Leopard Skin Cover - 11. Chapter 11

His hands were trembling as he hit the button on his phone. He knew what he was about to do was dangerous – very dangerous.

“G’day!”

He swallowed once, but he couldn’t make himself speak.

“Hello? Is there anyone there?”

He tried again.

“Hi, Tony. It’s...it’s Ken.”

“What’s wrong, mate? You sound terrible.”

“I’m falling apart, Tony. I don’t know what to do.” He felt his body start to tremble.

“Calm down. What’s happening? Are you okay? Has someone found out?”

“No...that’s not it. It’s...I’m losing control, Tony. I’ve been holding it together – just – but I no longer know what’s going on.” He realised it was a lie as soon as he said it. He knew what was going on; he just wasn’t sure what he wanted any more.

“Talk to me. Get it off your chest; maybe that will help.”

“Tony, you...” He swallowed, trying to get the lump out of his throat. “You told me you would be my friend.”

“I am! I’m here for you, mate. If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask.”

“You said you’d like to be more.”

There was silence.

“Tony, I.... Can you...”

The voice on the other end of the phone was soft. “Whatever you want, mate.”

“Can we...hang out, sometime? Just the two of us?”

“Whenever you like, but what about the team? Do you want people to find out about you?”

“No! Not yet, at least. I just need some time of being me to put myself back into balance. No hiding, no pretending. Just being myself...” He forced out the next words, knowing they would change everything, “...with you.”

He waited for one...two...three seconds.

“I’d like that. I’d like that very much. But how will we do it?”

“I’ve got an idea.” The words almost exploded from him as the wall he’d tried to build to protect himself shattered. “Saturday is a rest day. It wouldn’t be unusual if I went for a long drive or walk by myself to help me relax. We could meet up and go somewhere...anywhere. I’m not looking for anything...just some time to be with you. Maybe for a couple of hours in the afternoon?”

He could almost hear the smile on the other end of the phone. “Sounds cool to me. You let me know what suits you as far as how we meet. We can then go to a park or coffee shop, as long as it’s a long way from Lilydale.”

He grinned, and he felt his churning mind settle. His worries and concerns faded away. He knew the anticipation would help him stay calm through the rest of the week, giving him the encouragement he needed to keep his inner life hidden from everyone else.

“It’s a date.”

* * *

Tony entered the kitchen the next morning to find Alex already there. He glanced at the clock and then back at Alex. “Er...morning.”

Alex grimaced, though he wouldn’t meet Tony’s eyes. “Yeah, too bloody early in the morning, but I promised Ethan I’d apologise again. So...sorry, Tony. I went a little off the deep end last night.”

Tony paused, trying to work out if Alex was serious. “Okay, you’ve already said you’re sorry, but I understand. I shouldn’t have been keeping secrets from you.”

Alex sighed. “I was still a bit mad about that last night, but Ethan talked me around. In this case, it was okay, but it took a long chat with him before I realised that. That’s what I needed to say sorry about.”

“We’re cool, then?”

“Yeah, we’re cool.” Alex looked up, a tentative smile on his face. “I hope he’s worth it, Tony. It’s going to be really difficult, especially for you.”

Tony couldn’t keep the grin from his face. “I hope he’s worth it, too. We’ve got a...sort of date...on Saturday.”

Alex blinked and then narrowed his eyes. “When did that happen?”

“Last night. He rang me and organised it.” Tony frowned. “He’s coming apart, Alex. I didn’t tell him that you know who he is, but I think I need to on Saturday. I don’t know what he’ll do when he finds out.”

“You can tell him his secret is safe with us. You can also tell him this is a place he can chill out and be himself.” Alex gave Tony a wry smile. “Maybe even stay the night, occasionally.”

Tony gave him a nervous smile in return. “I don’t think so. Not unless he thinks he can do that without any questions being asked. He’s got to be real careful to not even raise suspicions.”

“I can appreciate that. I didn’t originally, but Ethan pointed out what could happen if he gets outed. It’d be worse if he played AFL, but it’d still probably be bad in the VFL.”

Tony grimaced. “He wants to make it to the AFL. He’s going to nominate for the draft again this year. That means he probably won’t come out until after that’s happened in late November, if at all.”

“Shit. Can you wait that long?”

Tony frowned. “What do you mean?”

Alex gave him a sardonic stare. “You’re looking to date a guy who is so deep in the closet that he can’t tell anyone. That’s going to be a real killer while you’re trying to have a relationship. Are you able to cope with that?”

Tony ran a hand through his hair. “I...I don’t know. I hope so.”

Alex yawned. “I hope so, too, for your sake. Now, I’m back to bed. This is way too early in the morning for me.”

Tony grinned. “Thanks, Alex. And thank Ethan for me, too. It sounds like he helped with a lot of things. What time did he leave last night?”

Alex grinned back. “He didn’t. I’m going back now to wake him up. He has to get ready for work, too.”

Tony chuckled. “How long is it going to take to get him out of bed?”

Alex laughed. “As long as possible...”

* * *

Todd was getting ready to leave for work when Oliver entered the room. Todd rolled his eyes. “Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

Oliver grinned. “Nope. What’s that?”

“What do you want, Ollie? I have to leave in a few minutes.” Todd zipped up his bag. The only thing left to do was to get the lunch he’d made the night before from the fridge.

“Can you drop me off at the club on the way through?”

Todd glanced at his watch. “At this time of the morning? There’ll be no one there.”

