Leopard Skin Cover - 15. Chapter 15

“G’day!” came the cheerful voice down the phone line.

He sighed. “Morning, Tony. I’m sorry, I still haven’t told anyone. I got a chance...and I couldn’t take it.”

“It’s okay. It took me a few goes before I could tell my family. I don’t see why it should be any easier for you. If anything, I expect it’s harder because you’re under more pressure to say something. We can still call the whole thing off if you want.”

“No! I have to do this. I’ll do it today, I promise. Even if I don’t tell everyone, I’ll tell enough.”

“You don’t have to tell everyone. Just the people who deserve to hear it from you and not from someone else. If you want me there to help out, just say so. I’ll be there.”

He grimaced. “Maybe it’ll be best if you’re here. Otherwise, I might chicken out again.”

“Let’s get one thing straight: I will not force you out. I’ll help you come out, but if you’re not ready, you’re not ready.”

“But I have to do this! I have no choice.”

“You always have choices, Ken. You might not like the choices, but you don’t have to come out of the closet.”

He considered it again, but he knew Tony was wrong. “Yes, I do. This is my life. I have to live it the way I want to live it. I want to live it playing football...so I have to come out.”

“Ken...I told you before: I’m afraid you’re doing this for the wrong reasons. You can play football without coming out.”

“No, Tony. I want to play football at the VFL and eventually AFL level...and I want you there with me. I can’t do either one if I can’t tell people the truth.”

“Ken....”

A surge of anger came over him. “Ken’s dead! He was a pretence, a phoney. I’m me, and that’s who I have to be. I’m doing this, Tony. I’m doing it for me. I’m doing it so I can be with you, and I’m doing it to play football. It’s not one reason. It’s all those reasons, and they’re all telling me the same thing!”

His emotions drained away, leaving resolution behind. “I’ve got to do this. Today.”

* * *

Charlie had given up studying. Too many distractions revolved inside his head. Instead, he spent the train trip into the city watching the other people in the carriage, wondering how to tell if any of them were gay.

He didn’t feel smart, but there were too many times something seemed obvious to him when other people couldn’t see it. It had been the same the previous night. As soon as Tony said there was a chance to save the club, Charlie had known what it would be. Tony’s background only left one probable source for rescue: the pink dollar. The only real way to attract that dollar was to have something the gay community would want to support: a gay football player.

Charlie had been initially shocked when he realised that Jarrod had suspected him as being the gay player, but he quickly worked out why Jarrod had thought so.

He had told Jarrod that he wasn’t going to speculate on who in the team might be gay, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about it.

His problem, if it could be called that, was that he had no idea what to look for. As with many young men, Charlie had equated homosexual with effeminate even though he knew that was incorrect. There wasn’t a single player on the team who could be called effeminate, but he took Tony at his word that one of the existing players was gay.

By the time the train arrived at Melbourne Central, Charlie knew he wasn’t going to work it out. The only way to guess if someone was gay was by their actions. If that person was hiding his true self, there were no clues that Charlie could use to identify that person’s sexuality.

Charlie smiled to himself as he took the first escalator on the way up to ground level. He had only been in Melbourne for about three months, but for a fairly naive country boy, that had been an extremely educational time. Ty had led him on an eye-opening journey, from strip joints to nightclubs. Charlie guessed that Ty had left him with Shelley with the expectation that his education would be taken to the next level. It hadn’t worked out that way, but it had been a revealing experience, nevertheless. The next step appeared to be learning about homosexuals, something he would never have anticipated when he left Echuca.

Charlie frowned when his phone beeped just before he reached the Swanston Street exit. His eyebrows rose when he saw an unknown caller, but the message told him who it was from. Karen was inviting him for a coffee before their classes started. He shrugged, typed a quick reply, and headed to the Pearson and Murphy’s Cafe.

“Charlie, over here!”

Charlie spotted Karen waving and headed over to join her and two other girls at the table.

“Hi, Karen. Thanks for inviting me.”

She smiled. “It’s my pleasure, but my motives aren’t all innocent.” The smile faded. “I had a long phone call with Ty last night about the situation at the club–”

“And which then led into a session of phone sex,” one the girls interjected.

“Ellen!” Karen glared at the closer of the two girls, who smiled back, unfazed.

“Sorry, Charlie, this is Ellen and Stacey. Ellen’s the one with the big mouth. Girls, this is Charlie, a teammate of Ty’s”

Charlie gave them a nervous smile. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Stacey said before returning her attention to her cup of herbal tea.

“G’day, Charlie. Karen told us that you’re doing some sort of science degree, but she didn’t say what,” Ellen said.

“Later, Ellen. I need to find out what’s going on first.” Karen turned back to Charlie. “Anyway, I then received a text message early this morning indicating that there’s more news. I’m hoping you’ll fill me in.”

Charlie shrugged. “How much has Ty told you?”

“That the club is in financial trouble, but someone has a secret plan to save it. Ty didn’t know what it was when we spoke, but his text this morning asked me to come to his place for dinner tonight because he’d been told what’s about to happen.”

Charlie didn’t meet her gaze. “It sounds like he’ll be telling you over dinner.”

“You know what’s going on.” Karen’s tone was firm.

Charlie nodded. “But I can’t say. They don’t want the word to get out early.”

“Surely, you can tell me,” Karen said, changing to a softer voice.

Charlie sighed and looked up. He could see she was worried. “And there’s probably someone you can tell, too, and they’ll have someone else they can tell as well. I’m sorry, Karen. I think Tony made a mistake telling me last night, but that’s done. Can you please wait until tonight when you’re with Ty?”

Karen narrowed her eyes and then nodded. “Okay, Charlie.”

Ellen smiled. “Now that that’s over, tell me a bit about yourself, Charlie. Karen tells me you’re a football player.”

* * *

Jim glanced across at Ty as he drove into the Leopards’ car park. “Are you ready for what you have to do?”

Ty grimaced. “I’m still not happy at the pressure you’re all putting on me, but okay, I know my job.”

Jim pulled into an empty spot and stopped the engine. “The fate of the club is in Tony’s hands. You need to give Tony your support, and you need to get as many other players as possible to do the same.”

Ty frowned as he undid his seatbelt. “That’s our job, not just mine.”

Jim sat, his hands still on the steering wheel. “No, that’s your job. Mine’s different.”

Ty scowled. “What makes you so special? We’re a team, Dad. We need to do this together.”

Jim looked as to his younger friend. “My job is simple but hard, Ty.” He swallowed once. “I have to get up and tell the world I’m gay.”

Ty shook his head. “This isn’t funny, Dad...” His mouth dropped open. “You’re serious! It’s you....It can’t be you! Tell me it’s not you, Dad!”

Jim sighed and stared out the window. “It’s me, Ty. I’m gay. I’ve always been gay.”

Jim heard the car door open and seconds later saw Ty heading towards the club’s entrance. Ty paused and glanced back once before he entered the building. Jim sighed and pulled out his phone.

“I’ve just told Ty. I’m not sure how well he took it,” Jim said, not waiting for Tony to speak first.

“Where are you?” Tony asked.

“In the car park. Ty’s just entered the building. He’s supposed to start training with Will in fifteen minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll see if I...Got to go. He’s coming here.”

Jim rested his head on the steering wheel. He had taken the first step and told his first person. Now, he needed to see things through to the end.

There was no going back.

* * *

Ty spotted Tony retreating into his office. He stormed in, slamming the door shut behind him.

“Tony, what the fuck is going on!”

Tony waved a hand to the seat next to the desk before sitting down himself. “Sit down, Ty. We need to talk.”

“We bloody well need to do more than talk! What did you do to him? What the fuck have you done to him?”

Tony waited a second before responding. “Take a seat, Ty. I can’t talk to you when you’re looming over me. Sit down, and I’ll answer all your questions.”

Ty dropped into the seat and scowled. “Talk!”

Tony sighed. “Do you know you’re the first person Jim’s told? You’re also one of two people that he was scared to tell. He didn’t know how you’d take it, and you’re probably the one person whose support he’s desperate to have. I think he rates you above his parents in that respect.”

Ty fought to control his anger. “What do you bloody well mean I’m the first person he’s told? He wasn’t gay before. Is this something you’ve made him do: tell everyone he’s gay?”

Tony shook his head. “I met Jim for the first time just before I started working here. We met at a gay nightclub and spent a couple of hours together there. From what he’s told me, it was something he’d do about once a month as a way of maintaining his sanity. He’s been doing that for over two years. Before that, he was going crazy, trying to keep it hidden.”

Ty jumped up. “You’re lying! Dad’s not gay!”

Tony rose to his feet. “Ty, go back and talk to him. He needs you. He can’t do this without your help.”

Ty grabbed Tony by the shirt. “You’re making him do this!”

