Leopard Spots - 2. Chapter 2

It was Saturday lunchtime, and the Lilydale Leopards’ game against Collingwood was due to start in a couple of hours.

Neil Rosewood checked his appearance one last time. Sporty casual was what he was aiming for – smart enough to look good, but casual enough so that his parents wouldn’t think he was overdressed for what they believed was an afternoon with some friends. Neil snorted as he put on a thin jacket to help hide the clothes he was wearing as well as for protection in case the light rain from earlier in the day returned. Neil didn’t consider himself to have any friends. People he knew, yes, but no one he felt he could trust enough to call a friend.

He headed to the kitchen and collected the bottle of water he’d put in the fridge earlier that morning. He grabbed a few pieces of fruit and stuck them and the water in his backpack.

“I’m off!”

“Have fun, dear,” his mother called out from the living room. “Let us know if you’re going to be late home.”

“I will. Bye!”

As he left the house and started the ten-minute walk to the train station, he told himself that he hadn’t technically lied. He had told his mother that there was a local football game on that afternoon, which was true. He’d expressed an interest in watching some football, implying but not stating that it would be the local game he was going to see. He had mentioned that some people from school might be there, though privately he thought it would be unlikely.

There would be some people he knew at the local football game, but he didn’t expect any of them to head to Lilydale to see the Leopards play.

* * *

Neil scowled as he watched the media contingent outside the players’ entrance to the grounds. He had hoped to catch Jim Henderson as he was arriving, but Neil couldn’t risk being caught by either a television camera or newspaper photographer. He didn’t want to take any chances on his father finding out where he had gone for the afternoon.

The media were stopping most of the players, and Neil was close enough to hear the inane questions being asked. He rolled his eyes, but he stayed with the other curious spectators, mainly male, hoping to catch a glimpse of his new crush.

“Waiting for Jim Henderson, too?”

Neil turned to look at the guy who had just spoken. He paused as he took in the designer clothes and the long, light-brown hair. The young man appeared to be in his early twenties. Neil frowned when he noticed that the guy seemed to be wearing eyeliner, and a waft of cologne made Neil’s nose twitch.

“He’s so rugged; I can’t wait to see him in person. Who knows.... If he doesn’t want to dump that boyfriend of his, he might be interested in a threesome.” The guy licked his lips as his gaze moved down Neil’s body. “You could join in, too, but if Jim rejects us, I’m happy to take you somewhere so we can console each other.”

Neil swallowed and took two steps backwards. When he bumped into someone, he quickly spun around and started to run. He felt...violated...by the stranger’s intentions, and he was afraid. Had he been that obvious, or had the other guy just assumed that any male waiting nearby must be gay?

Stopping as soon as he was out of sight of the group at the players’ entrance, Neil glanced around. No one appeared to be paying any special attention to him, which gave him some relief. He realised that his plans had been naive. It was going to be much more difficult to approach and speak with Jim than he had originally thought.

After a philosophical shrug, Neil joined the queue of people entering the grounds. He showed his student ID, paid the $5 concession entry rate, and moved in to find a spot to watch the game. He would try again to meet Jim after the match, though he suspected that that plan would fail, too.

* * *

Neil grimaced. The media pack was still waiting outside the players’ entrance. Between him and the pack was another group of mainly young men, including the guy who had propositioned him earlier. Neil was keeping well back.

After several players had left the building, Neil recognised the Leopards’ captain, Roger McDowell leaving, along with a woman. Both were carrying children – Roger with a young girl and the woman with a toddler. Roger spoke to the media for a moment, which caused the pack to disperse, followed almost immediately by the other group.

Neil frowned as he wondered what was going on. He noticed a few of the media personnel rushing to the car park, but others were taking their time putting away their gear. When he saw one of the latter group struggling with his large television camera, Neil approached. “Want a hand with that?”

The cameraman looked up and smiled. “Thanks, I’d really appreciate that. It’s a bugger to get the camera into its case; the whole thing is getting too old. I’m Scott, by the way.”

“I’m Neil.”

Neil helped Scott line up the camera, using a spare hand to hold in place the padding that was coming away from the side of the box.

“Thanks, Neil. It’s much appreciated.” Scott glared in the direction of a man and female sipping a cup of coffee several metres away. “Sometimes this job’s a pill, especially when some people think it’s beneath them to help.”

“No problem. I’m surprised you guys are packing up, though. I expected you to be waiting until Jim Henderson appeared.”

Scott rolled his eyes. “We’ve been told that he snuck out one of the other exits, so there’s nothing more to do here. That makes it quitting time for me.”

Neil glanced in the direction where some of the media representatives had run. He mentally crossed his fingers as to the probable reason. “Some of you guys seemed particularly eager to leave.”

The cameraman snorted. “They’re the photographers, freelance mainly, hoping to get a picture of the latest fifteen-minute sensation. I suspect most of them will be heading to Tenterfield Street to stake out the poor guy’s house.” He shook his head. “He’s fair game here, but he should be allowed some privacy. Sadly, not everyone thinks that way.”

Neil nodded slowly to himself. “Yeah. They should just leave him alone.” He smiled at Scott. “Time for me to head home, too. Have a good weekend!”

The guy laughed. “What’s left of it, anyway. Have a good night yourself, mate.”

Neil waved a hand and headed off. Once he was far enough away, he pulled out his phone and did a quick search. He frowned as he realised that Tenterfield Street wasn’t that far away, but it would still be close to a twenty-minute walk and then another fifteen minutes back to the train station. After a moment’s thought, he made his decision. It wouldn’t take long once he was at Tenterfield Street for him to identify which house was Jim’s. The media waiting outside would tell him that, and then he could head home. He’d be late but hopefully not so late that questions would be asked.

There wasn’t going to be any chance of meeting Jim that day, but once he knew Jim’s home address, options would be available for the future. As a Year 12 student, Neil’s windows of opportunity weren’t frequent, but they would come, and sooner or later Neil would have the chance to catch Jim.

Neil was whistling as he strolled away. Getting a boyfriend was going to take longer than he had originally anticipated, but Neil was sure it would be worth the wait. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

The next morning at the Tenterfield Street house, Ryan glanced at the clock and then at up at Ty, who had just entered their kitchen. “You’re up early, especially for a Sunday.”