Oliver shrugged. “Will told me he wants me there early. I’ll only have to sit around for half an hour.”

Todd gave Oliver a wry smile. “And this would also give you a few minutes when it’s just the two of us, right?”

“I do believe you’re right! Imagine that. I suppose we’ll be able to find something to talk about while we’re in the car.”

Todd chuckled. “Okay, Ollie. I’m leaving in a couple of minutes. I hope you’re ready.”

“I packed my gear last night.”

Todd stared down at his best friend. “And you didn’t bother to tell me then.”

“Must’ve slipped my mind. Sorry.” Oliver grinned.

Todd shook his head while smiling. “I’ve just got to get my lunch, and then we can go.”

They headed to the kitchen, Todd in his work overalls, carrying the bag with his tool belt and other work gear, while Oliver was in a tracksuit with his sports bag slung over his shoulder.

“Did Will say why he wanted you in early?” Todd asked.

“It’s a special training session for the elite forwards.”

Todd snorted. “You’re full of it, Ollie. If you’re going, it’ll be for those who desperately need some help.”

“Ty’ll be there, too, as well as Deon and Charlie, so you’re probably right. Will said it’d go until eleven, when Charlie has to head off to uni. Thursday morning is apparently the only time during the week all of us are available.”

Todd collected his lunch and turned to Oliver. “Time to go.”

A minute later, Todd was backing his car out of the driveway.

“Now that we’re finally alone...” Oliver said.

Todd laughed. “Sorry, Ollie, but you’re too late. I’m already taken.”

Oliver grinned. “Oh? I think you’ll have to give me more details than that. Who’s taken you?”

“Her name’s Lorraine. She was on a girls’ night out when I met her.”

Oliver waited a couple of seconds. “And...?”

Todd smirked. “And, what?”

Oliver scowled. “You’re going to make this difficult, aren’t you?”

Todd laughed. “Yep! It’s the least I can do since you won’t wait for me to tell you when I’m ready.”

“Okay, who’s Becky?”

Todd flicked a glance to the side. “You remembered that? Becky’s the girl who lives with Lorraine. She doesn’t like me. Sean’s the other one at the house, and he’s a cool guy. I like him, and I think he likes me. We’re going to get a football out on Saturday and do a bit of kick-to-kick.”

“It sounds like you’re more into Sean than you are into Lorraine.”

Todd shrugged. “I go there to see her, but I don’t mind spending some time with him, too.”

Oliver thought for a moment. “You’re going back there on Saturday? Any chance I can tag along?”

Todd frowned. “Can I think about it? I’m not saying no, but I’d prefer to discuss that with Lorraine first.” He grinned. “Maybe you can chat up Becky and get her to like me.”

“Fair enough, though I’ll pass on Becky. I’m having a good time with Helena, and I don’t want to mess that up.”

“Okay, but the offer’s there. Becky’s a nice girl, but she doesn’t think I’m good enough for Lorraine.”

“What does Lorraine do for a living?”

“She’s in retail sales at one of the major stores near where she lives.”

“So, what happened the first weekend, and why did she sleep with you the following week when she wouldn’t the first time?”

Todd sighed. “This is the part I really need you to keep to yourself. No one else knows until I tell them, okay?”

Oliver frowned as he nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“I lied about the first weekend. I was the one who got cold feet, not her. I realised I was falling for her in a big way, and I got scared. It took me a week to work out what I really wanted to do. That’s what happened. It was all me, not her.”

Oliver sat there, silent for several seconds. “Is that the honest truth?”

“It is. It’s not the whole truth, but it’s enough for now. You can get the rest when you meet her.”

As Todd stopped the car on the side of the road opposite the football club’s buildings, Oliver asked his last question. “Does she make you happy?”

Todd grinned. “More than anyone else I’ve ever met.”

“Good. In that case, I’m happy, too.”

* * *

The club president stared out of his office window at the activity on the football oval. “What’s going on out there?”

Melissa, his personal assistant, glanced up from the computer where she and Anne were working. “There’s a special training session being run by Will for the available forwards. I think it’s mainly the younger guys, Eric, but you’d need to check with Peter or Will for the details.”

“Then why is Ty out there? He’s not a forward.”

Anne Flintlock frowned. “Ty’s not important. What’s important is going through these figures. We’ve got some preliminary projections for you, Eric.” As the club’s financial controller, she had spent most of the prior twenty-four hours setting up various scenarios to analyse the fiscal health of the Lilydale Leopards over the coming weeks.

Eric turned back and moved to join Anne and Melissa. “What’s the verdict?”

“If Lyons Automotive Supplies terminate their sponsorship, we’ll have sufficient cash flow to operate for between four and six weeks, depending on where in the cash cycle they withdraw.”

Eric grunted. “In other words, we’ve got enough in the bank for about four weeks, and we might have enough income coming in to stretch that to six.”

“Technically, it’s three weeks from our current bank balance, because we’ll always have some revenue coming in, but essentially, yes.” Anne sighed. “It’s pretty much as I guesstimated at our other meeting.”

“What expenses can we cut to stretch our window of solvency?”

“Not much, honestly, unless you want the news of the impending sponsorship withdrawal to become public knowledge. We could terminate some employees, but that’ll give the club’s morale a kick in the teeth just when everyone is swinging back to optimism after last year’s debacle. Also, that only helps long term, because short term – that is, over the next month – the expense of termination balances out the savings in costs. Even so, unless you’re going to cut essential staff, like the number of coaches, physios, and core administration, we’ll only be delaying the inevitable.

