Leopard Skin Cover - 3. Chapter 3

It was almost midnight when he stepped into the semi-darkness of the nightclub and immediately relaxed. After the deceptions needed to slip away, he was finally in a place where he didn’t have to hide, where he could be himself. It was only for a short time, but he knew he’d need every minute he had to heal and armour himself for the world outside.

Glancing around, he first noticed and then ignored the short, broad-shouldered young blond in the corner. He was with a taller, dark-haired guy of similar age, and that made him out of bounds. But when a third guy appeared and took the taller guy away, he reconsidered. It seemed possible that the blond was the third wheel and might be available.

Wandering over, he kept an eye out for a yet-unseen boyfriend to claim the young man, but no one showed up in the time it took to arrive where his target was nursing a drink.

“Care to dance?”

The blond looked up and gave him a quick once over. A smile appeared on his face. “Sure.” He gulped down the remains of his drink and then stood up.

“My name’s Ken,” he said to the blond. He had used that alias before.

The blond seemed momentarily puzzled, then his smile returned. “I’m Tony. Tony Hills.”

“G’day, Tony.” He smiled and held out a hand. “Let’s dance.”

The touch of Tony’s hand in his brought a smile to his lips. This was what he needed.

The first two music tracks were fast ones, with the two guys facing each other and making body contact from time to time. When the third track turned out to be slower, both guys paused.

Tentatively, he reached out and was rewarded when Tony came into his arms. A shudder ran through his body as he held Tony close, and then they started to dance.

Slowly, sensually, they moved together. Time didn’t seem to flow, it just was. The dance was something he wanted to last forever, and it seemed only natural that it would end with a kiss.

“How about a break?” Tony asked.

He nodded and, hand in hand, escorted Tony back to his original spot in the corner. Tony’s friends were still missing, but Tony didn’t seem to care.

“What would you like to drink?”

Tony smiled. “Scotch and coke would be great.”

“Okay. Don’t go anywhere.” He smiled and headed to the bar. Even if they didn’t end up back at Tony’s place, he was happy. He was relaxed and having a fantastic time.

He frowned as he returned with their drinks. One of Tony’s friends had returned and had his arm across Tony’s shoulders. Their heads were close together.

Tony looked up as he approached; Tony’s smile relieved most of his concerns.

“Ken, this is Alex. Alex, this is Ken.”

He nodded to Alex. “G’day.”

Alex looked him up and down and grinned. “G’day, yourself.” Alex turned to Tony. “I’ll catch you later. If I don’t see you in the morning, I’ll understand.”

As Alex left, he handed Tony his drink and took a sip of his own. He smiled across the top of his glass. Tony grinned back.

“So, what do you do for a living?” Tony asked.

He shrugged. “Odd jobs. Nothing permanent at the moment. What about you?”

“Currently unemployed, but I start a new job next week. I’m looking forward to it.”

“What will you be doing?” He was interested even though he knew he was unlikely to see Tony again.

“Selling slaves.” Tony grinned.

He laughed. “Seriously.”

“Okay, not slaves.” Tony laughed. “It’ll be a salesman’s job. I won’t get all the details until I start, but the basic idea is to sell the services of a bunch of good-looking young men to local businesses.”

“Sounds like fun. What services can we get from these guys once we’ve bought them?” He winked.

“We both wish, but not that. It’s just your run-of-the-mill stuff.” Tony frowned as he reached out a hand and ran it gently along the side of his new friend’s face. “You look so familiar. I’m sure I know you from somewhere.”

He tensed and took a step back. He pretended to check his watch. “I’ve got to go.”

Tony grabbed his hand. “Please don’t go. One more dance?”

The fear of discovery fought with the touch of Tony’s hand. It was the semi-darkness that turned the tide. Tony’s comment was probably just reflecting a random likeness with someone else. “Okay, one more.”

One turned into two, and two turned into four. It was over an hour later before the two slipped outside and headed towards a taxi rank. He had been invited back to Tony’s place.

They left the darkness of the side alley where the nightclub was located and came under a streetlight. Tony stopped, stared, and then shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this,” Tony said.

