"Who is Alexandra Banks when she has a day off?" The melodic voice from her sister trilled on the other end of the phone. Alex, who had just finished her second cup of coffee on a slow morning at 10:00am.
"I barely know," she played along. "Last night was just a load of Friends reruns and
falling asleep appallingly early on my couch. Today the world is my oyster."
"Twenty-six years old, single, and no work the next morning and your ass was sat on the couch watching sitcoms? How disappointing!" Her sister scolded. There was a shout in the background and the rattle of something that sounded important hitting the floor. "Oi! Take it outside before I put you on the curb with the bin!"
"Well, too much fun and I'll find myself threatening the lives of two eight year olds before noon."
"Oh, don't wish too hard." Margot teased. "You could always come babysit and I could take full advantage of a day without Peppa Pig and fucking Roblox."
"Or even better, you could get mum to do it and we could have a day out together."
"Oh, you glorious little shit. I'll ring you back!" Margot didn't give Alex a chance to respond before hanging up the call, leaving Alex chuckling to herself.
"Oh, let's pop in here just for a quick minute. Ava's nearly bursting out of her clothes and I don't have nearly enough to keep up with her this winter." Margot gestured to the children's shop as they passed. Alex agreed, despite wondering if the entire day would be centered around running her sister's errands. A Tesco run for the twins' snack for their football match, a return to a department store for Margot's husband, Daniel, and now a trip to further stuff the closet of her eleven month old niece.
Wordlessly, Alex agreed and followed her sister into the shop, which was filled to the gills with displays of children's clothes, bright and seemingly expensive.
"Oh, and they're having a sale!" Margot sang, diving into the nearest rack of very gendered girls' clothes. Alex chuckled and rolled her eyes, turning to busy herself in the next rack over, possibly aiding in expediting the process.
"Uncle Roy, what do you think of this one?" A small voice called from the alcove that housed the changing rooms.
"Looks like every other jumper you've put on in the last twenty minutes," a gruff voice responded.
"Hey! You promised you'd help me decide!"
"Right, well, it's blue, yeah? Do you like it better than the other blue? Or the purple?"
"It's lavender!"
"Fucking lavender, then!"
"Bad word!"
The exchange caught Alex's attention quickly. Brows furrowed quizzically, she turned the corner to see one Roy Kent seated at the mouth of the fitting rooms, a pile of brightly colored clothes on his lap.
"Well, hello," Alex spoke up. Roy got to his feet with a start, the clothes falling to the floor.
"Hey!" Phoebe shouted, reaching down to pick them delicately up from his feet.
"Sorry, Phoebs." He quickly looked back to Alex, "What are you doing here?"
"Shopping for my niece," Alex gestured a thumb back in the general direction of her sister. "You?"
"Shopping with my niece," Roy gestured to Phoebe in front of him, who was dwarfed by the large pile of clothes she had gathered in her arms.
"Well, hi there," Alex smiled down at her. "I'm Alex, your Uncle's friend from work."
"I'm Phoebe," she eyed her in confusion. "Did they finally let girls start playing with the boys on your team?"
"No," Roy corrected her. "She's kind of a doctor that works with the team. She's the one that's been helping my shit knee."
"That's another one," she reprimanded his cursing and he nodded.
"Bad knee." He corrected.
"I'd be quite a mess if they let me play," Alex assured her. "Your uncle would probably get me kicked off the team for being so bad."
"He wouldn't," Phoebe assured her, looking up at Roy affectionately. "He'd help you just like he helps me. Right, Uncle Roy?"
"Yep," Roy nodded, helpless at the hands of that little smile "Of course, I would." Alex felt an affection warm her chest as she watched the Roy Kent become quite pliable in the hands of this young girl.
"Alex! Where'd you wander off to-" Margot came upon her, arms filled similarly like Phoebe's. "Oh."
"Margot," Alex cleared her throat. "This is-"
"Roy Kent," Margot interrupted. Of course, Alex thought, of course everyone knows who this man is.
"Roy Kent." Alex nodded and turned to Roy, "and this is my sister, Margot." She turned back to Margot, "and most importantly, this is Roy's niece Phoebe, whose shopping trip I very rudely interrupted!"
"Nice to meet you," Margot reached out her hand toward Roy.
"Likewise," he nodded, taking it in his politely.
"You didn't ruin it, Uncle Roy was being useless. Can you help me?" Phoebe spoke to Alex, putting her pile of clothes on the bench Roy had been sitting on.
"Sure thing, Phoebe. What's going on?" Alex knelt down to her level to take a look at the pile.
"I have a choir performance and I need a pretty jumper for it and Uncle Roy thinks they all are the same and doesn't even know the difference between lavender and purple."
"How utterly useless he is!" Alex feigned frustration with the girl and glanced up at Roy, who was watching the exchange from the corner of his eye with a smirk.
"Margot, I'll have to help you with clothes in a minute, we definitely have more important matters at hand over here."