“Cut the core staff now and the club could operate for awhile, but we’d lose other sponsors because we’ll be perceived to be going under...and that’ll become a self-fulfilling prophecy as a consequence.”

Eric scowled, though the analysis was not a surprise. He had come to the same conclusion, though without the benefit of having done the detailed financial calculations. “Any other expense we can cut?”

“Nothing that would make any real difference. We trimmed practically all the fat last year. If we keep the sponsorship, we’re looking pretty good for the year, but without it, the financial hole is too big.” Anne looked at Melissa. “Any lateral-thinking options you can come up with, Mel?”

Melissa grimaced. “Sorry, no. Everything I can think of, like cancelling night training to save on electricity costs, will have a negative impact on the team. All I can come up with is that we need to find another revenue stream – and fast – but I can’t work out what that could be. The obvious options like poker machines or a public bar and bistro require a large degree of preparation work to set up, and that would cost money we currently don’t have. As long-term investments, they’re good ideas to explore, but they won’t help us past this short-term hurdle, and we’re not ready to do them, anyway.”

Eric slammed a fist onto the top of his table. “Damn him! If we’d had enough warning he was going to pull out, we could’ve done something. But he’s got us by the short-and-curlies. We depend too much on Richard’s money.”

He stared at Anne. “I’d be tempted to bite the bullet and sack Julie to keep the money, but from what Colin’s said, that may only delay things by a few weeks at most. Keeping Julie, however, is aggravating the situation, and he might pull out earlier rather than later.

“What’s your opinion?”

Anne sighed. “I’d hate to see Julie fired because of that man’s tirades, but if it guaranteed the sponsorship money for the rest of the season, it’d be a price that might have to be paid. But he’s not guaranteeing the money, and Peter said he’d quit if Julie’s sacked. Losing two coaches at the start of the season would crush the team, and that would give Richard another excuse to withdraw.

“I think we’re better off sticking it out and praying for a miracle. Either that or bite the bullet now and tell the league that we’re withdrawing from the competition. My vote is to pray. Until we lose the sponsorship, we’re financially viable, and there’s no reason not to continue operating.”

Melissa flicked her gaze between the president and the financial controller. “When do we tell the team?”

Eric turned around to stare out the window. Looking down at the players training from his office was a reminder that the purpose of the club was to support the players but also that, without the club, the players wouldn’t be able to play. The two needed to work together.

“We wait.” He turned back and made sure he caught Anne’s eye. “Everything is academic until Richard actually withdraws. Until then, we can plan, but we need to keep this quiet. Revealing the situation would force Richard to make a decision. Colin’s view, which I agree with, is that if he’s forced, Richard will withdraw the money. We wait...and hope he never makes that decision.”

* * *

“Man, is he always like that?” Ty asked as they entered the change room. It was a few minutes after eleven, and the special training session for the forwards had just concluded.

“Pretty much.” Deon grinned. He’d done better than the other guys and was pleased with his progress. “Will’s a perfectionist when it comes to the drills. They all have to be done ‛just right’ or we have to do them again.” He headed to his locker and pulled a towel out of his bag.

Ty chuckled as he did the same. “Julie’s the same when she’s doing drills. I thought I was glad to have a session without her, but I think she’s actually preferable. At least she’s easy on the eyes while she’s tearing strips off you for not doing something correctly.”

Charlie frowned from his side of the room, where he’d already stripped off his training jumper. “Neither Julie nor Will tear strips off people. They just tell you what you’re doing wrong.” He grinned. “Sometimes a little too enthusiastically, but it’s not like they do it when it’s not justified.”

Ty raised his left middle finger in Charlie’s direction. “And when you’re a beginner like me, you do lots of things wrong.”

The guys paused as the sound of a running shower started from around the corner at the end of the room.

“That’s probably Dad. He said he was going to spend the morning in the gym,” Ty said.

“I think I’d’ve preferred the gym to that session. Will worked us all hard,” Deon said, not quite facetiously.

“You shouldn’t complain. You guys all did great,” Oliver said from where he was seated, taking off his football boots. “Unlike me, who still gets swamped every time I have to contest a mark against you bigger guys.” He narrowed his eyes at Ty. “You enjoyed knocking me over, didn’t you?”

Ty grinned. “Sorry, that’s the defender in me taking over. That’s been my main job for a long time: making sure the wimpy forwards don’t get to mark the ball.”

Oliver grinned back. “Just remember, you’re one of the wimpy forwards now, too, and someone like Paul or Todd is going to enjoy knocking you around.”

Ty looked thoughtful. “Yeah, that’s true. When the coaches think I’m ready, I’m going to be on the receiving end of everything I’ve ever dished out.” He pulled a face. “Not looking forward to that.”

Deon laughed. “It’s called karma, Ty.”

Ty was the first one ready for the shower. He flung his towel over his left shoulder and sauntered to the other end of the change room.

He paused at the entrance to the communal shower area. “Oh, hi, Tony. I was expecting Dad.”

“Jim’s still working out. I’ve got a lunchtime meeting I have to go to, so I finished early. Sorry, I won’t be long. I didn’t expect anyone else to be here.”

Deon froze in the act of stripping off his underwear. He glanced to where Ty was standing at the entrance to the shower area and then back at the other two guys. Oliver was picking up his towel, but Charlie had also stopped undressing.