Ty shrugged. “I’m meeting Karen for breakfast.”

Ryan chuckled and then schooled his face into one of contriteness. “Sorry, Ty. This must be difficult for you. Your body clock must be awfully confused.”

Ty glared for a moment and then chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a bit of a shock to the system. I’m used to partying on Saturday nights and sleeping in on Sunday morning, but I can’t do that anymore.” He frowned as his eyes lost focus. “She told me I could go out if I wanted to but I’d never get up in time to see her if I did that.”

“It’s a real pain that she works on the weekend.” Ryan stood up, holding his empty mug. “Coffee before you go?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Ty slipped into the chair opposite where Ryan had been sitting. “It only really struck me how much of a pain it was yesterday – after the game. I wanted to celebrate, but she was already at work. Mid-afternoon to just before midnight – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It doesn’t leave a lot of time to do other things.”

“You seem to be coping so far,” Ryan said as he made himself and his younger housemate a cup of coffee.

“She’s worth it.” Ty grinned up at Ryan. “At least Peter’s relented and is letting me take Sundays off. Training six days a week and playing the seventh was getting to me. I might squeeze in some weight work at the gym when I get back this afternoon, but it’s nice that I don’t have to.”

“You were coping, though it’s good to have a day off.” Ryan brought the two coffees back to the table and sat down. Pushing Ty’s mug across the table to him, he added, “You should make sure you’re looking your best when you leave the house, because you’ll be getting your photo taken.” Ryan grinned. “A word of advice, don’t do it in your underwear like I did this morning when I went to collect the morning paper.”

Ty’s mouth dropped open, and then he laughed. “That must’ve been so embarrassing.” He frowned, and he glanced towards the front of the house. “So the paparazzi are still out there?”

“Sadly, yes. I’m going to warn Jim when he wakes up, since he’s the one they’re waiting for.”

Deon appeared at the doorway, dressed in boxer shorts and a T-shirt. “Warn Jim about what?”

Ty grinned. “Why don’t you just step out the front door and see for yourself?”

“Ty!” Ryan turned to Deon. “Don’t do what he says, because there’s a number of photographers waiting outside, taking pictures of anyone who appears. I got caught early this morning, wearing less than what you’ve got on.”

Deon glanced down at his state of undress and then glared at Ty. A couple of seconds later, he grinned. “That’s it. From now on, you’re stuck with Jim’s nickname for you, brat. You’re no longer Ty.”

Ty shrugged. “As long as you also call Jim ‛Dad’, then that’s fine with me.” He grinned. “The photographers are going to be waiting outside a long time. Dad slept at Tony’s place last night.”

“How do you know that?” Deon asked as he joined the other two at the table. “Jim was here, I’m sure of it.”

“He was, but given the crowd that was here yesterday, he and Tony decided it’d be best to become scarce. Dad ducked out just before midnight after the paparazzi had left.” Ty shrugged. “It made sense, anyway. Tony’s place is closer to where Dad has to go this morning for his next TV appearance, so he’d get more time to sleep in – assuming he got any sleep at all.” Ty grinned.

Ryan frowned “I don’t think we need poke our noses into Jim’s personal life, Ty; the paparazzi are going to do more than enough of that.”

Ty scowled, then nodded. “Okay, fair comment. I really don’t envy him. He’s had his entire weekend mapped out for him, and I know he hates it. I’ll try to keep my teasing down to reasonable limits.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to ask what you think are reasonable limits. We know what Jim’s doing. So-o-o what are your plans for the day, Deon?” Ryan asked.

“Ty and I are taking Karen and Pamela out for breakfast,” Deon said, referring to his girlfriend. “After that, Pamela and I are going to visit Denise for an hour or two.”

Ryan winced. “Does Jim know you’re seeing his ex?”

“He knows I’m helping her, and he’s happy with that.” Deon narrowed his eyes as he turned to Ty. “Were you going to say something?”

Ty shook his head, though his lips were pinched. “I don’t care what you do with her, as long as you’re not beating up Dad about it.”

Deon glared. “Jim approves of what I’m doing, brat. He knows what he did was wrong, and that I’m trying to help Denise deal with the pain he put her through.”

“Ty, Deon. Please, enough. This isn’t something you should be fighting about.” Ryan waited for the two guys to break eye contact with each other and turn back to him. “How’s Denise doing?”

Deon shrugged. “As well as can be expected for someone whose boyfriend has announced to the world that he’s gay. She’s fine for awhile, and then Jim appears on TV again and everything comes rushing back to her.” Deon turned and frowned at Ty. “Jim knows he’s hurt her, and...” Deon held up a hand to stop Ty’s protest. “...I know he didn’t have a lot of choice. She’ll forgive him eventually – I already have – but for now, she’s just hurting. My mum’s told me Denise’s self-esteem is at rock bottom. What she needs now are people around her who are just supportive. Pamela and I are going to spend a couple of hours doing that.”

Ryan saw a number of expressions flicker across Ty’s face, as if he was uncertain as to how to respond.

Ty sighed. “You’re right, and Dad knows it, too. I’d go with you, but I don’t think I could keep myself quiet if she said anything bad about him.”

Deon gave Ty a wry half-smile. “Remember, I lived through the time when my mum found out that my father’s gay. I’ve seen first-hand what Denise is going through. She’s going to say a lot of bad things about Jim, and Pamela and I will be there to listen. Jim’s not the bastard that my father is. He’s not leaving behind three kids and a dependent wife to disappear with his fucking boyfriend.”

Ryan had been letting the two guys talk it out, but he became concerned at the anger that Deon was showing at the end. Even Ty rocked back in his chair.

“Steady, Deon. That was years ago. He’s out of your life now,” Ryan said.

Deon grunted, then sighed. “Yeah, I know. But I still get angry when I remember what he did. Mum’s forgiven him, but I haven’t, and I doubt I ever will.”

* * *

Sam Bradshaw closed his laptop. “Everything’s booked for next weekend.” He stood up and moved over to where his long-time boyfriend was watching television. Leaning down he gave Marcus a light kiss on the lips. “Thank you.”