"Sure thing," Margot smiled, waved to both Phoebe and Roy before returning to the shop floor to pilfer more items for Ava.
"Alright, Phoebs, let's see what you've got." Phoebe smiled excitedly, reaching into the pile to being to show each to Alex in turn.
When the crisis was averted, Roy and Margot ended up at the till at the same time, both paying more than they had intended when initially entering the store. Phoebe was pleased with her purchase. Alex had helped her pick a stylish jumper and a pair of dress pants. Both agreed she needed a second outfit just in case the day of performance she changed her mind, a suggestion to which Roy met with an intelligible growl, but no real protest.
"Thank you so much, Uncle Roy!" Phoebe exploded with gratitude as they exited the shop. Roy held the door for all three of the ladies he was accompanied by. "And thank you, Alex!"
"Of course!" Alex smiled down at her. "It was so nice to meet you today, Phoebe. I'll let you and your Uncle go enjoy the rest of your day, but maybe I'll see you around the stadium, eh?"
"Do you want to come to lunch?" Roy surprised himself with the question he asked.
Alex looked at Margot and then back to the pair of them, "you two go ahead. We've got some more running to do."
"Actually," Margot spoke up, looking down at her mobile. "I just got a text from mum. It looks like James has come down with a fever. I'd better get back to them before I feel like a shit mum-oh, sorry Phoebe-bad mum."
"Are you-" Alex started to protest.
"Go!" Margot encouraged, gesturing with her phone. "She's calling me now, anyway. Give me that bag and you go ahead," she reached out for the bag that she had Alex carry for her. As she reached out and took it from her, Alex clocked the entirely black mobile phone screen. When Margot caught her eyes, she winked, discreetly shook her head, and smiled. "I'll call you later, yeah? Good to meet you, Roy! You too, Phoebe!"
Before Alex could protest, her sister was off down the street, leaving her there with an expectant looking Phoebe and a look on Roy she had not quite seen before and was unable to read.
"Well, then," she smoothed her hands over her jeans awkwardly. "Where are we headed?
When the three of them left the restaurant, the daylight was starting to dwindle. Phoebe had begun to crash from the sugary drink Roy had allowed her to refill twice. He had realized that he had probably jeopardized a good portion of Alex's day off.
"This was fun," Alex let out a contented sigh as she stepped onto the pavement. "Thank you for letting me crash your day out. And thank you for lunch." The second statement was directed a Roy, as well as a very grateful, toothy grin.
"We had way more fun with you." Phoebe spoke definitively. "Didn't we, Uncle Roy?"
Roy cleared his throat, "yeah. We did." He could tell Alex was taken aback by the genuine smile on his face.
"Can you come to my choir concert next week?" Roy nudged her.
Alex made eye contact with Roy, trying to gauge how appropriate it would be to come along. Roy rolled his eyes, but the slight smile at his lips betrayed him.
"I'd love to. As long as your uncle saves me a good seat."
"Oh, he will! He always gets there early so that he can get the best seat." Alex was somehow not surprised. As she had spent more time around the pair, she had recognized this sweet little one as Roy's kryptonite.
"Perfect," Alex grinned. "I'll be there."
Richmond was losing. Down one in the first half, during which Ted had made the unbelievable choice to pull Jamie, the entire stadium was in uproar. The team that entered the locker room at the half was not the same that had taken the field at the start of the match.
Alex immediately went to Sam, checking in with his leg that had caused him trouble at the start of the game. "How's the leg?" she asked, extending and watching his muscles with each movement.
"Just fine," he responded. "It passed quickly. I am not worried." He reassured her, grinning broadly. Alex returned the gesture, which was easy to do with Sam's winning smile.
"Ice?" She heard from behind her. It was Roy, who was not asking it of her, more asking permission as he moved past her toward the bag she had dropped at her side.
"I'll get it," she reached down to beat him to it. "Sam's just fine. You sit down." She urged, reaching in to grab one of the instant packs from the side pocket. He rolled his eyes at her but obeyed, taking a seat down from Obisanya.
Alex popped the inner bag in the pack and gave it a good shake. When she knelt in front of Roy, she placed it against his knee gently. "How're you feeling?"
"Sore. Nothing horrible." He was reassuring. She watched his face for a moment to ensure his stoicism didn't waver upon contact with the ice pack. It didn't. When he saw her gazing up at him expectantly, he huffed. "I'm fine. Fucking hell, you're not my mum."
"Well, someone's got to keep you in your place," she smirked, Roy growled. "Now can you extend it for me?" Roy wordlessly and slightly histrionically extended his leg. "Good, and bend?" He followed her instructions. "Which is more sore?"
"My ass," Roy quipped. "From the pain you're causin' it."
Alex laughed and got to her feet, "Alright. Alright." Next to him, Jamie's locker was empty, his uniform on the floor. "Where's Tartt?"