Tony put his hands on Ty’s arms and pushed, but they didn’t budge. “Ty, this is Jim’s idea.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me! What have you done to him?”

“Ty, listen to me...”

Ty pushed Tony away, sending him stumbling backwards. Tony arms were flailing as he tripped over his chair and fell to the floor. At that moment, the door to the office opened, and Colin looked in.

“What’s going on here?” Colin asked, looking first at Tony on the floor and then at Ty.

Tony clambered to his feet. “It’s okay, Colin. Honest. Can you go find Jim and ask him to come here? If he’s not in the building, he’ll be in the car park.”

Ty looked away. The photo of the Leopards’ last premiership team caught his eye, and he felt some of his anger drain away.

“Are you sure?” Colin asked.

“I’m sure. I just tripped over my chair.”

“I heard yelling...”

“It’s okay, Colin. Just get Jim and bring him here.”

Ty winced and then grew angry again. He’d winced because he knew what Jim would say to the yelling and his shoving of Tony, and that reminded him of why he’d been yelling in the first place. Ty clenched his fists, trying to control himself. He turned around as Tony closed the door.

Not trusting himself to speak, Ty dropped into the visitor’s chair. He crossed his arms and glared at Tony.

Tony remained standing. “Ty, you probably feel that you’ve been lied to, but you’re not the first. Jim’s been lying to himself for years. He’s been hiding who he is from everyone – while slowly dying inside. Two weeks ago, he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. The one thing that’s been keeping him sane has been football, but that hasn’t been enough.”

Tony caught and held Ty’s gaze, his eyes pleading with the young player. “He thinks he’s going to lose the team’s respect–”

“Too bloody right!” Ty snapped his mouth shut. He hadn’t meant to say anything, but Tony’s statement had been too much for his self-control.

Tony sighed. “Ty, there’s only one person on the team whose respect Jim is desperate to keep, and that’s you. That’s why you were the first person he told. Everyone else he can live with, no matter how they react. You’re the person he’s been worried about.”

Ty scowled “Why? Has he got a crush on me?”

Tony shook his head. “No, Ty. He probably needs to explain it, if he can, but I think it’s because you’ve looked up to him, and he wants to be worthy of that respect. If you withdraw your respect, he’s going to take it hard...really hard.”

“He’s gay.” Ty made it a statement but stared at Tony as a challenge to confirm it.

“Yes.”

Ty grunted. He stood up and walked to the window, where he stared down at Jim’s car. He watched as Colin approached the car and Jim climbed out. He couldn’t help notice Jim’s slumped shoulders as he walked with Colin towards the building.

“Why?”

“I don’t understand.”

Ty turned around. “Why did he hide? Why is he saying something now?”

Tony stared for a moment and then smiled gently. “You know the answer if you want to think about it: he hid because he wants to be a football player, not ‛that gay footballer’. He’s coming out now because it’s the only way he can see where he can still be a football player. I told him he could stay hidden and play at the district level, but he’s rejected that. He wants to play VFL so he has a chance at the AFL. He’s putting his faith in me – that I can convert his being gay into enough money to keep the Leopards going. He’s doing it for himself, for his dream of the AFL, but he’s doing it for everyone else, too...including you.

“What’s your dream, Ty? Is it the same as Jim’s?”

Ty’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Ty’s anger was gone, replaced by confusion.

“What about Denise?” Ty asked.

Tony winced. “She’s the other one Jim’s scared to tell. He knows he has to tell her the truth; it’ll be unkind for her to hear it from anyone else. He hasn’t told me what he’s going to say to her, but he’s invited her to your place for dinner tonight.”

A knock drew both of their attention. Tony stepped over and opened the door, revealing Jim and Colin.

Ty’s attention was immediately drawn to Jim’s ashen face. Ty noticed that Jim wouldn’t meet his gaze; he was keeping his eyes lowered.

“Tony, what’s happening?” Colin asked.

Tony glanced at Ty and then stepped out into the corridor. He put a hand on Jim’s back and pushed him gently into the room. “Ty and Jim need to talk.” He caught Ty’s eyes. “I’ll be next door with Colin if you need me.”

Ty nodded before returning his attention to Jim. He waited until the door was shut, taking note of Jim’s flinch at the sound of the latch closing.

“We need to talk, Dad, but not now. Trust and teamwork have been what you’ve been drilling into me, but you didn’t trust me.”

Jim looked up. “Ty, I–”

Ty held up a hand. “I’ve got to go to training. We’ll talk afterwards, but when we do, there’s one thing I want to know...”

Jim sighed and dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry, Ty.”

“Not good enough, Dad. Not good enough at all. You didn’t trust me, but when we talk, I want to know the answer to one question: do you trust me now?”

Ty didn’t wait for an answer. He headed out of the office and towards the team’s change room. He didn’t know if his mind was going to be on the training, but he was going to try.

* * *

Anne Flintlock was walking down the corridor when she saw Colin and Tony entering Colin’s office. She followed them in. “I assume it’s started.”

Tony raised an eyebrow at her. “What do you mean?”

“Jim’s started to tell everyone he’s gay.” Anne saw Colin’s eyes widen momentarily.

Tony’s jaw dropped open. “How did you know?”

Anne smiled. “An educated guess. I had a thought last night, and I checked the personnel records this morning. You said the player used the alias ‛Ken’, and I wondered if that was a random name or if it had a special meaning. We’ve got one player with a middle name of Kenneth, and that’s Jim. I was in the front office when I saw Ty storm inside. When Colin brought in what appeared to be a dejected Jim, my suspicions were confirmed.”

She snorted. “I’ll admit that I didn’t believe it when I came across his middle name, but then I don’t think I would’ve easily believed that any of the players could be gay. I suppose that shows how easy it is to be fooled by appearances.”

“What’s the next step?” Colin asked.

“We wait until–” Tony’s attention snapped to something in the corridor. He stepped out of the office, with Anne and Colin following him. “Ty!” he called to the retreating back of the young player.

Ty glanced back. “Later, Tony. I’ve got to train.”

Tony headed to his office. Anne put out a hand to stop Colin from following. “I’ll help Tony. You get back to organising the publicity campaign.”

Anne took the few steps needed to reach Tony’s office and paused in the doorway. Tony was on one knee next to his visitor’s chair, his arm around a slumped over Jim.

“Keep him here, Tony. I’ll be back with some coffees.” Anne paused as Jim looked up, his expression haunted. She smiled at him. “It’ll work out, Jim. Have faith.”

Anne headed to Eric’s office, not looking for him but for his personal assistant.

“Mel, I need two cups of coffee and a cup of tea to Tony’s office ASAP.” Anne held up a hand to forestall a protest. “I know this isn’t supposed to be your job, but I need discretion. That’s why I’m not asking the front office to do it.”

Melissa frowned. “Okay, Anne. I’ll do it.” She glanced at the closed door to Eric’s office.

Anne guessed at Melissa’s concerns. “If Eric complains, send him to me. This is more important than anything else.”

Melissa’s eyes opened wide. She gulped and nodded.

While Melissa prepared the drinks, Anne stepped over to the window to observe the players on the oval. Her mind was trying to sort out the ramifications of what she’d had confirmed, but nothing was settling. The future was still a murky haze. Her gaze focused on Ty, who was running through some drills under Will’s instruction. She watched for a couple of minutes while she thought, but everything seemed normal on the oval, unlike what was going on in the building.

“The drinks are ready.”

Anne turned around and saw that Melissa had placed the three cups on a serving tray, along with a small jug of milk and some sugar. There was even a small plate with some biscuits. “Thanks, Mel. I’ll take it from here.”

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

Anne paused on her way out and glanced back. “I’ll tell you as soon as I can, Mel.” She smiled. “I hope it won’t be too long before you know.”

Anne took the tray to Tony’s office. The door was shut, and as both her hands were full she gave it a kick. A couple of seconds later, Tony opened the door and stepped aside.

Anne entered the room and placed the tray on the corner of Tony’s desk next to where Jim was sitting. He seemed better than when she’d left to get the drinks, but she sensed he was struggling to keep himself under control.

“Have a coffee and biscuit, Jim. I think you need something to settle you down.”

The smile Jim gave her was weak. “Thanks, Anne.”

“It’s going to be okay, Jim. If you like, I can go have a word with Ty.”

Jim stiffened. “No! That’s the worst thing you could do.” He sighed. “I was just telling Tony that Ty feels I don’t trust him. I have to show him that I do, and that means leaving him alone to work things out for himself.”

Anne nodded slowly. “I understand. Do you think he will?”

Jim grimaced and then nodded. “He was still calling me Dad, and the only thing he wanted to know was if I trust him now.” He looked past her. “Which means I have to tell him other things, too.”

“Whatever you want, Jim,” Tony said from behind Anne.