Marcus smiled up at Sam and patted the space next to him on the sofa. “Thanks for what?”

Sam dropped next to Marcus and put an arm across his partner’s shoulders. “For letting me go to Melbourne next week on what is probably a wild-goose chase.”

“Hey, I’m going, too, and even if you don’t get to say hello to Deon, you’ll still be able to see him play in person.” Marcus rested his head against Sam’s chest. “You rarely talk about your family, but you’ve got a son playing sport at a high level. That’s special, so don’t feel guilty about doing something for him. I hope he does as well as he did yesterday. You must be proud of the way he won the game for the team with that last kick.”

Sam grimaced. “While I’m proud, that’s not the reason I’m doing this. I thought I’d lost him, that he was homophobic and didn’t want anything to do with me. It was when I saw him at that press conference standing in support of Jim Henderson that I realised there might still be a chance that he might forgive me, that I could be his father again. That’s why I’m so desperate to see him.

“I’ve got two sons and a daughter, Marcus, but Deon’s the only one of the three that doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.” He sighed. “I know I haven’t been a great dad, but the last few times I’ve tried to speak to him on the phone, he’s refused. The last time I spoke to him was...” Sam thought for a moment. “...his fifteenth birthday. We haven’t spoken since. I’ve sent him Christmas and birthday presents, but I’ve heard nothing back, and he won’t take my calls. Am I doing the wrong thing, trying to get back in touch with him?”

“What did Mandy say when you spoke to her?”

“She said.... She said it wasn’t a good time but that it might never be. She’ll bring Jordan and Teresa to meet me on Saturday morning, and then we’ll take all three of them to the Leopards’ football match that afternoon.” Sam sighed. “Jordan won’t remember me, but Teresa should. She was thirteen when Mandy and I separated.”

“That’ll make Teresa twenty-two, right?” When Sam nodded, Marcus continued. “How old is Jordan?”

“He’s fourteen. The kids are all four years apart. Mandy and I didn’t.... Well, we had the kids when we wanted them. Outside of that...” Sam shook his head.

“I still remember how hard the decision was to leave your wife,” Marcus said, his voice low. “You agonised over it for weeks.”

Sam grimaced. “Months, actually. I’d been thinking about it, trying to work out what was the right thing to do well before I mentioned the option to you. I love you, but Mandy and the kids had a special place in my heart. They still do even after all this time.”

Marcus hesitated before asking the next question. It was something he’d wondered many times over the years he and Sam had been together but could never bring himself to ask. It finally seemed the right time, but he was nervous. “How did you eventually decide what to do?”

There was a long pause before Sam answered.

“I told myself I couldn’t give Mandy the love she wanted. I was hoping that if I was out of the picture, she’d be able to find someone who could treat her the way she deserved. I kept hoping...but it never happened. I put her through that pain, and it didn’t have the good outcome I wished for.”

Marcus felt a shudder run through Sam’s body.

“I found myself with a chance at love, and I took it. I was a bloody selfish bastard, and while I justified it to myself, I ruined her life and inflicted pain on those kids. I’m a fucking useless bastard!”

Marcus quickly repositioned himself so he was the one embracing and comforting Sam, rather than the other way around. He’d known Sam still had some issues with what he’d done, but he hadn’t realised that after almost ten years that those feelings were still so strong.

* * *

Jim took a deep breath of relief as he exited the Channel 10 Melbourne broadcast studio. “I’m glad that’s over and done. What’s next?”

Tony put a hand on Jim’s bicep. “You did great. You looked calm and natural, and that makes for a good TV interview. Since they recorded the segment for tomorrow night’s The Project at the same time, that’s your last TV appearance until Thursday, when you’re on The Footy Show. We’ve got a couple of radio broadcasts, and then you can have a break for a couple of hours. I thought I’d take you out for lunch before we visit a few of the club’s sponsors to thank them for their support. There’ll be some cameras while we’re there, but you won’t need to do more than answer a few questions.”

Jim smiled. “Lunch sounds nice. And thanking our sponsors is a good idea, too. I should’ve thought of that.”

“I think you’ve had enough to worry about without thinking of the sponsors, too. Anyway, that’s part of my job.” Tony raised an eyebrow. “Would you mind if a couple of extra people join us for lunch? It might help you relax.”

Jim pulled a face as the two strolled towards Tony’s car. “Is it that obvious?” He sighed. “Who did you have in mind?”

“Alex and Ethan, assuming they’re out of bed and take the call.” Tony glanced at his phone. “It’s just after ten; that gives them a couple of hours to get ready.” He raised an eyebrow at Jim.

“Okay. It’s about time I met them, especially since Alex had that house key cut for me.” Tony had given him that key on their first date, and knowing that he had a safe place to go to if needed had done wonders for Jim’s mental health at the time. “Last night didn’t feel like the right time to introduce myself.” The door to Alex’s room had been closed when they’d arrived at the flat that Tony shared with Alex, but the noises they heard had told them that Ethan was staying the night with his boyfriend.

Tony laughed. “Yeah, I doubt they’d’ve been impressed if we’d interrupted them.” He started typing a message on his phone.

Jim sighed as he thought back on the night. He and Tony had finally spent some time together, but he had quickly become tired. He blamed nervous exhaustion from the stress of the previous few days, followed by a tough football match, but he was concerned that he hadn’t made a good impression on Tony.

“Okay, that’s done. Hopefully, they’ll reply before lunchtime.” Tony paused. “What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

Tony gave Jim a wry half-smile. “I’m getting better at reading you. You’re still tense. We’ve got a couple of radio interviews. Neither will be long, and then you’re done being a media personality for the day. These will be a breeze; getting in front of a TV camera is much, much scarier.”

“It’s not that...” Jim took a deep breath as he wrestled with his conscience. Memories of Ty’s reaction to his keeping his sexuality a secret swayed his decision. He needed to be honest, especially with the guy who was now his boyfriend. “About last night. I’m sorr–”

Jim stopped when Tony placed a finger gently on his lips. “Jim, I told you then, and I’m telling you again now: it’s okay. To be honest, I was exhausted, too. Spending the night next to you was more than enough.” Tony grinned. “And we got some playing in, so you can’t say we didn’t have fun. We’ll have other times – times when we’re not tired and we’re able to properly enjoy each other. Just be patient.”