"Off whining somewhere, I'm sure. I should have twatted the fucking prick when I had the chance." Roy referred to the moment earlier in the match when both he and Jamie received a yellow card for scrapping like a pair of ten year olds out on the pitch.
"That was quite a show earlier," Alex shuffled around her back for some kinesiology tape.
"Are you taking up for him?" Roy's eyes flashed and Alex held up her hands in surrender.
"Never, and you should definitely know that by now." She assured him, reaching out to take his leg in her hands. Skillfully, she started to tape up his leg. The contrast of her warm hands on his cold skin gave him rather unwanted goosebumps. "I'm only saying that you're as bad as him when you act like that."
"I'm nothing like him," Roy spat. Alex rolled her eyes.
"Missing the point. I know that. We all do." She finished taping him up and slipped the roll back into her bag. "All I'm saying is that the world knows who Roy Kent is. So instead of trying to make sure we all know what an asshole Jamie Tartt is, remind us just who you are."
Roy opened his mouth to respond, but Ted came into the room, his hands in his pockets and a rather sullen look on his face. Alex smiled softly at Roy and packed up the rest of her bag, handing the ice pack back to Roy. The air in the room shifted as Ted began to speak.
"Fellas, we're broken. We need to change." Alex made herself scarce, taking a moment to get some supplies from her office. She could still hear Ted's words from her open door. "And look, I know change can be scary. One minute, you're playing freeze tag out there at recess with all your buddies. Next thing you know, you're getting zits, your voice gets low. And every time your art teacher, Ms. Scanlon leans over your desk to check and see how your project's going, you feel all squiggly inside." There were chuckles. "She was a striking women. Not classically beautiful, but striking. First time I ever saw tan lines… Most of the time, change is a good thing. I think that's mostly what it's all about. Embracing change. Being brave. Doing whatever you have to so that everyone in your life can move forward with theirs. 'Cause maybe that's the only way she can truly be happy," there was a long pause. "Obviously by 'her,' I'm referring to Lady Football." Alex leaned against her office door, knowing that whatever had prompted the tail end of Ted's speech was definitely not just about Lady Football.
"Good save," Beard responded.
"Sam, we're gonna shift you to midfield for the second half. Beard's gonna walk ya'll through the rest of the changes." He started towards his office and turned back to the team, "and hey hey, one last thing. And I want everyone's eyes on me when I say this. Look at me." Wordlessly, Ted leapt up, a hand extended, and slapped the "Believe" sign above his office.
Alex stood at the doorway, watching as Ted stepped into his office. Beard corralled the rest of the team at the whiteboard, illustrating the plays they hoped to see on the field at the start of the second half. Alex found herself more distracted by the slump of Ted's shoulders the moment he felt there were no longer any eyes on him.
Richmond went on to win the match. It was at the very end of the second half that Roy took off down the pitch with the ball. Alex held her hands grasped together at her lips, her teeth pressed down against her white knuckles, praying his knee would keep up with his momentum. He was a force, tearing down towards the goal, dodging attempts to stop him. Under her breath, she egged him on, hoping to see him take the shot. And in the last second before he did, he made the extra pass, one she had heard Ted screaming to Jamie to make in training after training, across to Sam. Sam was perfectly set to take the shot himself, and he scored.
The stadium burst with cheers, as they had all been holding their breath as the ball made its way down the pitch. And she leapt in the air, her fists pumping in excitement. Sam celebrated, jumping into the arms of his teammates, soaking in the moment. Across the pitch, Roy met her gaze and smirked. Alex returned the gesture, her chest swelling with pride.
Exiting the clubhouse, the adrenaline of the evening had finally dissipated. Her body began to feel tired, she was already thankful for tomorrow's late start. Adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, she reached down and rummaged for her keys.
"Alright?" She jumped, clutching her chest with her keys in her hand.
"Jesus Christ!" She breathed, letting out the breath she had taken in to scream when she realized it was only Roy, who had clearly found her fright amusing by the grin on his face.
"Did I scare you?"
"Do you make it a point to approach vulnerable women in a dark car park?" Alex snapped, unlocking her car from the fob in her hands.
Roy smirked and put his hands in his tracksuit pockets, "hardly a dark car park. And you're hardly vulnerable."
Alex rolled her eyes and approached her car. Roy walked beside her towards his own, just a few spaces away. Alex was aware by the density of the silence that there was something that was going unsaid between the two of them. When she got to her car, Alex turned to him expectantly. He stopped and looked at her.
"What you said today…" He started, scratching the back of his neck. "Thanks."
"What for?" Alex bit back a smile, hopeful to get a full sentence from the stoic Roy Kent.
"The whole bit about Jamie and…" he noticed that she had started to nod him on and his eyes narrowed.
"And?" She was too eager, she watched him shut down in front of her.
"Goodnight, Alex." He started off toward his car. She chucked.
"Goodnight, Roy!" She called after him, smirking as she slipped into the driver's seat.