He smiled and pulled Tony into an embrace, forgetting that they were no longer in a safe location. Tony resisted for a moment and then gave in. “It’s okay, we don’t have to do anything. I’ve really enjoyed your company, tonight.”

Tony sighed. “I’ve enjoyed it, too. I’d like to do this again, sometime, but I can’t take you home – at least, not tonight. There’s a complication.”

He frowned and opened a space between them. “You’re already seeing someone?”

Tony shook his head. “No, not that. You’re the complication. I wasn’t sure in the nightclub, but out here in the light it’s obvious, and that’s going to make things difficult. I know who you really are.”

He took a step back as the blood fled from his face. He took another step away while keeping his eyes on Tony.

“You must be mistaken.”

Tony’s arms rose momentarily, as if pleading for him to come back, then dropped. “Your photo’s on the Leopards’ website.”

He swallowed hard as he felt the contents of his stomach start to rise. Not waiting, he turned and fled. His life was about to crash down around him, and he was terrified. The call of “Wait!” from behind him was ignored; he had to get away.

He found himself in another part of Melbourne, not really remembering where he’d run. Looking around, he hailed a taxi. It was time to sneak back into the house. In the meantime, he had to hope his worst fears weren’t about to be realised.

* * *

The sound of the Lowfield front door opening made Owen look up from the Sunday newspaper he was reading. He grinned as he saw an obviously happy Dave Islington, jacket slung casually over his right shoulder, wandering into the house.

“Good time?” Owen asked. He glanced at the clock; it was 9:30am.

Dave’s grin got larger. “The absolute best. You’ll never believe what I’ve been doing for the last four hours.”

Owen rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to know.”

Dave laughed. “Not that. Believe it or not, I didn’t get laid. I’ve just spent several hours chatting with the most unbelievable girl imaginable.” He glanced down the hallway towards where the guys had their bedrooms. “The others in yet?”

“Yep, you’re the last. I don’t know what time Charlie got in, but I think it was early. I heard Jarrod sneaking in about four.”

Dave winked. “Spying on the other guys, were you?”

Owen laughed. “No, I just had to get up at that time. I’d had a fair amount to drink while I was out with Zoe and needed to take a piss. That’s why I knew Charlie was already home. Jarrod came in as I was settling myself back in bed.”

“Talking about bed, that’s where I’m headed. If I’m not up by two, can you wake me up? I don’t want to sleep too long or I’ll never get to sleep tonight.” Dave yawned. “Time for some happy dreams.”

Owen grinned. “Sure, but only if you give me some details later on, like the name of this girl that’s got you walking on air.”

Dave laughed as he headed off. “Her name’s Jez, and I’ll tell you more later. See you later!”

Owen chuckled as he returned his attention to the newspaper. He mentally crossed his fingers that things would work out for Dave, who hadn’t had a steady relationship for the two years that Owen had known him.

Five minutes later, he looked up to see Charlie standing in the doorway, frowning at his mobile phone.

“What’s wrong?”

Charlie grimaced. “I’m trying to get hold of Ty, but he’s not answering his phone or replying to my texts.”

Owen shrugged as he turned his attention back to the paper. “He’s probably sound asleep. From what Jim and Ryan have told me, he’s never up early on the morning after a night out.”

“Yeah, I know, but I want to know that he’s okay.” Charlie shook his head and put his phone back in his pocket.

Owen looked up. “Did something happen last night?”

Charlie paused before responding, his facial expression indicating his uncertainty. “Ty got kicked out of one of the nightclubs last night, and when I tried to stay with him, he told me to fuck off. He was drunk and wandering the streets by himself. I’m worried that he might not have made it home.”

“Have you tried Ryan or Jim to see if Ty’s home?”

“I wasn’t sure if I should. Ty made it pretty clear last night that he didn’t want me looking out for him.”

Owen narrowed his eyes. “Ty’s an idiot, and if he keeps this up, he’ll alienate most of the team. He won’t last long if that happens.” He caught Charlie’s stricken look. “How about I ring Ryan and check if Ty’s there?”

“If you could?”

Owen smile. “I’ll do it now.”

* * *

Ryan was finishing his breakfast in the Tenterfield house when the phone rang.

“Morning, Owen. What’s up?”

“G’day, Ryan. Are you still at home?”