Anne looked over her shoulder at Tony. She frowned for a moment as he gave her a small smile. She glanced back and saw that Jim was still staring at Tony. Jim’s expression caused Anne’s eyes to widen.

“Are you two...?” She didn’t know how to finish the question.

Jim flinched, and then his face firmed with determination. He nodded.

“We’re just starting out,” Tony said. “We’ve had one short date, and that’s it.”

Jim gave a weak chuckle. “And a couple of hours of dancing at a nightclub before that.” He sighed and looked up at Anne. “I don’t think I could do this if Tony wasn’t here for me.”

“He’s not the only one who’s here for you, Jim. The Leopards are a family. You’re going to get a lot of support this week.” She shrugged, knowing sugar-coating things would backfire. “Some of the family won’t be impressed, but the majority will be there for you. Believe me. I’ve been here long enough to know how everyone will rally around to help.”

She smiled and reached over to pick up her cup of tea. “Now, drink your coffee before it gets cold.”

Jim smiled, somewhat stronger than his previous efforts had been. “Thanks, Anne.”

* * *

Colin and Tony rose to their feet as Keith Sutherland from Pride FM entered Colin’s office.

“Pleased to finally meet you, Keith,” Colin said, holding out an outstretched hand.

Keith smiled warmly as they shook. “It’s nice to get out once in a while. Tony’s not prone to hysterics, so when he said it was important, I took him at his word and organised things so I could visit.”

Smiling, Tony stepped forward and gave Keith a hug. “Thanks for coming out here. I know it’s a long way from the radio station.”

Keith shrugged after the hug finished. “It was a pleasant drive.” He fixed Tony with a curious gaze. “So...what’s happening?”

Tony glanced at Colin, who indicated he wanted Tony to take the lead. Tony straightened his shoulders as he turned back to his old boss. Keith took the seat in front of the desk, while Colin took the one behind, leaving only Tony standing.

“We’ve got a media scoop for Pride, but we also need your help. The two go hand in hand.”

Keith frowned. “You’ve got me intrigued. Which one are you going to tell me about first?”

“The media scoop.” Tony took a deep breath. “One of our players is willing to come out of the closet and be Victoria’s first openly gay VFL footballer. We’d like Pride FM to make the initial announcement.”

Keith’s eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped. A grin spread across his face. “That...that’s one hell of a scoop you’re giving us, Tony.” His eyes narrowed. “What’s the catch?”

“The Leopards are in financial trouble. One of our major sponsors has pulled out suddenly, and we don’t have enough cash to keep the club running. We’re looking to the gay community to support our gay footballer by keeping the club operating, at least for this year.”

Keith frowned. “Are the two related? Is the sponsor pulling out because you’ve got a gay player?”

Tony glanced across the room. “Colin?”

Colin shrugged. “Confidentially, the answer is maybe, as they pulled out just after Roger and Paul did their broadcast last Friday. Realistically, the sponsor was looking at pulling out before then, so it might have been a factor, but it’s definitely not the sole factor.”

“Would it hurt to speculate publicly as to the relationship between the two events?”

Colin shook his head. “We’d prefer it if that didn’t happen. Despite what’s happened, the sponsor has been a major supporter of the club for more than two decades. We don’t want this to become a finger-pointing game.”

“Fair enough.” Keith looked back at Tony. “Am I allowed to know who it is?”

Tony smiled. “He’s in the gym at the moment, working out. I can probably arrange for you two to meet before you leave today, but I need to check with him first. He’s just come out to his first teammate, and he’s still dealing with that situation. He might be too stressed to talk to anyone else just now, but I’m hopeful he’ll be okay to talk to you.”

Keith waved a hand. “I don’t need to meet him, though that’d be nice. If he’s still coming out to people, my curiosity can wait.” He turned his attention back to Colin. “How much money are we talking about? The gay community will probably kick in something to help out, but let’s make sure everyone’s expectations are reasonable.”

“It works out at $10,000 a month, but to ensure we’re going to be financially viable for the start of the season, we’re aiming for at least $15,000 in the first two weeks and at least $80,000 total. Ideally, we’d like $100,000 to match what we’ve lost in sponsorships, but we can keep the club going with the smaller amount.”

Keith nodded slowly. “That sounds doable, especially the initial amount. You should have no trouble getting a lot more than that. There’ll be a strong surge of donations to start with, but then it’ll taper off. Whether it tapers off slowly enough to keep you in reach of your long-term target is the part in question. You’ll have to rope in the mainstream media to help. Despite being a dedicated gay and lesbian radio station, we don’t reach all of the community.”

Tony smiled. “We’re already working on that. Colin’s plan was to have our player come out on Pride’s breakfast show on Thursday morning – Friday at the latest – and then make the various TV stations and newspapers aware of what’s happened. We thought that Pride FM could do any initial interviews, and then we’d hold a press conference here at the club that afternoon.”

“Sounds fine with me. How quiet is this being kept? Thursday is still two days away, and there’s a chance someone else will get wind of it.”

Tony sighed. “We’re keeping it as quiet as we can. The whole club knows that we’re in financial straits and that we’ve got a plan to try to raise the money. A few know that it’s by having one of the players come out. Only a handful know who it is, but there’ll be more in the next couple of days as he starts to tell his teammates and friends. We all think there are some people he needs to tell before it’s announced in the media.”

Keith rolled his eyes at the idea of the media knowing before friends and family. “Of course! I wouldn’t want it any other way.” He pursed his lips. “I think this can work out well for everyone. That target amount is challenging, but I think it’s achievable.”

Tony nodded. “We hope so, because everything depends on this. If we don’t get the money, the club goes under, and there’ll be some people saying that the club folded because one of the players is gay.”

Keith winced. “It won’t be true, but, yeah, some will say it.”

* * *

Peter frowned as Ty headed off the oval. There was something about the rookie that was bothering him.

“Ty, have you got a sec?” Peter asked.

Will, who was following Ty, paused, but Peter waved him past.

Ty scowled. “What do you want?”

Peter blinked at the abrupt tone. Ty’s attitude problems were resurfacing. “What’s wrong, Ty? You put in a good effort this morning, but you’ve been snapping at Will, and you just snapped at me. You haven’t done that for weeks.”

Ty glared. “It’s none of your fucking business!”

Peter narrowed his eyes. “Ty, I’m willing to excuse some things because the situation with the club has everyone stressed, but you’re crossing the line. If you want to continue to be a Leopard, you need to smarten up.”

Ty, still angry, opened his mouth...and then his shoulders slumped. “I just don’t know what’s going on anymore.”

Peter waved a hand to the nearby bench. “Sit down, Ty. Everyone’s confused and worried, but taking it out on people who aren’t at fault isn’t helping.”

Ty dropped onto the bench, and Peter sat next to him. Ty stared out over the football ground, but Peter was sure he wasn’t seeing what was there.

“Do you know what Tony’s going to do?” Ty asked.

“In rough terms. I don’t have the details.”

Ty grimaced. “Do you know who it is?”

Peter rocked back and stared at Ty for a moment. “You know what’s planned?”

Ty nodded and turned to look at his coach. “Tony told me last night, and Dad got onto me about how I had to do my bit to get everyone to support the gay guy when he comes out.”

“And you’re uncomfortable doing that,” Peter guessed.

Ty shook his head. “Dad talked me around and got me ready. I don’t like being in the position where I can make or break what’s going on, but I was prepared to do my bit.”

Peter frowned. “Was prepared?”

Ty sighed and stared back towards the goal posts, where he’d spent more than an hour working with Will. “I was...until I found out who it is.”

Peter blinked. “Who?” He realised as soon as he said it was the wrong thing to say.

Ty’s fists clenched and his body stiffened. “He lied to me! He fucking lied to me!”

Peter was concerned. “Who lied to you, Ty? What’s he done?”

Ty kept his rigid pose for another second and then collapsed. He rested his face in his hands, his elbows on his knees. “Dad lied to me.”

Peter reached out and put a hand on Ty’s shoulder, though his own mind was in a state of confusion. “What did he say?”

“Dad’s gay. He’s fucking gay!”

Peter swallowed as he tried to process what Ty was telling him. “Jim’s gay?”

Ty grunted.

Peter pushed the turmoil in his mind to the side. “Ty...I don’t know what to say, but Anne said something last night that’s stuck with me. The player’s putting his personal life on the line for the club. He doesn’t have to, but Jim’s doing it so the Leopards have a chance of surviving.”

Peter held up both hands as Ty lifted his head and glared at him. “I know that doesn’t excuse whatever lies Jim’s told you, but he’s not doing this to hurt anyone. He’s doing it to try to help.”

Ty’s expression changed to one that Peter had never seen on the young man before. It was as if Ty was...lost.