Jim glanced around and then pulled Tony in for a hug. Letting go, he smiled. “Let’s get moving. We’re off to Pride FM, aren’t we?”

Tony grinned. “Yep. My old stomping ground. They’ve been giving the club free advertising all weekend as well as making a donation themselves, so we need to keep them happy.”

“No. Not need. They deserve to be kept happy, just like the rest of our sponsors.” Jim tilted his head towards Tony’s car. “Shouldn’t we be going?”

Tony laughed as he pulled out his car keys. “Okay, Jim.”

Thirty minutes later, Jim was seated in one of Pride FM’s broadcast studios, while Tony watched from the adjacent sound booth.

“We’re here with the man of the moment, the VFL’s first openly gay football player, Jim Henderson. Jim, thanks for coming in.”

Jim smiled. “Thanks, Brandon. I’d also like to thank Pride FM and your listeners for the support they’ve given me and the Leopards over the last few days. The response from everyone has been terrific, and I can’t repeat often enough how much everyone at the club appreciates what they’ve been doing.”

“How has the fundraising been going? Has it been enough to keep your football club financially viable?”

“The answer is a definite yes. As we announced at the press conference on Thursday, the club needed a minimum of $80,000 to keep the club running for the full year, and we’re capping donations at the $100,000 that we lost in sponsorship. We checked just before we came on air, and the amount raised so for is just under $71,000, with more coming in all the time. Again, I’d like to thank all of your listeners for their support. If there was a way I could thank you each personally, I’d do so, but for now I’ll just say thanks.”

“You’re still short of your minimum target, though. What happens if you don’t reach it?”

Jim frowned. “I’m not the best person to answer that as I’m not involved with the club finances. If I had to guess, I’d say the club would be operating for most of the year but could still fold at the end as we ran out of money. However, we now have a buffer while we work to fill in the gap. I know the Leopards’ marketing team are working hard to replace the major sponsor we’ve lost, and I’m confident that they’ll find a way to keep the club going.”

Brandon smiled and then turned his head to the sound booth and winked. “Speaking of the marketing team, I happen to know that one of those people, Tony, used to work here at Pride FM. Have you had much to do with him?”

Jim panicked and turned to look at Tony. Jim silently mouthed, ‛What do I say?’, hoping that Tony would be able to give him a hint on how to respond.

When Jim didn’t respond immediately, Brandon continued talking. “For our listeners who probably don’t recognise the name, Tony worked in our sales department, helping our advertisers. Keith, his manager, was very sad to see him go. Tony never got behind a microphone, but he was a very popular person here at Pride FM.”

While Brandon talked, Jim exchanged looks with Tony. Tony had initially scowled at Brandon and then grimaced. A shrug of the shoulders and a smile told Jim that Tony was leaving it up to him and that he’d accept whatever happened. When the sound technician next to Tony had tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a set of headphones and mike, Jim knew that Tony was being prepared to join in the conversation if needed.

Jim closed his eyes for a moment and then made his decision. “Tony’s been fantastic at the club. He’s had a major role in organising everything that’s been happening over the last few days. He’s also been great in helping me accept who I am and that I didn’t have to keep hiding.”

Brandon grinned and then raised an eyebrow. “At the press conference, you said you had started going out with someone at the football club, not one of the players, who was openly gay. I have to admit that there’s been a lot of speculation here at Pride FM as to who that mysterious boyfriend is. Are you able to tell us if it’s Tony?”

Jim glanced at Tony, receiving a smile and a nod in reply. He turned back to Brandon. “Yes, it is.”

It was another step for Jim – one that he hadn’t wanted to take – but he knew that he couldn’t keep it private forever. He had a boyfriend, and he had now publicly acknowledged who it was.

* * *

Neil scowled. His rival for Jim’s affections had a name. Once Jim’s interview was over, Neil switched back to music. His parents were used to him listening to his old iPod while studying, so he had considered it safe to switch it to the radio when he had discovered that Jim was doing an interview that morning.

Saturday and Sunday mornings were study time for Neil. He was in his last year of school, and his parents wanted him to do well so he would be able to go to university the following year. Neil had other plans. While he wanted to continue his education, moving out of home was a higher priority. All of the major universities in Melbourne were within reach by public transport, so his parents would expect him to be living with them while he undertook tertiary studies. Neil couldn’t do that. He needed to escape and find a way to be himself, ending the masquerade he’d been living since he realised he’s gay. He would have to leave home, and that would mean getting a job.

Neil had tracked down enough information about Jim to know that Jim had been doing the same thing as he was: hiding his sexuality for as long as possible. Jim would know what he felt like and would sympathise with him. Neil knew that Jim would be kind and would help him. Getting to Jim was the first step in Neil’s plan to be himself.

Turning to his computer, Neil tried to find out more information about this ‛Tony’ person that Jim was dating. A few minutes later, he pushed his keyboard away in disgust. The Lilydale Leopards’ website didn’t list administrative staff, and the Pride FM website had little of consequence. The only useful thing was a photo that had been put up moments before – of Jim and a shorter blond guy smiling at the camera. Based on the background in the picture, it had been taken at the Pride FM studios.

Neil glared for several seconds at the blond. That had to be Tony, the guy that was going to be Neil’s biggest challenge if his dream was to come true.

With an effort, Neil returned to studying, reminding himself that keeping his parents unaware was important. He had to maintain his grades and also continue his part-time work at the local supermarket. Both of those things were going to cut into the time available to track down and get to know Jim Henderson, but they were necessary. The job in particular was allowing him to build up a nest egg for when he left home.

It was going to take time before he’d get what he wanted, but after one more look at the picture of his future boyfriend (and ignoring the blond at Jim’s side), Neil told himself it’ll be worth it in the end.

* * *

Pamela linked her arm with Deon’s as they strolled back to the car. “She tried to hide it, but she’s still in a lot of pain.”