Ty glanced back towards the other three as he took the towel off his shoulder. “It’s just Deon, Ollie, Charlie and myself. We had a special training session with Will.” He held the towel in front of his body for a moment before heading in.

Ollie took a couple of steps towards the other end of the room and then glanced back. He frowned. “You guys coming?” He flicked a quick look towards the showers before lowering his voice. “You’re not scared of Tony, are you?”

Deon shook his head. “No...not scared.”

Charlie was looking at the tiled floor. “Just nervous.”

Ollie moved back to Charlie. “There’s nothing to worry about. If you’re nervous, think of it as safety in numbers. They’ll be four of us in there with him. Come on before it becomes obvious that you’re trying to avoid him.” He turned around and marched back to the showers, carrying his towel in his right hand.

Deon and Charlie exchanged looks before Deon shrugged. “He’s right.” He stripped off his underwear and picked up his towel. He did, however, make a point of carrying it in front of him to cover his groin as he entered the shower area.

He paused at the entrance and scanned the room. Tony was in the far left corner, his head under the showerhead and his back to everyone. Ty had taken the middle shower head on the far wall, while Ollie had taken the first shower on the left wall. The two players faced into the middle of the room as they talked while showering.

With the entire right hand wall free, Deon hung his towel on one of the hooks on that side and headed to the showerhead in the middle of the wall. Charlie, following him in, took the first one on the right, the one furthest from where Tony was showering.

Deon stood with his face to the wall as he as adjusted the water temperature. He then stepped forward to let the water wash the worst of the sweat and dirt from his body.

“Hey, Deon. What are your plans for Saturday?” Oliver asked.

“Going out for dinner with Pamela, but otherwise I’m going to have a lazy day. Why?”

“Sorry, what did you say? I can’t hear you over the sound of the water.”

Deon gritted his teeth. He knew what Oliver was doing and wasn’t happy. Realising he was going to be picked on if he didn’t do something, he turned around to face Oliver, knowing he would be in a perfect profile view for Tony. A quick glance to the side told him that Tony still had his back to everyone.

“I said I’m going to have a lazy day and then going out to dinner with my girlfriend. Why?”

Ollie was soaping under his arms. “Would you be interested in joining a group of us for dinner? I was thinking we could have dinner at the Crown and then go off for an early night.”

Deon decided that he could continue to face the others until Tony turned around. He reached over to one of the soap dispensers and started to lather up. “Sounds okay to me. It’s been a couple of weeks since we went out with anyone else.”

“What about you, Charlie?” Ty asked as he squeezed some shampoo into his hand. “I’ll be there as a single, so it’ll be good to have someone to talk to if the others get sickeningly sweet with their girls.”

Charlie looked over his shoulder. “You’re not taking Karen?”

Ty shrugged while washing his hair. “She has to work, so there’s no choice. What do you say?”

Charlie turned away and nodded his head. “Yeah, I’ll go.”

Ollie frowned as he took a half step back to wash off the soap while still facing into the centre of the room. “What was that, Charlie? I couldn’t hear you.”

Ty scowled. “He said he’ll be there, Ollie. Stop picking on him.”

Oliver looked at Ty and raised an eyebrow before turning to the quiet guy in the corner. “Tony, are you doing anything on Saturday night? Care to join us for dinner?”

When Tony started to turn his head, Deon shifted his body so he was facing away from Tony. He leant over to wash his legs, using that as an excuse to position his arm in front of his groin. He kept his head turned, though, so he could watch what was going on.

“Can I get back to you? My flatmate may have plans since I don’t have a curfew to worry about. But if he hasn’t organised anything then, yes, I’d love to join you guys.”

Deon noted that Tony kept his eyes focused on Oliver’s face and that there was a certain tension in the way Tony was standing.

When Tony turned back to face the wall, Deon kept watching while continuing to wash himself. He started to relax as it appeared that Tony was trying to make sure he wouldn’t be staring at all the naked guys in the room.

“Is everything on track for the party weekend, Ollie?” Ty asked.

“I believe so. Tony, any issues from your side?”

Again, Tony only turned his head enough to see Oliver. “None that I know of.” He turned off his shower. “I’m finished, guys. I’ll catch up with all of you later.”

While rubbing the soap on his arms, Deon noticed that Tony kept his head down as he hurried past Oliver to where his towel was hanging up. As far as Deon could tell, the only person that Tony could’ve checked out along the way was Oliver.

“See you later,” Ty said, raising a hand that Tony couldn’t have seen.

“Bye, Tony,” Oliver said before putting his head under the water to wash off the soap in his hair.

“Bye,” Charlie said, not turning around.

It was only when Tony was almost out the door that Deon realised he hadn’t said anything. “See you!”

Deon looked back and saw Oliver scowling at him and Charlie. Ty was also frowning, but his attention was on Oliver.

“What the fuck were you doing, Charlie?” Oliver asked.

Charlie turned around. “What do you mean?”

Ty glared. “Leave him alone, Ollie.”

Oliver turned and glared back at Ty. “Tony’s a friend of mine, and I don’t like it when people are blatantly rude to him.”

Ty crossed his arms and glared back. “Charlie wasn’t rude.”

“Yes, he was. He was ignoring Tony the entire time he was here. He wouldn’t even look at him!”

“Tony didn’t look at him, either,” Deon said, “but I didn’t think he was being rude. He was being...cautious.” Deon moved to wash the soap off his arms.

Oliver shook his head. “That’s different.”

Ty snarled. “How?”

“It just is!”