“I know. But he’s Dad! He can’t be gay.” Ty sighed. “He never told me. He wouldn’t have told me if this whole sponsorship thing hadn’t happened. He was keeping secrets from me while spending all his time telling me I needed to trust others. He told me to trust him, but he didn’t trust me!”

Peter sighed. “It’s not nice when we find out that our heroes are human. But they all are, Ty. Jim’s not a superman...or a superdad, if you prefer.” Ty gave him a faint smile at that comment. “But he’s dedicated, hardworking, and trustworthy.”

Ty scowled, but Peter continued before Ty could say anything. “By trustworthy, I mean you can trust him with anything. It may be that he hasn’t been able to trust us back, but that doesn’t stop us from trusting him. I still trust him even after you’ve told me this.

“It seems Jim’s got personal issues much bigger than anything I’ve ever had to handle. Up until now, he’s been dealing with them by himself, but now we can show we’re trustworthy by helping him. That’s what you want to do, isn’t it Ty? Show him you’re trustworthy, too?”

Ty nodded, still scowling.

“So, what’s the problem, Ty? Is it that he didn’t tell you? From what Tony said last night, Jim hadn’t told anyone, so you’re in the same boat as the rest of us. Did you really need to know before now?”

Ty looked away. “I don’t know. I just feel...” He shook his head. “I’m so confused.”

Peter laughed. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help it. When Ty glared at him, he smiled back. “Do you think you’re the only one? I was shocked when I was told that one of my players is gay, and then I had trouble sleeping while I tried to work out who it was. Until you told me, I had no idea.

“The only thing I managed to do was to accept that whoever it was had reason to keep things to himself. Try to put yourself in his shoes, Ty. If you were gay, who would you’ve told – and why?”

Ty opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked away.

Peter waited.

Ty stood up. “Thanks, Peter. That’s helped a lot.” Ty scowled as he looked in the direction of the club’s administration building. “He’s still a bastard, but maybe I can live with that.”

Peter smiled. “And you’re still a brat, but you’re his brat. Is that right?”

Ty frowned at Peter before nodding his head. “Yeah, I suppose I am.”

* * *

Charlie glanced around nervously before he sat down with his tray of food.

Karen grinned. “Ellen and Stacey will be along later. You’re safe until then.”

Charlie gave her a wan smile. “Is it that obvious?”

Karen chuckled. “Ellen came on a little strong this morning, so I think you’re justified. Just so you know, though, Stacey mentioned later that she thought you were nice.”

Charlie’s eyebrows rose. “Stacey? I think the only time she said anything was when she said hello.”

Karen shrugged. “She’s quiet, but she doesn’t miss much. Anyway, that’s not why I asked you to join me for lunch. I’ve had another cryptic text from Ty. I sent him a reply, asking him to explain, but he hasn’t gotten back to me, and that was a couple of hours ago.”

Charlie looked away. “I told you this morning, that–”

“The text said ‘Dad’s been lying to me. The bastard!’ That’s it – nothing else.”

Charlie frowned. “Jim?” His eyes widened as he thought of one possible explanation for the message.

Karen narrowed her eyes. “You know what that means. Okay, Charlie, spill it. I’m not going to be kept in the dark until tonight. That’s mental cruelty.”

Charlie grimaced as he wrestled with his conscience. “I’m sorry, Karen, I don’t know. I can guess, but if I guess wrong, I’m going to be hurting someone.”

“Hurting someone? How?”

Charlie shrugged. “Please...wait until tonight. I’d really prefer it if you waited for Ty to tell you what he means.”

Karen’s phone beeped. She pulled it out and read the text message. “It’s from Ty. He said everything’s cool, but dinner tonight is going to be interesting, and he hopes I’ll be there.”

“Did he say why?” Charlie asked.

Karen started typing. “I’m just about to ask him that. I’m also telling him I’m with you.”

The reply came back quickly. Karen gave Charlie a perplexed look. “He says Denise will be there.”

Charlie flinched as that seemed to confirm his suspicions. “That’s Jim’s girlfriend.”

Karen reached over and grabbed Charlie’s hand. “What’s going on? Why does her being at dinner make things interesting, and why did you flinch?”

Charlie sighed. “Why don’t you ring Ty and ask him? I really don’t want to be the one to tell people what’s going on.”

“I’ll do that.”

Charlie concentrated on his lunch while Karen spoke to Ty. She had only been speaking for a couple of minutes when she held her phone out to him. “Here, Ty wants a word.”

Charlie took the phone. “Ty?”

“G’day, Charlie. I’ve got to go because Dad’s taking me back to the house, but the player we’ve been told about: it’s Dad. Can you tell Karen what’s going on? I don’t want her to walk into things cold tonight at dinner, and I’m not sure when we’ll both be free to talk this afternoon. Dad’s invited Denise. Thanks, mate, I appreciate this.”

“Er...Ty? I’m not really comfortable doing this.”

“Please, Charlie. I’d do it, but I’ve got to go. Can you give the phone back to Karen?”

Charlie pulled a face as he handed the phone back. He didn’t appreciate Ty putting him on the spot.

A minute later, after finishing her chat with Ty, Karen was seated opposite, looking at Charlie expectantly.

Charlie scratched the side of his face. “Where do I start? Ty told you that there’s a plan to save the club, right?” He waited for her nod. “The reason the plan is largely secret is because it involves a media campaign to raise awareness and ask for help. If the big news is leaked too early, it could be all messed up.”

Karen frowned. “The big news is, of course, that the club is going broke.”

Charlie shook his head. “The big news is that one of the players is gay. The idea is that we’ll hopefully drag in support from the gay community to support the first openly gay VFL player.”

Karen blinked, but seemed otherwise unfazed. “What’s this got to do with Ty and dinner tonight?”

“Nothing to do with Ty, but Jim’s invited his girlfriend to dinner. Ty told me Jim’s the one who’ll be coming out of the closet.”

Karen’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit. If he’s gay, then...”

“He’s probably going to tell Denise tonight.” Charlie grimaced. “I don’t envy either of them.”

* * *

Deon frowned as he glanced around the dining-room table. There was a tension in the air, but he couldn’t work out why. Besides himself, Ryan and Denise also seemed perplexed. The tension had been building throughout dinner, and it was becoming more noticeable as they finished up.

Ty stood up and started collecting the dirty plates. “Dad, I’ll clean up. Why don’t you take Denise into the lounge room?”

Deon was surprised to see Jim cringe at that suggestion. When Jim rose and then helped Denise out of her chair, Deon stood up, too.

“Deon, Ryan, can you help me?” Ty asked.

Ryan frowned as he looked at Jim’s and Denise’s retreating backs. He glanced at Ty before starting to help clear the table. “Do you want to tell me what’s up?”

Ty took a couple of steps to the lounge-room door and closed it. He looked back at Ryan and Deon. “The shit’s about to hit the fan. Jim’s breaking up with Denise.”

Deon’s eyes widened. “Why?”

“Ty, do you really want to tell them? Isn’t it better if Jim did that?” Karen asked.

Ty pulled a face. “I don’t know. I think they’re better off knowing before the screaming starts, but, yeah, that means Jim doesn’t get to tell them.”

Karen paused and then nodded. “Your call, Ty. You know these guys better than I do.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Ryan asked. He glanced from Karen to Ty. “You two know, but the rest of us are in the dark.”

Ty glanced at the closed door and then bowed his head. A moment later he looked up. “Dad’s gay. That’s what he’s about to tell Denise. I don’t think she’ll take it well.”

“She’ll be in shock,” Karen said. “Don’t be fooled by her initial reaction, whatever it is. She’s going to be distraught, and she’ll need support. That’s part of the reason I’m here.”

Ty gave her a smile, though his heart didn’t appear to be in it. “That, and to support me, too. I’m still getting used to the idea that I’ve got a gay Dad.” He looked at Deon. “Something I didn’t expect.”

Deon grimaced. “I never expected it, either, Ty, but Jim’s not your real dad. That makes it different.”

Ty shrugged. “Yes and no. I think it hit me harder because he’s the dad I chose rather than the one I was born with.”

Ryan was looking at them, wide-eyed. “You’re serious! Then this means...”

“Dad’s about to tell the world, and he’s hoping that’ll allow Tony to save the club.” Ty pulled a face. “Before you ask, Dad told me this morning just before training. I didn’t know last night when I spoke to you guys.”

“Who else knows?” Ryan asked.

Ty shrugged. “Tony, of course. Us and Charlie. I told him at lunchtime. I don’t know who else Jim’s told. Given the way Anne was hovering in the background when I caught up with Dad after training, I’m guessing she worked it out.”

Any further conversation was disrupted by the door from the lounge room being flung open. Denise stormed out, looking around wildly, followed quickly by Jim.

“Denise...”

She spun around. “You stay away from me! I don’t want to hear or see you ever again!”