Deon nodded, his expression glum. “It’s bringing back a lot of bad memories. Mum was like that, too, after my father left her.” Deon frowned. “Actually, I think it started before he left her, probably when he told her he’s gay.”

“When’s your mum seeing Denise again?”

“Later this afternoon. She’s dropping Jordan off at a friend’s place and then coming here. Mum doesn’t want Jordan to see what we’re seeing; he’s too young, and he wouldn’t understand.” Deon snorted as a smile played across his lips. “He’d also be bored.”

“Fourteen, not knowing anyone, and no one his own age around. Yeah, he’d be bored.” Pamela let go of Deon’s arm as they reached his car. “What did you want to do now?”

Deon gave her a light kiss on the lips. “I know you probably weren’t happy that I insisted on spending time with Denise this morning, so I’m intending to take you out for lunch as a thank you for being so patient with me. I was then going to invite you to join Jarrod and me on a leisurely drive around Melbourne’s bayside suburbs.”

Pamela grinned. “In a BMW? I wasn’t going to ask, but since you’re offering...yes!”

Deon laughed as he moved around to the driver’s door of his less-than-BMW car. “It’ll probably be my one and only chance to drive a luxury vehicle, so I want to make the most of it.” He unlocked the car, but instead of getting in, he smiled over the roof at his girlfriend. “I really appreciate you being here this morning. I don’t think I could’ve done it without you.”

Pamela frowned as she lowered herself into Deon’s car. She waited for him to get in before responding. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Deon took hold of the steering wheel and stared out the windscreen as he organised his thoughts. “Helping Denise is...hard for me. I know she needs someone, and the more people who show her support the better, but seeing her alone while still dating you seemed wrong. Denise is vulnerable at the moment, and she could easily mistake sympathy for something more. If I had come to see her by myself, she might’ve...” Deon shook his head before glancing at Pamela. “I didn’t want to be here without you, but I can’t help feel that I’m using you as a shield, which isn’t fair to you.”

Pamela reached over to put a hand on top of Deon’s. “I’ll admit that I was a bit anxious, but after seeing you with Denise, I knew I had nothing to fear. There’s a lot of reasons why I’m going out with you, Deon, and today you’ve added another one. You’ve got a lot of compassion inside you. You normally hide it, but you let it out today, and I liked what I saw.” She smiled at her boyfriend. “If it makes you more comfortable if I’m there when you’re helping Denise, just ask. I won’t mind.”

Deon sighed, then smiled back. “Thank you.” He leant over and gave her another quick kiss before starting the engine. “Time to take some pretty young woman out to lunch.”

Pamela gave him a mock pout. “Can I come, too?”

Deon laughed as he pulled out into the street. “I suppose so. I don’t think my wonderful girlfriend will mind.”

Pamela grinned for a moment, but then her expression faded into one of concern. She started to gnaw her lower lip.

Deon flicked his eyes in her direction. “What’s wrong?”

“How are things between you and Jim?” Pamela asked. “It mustn’t be easy...”

Deon shrugged. “Generally, pretty good. He’s really appreciative of the support I’m giving Denise, and outside of that, he’s still the same guy he’s always been.” He sighed. “He was a good mentor when I started at the club. Ty needed him more than me, which is why I didn’t have a problem when Ryan and Jim swapped who they were looking after, but Jim’s a cool guy.”

“But now that you know he’s gay...”

Deon grimaced. “I know. There are still times I’m angry with him, but, honestly, he’s also helped me get over some of the issues I had with my father. I’d pushed my anger at what he’d done onto all gay guys, and then Tony joined the club, and he wasn’t anything like what I’d expected.” Deon shook his head. “I had problems in dealing with that, but both Ty and Jim helped me get through them.”

“That was before you knew he was gay, though.” Pamela’s tone was gentle, as if she was trying more to encourage Deon to speak than to be judgemental.

Deon sighed. He gave Pamela a soft smile before returning his attention to the road. “Yeah...and before I knew that Jim had been stringing Denise along. The one thing I can’t get past, though, was how upset Jim’s been about Denise. He honestly cares about her. That makes him different from my father, and it’s the reason I don’t have any real problem with Jim. I’m annoyed with how he’s treated her, but I don’t hate him because of it.”

Pamela hesitated for a moment. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

Deon blinked as he glanced at her. “Sure!”

“Is the fact that you didn’t mention your father to me before this week because you’re ashamed that he’s gay?”

“No!” Deon had to force himself to soften his grip on the steering wheel. “No. Most of the time I don’t even think about it. It’s only been the events of the last few weeks that have reminded me of him. Until Tony joined the club and told us he’s gay, I hadn’t even thought to mention him.” He reached out with one hand to pat Pamela’s thigh. “We’ve only been going out for a couple of months. My father hasn’t been worth mentioning before now.”

“But you did ask me to keep it to myself.”

Deon sighed. “Yeah. I asked Jim and Ty to do the same when I told them, too. Okay, maybe I’m a little ashamed, but I think that’s because I didn’t want to be different. Having a gay father is not something I wanted known while I was going through school.”

He paused for a moment and then made a decision. “Fuck it! I don’t care anymore. If it comes up in conversation, I’ll mention it, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to tell everyone. I’ve got a father, but he’s out of my life, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.”

Pamela grinned. “Good for you. Speaking of fathers, though, mine wants a word. He’s not happy with what you’ve done.”

Deon’s mouth dropped open. “Why? What did I do wrong?”

She smirked. “You kicked the winning goal against Collingwood yesterday. He wasn’t impressed.”

Deon laughed. “Tough! I’m dating you, not him or the Collingwood football team.”

Pamela smiled back. “And that’s the way I like it.”

* * *

Tony smiled as he made the introductions. “Jim, this is my flatmate, Alex, and his boyfriend, Ethan.”

“G’day, Jim. It’s nice to see you again,” Alex said as he held out a hand across the table. They had just arrived at the small bar-and-grill that Tony had picked for lunch – in Chapel Street, Prahran, one of Melbourne’s most gay-friendly areas .

Jim gave a wry smile in return as he shook Alex’s hand. “I’ll be honest, I don’t really recognise you. It was only a couple of minutes in a dimly lit nightclub, after all. However, I’ve heard about you from Jarrod as well as Tony, so I’m really happy to get the chance to thank you.”