“Guys, don’t fight.” Charlie gave Ty and Oliver a worried look. “I know I was hiding in the corner, but I’m the same when Angela comes in to talk to Zach. I’m just...nervous...when it comes to other people in the shower. I don’t mind Tony; I’m just uncomfortable being naked around him.”

“Tony was hiding, too, Charlie,” Deon said. “I don’t think he wanted to give anyone the impression he was checking them out.”

Oliver was still frowning, but he appeared less tense. “Tony’s not interested. There’s someone else he’s seeing, or trying to see – I’m not sure which – but he’s not looking at any of us in that way.”

Ty stepped back under the shower and resumed washing himself. “Leave Charlie alone, Ollie. As he said, he’s like this with girls, too. He wasn’t being rude. Neither was Deon. If they don’t feel comfortable showering with a gay guy, that’s their business. They were both here; they didn’t wait for Tony to finish before coming in. That counts for something.”

Oliver stared at Ty for a moment and then nodded. “Okay, I suppose it does.” He looked back to Charlie and Deon. “Sorry, guys.”

Charlie turned away. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause problems.”

Ty laughed. “Charlie, you don’t cause problems. You just had an issue with Tony being in here while we were showering. You didn’t push that issue onto anyone else; that was Ollie’s doing.”

Oliver scowled, then sighed. “Okay, guilty on that one.”

Ty shrugged. “Just for the record, Charlie wasn’t the only one uncomfortable showering with Tony; I was, too. I just decided it wasn’t Tony’s problem and dealt with it on my own.”

“You were?” Oliver glanced at Deon. “What about you?”

Deon flinched. “Me, too.”

Ty grinned. “It looks like you were the only one who likes showering with gay guys, Ollie. Is there something you’re not telling us?”

Oliver slammed the water control on his shower off. “Fuck off, Ty. It’s not funny.”

Ty’s grin faded. “I know it’s not, Ollie. But that’s why it wasn’t funny when you pushed Charlie and Deon, either. We need to deal with these things individually, so leave us alone in the future.”

Oliver’s eyebrows rose. “In the future? Are you saying this is going to happen again?” He headed over to collect his towel and start drying off.

Ty shrugged. “Probably. Tony uses the gym a lot. Sooner or later, we’ll be in the shower with him again. Sometimes it might just be him and me. Before that happens I need to work out what I’ll do.”

Deon frowned. Ty’s statement bore too much resemblance to his own scattered thoughts. “What do you think you’ll do?”

Ty shrugged again. “It all comes down to trust, Deon. The question that ran through my mind when I saw him in the shower before us was, ‛Do I trust Tony?’ I had to make a quick decision and the answer turned out to be yes. That’s why I was in here, stark naked, with a gay guy. Will I still trust him if it were just him and me? I think so, but I won’t know for sure until then.” He switched his shower off.

“Where did you get all of that from?” Deon asked.

Ty shrugged. “Dad, mainly. He’s been on my back about teamwork and trust. Tony’s part of the larger team here at the Leopards. That means I have to learn to trust him. It’s not easy, but I’m trying.” He looked at Oliver. “You can’t force trust, Ollie. You have to wait for everyone to develop it themselves. For some of us who have been burnt in the past, trusting others takes longer than most.”

Even though Ty didn’t look at him when he said it, Deon knew that last statement was for his benefit.

* * *

Peter waved a hand to the chairs on the other side of his desk. “Have a seat. How did it go?”

Will dropped into the nearest chair. “Really well. They’re coming along, and I can only see them improving even more as the season progresses.”

“Give me a quick summary of each player and how you think they’ll go on Sunday,” Peter said.

Will’s brow wrinkled as he contemplated each of the players and that morning’s training session.

“Ollie’s still a little tentative, but his speed makes up for a lot of his shortfalls, and he’s working hard to eliminate them. If they put a defender on him that is close to his speed, Ollie will struggle. If they try anyone slower, though, he’ll cause problems for them. Give him a few weeks, and Ollie will cause problems no matter who they put on him.”

Peter nodded slowly. “He’s still not known, but his three goals last weekend may have attracted attention, and they may treat him seriously. We’ll see who the Hawks pair him up with and take it from there. We can still put him back in the midfield if he’s not being productive on the forward line.”

“One thing in Ollie’s favour is he doesn’t slow down. Anyone on him had better be fit or Ollie will run them off their legs. Deon’s the same. Between the two of them, we’ve got lots of endurance on the forward line; they just don’t have the experience that Roger’s got. Given time, they’ll get that, and we’ll have a forward line that makes the other teams worry.”

Peter cocked his head. “You didn’t mention Charlie. How’s he doing?”

“Charlie still doesn’t have the killer instinct. Technically, he’s quite reasonable, but he needs to get more aggressive. He’s very bright, though, and I’d say he reads the game as well as anyone. Long term, I think the midfield is the place for him, not as a forward. He’s good as a backup when we need one, but it’s not playing to his strengths. I think he’ll shine as a midfielder.”

Peter frowned. “What about Sunday? Do you want him as a forward or a midfielder?”

Will pulled a face. “I need him available but not as a starter. I’d prefer to keep him on the interchange bench so he’s fresh if he’s required, but if you need him playing midfield, I can live with that.”

“Okay.” Peter typed in a note on his laptop. “I’ll make that call after talking with Julie. At the moment I’m leaning towards putting him on the interchange, but Julie may want him to start.”