“Yeah. Are you planning on dropping in?”

“I wasn’t, but I might now. Charlie’s just told me that Ty was involved in an incident at a nightclub last night.”

“Shit!” Ryan’s head slumped. He’d hoped that Jim had managed to straighten out Ty, but Owen’s news meant there would be another confrontation later that day, something that Ryan wasn’t looking forward to.

“Can you check if Ty made it home okay?”

Ryan stood up and headed towards Ty’s bedroom. “Sure, I’ll check now. Did Charlie say what happened?”

“Ty was kicked out of one of the nightclubs, apparently very drunk. We just want to make sure he made it back home.”

“Just a sec.” Ryan paused outside Ty’s bedroom and tapped on the door. “Ty?” When there was no answer, he tried again. After no reaction and aware that he was breaching someone else’s privacy, Ryan opened the door. He looked into the dark room and saw a fully clothed body lying face down on the bed. Quietly closing the door, he headed back to the kitchen.

“He’s in his room, passed out on the bed.”

Ryan could hear Charlie’s relief in the background when Owen passed on the news.

“Thanks, Ryan,” Owen said after telling Charlie.

“You said there was an incident. How serious was it?”

“I’ll put you onto Charlie, and he can tell you. He was there.”

Ryan could hear Owen telling Charlie to take the phone.

“Hi, Ryan.” Charlie’s voice was tentative.

“G’day, Charlie. What can you tell me about the incident with Ty?”

“It wasn’t a big deal. I was just concerned that Ty mightn’t’ve made it home, that’s all.”

“So what happened?”

There was a pause before Charlie responded. “He’d been drinking and getting a bit aggro. I went to get help, but by the time I got back the bouncers were escorting him out of the club. He was struggling a bit, but they weren’t calling for the police, so it wasn’t like he’d hit anyone. I went out with him, but he didn’t want anyone around. He was really pissed off. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I let him go, but he was drunk enough that I didn’t know if he’d make it home or if he’d get into a fight. I tried texting and ringing him, but he wasn’t answering. That’s when I got worried.”

“Okay, thanks. Jim and I will have a word with him when he wakes up.”

“Please don’t! I wasn’t sure if he was okay, that’s all. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Ryan thought for a moment. “I’ll discuss it with Jim, but if he was bad enough that you needed to check if he made it back, then something needs to be done.”

“He’s home, so it’s just me getting overly concerned. It’s not him; it’s me that’s the problem. Don’t say anything to him, please?”

“I’ll discuss it with Jim. I can’t make any more promises than that, sorry. Oh, and Charlie...?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for looking out for your teammate. You did the right thing.”

“I should’ve stayed with him after the club, but being there was making him even more aggro. I didn’t know what to do.”

“You did what you could, and you followed up afterwards. Don’t beat yourself up.”

After giving Charlie some more reassurances, Ryan hung up. Mechanically cleaning up after his breakfast, he debated what to do. While Jim said he’d mentor Ty, Ryan still felt some responsibility. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had a lot of interaction with Charlie and didn’t know if Ty’s rookie teammate was prone to thinking the worst or even if the situation with Ty really had been serious.

He glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost ten. Jim was usually awake at that time on a weekend but occasionally liked a lazy Sunday and would stay in bed until lunchtime. After a few minutes of indecision, Ryan decided the situation could wait until Jim got up.

Deciding to do some chores, he was putting a load of dirty clothes into the washing machine when he heard the front door close. Poking his head around the corner, he saw Deon doing some cool-down stretches.

“How was the run?” Ryan asked.

“Good! Just over an hour at a steady speed, and I feel like I could’ve kept going for another ten or twenty minutes.”

Ryan laughed. “You know what that means...”

Deon rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I wasn’t trying hard enough. But you heard Peter: we’re going to do more stamina work; I want to make sure I’m ready. I’m not going to let myself get dropped because I can’t keep going for a full match.” As he pulled his left leg up to stretch his quads, he glanced around. “Jim up yet?”

“Not yet, I think he’s decided to have a lazy morning. He needs his rest; he’s going to have to deal with Ty again later today.”

Deon frowned. “What’s he done now?”

