Friday, 4th November 2022
Jamie grunted and looked up at Sam. "One."
"Fifty-seven," Sam countered.
"We don't start counting until it hurts," Sam and Jamie said together.
Jamie did his thirty reps, then looked up at Sam and they switched places. Sam started counting from the first rep.
Then they moved to the next machine on their circuit.
"Do you regret saying no to leaving for Casablanca?" Jamie asked.
"No, it was the right decision for me. I'm happy here."
"With the restaurant."
"No, the restaurant was about having something outside of football too. I'm happy here at Richmond and also here in England."
"Do you ever think about getting married and having some kids and just being a boring old dad when you're finished with football?"
"I don't know," Sam said. "Sounds like you are."
"Me dad is…really shit, but me uncles were all such good dads and I always loved hanging with the little kids at the estate and I do want a family, yeah?"
"Yeah, I can see you as a dad," Sam said. "You love the outreach we do with kids…and I've seen you with Phoebe and O'Brien and Cockburn's kids."
"But how long do you leave it before you have to go out there and get what you want?"
"What do you mean?" Sam asked, freezing between reps.
"How long do you wait because you're happy with what you have, knowing it's not what you want in the end?"
Sam looked horrified.
"What?" Jamie asked.
"What you have isn't what you want?" Sam asked.
"It's more about whether what I have wants the same things I do."
"Of course they do…don't they?"
Jamie sighed. "No."
"No?"
"No," Jamie said.
"Tartt," Meghan said, calling from the doorway. "Your turn."
Jamie nodded and waited for Jan to take over from him while he went over to Meghan for a pre-game physio session. They were heading to Chelsea for their match tomorrow and Roy had been nervous all week. Jamie had a feeling Meghan was going to tell him off about being tight, but he'd been unable to distract Roy with sex on Wednesday and the older man's nervousness had rubbed off on him.
When Jamie came out, pummelled into looseness, he found the rest of the team huddled in the corner of the locker room.
"What's wrong?" Jamie asked. "What stupid video did I miss?"
The team sprung apart like they'd been held together with a lacky band.
"Jamie," Isaac said, voice genuinely flustered.
Jamie stared at Isaac with confusion. "Yeah?"
"Right," Roy said, walking out of his office. He paused and looked at the team on one corner of the room with Jamie just inside of the door. "What the fuck are you muppets doing?"
"Dunno," Jamie said. "Just came back from the physio."
"All good?" Roy asked.
Jamie nodded.
"Everyone," the room dropped to silence. "Early night, good meal, watch your protein intake in the morning, and let's murder them tomorrow."
The team cheered loudly.
"Now fuck off."
Jamie turned and grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Bye."
"Jamie," Sam said. "Before you leave."
"Yeah?"
"About what we were talking about earlier."
"Tartt!" Roy yelled.
"Don't worry about it," Jamie told Sam. "I was just being mandolin."
Sam frowned. "But…"
"Tartt," Roy said, suddenly at Jamie's elbow. "If you don't fucking hurry up, Phoebe is going to cross her arms and glare at us, and you can never stand up to that fucking face."
Jamie gaped at him. "Neither can you, grandad."
Roy growled.
"Two seconds," Jamie said.
Roy looked between Jamie and Sam and then turned and walked away.
"Sam, I'm not even in a relationship – I was just being a little depressive. It's all good, innit?"
"Is it?" Sam asked, somehow looking more worried.
"Yes, mate," Jamie said, clapping him on the upper arm before turning and heading to meet Roy at his desk.
"Not in a relationship?" Sam asked quietly behind his back.
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