“Deon’s solid. As the most experienced forward of the four, he didn’t progress as much in the training, but he put in a good show and was very supportive of the rest of the guys. He’ll do well on Sunday, though his performance over the last two games may be enough for the Hawks to match him with someone who’ll challenge him.”

“I agree. I’m expecting them to treat him as a threat from the start, with Deon getting their number-two defender, Roger getting their number one.”

Will nodded. “We’ll see how he goes. Deon’s got the skills, so it’s time to find out if he can rise to the challenge.”

“What about the brat?” Peter asked.

Will was startled. “When did you start using that nickname for Ty?”

Peter grinned. “Soon after Ty started calling Jim ‛Dad’. The two go together. It’s either Jim and Ty or Dad and the brat. Ty seems happy with that; he didn’t complain when I used ‘brat’ with him on Monday.”

Will shook his head. “Sorry, but I don’t find it appropriate any more. He used to be a brat, but he was very positive today. His attitude has really turned around.”

“I know, and I think being called brat reminds him of that fact. He actually seemed pleased when I used it on him, though that may be because I used ‛Dad’ for Jim in the same conversation.”

“Okay.” Will frowned. “I wonder if that’s related to his performance today. He was trying hard at the start, but partway through he lifted himself up a notch. The others also lifted in response. I didn’t think much of it, but I remember Jim had come around then to watch the session. He was gone the next time I looked, but Ty stayed at the same level of intensity for the rest of the training.”

Peter nodded. “I don’t really understand it, but after being put together, Ty and Jim have really clicked. Both of them are lifting their games, though it’s more noticeable with Ty. Ty’s the superior player, technically, though he’s lacking in experience, and that’s challenging Jim to do better, too – enough that I’ve noticed the improvement over the last couple of weeks. On the other side, I think Ty really is treating Jim as his dad and is trying to impress him. Given the time I met Ty’s father, I’m not particularly surprised.”

“Pardon?” Will didn’t know what Peter was talking about.

Peter grimaced. “Ty’s father is the sort we don’t want our kids to have. Demanding, with nothing being quite good enough.”

Will smirked. “Sounds like you on a bad day.”

Peter chuckled. “Yeah, but that’s not the only tool in my coach’s toolbox. I know when praise is warranted as well as how to give constructive criticism. Ty’s father only seemed to know how to find fault. From what I’ve heard, Jim is giving Ty an honest and realistic opinion of how he’s going, and Ty’s responding to that.”

Will nodded. “Ty’s attitude is also rubbing off on the other younger players. It’s not only the rookies; some of the nineteen- and twenty-year-olds are also lifting their game because of Ty’s encouragement.”

Peter smiled. “That’s one of the reasons I’m confident about this year. The team is coming together and building on each other. Individually, they’re all doing great, but as a team, they’re progressing in leaps and bounds.

“I’ll speak to Julie to get Ty and Jim working together when they’re doing midfield exercises, and I’ll do the same when they’re working as defenders. If what’s happening continues, those two will help push the team to new heights.” Peter grinned. “Jim’s mainly a midfielder, but I think Ty can help him develop his defender skills more. I won’t object to that happening”

Will gave him a wry smile. “Looking for more utility players?”

Peter shrugged. “I don’t think Jim will be a forward, but he’s already a solid midfielder and he’s a decent defender. If we can push him to get close to Ty’s level of skills on the back line, I’ll be more than pleased.” He frowned. “You haven’t given me an opinion on Ty from this morning’s training.”

Will frowned. “He’s progressing well, but he’s not ready to play on the forward line unless we’re desperate. He still has to think about what he’s doing because his instincts are to play as a defender. I think it’ll take four to five weeks before he’s ready to be a forward. He’ll get there if he keeps up his current work effort, but he’s not ready yet.”

Peter scowled. “Damn. I was hoping he’d be ready by the start of the main season, but I knew I was being optimistic.”

Will grinned. “He’s doing great. Just don’t expect miracles. It’s already so amazing what he’s capable of doing that I’m surprised he was passed over in the draft.”

Peter sighed. “Just between you and me, I heard that there was an AFL team interested in him. It came down to a choice between him and another guy, and he lost out because of his attitude. Our gain, especially since he’s had an attitude adjustment since then.”

* * *

Jim drove out of the football-ground car park. “You guys were looking good this morning.”

Deon looked at him in surprise. “You were watching?”

Jim chuckled, glancing up at the rear-view mirror to catch Deon’s eye. “Not for long. I had my own training exercises to do, but I watched for a bit. Will was working you hard.”

Ty shrugged. “I’ve still got a lot to learn. I need to start thinking in a different way, and that’s not fun.”

Jim smiled. “If you can’t do it, just tell Will or Peter, and they’ll pull you out.”

Ty glared at him from the front passenger seat. “Fuck off, Dad. I never said I can’t do it.”

Deon chuckled. “He’s got your number, Ty. Jim knows exactly what buttons to push to get you going. I don’t think he was being serious.”

Jim laughed. “Deon’s right. You’re going to be fine, Ty. It won’t happen quickly, but I don’t think it’ll be too long before you’re ready to compete with the other forwards.”

Ty glared for a moment more, then rolled his eyes. He twisted around to look at Deon in the back seat. “His name’s Dad, Deon. Not Jim. Remember that...or else.” He spoilt the threat with a grin.

“Okay, if that’s what you want...brat.”

Jim grinned. “Deon, just a word of warning. You were there the first time I called Ty a brat. Do you remember the name I gave you at the same time? If you start calling me ‛Dad’, I’ll start using that term for you.”