“Nothing major, but it’s still annoying.” Ryan turned back to the washing machine, added some washing liquid, and turned it on. He then walked down to the living room where Deon was finishing his stretches.

Deon looked up as Ryan entered the room. “I don’t know if you heard him, but Ty was in earlier than usual this morning. He was also a lot quieter than normal.”

“Oh? That sounds positive, at least. No, I didn’t hear him. What time was that?”

“Not sure, but I think it was sometime around four. I only heard the door close before rolling over and going back to sleep.”

“That’s better than being woken up to his drunken yelling.” Ryan shook his head. “Of course, that time he had someone joining in with him.”

“Hey, that was months ago! It was our first time out and about. You’re not going to hold that against us for the rest of our lives, are you?”

Ryan chuckled. “No, just for as long as needed. Anyway, it only works with you; Ty couldn’t care less about how you two woke both Jim and me.”

“He might care now. Before he left, I saw him giving Jim a strange look when Jim wasn’t looking. I’m not sure how to interpret it. It was almost as if he wanted Jim’s approval but was afraid he wasn’t going to get it.”

Ryan frowned as he put Deon’s observations with some private conversations he’d had with Ty after he started mentoring him. Ty had mentioned that his father had been very demanding, both on the football field and off. It took a lot for Ty to get any praise, as his parents’ expectations had always been high. Coming from a very personal conversation, Ryan hadn’t shared that information with Jim, but he wondered if he should.

* * *

Paul stared bleary eyed at the alarm clock before hitting the off button. He hadn’t wanted to put the alarm on, especially after getting home to Bronson Avenue a lot later than he had originally expected, but he was usually up early on a Sunday, and he needed to keep up a normal schedule in case his housemates had come home earlier than expected.

Pulling himself out of bed, he grabbed a change of clothes and headed towards the bathroom. He noticed that Oliver’s bedroom door was ajar, but Todd’s was closed. He gave Oliver’s door a gentle nudge as he passed and glanced inside. The bed was unoccupied.

Paul grunted to himself. Without knowing if Todd was in his room, he didn’t know if it was safe to relax and go back to bed. To keep up appearances, he’d have to have his shower, eat some breakfast, and then head over to the club for a couple of hours of gym work. There were no mandatory training sessions on a weekend, but the players who wanted to do well knew they needed to do more than the minimum.

Ten minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom feeling much more alive than when the alarm clock had gone off. He was still tired, but he was more awake than earlier.

Making himself a strong cup of coffee, he decided on an easy breakfast of toast and fruit. He was just finishing and tossing up on whether he needed a second cup of coffee when Todd wandered in dressed in only a pair of dark blue-boxer briefs.

“Morning.” Todd yawned as he scratched his groin.

“Morning. You’re up early.” Paul looked past him toward Todd’s bedroom. “Do you want me to get something ready for you and...”

Todd shook his head. “It’s just me. I only want a glass of water, and then I’m back to bed.” He yawned again as he pulled a glass out of one of the overhead cupboards.

Paul gave him a wry smile. “You struck out?”

“Nah... well, sort of.” Todd turned on the kitchen tap and filled his glass. “I met someone, but...”

He emptied the glass in one shot and filled it up again. “We had a good time, and I was hoping for more, but she changed her mind at the end. She wants to see me again, though.”

“Are you going to?” Paul got up and started to make himself another cup of coffee.

Todd was sipping the second glass of water. “I don’t know. She was cool, and we really seemed to click, but I got mixed signals from her as to whether she’ll sleep with me. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? Though she was a good dancer and a great kisser...”

“Sounds like you really like her. Maybe you should try and keep this one for more than a couple of weeks?”

Todd shook his head. “I don’t know. Having someone long term can really make life complicated.” He glanced at Paul. “You know that.”

Paul winced.

“Sorry, Paul. I know Rochelle’s still a touchy subject, but you get my point. I’m going to sleep on it before I decide if I’ll see her again.” Todd finished his water and put the glass in the sink. Yawning once more, he stretched. “I’m back to bed. I’ll see you later.”

Paul sat back down at the kitchen table, his coffee forgotten as he reflected on how Rochelle had made his life a lot more complicated than Todd realised.

* * *

Over at Tenterfield Street, Jim was scowling as he rose to his feet. “Time to wake the brat up.”