Denise scanned the room for a second and then made a beeline for her purse. Karen moved up next to her. “Can I take you home?”

Denise started to snarl, then stopped and shook her head. “I drove here, so I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.”

Karen glanced back at Ty before returning her attention to Denise. “I’ll walk you out to your car.”

Deon’s attention shifted to where Jim had slumped into a chair. Ty was standing next to him, a hand on Jim’s shoulder.

Ryan stood still for a moment and then headed to the fridge. He returned with an open can of bourbon and coke. “Here, Jim. I think you need this.”

Jim looked up and sighed. “Thanks, Ryan.” He took a sip. “In my own way, I did love her. I never wanted to hurt her.”

Deon frowned. Jim’s pain was too visible to ignore. “But it was the wrong sort of love, wasn’t it?”

Jim nodded. “I’m sorry, Deon. I couldn’t love her the way she needed to be loved. At least now she’s free to find someone better.”

Ty scowled. “Someone different, not someone better, Dad.”

Jim shook his head. “You don’t understand, Ty. I know you’re trying, but you don’t understand.”

Deon nodded to himself. “I’ll be back.” He headed out the front door of the house, hoping that Denise hadn’t left.

He spotted Karen and Denise embracing next to Denise’s car. He could hear the sobs from where he was standing. He took a cautious step towards them. “Denise?”

Denise lifted her head. “What is it?” she snapped.

“Would it be okay if my mum gave you a call later? She understands what you’re going through.”

“No one knows! No one can fucking know what it’s like!” Denise pushed Karen away and turned her back on Deon as she fumbled with her purse.

Deon’s voice was soft. “My father left my mum for another guy. They were married for almost fifteen years, and it turned out he was gay the whole time.”

Denise spun around. “What did you say?”

“My father’s gay. I’ve hated him for years for what he did to my mum. She was shattered for a long time. She’s okay now, but she knows what you’re going through. Can I ask her to ring you?”

Denise took a hesitant step forward and Deon did the same. He held out his arms, and she fell into them. Deon felt her starting to sob again as she rested her face against his chest.

“It’s okay, Denise. You’re not alone. I’ll get my mum to call you tonight.” Deon tried to be gentle as he spoke.

“Thank you,” was the muffled reply.

Deon felt his shirt growing damp from her tears. He looked up from the top of Denise’s head to see Karen smiling approvingly. Deon nodded back. He knew it was going to be a long night for a lot of people.

* * *

Ty frowned down at Jim. He had thought he’d been prepared for the events of the night, but he had learnt otherwise. He wasn’t used to the idea of his dad needing support, despite the incident on Monday night at the club after they’d been told that the Leopards were in trouble, when Ty had talked Jim out of his despondent mood.

He made a decision. Tough love was called for – the same sort of treatment Jim had given him when he was going off the rails.

“Okay, Dad, you’re not finished yet. You’ve got more people you need to tell, and you need to tell them now before they hear it from anyone else.” Ty pulled out his phone. “Do you want me to ring them and then you speak to them, or do you want to do it all yourself.”

Jim looked up, his eyes bloodshot. “I can’t, Ty. Not tonight. I can’t tell anyone else.”

“Bullshit!” Ty ignored Ryan’s shocked expression. “You need to do this, and you need to do this now. You’ve fucked up one person because you didn’t tell her. You’re not going to fuck up again because you took too long. Your parents need to know. They should hear it from you, not anyone else.”

Jim winced, then nodded. He held out his hand. “I’ll call them.”

Ty handed the phone over. “Tell them I want to speak to them after you’ve finished. And to make sure you don’t chicken out, I’m staying for the conversation.” He glanced at Ryan. “Do you want to check on Deon?”

Ryan frowned for a moment, so Ty glared back. He didn’t want anyone else around while Jim spoke to his parents. Ryan scowled, but then his eyes widened. He smiled and nodded his head once, then left without saying a word.

Ty turned his attention back to Jim, who was staring at the phone in his hand. Ty sighed and took the phone back. Jim didn’t resist and didn’t look up.

“I’ll call them, say hello, and then pass the phone onto you. You’ve got one minute to get yourself into gear, Dad, because you need to tell them.” Ty paused. “Dad, at the moment your life is probably more fucked up than mine, which is saying something. You told me to get myself sorted out, and I’m doing that. Time to practise what you preach and do the same. You’ve started, but you’ve got a long way to go. Get your parents out of the way, and then we’ll sit down...together...and we’ll work out how we tell the team.”

Jim raised his head. His mouth was open as he stared at Ty. Ty smiled back. “You know, Dad, being all tough and obnoxious can be a real buzz. I can see why you keep doing it to me. Now that that’s out of the way, are you ready to talk to your parents?”

A faint smile played on Jim’s lips for a moment before his face shut down. He nodded. “Thanks, Ty.”

Ty glared back. “I’m the brat, Dad, not Ty. Remember that if you don’t want your arse kicked.”

Jim gave a snort of laughter. His smile this time was stronger. “Okay, brat. You win. Give me the phone.”

“Not yet. I want a word with them first.” Ty wanted to make sure the phone call started. He suspected that Jim would procrastinate before calling them.

Ty selected Jim’s parents from his contact list. When they’d given him their phone number at the party, he had never expected to use it.

“Hello?”

“Grandma, it’s Ty. How’ve you been?”

“Ty! This is a pleasant surprise. We’ve both been good. Is Jim treating you right? We can’t have our favourite grandson being treated poorly.”

Ty grinned. “I’m your only grandson, Grandma. As for Jim, yeah, he’s treating me well. Gave me quite a surprise this morning, but I’ll hand the phone over to let him tell you about it. Then I’ll get him to give the phone back so I can correct all the lies he’s told. Here he is.”

Ty held the phone out to Jim, who looked at it with distaste bordering on fear. Ty pushed it closer, and, taking a deep breath, Jim took it.

“Hi, Mum.”

Ty sat down opposite Jim and listened to the conversation. He waited patiently as Jim talked about lots of things, including the financial problems at the club, before moving on to the topic of the morning’s conversation. When Jim looked across the table at him, Ty smiled back.

Jim grimaced. “Mum, there’s something I need to tell you. Something I’ve been hiding from everyone for a long time.”

Ty held his breath.

“No, Mum, it’s nothing like that. It’s...well...” Jim screwed up his face as if he was screwing up his courage. “I’m gay.”

Ty gave him a thumbs-up before standing up and started to make a couple of cups of coffee. While Jim may have wanted another alcoholic drink, Ty thought a simple hot beverage would be more beneficial.

It was a few minutes later before Jim handed the phone back to Ty and picked up the coffee that Ty had made for him.

“Are you okay, Grandma?”

“I’m...I’m in a little bit of shock, I think, Ty.”

“Yeah, I felt the same way when he told me. It took me awhile before I could accept it, but I did. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not now, Ty. What I really need is to sit down and have a cup of tea. Jim’s given me a lot to take in.”

“Okay, Grandma. I’ll let you go, but I’ll call you again tomorrow. Take care, and don’t hesitate to ring me if you want to chat.”

“Thanks, Ty. Tell Jim that I love him. I can’t remember if I told him that. I can’t remember much of what I’ve said...it’s all a blur.”

“I’ll do that. Bye for now!”

Ty hung up and smiled across the table. “She says she still loves you. I don’t know why, but I supposed you’ve gotten her fooled.”

When Jim flinched, Ty berated himself. “Sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean that. I was trying to be funny, but I didn’t think.”

“It’s okay, Ty. Yeah, I’ve been fooling her – and everyone else – for years. Now it’s all come back to haunt me.”

Ty glared across the table. “Snap out of it, Dad! You might be a bastard and a liar, but you’re still my dad, and you’re still their son. They still love you, and you’re not getting rid of me that easily. Get off your backside and do your job.”

Jim sighed. “And what’s my job?”

Ty grinned. “To be my dad. The rest will just fall in place. Trust me.”

Jim stared for a moment, and then he smiled. “Okay, brat.”

* * *

“What’s the plan for today?” Ty asked as he prepared his breakfast.

Jim shrugged. “I’ve organised to take the rest of the week off from work so I can concentrate on what’s going on at the club. I’m meeting with Tony and Colin, and they’ll tell me what I have to do. I think the plan is that I tell the team just before training tonight, but I need to check first.”

“Send me a text if you need me.”

“Thanks, Ty, but I don’t think I’ll need anything.”

Ty looked past Jim to where Deon had paused in the doorway. “How’s things, Deon?”

Deon shrugged. “As well as can be expected. My mum rang me late to tell me that Denise is still very much in shock. The two of them are going to catch up in person this morning to talk about it.”

Ty’s eyes narrowed as he saw Jim’s shoulders slump. “Get over yourself, Dad! It happened. You can’t change that. All you can do is move on.”