Ty frowned at Jim. “What did you call him?”

Jim shook his head, still smiling. “Deon, do you want to tell him?”

Deon cringed. “Er...no. I think we should all forget about that.”

Ty glanced back at Deon. “Spill it, mate. If you’re going to call me brat, I want to know what I should be calling you.”

Deon thought furiously. “Okay, he called me ‛stud’. I don’t like it. It makes me sound too much like a slut, and I don’t want to mess things up with Pamela.”

Ty narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you. Dad wouldn’t call you ‘stud’ unless there’s a lot of stuff going on that I don’t know about.”

“Are you saying you don’t trust Deon?” Jim asked, a smile playing at the edges of his lips.

Ty scowled. “You’re a bastard, Dad. I’ve already had to deal with trust issues once today. I don’t need you to go on about it, too.”

Jim lost the amused look. “What happened?”

Ty looked back at Deon and raised an eyebrow in question. Deon shrugged, then nodded.

Ty looked back at Jim. “Tony was in the showers when we finished training. We didn’t find out until we had already stripped.”

Jim frowned as he turned the corner into Tenterfield Street. “What happened?”

Ty shrugged. “Not a lot. The four of us had our showers, and Tony left soon after we arrived. Ollie was a bastard to Charlie, but we sorted that out after Tony was gone. Everything’s cool now.”

“What happened with Charlie?”

Deon jumped in before Ty. “Charlie was being shy, keeping his back to everyone. Ollie tried to harass him into turning around. Tony was the same as Charlie, though probably for different reasons.” He shrugged. “I didn’t really want to be in there with him, but once we were, it wasn’t too bad. Tony did his best to make sure we didn’t feel uncomfortable and to get out of there as soon as he could.”

The three guys were silent while Jim pulled into their driveway. He stopped the car, but instead of moving to leave, he looked across at Ty.

“You mentioned trust issues.”

Ty nodded as he released his seat belt. “Tony’s part of the team. Before I went into the shower room I had to ask myself if I trusted him. The answer was yes.”

Jim smiled. “Was that a hard decision to make?”

Ty pulled a face. “Yeah, it was. Being naked with a guy who might fancy me was...weird. But, as Deon indicated, he never looked at me. The only person he looked at was Ollie, and that was because Ollie was asking him questions.”

Deon, largely ignored in the back seat, sat quietly, watching his two housemates.

Jim undid his seat belt and opened the door. Before he could get out, Ty spoke up.

“Speaking of trust....”

Jim glanced back. “What?”

“Do you trust me enough to tell me what you called Deon that time?” Ty grinned. He looked into the back seat and smirked. “Two can play the trust game, Deon.”

Jim laughed. “Let’s go inside.”

Deon followed the other two into the house. He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation that Ty so desperately wanted to have.

Once they were inside, Ty made Jim and Deon sit down in the lounge room. Ty remained standing and looked down at Jim. “Okay, spill the story, Dad.”

Jim grinned. “First, you have to promise to not use the name without Deon’s permission. The stud probably won’t like you telling everyone.”

Ty frowned. “It really is ‛stud’? You’re joking, right?”

Jim smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Promise?”

Ty grimaced then nodded. “Okay, I promise.” He narrowed his eyes at Deon. “And if it’s ‛stud’, I’m going to want a detailed explanation.”

Deon chuckled nervously. There was silence for a moment until Deon saw Jim watching him, a question visible in his expression. Deon winced, then nodded. “Go ahead.”

Jim smiled before looking up at Ty. “It was when Ryan and I swapped mentoring jobs. I told Ryan I’d take the brat, if he took the baby.”

Ty didn’t react for a moment and then started laughing. He pointed a finger at Deon, but he was laughing too much to say anything.

Jim grinned at Deon. “What do you think, stud? Should we wait for him to die laughing or should we tip a bucket of water over him.”

Deon’s grin was forced. He was scared as to what Ty would do with the information he’d been given. “Leave him alone, I think.”

Jim’s eyebrows rose. “Leave him to die? Okay, if that’s what you want.” He stood up. “Remember, stud, he promised. Let me know if he breaks his word.”

Ty sobered up almost instantly. He scowled at Jim. “I’ll keep my promise...Dad.”

Jim smiled back. “I know you will. But Deon needs to know it, too, brat. I’ll leave you with the stud. He picked the name; I think it only fair that we use that one instead.” He picked up his sports gear and headed to his room.

Ty frowned after Jim for a moment before grinning evilly at Deon. “Okay, Deon, which nickname do you prefer: stud or baby? They’re your choices.”

Deon cringed. “I prefer Deon.”

Ty shrugged, still grinning. “We’ll see. You might not get that one as a choice.”

Deon gulped. “Please, Ty, you promised. I really do prefer Deon.”

Ty’s expression faded into a frown. “Don’t worry, Deon, I won’t say anything to anyone else. I’ve kept your other secret; I can keep this one, too.” He grinned. “Even if it’s almost too good not to share.”

Deon sighed as he stood up. “Thanks, Ty.” He leant over to pick up his bag, realising he’d need to get his gear washed and dried in time for training the next night.

“That’s fine, Deon. Just don’t be such a baby about it in the future.”

Deon’s head snapped up. He glared. “You really are a brat.”

Ty smiled proudly. “I’m Dad’s brat.” He turned to look in the direction of Jim’s room. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

* * *

Keith Sutherland grinned as he stepped forward to greet the visitors. “It’s good to see you again, Tony.” Rather than a handshake, he pulled Tony into a hug.