Ryan grabbed him by the arm but let go when Jim glared. “Are you okay? You seem a lot angrier than I expected.”

“I’m fine. I’m just pissed off at Ty. I thought I made things clear to him, but obviously not.” Jim paused and continued in a less aggressive tone of voice. “If you want to umpire, you can come in with me.” He looked past Ryan at Deon. “I suggest you clear out. You don’t want to get involved.”

Deon winced. “Give me a few minutes to get changed, and I’ll go for a run.”

Jim considered it and nodded. “You’ve got three minutes.”

Deon paused on his way out of the room and frowned back at Jim. “I’m with Ryan, Jim. You’re angry about something, and if it’s not Ty, you’re going overboard.” When Jim narrowed his eyes, Deon put up both hands. “Just saying”.

Jim continued to glare until Deon was out of sight and then sighed. “Maybe I should wait. I didn’t sleep very well last night, and I’m still tired. You’re both right; I’m likely to overreact with Ty.”

“Is there something wrong?”

Jim shook his head. “Don’t tell anyone until I say so, but I strained a shoulder muscle in the game yesterday. I don’t want Peter to pull me off the team for something minor. It’s fine most of the time; it just twinged enough during the night that I couldn’t sleep properly.”

“Are you going to see Mark or Jackie about it?” Ryan asked, referring to the team’s two physiotherapists.

“I was thinking about it but just to get a general massage. That and a spa should be enough. I thought it’d disappear overnight, but it hasn’t. If it’s still sore tomorrow, I’ll let them know about it.”

“Okay. Now what do you want to do about Ty?”

Jim pondered the question. He knew he would have to make Ty face up to what he’d done, but he also conceded that he wasn’t in a good frame of mind to deal with Ty.

He looked up as Deon appeared, ready for a run. “Deon, I’m sorry; you’re right. I’ll wait for Ty to wake up before I talk to him. I’ll also ring Charlie later to get the full story. If you can hold on for a couple of minutes until I get changed, I’ll go on that run with you.” Jim turned to Ryan and raised an eyebrow.

Ryan laughed. “Okay, I’ll join you, too. We’ll deal with Ty after lunch.”

* * *

When Paul arrived at the gym, he wasn’t surprised to see some of the other players. He was, however, surprised to see his sister striding on a treadmill.

“Julie! What are you doing here?”

She smiled. “I was told this was one of the benefits of the job: open gym access. You’re not the only one who needs to keep in shape, Paul.”

He stepped back and gave her a clinical look. “You’re doing well, if that’s your intention.”

Julie blushed. “Say, why don’t you and Rochelle come over to my place for dinner tonight? We can catch up on what’s been going on.”

Paul looked away for a moment and then turned back to his sister. His gaze dropped to the floor. “I broke up with Rochelle a few weeks ago.”

Julie stopped the machine and stepped off. She put a hand on Paul’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

He shrugged. “I haven’t made it a big deal.”

“Well, how about just you come for dinner? You can tell me about it then.”

Paul scowled. “I really don’t want to talk about it.” He paused as an idea popped into his head. “But, yes, I’ll come to dinner. It can’t be late, though, because I want a good night’s sleep tonight. Can we have an early dinner so I’m home by eight?”

“Sure!” Julie smiled and restarted the treadmill. “Come around at six, and we’ll eat then.”

* * *

Jim sat across the kitchen table from Ty. Their Tenterfield housemates had disappeared to do some grocery shopping. That was their official excuse, but Jim could tell from Ty’s sour expression he knew it was for the two housemates to be alone.

“How much do you remember of last night?” Jim asked, trying to keep his tone casual. Ty’s wary reaction told him all he needed to know.

“What about last night?” Ty’s tone was mildly aggressive but a lot milder than it had been a couple of days earlier.

“I believe you had a problem at whatever nightclub you were at.”

Ty glared. “Who dobbed me in?”

Jim gave Ty a hard stare for a couple of seconds before responding. “Someone who was concerned enough to ring here first thing this morning to make sure you got home safely.”

“That fucking bastard Charlie! When I get my hands–”

Ty’s tirade was interrupted when Jim leant forward, grabbed Ty’s shirt, and pulled the rookie forward until their faces were almost touching, ripping the shirt in the process.