“Thank me? Why?”

“For that house key to your and Tony’s flat that you had cut for me. I didn’t use it, but knowing there was somewhere I could go if I needed – that made a huge difference to me at the time.”

Alex shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. If it got Tony laid, it was worth it.”

“Alex!” Tony turned to Jim. “I forgot to mention that Alex’s mind tends to revolve around one subject.”

Jim laughed. “Jarrod had already spread that news.” He smiled at Tony. “Jarrod also told me at that time that you were looking to date some guy you’d met at a nightclub. Did you ever get together with him?”

Tony chuckled. “Yep. I spent last night with him, in fact.”

Alex pumped his fist. “Yes! About bloody time.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Ignore them, Jim. They’re great mates, but they’ve got no sense of decorum.”

Alex frowned at his boyfriend. “I don’t even know how to spell the word.” He smiled at Jim. “Say, can I ask for a favour?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Can I get a picture with you? The guys at uni will never believe me otherwise.”

Jim blinked. “Believe what?”

Alex grinned. “That I had lunch with a celebrity. You’re famous, you know.”

Jim cringed. “I hate that word. I want to go back to being just another football player.”

Ethan gave Jim a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. That closet we’ve all been in has a one-way door. Once you leave, you can’t go back in.”

“Well? Can I get a photo of you with me and Ethan?” Alex asked.

Jim gave a heavy sigh. Under the table, he felt Tony take his hand and give it a squeeze of support. “Okay.”

“Cool! Tony, use this.” Alex handed his phone to Tony while he moved around next to Jim.

Tony slipped out of his chair, allowing Ethan to take his place, leaving Jim in the middle.

“Smile.” Tony waited a moment and then grinned. “Smile harder, Jim. This isn’t an execution.”

Jim chuckled, and Tony took the picture. As the four moved back to the previous seating arrangement, a staff member came up to take their orders. Alex and Ethan both ordered burgers, while Jim ordered grilled chicken and chips. Tony checked with the waiter regarding gluten-free options before settling on steak and baked potato.

Once the lunch orders were out of the way, Ethan turned to Jim. “How did things go at the game, yesterday? Did anyone try to harass you?”

Jim smiled as he gave a snort of laughter. “You have no idea. The Collingwood players were warned about homophobic behaviour by their coach, then by a couple of AFL teammates, and then by Eddie Maguire himself!”

Ethan’s mouth dropped open. “Eddie? The Collingwood president? He was there?”

Jim nodded, still smiling. “I also learnt that Collingwood has their own gay and lesbian supporter group: the Pink Magpies. Honestly, there were no problems at all during the game.”

Alex frowned. “During? What about before and after?”

Tony grimaced. “Newspaper and magazine photographers were out in force. Jim and I snuck out through one of the emergency exits from the admin block. Even so, all that did was to move them from the football oval to Jim’s house. We went back there for a bit, but slipped out around midnight and came back to the flat. According to a text from Ty, there were photographers camped outside the house first thing this morning, too.”

Ethan nodded slowly. “Yuck. I’d hate to be in your shoes. It must be a real invasion of privacy at times.”

Jim sighed. “I know, but hopefully it won’t be forever and–”

“Excuse me, but you’re Jim Henderson, right?” A young man in jeans, T-shirt and a pseudo-leather jacket stood at the end of their table. Another young man of Asian appearance hovered behind him.

Jim flicked Ethan a sardonic glance before smiling at the young man. “Yes, I am.”

The young man held out his phone. “Is there any chance my boyfriend and I could get a photo with you? We saw you on the TV the other night and again yesterday morning, and we think what you’re doing is fantastic! We didn’t want to intrude, but if you could spare a couple of minutes...” He smiled hopefully.

“Not a problem. If you give your phone to Tony, he can take the picture for you...”

* * *

Ty and Karen were finishing up their coffees. They were seated at a booth in the Bourke Street mall’s Pancake Parlour, in the heart of Melbourne.

Karen sighed and put her left hand on top of Ty’s. “We’re going to have to go, soon. I’ve got to be at the hospital in thirty minutes.”

Ty grimaced. “Yeah, I know. It’s a real pain, but there’s not much we can do about it.” He stretched his right arm across her shoulders and pulled her gently towards him. “That’s why I want to spend as much time as I can with you while we’ve got the chance.” He straightened slightly so he could look down at her. “And that’s why I’m escorting you to work. No more discussion; my decision’s made. Taking you gives me an extra twenty minutes of Karen-time that I would otherwise miss out on.”

Karen laughed. “Okay, you win. Jim’ll be disappointed, but I’m sure he’ll survive.”

Ty frowned. “Why will Dad be disappointed?”

“Because I’m supposed to have you wrapped around my little finger so you do everything I tell you.”

Ty grinned and then leered. “I’ll give you a list of things you can tell me to do.” He pulled his left hand from hers and slipped it under the table to tickle her.

“Stop it!” Karen giggled as she pushed his hand away. “We should get moving.”

Ty grunted his unhappy agreement and then slid out of the booth, grabbing the bill as he left.

“We’re splitting that fifty-fifty, Ty. Remember?”

Ty put on his innocent face – not one he used a lot, but he was in a good mood and it felt appropriate. “Of course. I’ve checked, and your half comes to thirty minutes of snuggling.”

“Ty...” Karen tried to snatch the bill, but Ty held it above his head, using his height to put it well out of her reach.

“Ty, you paid for breakfast. I let you talk me out of paying for lunch by agreeing to split the bill. Stop mucking around and let me pay my fair share.”

Ty glanced around the restaurant. “This isn’t the place to discuss it. Come on, or you’ll be late for work.”

He didn’t wait for her, but headed to the cash register, pulling out his wallet as he walked.

“Ty...”

Ty grinned as he heard the annoyed frustration in Karen’s voice. He quickly paid for their lunch and held out his arm for Karen to take. His grin slipped when she strode past him and headed towards the exit without accepting his unspoken offer.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as he jogged up next to her.

Ty felt uneasy at the glare he received in return. She didn’t reply but headed past him and towards the Elizabeth Street tram stop.