“I hurt her, Ty. I didn’t want to do that.”

Ty was about to open his mouth when Deon got in first. “Leave him alone, Ty. You don’t know what you’re talking about on this one.”

“And you do?”

Deon shrugged. “I know more than you do. I grew up with this, remember. I’ve some idea of what Denise is going through, and if Jim feels guilty for doing that, then good for him because he should!”

Ty was glaring as he marched across the room, grabbed Deon by the arm, and half-dragged him out of the room. “Don’t you dare say that in front of Dad again, or I’ll break your fucking teeth!”

“Brat, leave him alone. I thought I told you that you don’t threaten your teammates...ever!”

Ty spun around to face an angry Jim. “I’m doing this for you!”

“And I’m telling you to fucking well stay out of it! Deon is helping Denise, and that’s what I want. I didn’t want her hurt, and anything he and his mum can do to help is okay in my book. Deon has the right to tell me whatever he wants about how I treated Denise, because he’s not saying anything that I’m not telling myself.”

“Ty, Jim needs to work through this as well. You can’t hurt someone you care for – and I know Jim cares for Denise – and simply walk away. I don’t hate him for what he’s done because he’s trying to face up to the consequences of his actions. You take that away from him and he’ll be a cheating bastard, just like my father. If he feels guilty, then that’s a good first step.”

Ty glanced at his two housemates, taking in their determined expressions. He shrugged. “Okay, if that’s the way it is.” He glared at Jim. “I’m hungry and you’re standing between me and my breakfast, Dad. How about moving?”

Jim smiled, though Ty thought it still held a trace of pain. He stepped aside. “Okay, brat.”

* * *

Peter glanced around the gathered team. He noted Eric, Anne, Colin, and Tony standing in the background, but he kept his attention on the team as he informed them that one of their teammates was coming out of the closet.

Peter had told Will and Julie thirty minutes prior to the meeting, not long after Jim had had a private chat with him and revealed the truth. Peter didn’t tell Jim that Ty had already told him the day before. Will had been shocked, but that was purely because he had never suspected that Jim was gay. Will had immediately said that it didn’t matter to him.

Julie’s reaction had been more low-key. She had merely shrugged. When Peter questioned her, she’d smiled and told him that unless Jim intended to have sex in the middle of a game, she didn’t see that it was relevant who he slept with. She had no problems with him being gay.

“...so that’s what’s going to happen, and why,” Peter said in concluding. “He’s got the support of the coaching staff, and I sincerely hope he’s going to get the support of his teammates.”

Peter paused as he watched the reactions. The players were glancing around, wondering which one of them was gay, while muttering comments to the players next to them. Jim was seated with Ryan, Ty and Deon, with Ty whispering something to Jim.

The noise in the room lessened as Roger stepped forward. “He’s got my support, though I’m dying to know who it is.”

“And mine.” Zach grinned. “I suppose that makes one less guy who’s jealous that I’ve got the sexiest girlfriend in the team.”

The guys closest to Zach gave him a set of mock punches to his arms while the rest of the team laughed and yelled out friendly abusive comments.

Peter smiled. Zach and Roger had both told him on the Monday night that they’d support whoever it was, and Zach had clearly decided to keep the mood light.

“So, who is it?” Roger asked.

There was a pause while everyone in the team looked around at that their teammates.

Jim stepped forward, his head bowed. “It’s me.”

Ty joined him and put an arm across Jim’s shoulders. “Dad’s gay. Anyone have a problem with that?”

Jim looked up and glared at Ty. “Brat...”

Ty grinned as he dropped his arm. “Yes, Dad?”

Jim’s expression morphed into a smile and a shake of the head. “You’re a real brat. I’m glad I gave Karen the job of housebreaking you, because I think I’d go insane if I had to do it alone.”

Roger stepped forward and stuck out a hand. “I can’t imagine how much courage it took to get up in front of everyone and say that, Jim. I’m proud to be your captain.”

When Jim went to shake his hand, Roger pulled him forward and into a hug. It didn’t last long, but it showed everyone that Jim had Roger’s trust as well as respect.

Zach was the next one to step forward. He paused and put up a finger. “You’re still not allowed to moon over my girl, Jim, just in case she turns you straight and changes you back into competition.” He grinned.

When Jim started to laugh, Zach grabbed and embraced him, just as Roger had.

The rest of the team gathered around. Some gave Jim hugs, while others merely gave him a slap on the back or shook his hand. Peter was pleased to note that not a single player hung back or failed to tell Jim that he had their support.

Peter waited for an appropriate break and then spoke up. “This doesn’t mean anyone gets to slacken off in training tonight. Will, you’ve got the forwards. Midfielders, follow Julie out and start your warm-ups. Defenders, you’ve got me tonight, and I’m going to work you hard.” He spotted Ty’s raised eyebrows, and smiled. “Brat, you’re with me. Now get out there and get started.”

Peter watched as the team headed out of the change room and onto the oval. He knew it was too early to tell, but he sensed that most of the despondency from Monday night’s announcement was gone and that there was an air of optimism back in the team.

The next steps were up to Jim and Tony. Peter had done his small part and now, like everyone else, he had to wait.

* * *

“Nervous?” Tony asked as they drove towards Richmond and the Pride FM radio station.

“Petrified.” Jim tried to smile, but he didn’t think he succeeded.

“You’ll be fine,” Paul said from the back seat of Tony’s car. “Look at how well everything went last night at training.”

Jim grimaced. “The training was fine, but the shower afterwards...”

Tony frowned. “What happened? You didn’t say anything to me earlier when I asked.”

Jim didn’t say anything. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience, though it wasn’t unpleasant.

A few seconds later, Paul answered. “A few of the guys have problems with being in the shower at the same time as Jim. Nothing was said, and they didn’t even look at him; they just disappeared as soon as he came in.”

“Who?” Tony asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jim said. “It’s not that big a deal.”

“It matters even if it’s not a big deal,” Paul said. “I’m sure things will work out. You didn’t see it because you were trying to hide in the corner, but Roger and Ty exchanged looks and nodded to each other after the guys walked out. They’ll get things sorted.”

“I take it that it was at least one of the younger guys, then, if Ty’s involved,” Tony said.

Jim wiped his forehead. “Tony, Paul, drop it, please. I’m nervous enough about this radio interview. I don’t want to drag in other things as well.”

Tony flicked him a smile before returning his attention to the road. “You’ll be fine. We’re going in early enough that they’ll have plenty of time to record the session and edit out any problems. I believe you’re only reviewing tonight’s AFL game and not the rest of the round. Is that right, Paul?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I think originally they were going to want all of the weekend’s games reviewed, but now most of the focus of the segment will be on Jim.”

Jim cringed. “You don’t have to remind me. I think I’m going to throw up.”

“You’ll be fine.” Tony stretched out a hand and patted Jim’s leg. “Just remember, all you’re doing is telling them you’re gay. Don’t mention the situation at the club; Eric will do that at the press conference this afternoon.”

Jim took a deep breath and then nodded. Colin was orchestrating the publicity to try to maximise the media presence at that press conference, where Eric would be making his appeal for funds from the public.

* * *

Maria smiled at the two guys as she caught the signal to start from Joe in the adjoining booth. “We’re here again with a couple of players from the Lilydale Leopards VFL team. This time, accompanying Paul Crowman, we have Jim Henderson. Jim, tell us a little about yourself.”

“Well, I’ve been playing football for as long as I can remember, but it was when I was playing under sixteens that I really started treating the game seriously, and that led to nominating for the AFL draft in my last year of school. I didn’t make it, but I was approached by Peter Stevenson, the head coach of the Lilydale Leopards, and I’ve been playing with them ever since. This will be my third year with the team.”

Michelle nodded her encouragement, and then, as pre-arranged, gave Jim the leading question. “What happened in the under sixteens that made such a difference?”

Jim took a deep breath. “That’s when my football coach helped me sort out some of my personal problems by telling me to focus on what I could do well and not worry about things I had no control over. That advice made all the difference. It wouldn’t be too extreme to say he probably saved my life.”

Michelle smiled gently. “They must’ve been some problems you had.”

“Yeah, they were, but I don’t suppose they’ll be unfamiliar with a lot of your listeners. You see, my problem was that I developed a crush on one of the guys at school, but I was sure he was straight. I was mad at him for not being gay and angry with a world in which I was gay but everyone around me was straight. Looking back, if my coach hadn’t gotten me turned around, I might’ve become angry enough to have done something stupid.”

“So you told your coach, and he told you not to worry about something you had no say in.”

“Not exactly. I never told him – or anyone else – that I’m gay. He knew I was angry at something, but he never pushed me to tell him what it was. Instead, he got me focused on the good things in my life – of which football was one. It took about a month, as I recall, but by the end I was dedicated to playing football. Today, that’s what I live for. I’m a football player. That’s who I am and what I want to be.”