“G’day, Keith. It’s good to see you again, too. Now, if you could let me go before Sam comes in and starts asking questions...”

Keith released his old Pride FM employee and chuckled at the light teasing. His long term boyfriend, Sam, would’ve understood if he’d found him hugging Tony.

Tony grinned and waved a hand towards the other two guys in the room. “Keith, this is Roger McDowell and Paul Crowman. Roger, Paul, this is Keith Sutherland, my old boss.”

Keith shook hands with the two guys. He noticed Roger, the first one whose hand he shook, had hesitated slightly, but Keith suspected that was because Roger wasn’t sure if he would pull him into an embrace. The handshake was firm and friendly. Paul had had no hesitation at all.

“I know this is bloody early, especially on a Friday, so thanks for coming in.” Keith waved a hand to the visitor chairs. Instead of sitting behind his desk, he joined them on their side of the room.

Roger smiled. “Tony told us this is the time of the morning we’d have to get in next week if we’re doing the broadcast.”

Keith frowned at Tony before turning his attention back to Roger. “What do you mean if? I thought it was a done deal.”

Tony smiled. “It’s a done deal. It’s which players do the broadcasts that’s not fixed yet. Paul and Roger will do the show next Friday, unless an emergency prevents it, but we’re happy to shuffle players around until we get a good fit. Roger’s done a little bit of media work a few years ago, but Paul’s never been behind a radio mike.”

“Okay. You scared me for a moment.” Keith paused and gave Roger and Paul searching looks. Both players seemed comfortable. “For the first couple of times, we’d like to pre-record the session so we can handle any problems that may arise. That means getting in a little earlier than this so you can spend some time with the presenters before their show starts. Once you’re settled, you can do the show live, but if you’re not experienced, it’s better to record and playback.”

Paul frowned. “How much earlier?” He glanced at the digital clock on the wall beside Keith’s desk. “It’s only just after seven.”

“The breakfast show starts at seven, and your segment will be on before the eight o’clock news. We’d like you in a recording studio by six-thirty, so you’ll need to be here just after six in the morning. That’ll give us twenty minutes to record your segment with our breakfast team. The segment will eventually go for ten minutes, but since the first two weeks of the AFL season is a split round with only half the games, we’ve pencilled in a five-minute segment for each week.” Keith flicked his gaze between the two players. “Any questions?”

Roger and Paul exchanged glances and then both looked at Tony. Tony smiled back, and the players turned their attention back to Keith.

“That’s fine,” Roger said.

Paul frowned slightly. “I’ve got a question. The second week of the split round has the first game on Thursday night. A few of the other rounds in the season also have Thursday-night games. Will we need to come in on a Thursday those weeks?”

“Good question. The agreement we’ve got with the Leopards makes a commitment for a Friday-morning session and a best effort for Thursday mornings when required. Ideally, we’d like you in for both, but we can change the Friday segment to make it a post-game review of the Thursday-night match for those weeks, if needed. Pride FM is paying per segment aired, so if you can make both days on those weeks, it’ll be extra money for you.”

“I can do Thursday mornings,” Paul said.

“Thursday mornings are problematic for me.” Roger looked apologetic. “Sorry, but that’s the day I’m supposed to take the kids to childcare.”

“We can substitute for Roger on those days, if needed,” Tony said. “That’s why we didn’t include the player names in the contract, Keith.”

Keith smiled. “That sounds fine. We’ve got two weeks before that happens, so there’s plenty of time to sort out the details.

“What we’ll do now is a trial run in one of the studios. This won’t be talking about the AFL round but just chatting with a couple of our on-air staff. It won’t be Michelle and Maria, as they’re busy with the breakfast show, but it’ll give everyone a chance to get to know each other. If you can stick around until after nine-thirty, we’ll introduce you to Michelle and Maria then. They’re the ones who you’ll be doing the segment with.”

“I can stay until then.” Roger turned to Paul. “What about you?”

Paul shrugged. “Me, too. I made sure I had nothing planned for the morning, just in case.”

Tony smiled. “Keith, who’s going to do the chat with them?”

“Brandon and Eric.” Keith watched Tony stiffen and knew what he was thinking. “You know those two will be watching the show, so I thought it’d be best to introduce them rather than let them introduce themselves.”

Tony frowned but nodded. He turned to Roger and Paul. “Brandon is moderately effeminate, but Eric is very full-on. Both are really nice guys, but they’re also both touchy-feely. Just be warned.”

Keith noticed that both players seemed discomfited by the information, but then Roger smiled. “When’s a good time to tell them that I’m already in a relationship?”

Keith nodded approvingly. “I’d suggest you find a way to drop it into the conversation as soon as you can. You’re in no danger, but it won’t hurt if they’re told the boundaries up front. You definitely won’t have that problem with Michelle and Maria; they’re only going to have a professional interest in you guys.” He turned to Paul. “What about you?”

Paul shrugged. “I’m single, so I suppose I’m just going to have to wear it.”

Keith glanced at Tony. “Unless you’ve got something you’d like to add, I think it’s time to get going. We’ll give Roger and Paul a tour of the place afterwards so they’ll know where everything is and how things work.”

Tony smiled. “Nothing from me. We’re all really keen to get this relationship. It’ll be good for Pride FM and good for the Leopards, too.”

Keith grinned. “That’s what we like to see. A win-win for everyone.”