“Karen, I’m sorry, but I didn’t think that–”

She spun around and stabbed a finger into his chest. “That’s right, you didn’t think! You can’t buy me, Ty, so don’t try. If you want things to continue between us, you need to stop ignoring me when I’m speaking to you.”

…stop ignoring me when I’m speaking to you.

Ty saw red as the echo of his father’s regular, and often unjust, words ran through his head. “Fuck you! I’ve had enough of this. I’m going.”

“Fine!”

Ty didn’t respond. He stormed off, heading north towards Melbourne Central with the intent of catching the next train back to Lilydale. He had spent over half his life listening to his father complaining about how he wasn’t doing enough; how he needed to listen to what his father had told him and do it properly. Time after time, he’d done what he thought was right only to be told he had it wrong. Ty had always done what he’d been told, but his father managed to find fault with his efforts every time.

Seeing a green pedestrian light ahead, Ty jogged to make it before it went red. He wasn’t in the mood to be forced to stop for a change of lights. Rather than slow down, he continued to jog along Elizabeth Street through the light Sunday-afternoon crowd, maintaining his anger. He’d spent years being told that what he did wasn’t good enough and that he’d have to try harder. The end was when he put his name in for the AFL’s rookie draft...and wasn’t selected.

That had hurt more than anything else he’d ever experienced in his life. He ended up being recruited by the VFL’s Lilydale Leopards, with the hope that he’d make enough of a name for himself that one of the AFL teams would notice and select him, but he had still been angry. He had done everything his father had told him, and it hadn’t been good enough. Nothing was good enough....

He had been in danger of being kicked out of the club and losing his dream when Jim stepped in.

Ty slowed down and glanced back the way he’d come. There was a tram stopped at the lights behind him, a tram that he guessed Karen would be on.

Jim had offered Ty the support that Ty needed. Like his father, Jim had told Ty what he was doing wrong, but unlike his old man, Jim also told him what he was doing right. The other thing that Jim had done was to teach him about the key part of his game that he had been missing: teamwork.

Ty’s stride faltered as he realised what had gone wrong. He glanced behind him and then ahead to where he wanted to go. He sprinted as the tram passed him and pulled up at the next stop. He ran across the road, dodging behind a van that was heading south, to reach the tram as the traffic lights turned green.

The doors on the tram closed behind him, and he scanned the interior for the one person he wanted to see. He found her near the back, scowling at him. He moved hesitantly towards her.

“It’s all Dad’s fault,” Ty said. He stood next to where Karen was sitting, holding on to the bar above his head to keep his balance as the tram moved off.

“So it’s Jim’s fault that you’re an arsehole.” Karen’s sarcastic tone wasn’t necessary to tell him how much he’d stuffed up.

“No, that’s all me. It’s Dad’s fault that I’m back.”

Karen raised an eyebrow, but the scowl didn’t leave her face.

“He’s been at me about teamwork and being part of a team. I’m still not a good team player, but I’m getting better. What Dad forgot to mention was that being a team player applies to relationships, too.”

“And you couldn’t work that out for yourself?” Karen’s tone was still abrasive, but it wasn’t as harsh as her earlier comments.

“I did...eventually.” Ty waved a hand at the seat opposite her. “Can I sit down?”

Karen stared up at him for a moment and then jerked her head in a single nod.

“Thanks. I’m sorry, Karen. I told you a little about my old man, but that phrase you used – about ignoring you when you’re speaking – that was one he used all the time. When you said it, I just reverted back to the way I used to be before Dad took over. I didn’t mean to hurt you, and I certainly wasn’t trying to buy you. I was trying to show my appreciation for you, and I stuffed it up.”

Karen narrowed her eyes. “And what are you going to do about it?”

Ty tried to grin. “Get to know my teammate better so I don’t end up stepping on her feelings again.”

Karen snorted, and a small smile appeared on her face. “Somehow, I think you’ll do it again, but as Jim told me when I met him, it’s because you’re unthinking, not because you’re malicious. Okay, let’s forget that this happened. Equal partners from now on.”

Ty shook his head. “Nope. Everyone on a team has their own role to play, and those roles are usually not equal. Sometimes one person is more important than others, and other times it’ll be someone else. What does matter is that everyone plays as a team, because, otherwise, things just don’t work. They can’t do it by themselves; the team needs everyone contributing in their own way.”

Karen frowned, though it was less harsh than her previous scowl. “And how, exactly, am I contributing to this team of yours?”

“This team of ours.” Ty ran a hand through his hair as he gave her a sheepish grin. “You’re contributing by telling me when I’m being selfish. You’re contributing by simply making me feel happy, by letting me know that I’m a worthwhile person – at times, at least – and that I’m not a useless piece of shit that doesn’t try hard enough.”

Karen winced. “Was that your dad who told you that?”

Ty nodded, turning his head to look out the tram’s window. “Too often. My old man would tell me I was destined to be one of the AFL elite, and then he’d tell me that I wasn’t doing enough, that I was being lazy. I used to do everything he told me to do, working my guts out to make the AFL, but when it didn't happen, he abandoned me, telling me I was useless.” Ty looked back at his girlfriend. “Dad’s been working on the damage that my old man did to my life, and you’re doing your part, too. I need you, Karen, I honestly do. I know I’m messed up, but I’m trying to get that fixed. Will you help me?”

Karen stared at him for several seconds without responding. Ty closed his eyes and dropped his head in resignation. The hand under his chin moments later, gently lifting, startled him.

“On one condition,” Karen said.

“Anything.”

“That you remember that this is a team effort. Don’t stomp on your teammate again, Ty. I can only take so much before I decide to quit and start looking for a different team to join.”

Ty grinned and slipped into the seat next to her. “Deal.”

* * *

Jarrod was still grinning when he walked in the front door of his Lowfield Place home. In the last two hours, he and Deon had taken turns driving the brand new BMW that Gary and Matt had provided, while Pamela enjoyed the ride.

He knew it was unlikely that he’d ever be able to afford to buy a car like that, but Gary had hinted that they’d have other cars available for ‛test drives’ for him and his teammates from time to time. Jarrod was looking forward to the next opportunity, though he’d already decided that he’d let whichever teammate his sponsors had chosen to reward do most of the driving. It looked like he’d get his other opportunities to drive, but his teammates may only get the one chance.