Maria gave Jim a thumbs-up. “I presume your teammates know that you’re gay.”

Jim smiled. “They do now. I’ve kept things hidden for a long time, never telling anyone. Things changed a few weeks ago when I met someone who I was attracted to. I knew he was gay because he was open about it. One thing led to another, and we’ve started to date. Since I won’t be able to keep our relationship a secret – and I don’t want to – I made the decision to tell the team. I did that last night before training started. The reaction was...amazing. Every single player offered me support. There wasn’t a single negative reaction. I’m still overwhelmed by how they all took the news.”

Michelle looked at Paul. “Paul, we’ve got one side of the story. How about from your side? What did you think when Jim told everyone he’s gay?”

Paul smiled at Jim. “Honestly? At first I was shocked. I never had any idea that Jim was gay. Then Ty Flanders, the young player in his first season who Jim’s been mentoring, stood up, put an arm around Jim’s shoulders and asked if anyone had a problem. Roger McDowell, the team captain, got up next and told Jim he couldn’t believe how much courage he had to get up in front of everyone and tell them, and after that the whole team moved in. I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a more inspiring moment in my life.”

Maria grinned. “Well, I wish you all the best, Jim. It’s absolutely great that you’ve not only come out to your team, but you’re also coming out to the general public. We need more out sportsmen and women to show everyone that it’s okay to be gay.”

Michelle smiled and nodded her head to Jim. “Now, I suppose we should move onto the purpose of this segment and review tonight’s AFL game. Paul: the Cats versus the Crows at the Cats’ home ground in Geelong. Will Geelong win at home, or will the Adelaide Crows triumph?”

Paul glanced at the notes he’d brought. “Michelle, as you know, Geelong are extremely strong at home. Beating them will be a major challenge for the Crows...”

* * *

Eric Blackman, Peter Stevenson, and Anne Flintlock – the president, head coach, and financial controller – were seated behind a long table, facing a packed room of media representatives. Behind them stood just over half the team – all the players who were not working that Thursday afternoon.

“...and so, the Lilydale Leopards Football Club is calling for support. Our website has been updated to allow donations to be submitted online, or they can be sent here to the club. I will reiterate: the club has not been financially irresponsible. We are merely the victim of the unexpected withdrawal of a major sponsor and need assistance from the general public to allow us to ride out the short-term consequences.” Eric glanced around the room, very conscious of the TV cameras pointed in his direction. “Any questions?”

A reporter from the Fairfax group of newspapers stood up. “One of your players earlier today declared that he’s gay. Is there a connection between these two events?”

Eric was ready for the question and gave the response as instructed by Colin. “I think that should be answered by the player in question.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Jim?”

As Jim stepped forward, Eric stood up and let him take the chair in the middle of the table. There had been some discussion on whether to have a spare chair ready for Jim, but that had been eventually vetoed as making it too obvious that they were expecting to include Jim. Officially, the press conference had been called to inform the public of the financial situation and to call for donations to help the club through the crisis.

“Hi. My name is Jim Henderson, and yes, I’m gay.” Jim paused, momentarily dazzled by the flashing lightbulbs from the press photographers.

“The situation here at the club was a factor in my coming out, but it wasn’t the only one. I never wanted to come out and be the first gay VFL player. That was never a goal of mine. I’ve only ever wanted to be known for how well I play football, not who I sleep with. So, for years, I’ve kept my sexuality hidden and stayed firmly in the closet.

“That’s worked – up until this year. Unfortunately, the pressure was building up on me, and my mental health was suffering. I was close to having a breakdown because I couldn’t stand the lies and deceits I had to maintain to stay hidden. So, one of the factors in my coming out earlier today was for my own peace of mind. While I’m still terrified about what I’m doing, I’m calmer and more relaxed than I was a mere three weeks ago.”

Jim took a sip of water from the bottle in front of him. His mouth had gone dry as he spoke, though he used every bit of willpower he had to keep his nervousness from being too obvious. He knew he had to appear calm.

“Another factor was that I’ve met someone who I hope will become my boyfriend. We’ve only just started going out, but I knew that if I wanted to have a real relationship, I needed to be able to tell people I’m gay. That’s another reason I’ve come out of the closet.

“But, yes, the situation with the club also played a part. As I’ve just said, I was already considering coming out, at least to my friends, family, and teammates, but if I’m to be a top professional football player – which is what I want to be – the club needs to survive.”

Jim smiled at the reporters, though the lights for the TV cameras made it difficult to see them clearly. “Let’s be honest: if I hadn’t made my announcement this morning, none of you people would be here. You’ve attended our press conference, not to hear about the financial crisis we’re facing, but to hear from the VFL’s first openly gay football player even if that’s not something I’ve ever wanted to be.”

Jim leant forward, frowning slightly. “But I won’t be that if the club folds. Without the Leopards, I’m just another person who happens to be gay. I want to play football; that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. The Lilydale Leopards are poised for a great season, but we need help. We’re in a financial crisis that’s not of our making, and we need assistance. So, if you can spare some money – it doesn’t matter how much – then please consider donating to the club. We’ve got a goal of $100,000 to replace the sponsorship money we’ve lost unexpectedly. We also commit that once we reach that goal, any additional money received will be donated to charity. We’re not trying to become rich; we’re just trying to survive, and we only want to replace the money we’ve lost.”

Jim glanced around the room. “That’s all I wanted to say.” He smiled. “I hope I’ve answered the question.”

There was a clamour of questions from the assembled reporters before one of the News Ltd reporters pushed herself forward. “You mentioned a boyfriend. Is that one of the other players?”

Jim grinned. “No, but it is someone who works at the club. I’m sure you’ll find out who it is soon enough, but can I ask that you wait until we’re officially going out? At the moment, we’ve been on one date, and that’s it.”

Jim had hoped that that was it, but it was another ten minutes before Eric finally called an end to the press conference. Jim stood up and joined his teammates. Roger, and then Peter, made a point of giving him a short embrace as a visual sign of both support and encouragement. The numerous flashes of light told Jim that he could expect to see those images in the newspapers the next day.

He hoped that he had done a good-enough job, because it was now out of his hands. They had done all that they could. The next few days would tell them if it had worked.

* * *

Everyone gathered in the club room afterwards. Even though it was only late afternoon, most of the players and staff present had beers in their hands. The atmosphere was one of cautious optimism. Only Eric was missing, as he had headed back to his office to make a number of phone calls after thanking Jim for his efforts.

Colin gave Jim a slap on the back. “Well done! You handled that extremely well.”

Anne smiled as she nodded her agreement. “We couldn’t have asked for anything better. If we don’t get the money we need, it won’t be because you didn’t do enough.”

Colin’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and rolled his eyes. “Got to go. It looks like there’s going to be a lot of follow-up work for me to do.” He grinned at Jim before accepting the call and strolling away while talking.

Anne smiled. “I’d better go, too. I’ve still got some financial forecasts to work on for the board meeting tomorrow afternoon.” She gave Jim a hug and then headed off.

Owen shook his head. “I still can’t believe how calm you were up there, Jim. I would’ve been pissing my pants if it’d been me.”

Jim laughed. “The only reason I didn’t do exactly that is because I didn’t think it’d make a good impression. I was petrified.”

“It didn’t show.” Julie raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you’ve had a lot of practise at hiding your emotions.”

Jim blinked and then nodded, his gaze dropping down so he could avoid looking at anyone. “Yeah, that’s too true.”

“Hey, buck up,” Peter said. “You did what you had to do. No one could ask for more than that.” He paused and glared at all the players. “And you didn’t hear me say that. When it comes to football, I’m expecting you all to do better than just what you have to do.”

The chuckles that resulted had Jim smiling again.

“There was one surprise for me in that press conference. I’m betting Tony will be reported as Jim’s boyfriend in tomorrow’s paper.” Roger grinned at Jim. “You probably shouldn’t have given away as much information as you did.”

Jim pulled a face. “I didn’t know how not to answer the question. I didn’t want to lie,” he glanced at Ty, “because I’ve done too much of that already.”

Tony smiled as he slipped an arm around Jim’s back. “Don’t worry about it. You told them that one of the reasons for coming out was so you wouldn’t have to hide your relationships, so don’t be upset because you didn’t keep this one a secret.”

Deon frowned as he looked at Jim and Tony. “How long have you two been going out?”

Jim glanced at Tony before turning back to Deon. “Officially, as of now: we had one very short date a couple of weeks ago. That’s it. We haven’t had a chance to do anything up until now.”

Deon’s frown deepened. “You were seeing him while still going out with Denise?”

