. But it's still in there. I'm afraid of what it's going to do to you if you keep it all to yourself."
Unlike the other observations Nate had shared, there was no unanimous agreement or laughter from the rest of the team. Each and every one of them was silent, too scared to breathe too loudly as they waited for Roy to react.
Roy said nothing. He turned around, reached down and gripped the wooden bench from below. There was a moment where the entire locker room was unsure as to what would come next. The guttural noises began to escape his throat; grunts and groans as he pulled upward. The wood began to crack in response. Alex was sure he was going to pull something before he even made it to the pitch. Seconds later, the bench broke away from the wall. Roy had torn it free and flipped it on its side.
"Let's go get those fuckers."
And the impossible has happened. Richmond has won at Everton. One-Nil, thanks to a rare goal from Roy Kent. Kent was absolutely brilliant today. He was like a man possessed.
As the team entered the locker room after their big win, they let the Richmond chant bellow as loud as the supporters in the crowd had. It was an excitement that she had not seen the entire season. The energy was electric and she couldn't help but beam ear to ear.
Keeley met her with an excited hug, she squealed and pulled away. Alex was shocked to see Ted and Sassy in a similar hug.
"We fucking did it," Roy beamed at Alex and Keeley.
"You fucking did it!" Alex corrected, squeezing the upper part of Roy's arm.
"Yes you fucking did!" Keeley echoed, punching Roy in the shoulder excitedly.
"Right," Roy nodded and stepped up on the bench. "Oi, listen up!" He yelled over the continued Richmond chant. The room fell silent in response."None of you are going back to the hotel tonight because we did something today that none of us thought we could do, including us! So we're going out, we're celebrating, and we're going to rub it in this city's fucking face!" They all burst into a series of excited cheers again.
"Roy, where are we going?" Sam asked breathlessly over the shouts.
Roy looked down at Keeley, extended a hand, and helped her up onto the bench that he had not flipped in a fit of rage.
"Well, Liverpool has much to offer," she began in the same tone that had echoed their hotel rooms all week. "From pubs, to clubs, to the Asian pastime of karaoke!"
The team all cheered in response, the resounding agreement to the night's events was clear.
The elevator hit the bottom floor and the doors closed behind the group. She let out a long exhale and smoothed down the black dress she had shoved into her bag last minute, thankful that Keeley had told her to pack something more than just "sweats and work clothes." Sure, she had figured there may be a dinner or two, but it was only at her travel partner's very specific text that said "something you'd get laid in" that led her to choose the black bodycon mini dress that had not seen the light of day in years.
"You look hot," Keeley told her, squeezing her hand. Alex wrinkled her nose back with a smile, tugging at the hem of the dress.
Roy was standing in the lobby with the majority of the team, listening to the back and forth volley between Isaac and Colin, who were talking about sneakers. Beard had told the team to be ready in the lobby by ten. Roy had been there first, eager to celebrate the win that the team had busted their asses for.
"Woah," Isaac interrupted himself in the midst of a debate that Sam and Richard had also joined.
Roy, curious at what had been interesting enough to pull Isaac from his point, followed his gaze toward the elevators, where Rebecca, Keeley, Sassy, and Alex were exiting. Any one of the beautiful women could have caused Isaac to stop in the middle of his sentence. But Roy was unable to register what color anyone was wearing but Alex.
"There they are!" Ted shouted excitedly, excited that the last of the group had arrived. The rest of the team let out a cheer, a round of applause broke out, in which Sassy and Keeley encouraged brazenly.
Roy licked his lips and cleared his throat once Alex was in ear shot, "nice dress."
"See?!" Sassy spoke up, nudging Alex in the ribs. "Told you that you'd turn some heads!" Roy let out a chuckle as he watched Alex's cheeks redden.
"Cheers, Sassy." Alex exhaled and pressed her lips together. "Thanks, Roy."
As the group started to make their way out of the hotel, Keeley linked arms with Alex and pulled her ahead. Roy watched as the pair fell into stride as they made their way to the cars that waited for them. He cursed himself for the thoughts in his head and pinched the corners of his eyes. Fuck, did he need a drink.
By the time Sam took the stage to put his entire chest in a performance of Wonderwall, the bulk of his audience were feeling the effects of the win and of the alcohol so readily available by the bottle service at the venue. Alex found herself comfortably sandwiched between Keeley and Roy, an arrangement that Keeley had sped up and cut in front of her to ensure. By the time the chorus hit, the entire room was singing along with Sam. Alex was surprised by the impact of a win and a few shots on Roy, how willing he was to shout Oasis lyrics with hands in the air in praise.
When a member of the staff stopped by their seat, picking up yet another round of empty glasses, she gestured to the bar in question.
"Yes, please!" Alex smiled, handing over an empty shot glass and an empty glass.
"And another round of shots, too!" Keeley smirked.
"None for me, thanks." Roy gestured at his glass, "just another whiskey."
"Oh, don't be boring!" Keeley rolled her eyes.
"I think three is enough for me," Roy chuckled. Alex watched the two of them volley with a lightly buzzing head.