Charlie was coming out of the kitchen when he spotted his housemate. “Jarrod! How was it?”

“You have no fucking idea! It was absolutely awesome. The smooth power, going from zero to sixty in almost no time, and just cruising around in a luxury sports car – it was unbelievable!”

“How far did you drive?” Charlie stepped back into the kitchen and waved a hand at the table, indicating he’d like Jarrod to sit. “What would you like to drink?”

“I’ll have a beer, thanks, mate.” Jarrod sat down, still talking. “We drove along the bay almost to Frankston and then came back via Eastlink so we could really see how fast the car would go. I drove down, and Deon drove back; I’m not sure who got the better deal. Pamela sat next to me on the way down, which was a real buzz, and then we had the back seat to ourselves while Deon pretended to be a race-car driver.”

Charlie frowned. “He wasn’t speeding, was he?”

Jarrod shook his head. “Just a little over the speed limit. We both knew that being on P-plates in a brand-new BMW would attract the attention of any cops around. Matt messed up just before we left and let it slip that because of our age we wouldn’t be covered by insurance if anything happened; he and Gary were covering us in that respect. They hadn’t intended to tell us that. As soon as we were out of the dealership, Deon and I agreed we’d not do anything stupid; that’d be a real shitty way to thank the people doing us both a favour.”

Charlie slid a bottle of beer across the table to Jarrod before sitting down and twisting the lid off his own. “I wish I could’ve gone with you. It sounds a lot more enjoyable than what’s been happening here.”

Jarrod took a swig of his beer before what Charlie said registered. “What’s been going on?”

Charlie grimaced and glanced towards the lounge room. Jarrod could hear the sound of the television coming from the other room but couldn’t make out what was on.

“Dave bought himself a bottle of Jack Daniels today. He started drinking a bit over an hour ago, and when I last checked he’d drunk about a third.”

Jarrod winced. “Shit! Did he say why he’s getting plastered?”

Charlie shook his head. “Owen and I have been taking turns keeping an eye on him. There’s something seriously wrong, but he’s not telling us what it is. Owen originally thought it’s because he can’t get a girlfriend, but both of us now think it’s more than that. We just don’t know what. Owen’s suggested a couple of times that Dave make an appointment to see Andrew, but Dave’s not committing.”

Andrew Bardley was the local GP who donated his time as the club’s doctor.

“Is there anything I can do?”

Charlie shrugged. “Maybe you can get something out of him, because Owen and I can’t. Finish your beer, and then we’ll go in.”

Jarrod frowned at his bottle. “It might be easier if Dave sees I’m drinking, too. What do you think?”

“Wouldn’t hurt to try.” Charlie rolled his eyes. “I can’t see how it can do any worse than what we’ve done so far.”

A couple of minutes later, Jarrod was sitting next to a sullen and very drunk Dave. Owen and Charlie had retreated to the kitchen to give Jarrod a chance to talk in private.

“So...” Jarrod said, keeping a careful eye on Dave, “what’s up?”

“Getting drunk.”

Jarrod frowned at the flat tone. “Celebratory drunk?”

“No. I just felt like it.” Dave turned his attention away from the television and glared at Jarrod. “Now leave me the fuck alone.”

“Okay...” Jarrod waited a few seconds while he thought of what to say next. “I’ll let you be. But if you ever want to talk about things–”

When Jarrod put a hand on Dave’s shoulder as a way of showing his support, he didn’t get the reaction he had expected. Before he realised what was going on, Dave had knocked the hand away with his left arm and had his right hand at Jarrod’s throat.

“Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me again!”

Jarrod swallowed, his eyes fixed on Dave’s angry glare. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Dave grimaced and let go. He turned back to face the TV, but then his body slumped forward, and he rested his face in his hands. “Sorry, Jarrod, but I need to be by myself. Just...leave me alone.”

Jarrod edged away before he stood up. Charlie and Owen were right. There was something seriously wrong with Dave.

* * *

When Deon stepped into the Tenterfield Street house, something felt odd. There had been fewer photographers outside compared to that morning, but that didn’t explain his sense of unease. After closing the front door, Deon stood for a moment, trying to work out what was different.

It was a few seconds before he thought he had it. There was the sound of low voices from the lounge-room, but otherwise the house was quiet. There was no music playing and no television.

Deon entered the lounge-room and paused in the entrance. A tense-looking Ryan was seated opposite a stern-faced, middle-aged gentleman who was dressed in pants, shirt and tie.

The stranger frowned up at Deon, his eyes narrowed for a moment before he spoke. “You’re not him.”

“Who?” Deon asked before he could stop himself.

“Deon, this is Mr. Flanders, Ty’s father. Mr. Flanders, this is Deon Bradshaw, another one of Ty’s teammates.”

“I’m not an idiot, young man. I’m fully aware that everyone living in this house plays for the Lilydale Leopards, including that poofter that’s been on the news so much over the last few days.” Mr. Flanders glanced back up at Deon. “You need to work on your accuracy. If the wind hadn’t taken that last kick of yours, you would’ve lost the game for your team. You should’ve kicked straight enough that you didn’t have to rely on luck to help you out.”

Deon bristled. Ty had told him that his father was harsh with criticism, and he’d just experienced a small taste. That made his next statement come out blunter than normal. “Why are you here?”

Mr. Flanders’s scowled while Ryan’s eyes went wide, and a look of panic appeared on his face.

“Your attitude leaves a lot to be desired, Deon. That just reinforces my decision to take Ty home. Being here is obviously having a bad influence on my son. His judgement in living with a known homosexual and, worse, publicly supporting him, shows that his mental faculties have become impaired.”

“You can’t do that!”

Mr. Flanders stood up and crossed his arms as he glared at Deon. “Young man, you’re out of line. Ty is my son, and he will do what I tell him to do. He is too young to know what’s best, which is why I’m taking him out of this obviously toxic environment. He’ll have to find another football club to play for.”

Deon stood there open-mouthed. He couldn’t believe that this was happening.