Jim winced. “One date – for less than an hour – on the Saturday afternoon before the game against the Hawks.” He grimaced. “I know I’m a bastard, Deon. I couldn’t help it, okay! I was dying inside...and Tony kept me alive. I never wanted to hurt Denise, but...” He shook his head and looked away.

“Leave him alone, Deon.” Ty moved next to Jim while staring at Deon with narrowed eyes.

Jim glared. “Ty, you leave him alone!” He glanced at Deon. “Deon’s my conscience when it comes to Denise. I trust him to tell me if I’ve done something wrong – and maybe how to fix it.”

Roger showed his confusion as his gaze flicked between Jim, Ty and Deon. “What’s going on here?”

Deon ignored him and stepped forward. He hesitated for a moment when Ty edged between him and Jim, but then he moved past Ty and put a hand on Jim’s shoulder.

“You hurt her, Jim, but I don’t see what else you could’ve done. The main thing now is to make sure she’s able to move on.” Deon looked at Tony. “It’s going to hurt her even more if your relationship is splashed across the newspapers, but I think that’s inevitable. Just be aware that each time it happens, she’s going to feel the pain.”

Tony nodded, his expression sombre. “Thanks, Deon. I don’t think either Jim or I want to be out there as a celebrity couple, but you’re probably right; for at least the short term, the tabloids are going to treat us like that.”

“Shit! I didn’t want that.” Jim pulled away from Tony. “It’s already started. I told you, Tony, that I didn’t think I could handle the media pressure!”

Roger frowned. “You don’t have to do this by yourself, Jim.” He glanced around the gathered group, looking for, and finding the support he wanted. “We’re all here to help. Yes, you’ll be in the spotlight for awhile, but I’d guess it’ll only be for a couple of weeks at most. After that, you’ll be approached from time to time, but it won’t be constant. Most of the time you’ll be able to just be yourself.”

“Yeah, Dad. Your normal obnoxious, overbearing, infuriating, and idiotic self.” Ty grinned.

Jim grinned back, though it was a little forced. “Brat.”

Ty gave Deon a searching look before smiling. He turned back to Jim. “You’re lucky you’ve got Deon and me as housemates. Between the two of us, we’ll keep your feet firmly on the ground. Just like you’re doing for me.”

Ty frowned and raised a finger at Jim. “There’s one rule, though, and it’s not negotiable. When you and Tony are in your room, that door has to stay firmly shut. There are some things we don’t want to know.” Ty grinned.

Jim laughed, and this time his answering grin was natural. “Brat.”

* * *

The next morning, Colin, Eric, and Anne were in Eric’s office, reviewing the data from the website.

“So far, we’ve had about $3,000 in donations, mainly in amounts of $50 or less, but they’re still coming in at a steady rate.” Anne smiled. “It’s looking extremely hopeful.”

Colin frowned. “Don’t forget we’ll get an initial spike because of the publicity, and then the rate of donations will drop off. I had hoped we’d get to at least $5,000 overnight.”

Eric glanced at the other two. “Are we on track or not?”

Anne shrugged. “Too early to say. We’ll know by the end of the weekend because, as Colin said, that’s when the majority of people who’ll donate will have done so.” She looked at Colin. “I believe Jim’s got TV and radio interviews today and on the weekend. That should keep the story alive in the media for a bit longer.”

Colin gave a snort of laughter. “If he wasn’t playing on Saturday, I think he’d have been busy all weekend. With a home game this weekend, it’ll be interesting to see what the attendance will be like. I’m expecting it to be high, which will also help the club finances.”

The phone on Eric’s desk buzzed before anyone could say anything. “Sorry to interrupt, Eric, but there’s a Matt Riley here. He says he’s Jarrod’s sponsor and he needs to speak to someone as soon as possible.”

“Thanks, Mel. Tell him we’ll be a couple of minutes.” Eric glanced at Colin. “Is Jarrod about to lose his sponsorship?”

Colin looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. Jarrod’s only had his sponsorship for a few weeks. That’s the first one that Tony arranged after he started. It’s with a car dealership, from memory.”

Eric frowned and then schooled his face into an expression of pleasantness. “There’s no need to speculate. Let’s find out what he wants.” He stood up and walked around his desk to the office entrance. He waited for Anne and Colin to join him and then opened the door.

Eric immediately spotted the balding muscular man in the tailored suit. He stepped forward. “Matt? I’m Eric Blackman, the president of the Lilydale Leopards.”

Matt smiled as he shook Eric’s hand. “Pleased to meet you.” He glanced at the other two.

“Colin Mann. I’m Tony’s manager.”

Matt nodded. “Tony’s told me a lot about you.” Matt winked. “All good, I assure you.”

“Anne Flintlock, the club’s financial controller.”

Matt grinned. “Pleased to meet you. In fact, you’re the main person I need to see, though I wanted to meet Eric and Colin, too.”

Anne raised an eyebrow. “Can I ask why?”

Matt tilted his head towards Eric’s office. “Shall we go in and sit down?”

“Of course. Come in.” Eric stepped aside to let Matt pass. He glanced at Mel who smiled and stood up. Eric knew she’d organised drinks for the four of them.

A minute later, the four were seated around the coffee table in the corner of Eric’s office. Matt pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“That’s a cheque for $5,000. I’ve spoken to three other business owners who have similar cheques ready to give to the club. All you need to do to get them is to prove to me that what you said at the conference is true.” Matt focused his gaze on Anne. “We need to see the books. If, as you’ve said, the club would otherwise be financially sound if not for this sponsor’s withdrawal, then this cheque and the others are yours.”

Eric’s, Colin’s and Anne’s mouths all dropped opened.

Matt grinned. “You’re probably wondering why. It’s simple. As Gary told Tony at the first game we came to see, Jarrod’s sold us on supporting the Leopards. We believe in family, and we can tell that the Leopards are part of Jarrod’s family.

“If, as you’ve said, you’ve just had some bad luck, then we’re here to help you get through it. Prove to me that this problem isn’t your fault, and you’ve got our cheque and the cheques from our friends. Keep us informed as to your situation, and we’ll see what we can do about another donation next month if you need it. No promises with that, but we’ll do what we can.”

Eric pulled himself together. “Thank you. Thank you very much. You have no idea what this means to us.”

Matt smiled. “If this keeps the club alive and kicking, then that’s all the thanks I need.” He grinned. “But a premiership at the end of the year would be a nice bonus.”

Eric grinned. “We’ll see what we can do about that.”

* * *

Paul stepped into Tony’s office and dropped into the visitor’s chair, grinning broadly.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “What’s got you so happy?”

“Our Friday morning broadcast went really well. We did this one live instead of pre-recorded.”

Tony smiled. “Excellent! I didn’t pick up that it was live when I listened. You and Roger did an excellent job.”

Paul’s grin became even wider. “Afterwards, Keith had a word with us. He said to thank you and that he wishes the club all the best. He also said that Pride FM will be donating $2,500 to the club later today.”

Tony’s eyes went wide. “Wh..what?”

Paul laughed. “That’s exactly what Roger and I said when he told us. He then told us that Pride will continue to advertise for donations throughout the day and the weekend. They’re solidly behind the club and are encouraging their listeners to do the same.

“I think this is going to work, Tony. I really do!”

* * *

That night, before training, Eric grinned at the assembled players.

“I’m pleased to announce that Anne and I have met with the board, and a decision on the future of the club has been made. We’re not folding; we’re going to continue to play!”

Eric waited for the cheering to die down before he waved Anne forward.

Anne smiled. “As of thirty minutes ago, we have received just under $35,000 in donations and commitments, with more coming in all the time.” She held up her hands to quell another round of cheers. “Everyone is ecstatic about the success of the campaign, but the applause needs to go to those who were most responsible.”

She waved. “Jim, Tony, come over here.”

“His name’s Dad!” Ty yelled.

“Brat!” Jim called back through the chuckles that arose from Ty’s outburst.

Anne put her arms across Jim and Tony’s shoulders. “Everyone’s played their part in this, but we all need to recognise the role these two Leopards have played. These are the guys that have had the major role in saving the club. I think they need to be told how much we all appreciate them.”

The resulting cheer was almost deafening. When Anne released the two guys and stepped back, Jim hesitated for a moment before pulling Tony in for a hug. When some of the team called out for them to get a room Jim tried to pull back. Tony stretched up for a quick kiss before releasing a red-faced Jim to the sound of laughter from his teammates.

As the noise died down, Peter stepped forward.

“Okay, guys, that’s enough. Getting the club back on track was only the first step. We’ve got our last practise match tomorrow, and then the main season starts the following week. It’s time to focus on why our supporters have donated so much money, and that’s winning games. Our goal is now focused on September and the grand final.”

Peter glanced around the room then lifted a fist.

“This is the year of the Leopard! Let’s win that premiership!”