"Doesn't mean we can't have fun!" Alex elbowed her.
"Someone's got to carry you home," Roy quipped.
"I don't think you'd mind," Keeley shot back with a wink.
Roy did not respond with any witty remark, because Keeley was too busy enthusiastically cheering as Sam ended his performance and took his bow. Alex shared a glance with him as they clapped along, neither said a word.
When the waitress returned, she handed Keeley another gin and tonic, Alex a similar tequila and tonic, and Roy his whiskey. They all gestured their thanks. She held out the tray with a series of shots on them.
"Keeley," Alex asked, leaning over after taking a shot and handing it to her. "Where's Rebecca?"
"Oh, shit!" Keeley said, looking down the couch next to her, void of both Rebecca and Sassy. Keeley clinked her shot glass to Alex's. Alex smirked and they both tossed back the shot. With a quick wince and a "woo!," Keeley took off toward the door to look for the next karaoke performer before Beard's rendition of "Bad Romance" ended.
Alex laughed at her friend, throwing her head back and resting it on the back of the couch behind her. As the rest of the team cheered on Beard, who was completely lost in his performance. She threw back her fourth shot of the evening and shook off the burn in her throat. Turning her head, she faced Roy and smiled.
"You did good today, Kent." She looked up into his deep brown eyes. He leaned closer to hear her.
"What's that?" The booming chorus made it hard to make out anything she had said to him.
Alex leaned forward, closing the distance between the two of them. She laid a lazy hand at the center of his chest. Roy pretended he didn't notice. "I said you did great today," she repeated. She swayed slightly, their cheeks brushed. She felt the slight scratch of his stubble on her skin.
"You've mentioned that," Roy smiled, leaning back a bit to get a good look at her. Alex rolled her eyes.
"To Roy Kent," Alex lifted her drink toward him.
"To Richmond." Roy tilted his glass toward hers, they clinked.
"To Richmond, then," Alex conceded.
Roy immediately felt the absence of her hand on his chest when she took a sip from her drink.
Alex stepped out into the chilly night behind Rebecca and Keeley. The large group of them, buzzing with the effects of both the victory and the alcohol, spilled out onto the pavement.
"Guys! I think we should take the boys to the pub!" Sassy announced excitedly to the other girls.
Keeley, Rebecca, and Alex exchanged looks.
"I am so done, Sass. Sorry." Rebecca declined with a laugh.
"I've got to get to bed, as well," Alex gave her a sympathetic smile.
"So I have to take 18 young, handsome men all by myself?" Sassy asked, feigned disappointment in her voice.
"Oh, the trauma!" Rebecca responded with a laugh.
"Fuck it, I'm in!" Keeley reached out and took Sassy by the hand.
"You sure you don't want to come, Alex?"
"I'm good. You two have fun!"
"Alright, see you later." She nudged Keeley and dragged her off towards the team.
Rebecca sighed and turned towards Alex, "Right, want a ride back to the hotel?"
As the team took off down the street with Keeley and Sassy among them, Roy was visibly hanging back, occupying himself with the sight of his shoes on the pavement, glancing only briefly at their exchange.
"Umm…" Alex looked over at Roy, and then at Rebecca.
"Go," Rebecca whispered, giving her a knowing smile.
"Are you sure? You're alright?"
"Absolutely, I'm sure!" Rebecca whispered intensely, nudging her shoulder. "Get out of here."
Alex smiled, straightened, smoothed the front of her dress, and let out a deep breath she had been holding, "right." She turned on her heel, finding it easy to conjure a confident smile with the amount of alcohol in her system.
Their pace slowed as they made their way down the hall. Alex stared down at their feet as the much taller man kept perfectly in stride with her. The silence was thick with words unspoken. Alex felt a slight tightness in her stomach as they got to her room.
"This is me," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the door. Roy nodded wordlessly.
There was a beat between them where Alex felt an uncomfortable level of uncertainty. His eyes moved over her face in search of something and for a second, she felt the breath leave her lungs. Roy Kent was going to kiss her.
There was a softness to the way his lips touched hers that surprised her. She was even more surprised at the faint moan that resounded from her throat. This urged a growl from his own. He wrapped his arm around her waist, deepening the kiss. She gripped the collar of his shirt, pulling him flush against her. Her head spun as she kissed him with an urgency she hadn't realized she had been feeling.
When they broke apart, neither of them made a move to speak. Alex didn't dare open her eyes. She tilted her head up again and kissed him again, growing far too fond of the way it lit her belly on fire. Roy tangled his hand in her hair, viciously addicted to the way that she tasted. A younger and more careless version of himself may have started to undress her where they stood.
Part of him wished he could be that careless.
Alex hummed softly when she stepped back, immediately ready to dive back in and drown herself in him again. Roy did the same, creating distance between the two of them. Alex reached up and placed her hand on the zipper of his jacket, fiddling with it slightly.
"I-"
"Goodnight, Alex."
Every single step that he took creating distance between the two of them, he was cursing himself in his head. It was not until 4:00 in the morning when he was finally able to stop it enough to get some sleep.