“Shut the fuck up!” As Ty’s eyes widened, Jim continued. “You lay a finger on Charlie, or even bad mouth him again, I’ll do whatever I have to make sure you’re kicked out of the club so fast your arse will spend a week catching up.

“You will sit down, shut up, and listen to what I’m about to say because I’ve had just about enough, and I’m giving you one and only one more chance.”

Jim pushed Ty back into his seat and scowled at his housemate. He waited to see if Ty would say or do anything. Apart from fingering the hole that Jim had ripped in his shirt, Ty just sat there, though his expression was one of an almost sneer.

“Firstly, when we finish here you will think about if you’re going to ring Charlie and apologise. That’ll be your first decision. It had better be the right one.

“I don’t give a fuck about you being kicked out of the nightclub as long as that’s all there was to it. If you did something to get the police or media involved, that’s different, but if you just had a bit too much to drink, I don’t care. You’re not the first team member to be ejected from a nightclub, and you won’t be the last.”

Jim slammed his hands onto the table and leant forward, making Ty sway back and lose the cocky attitude. “What pisses me off so much that I want to kick your arse hard enough that your nuts come out your throat is what you did to Charlie afterwards.”

“I didn’t–”

“Did I say you could speak? You’ll get your turn once I’ve finished. Until then, you will shut the fuck up and listen. Not only listen but try to let what I’m saying sink into that beer-sodden lump of fat between your ears, because your place in this team depends on it. Got it?”

Ty swallowed, then nodded. Jim glared for a moment, then sat back in his chair.

“Good. Charlie came out of the nightclub when you got kicked out because he wanted to make sure you were all right. He was concerned about a teammate and did what any teammate should do: he stuck up for his mate and tried to make sure he was okay.”

Jim leant forward again. “And what did you do? You told him to fuck off. I believe you even came close to hitting him. Am I right?”

Ty sat there, his face pale.

Jim slammed a hand down on the table, making Ty jump. “Am I right?”

Ty nodded.

Jim sat back. Forcing his tone into something less aggressive, he continued. “Ty, you’re part of a team. You’re a good, and at times, brilliant footballer and one we don’t want to lose. If you can get your attitude out of your arse and learn to be a team player, you’ve got the potential to make it to the AFL.”

Jim paused as Ty jerked in his seat. He didn’t know what it was that Ty was thinking or what the reaction meant, but he sensed that Ty was finally paying full attention.

“Ty, if you want to play football, you’ve got to be part of the team. Teammates stick up for each other; they don’t tell each other to fuck off.”

Jim sighed. “Even what I’m doing now is because there are people who want you on the team. Deon’s told Ryan and me that you’re worth keeping. Charlie was concerned enough about you that he wanted to make sure you got home okay.

“Personally, I think you’re burning your last bridge. I’m not going to waste my time on someone who can’t learn to be part of the team. I don’t expect you to change overnight, but I’m only going to help you if you’re trying. I’ve noticed that the other young guys look up to you. They’ll follow if you lead, but if you’re going to lead them off a cliff, I’m going to do my best to stop you.

“I really hope I don’t have to do so.”

Jim watched as Ty absorbed the lecture. “That’s all I’ve got to say. It’s your turn, now.”

Ty gazed down at the tabletop. Jim let him think and sat patiently.

After almost a minute, Ty looked up. “Besides my attitude, what do I have to fix?”

Jim laughed. He couldn’t help himself, but it was several seconds before he could speak again, even though he could see Ty getting angry.

“Ty, it’s only your attitude that’s the problem. Lose the chip and be a team player, and everything else will fall into place. Instead of looking down on everyone who’s not as good as you, do what you can to build them up to your level. Learn to take criticism as a means to improve, not as a put-down.”

Jim smiled. “It’s not going to be easy, but if you stop and think for even half a second before reacting, you’ll find things getting better. You’ve been alienating people with your snide remarks, and you need those people supporting you. They want to, but you’ve been pushing them away, even if you didn’t realise it. Last year might have been different, but this year you’re a Leopard and you’re not competing against your teammates; they’re on your side. You help them, and they’ll help you, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll help you all the way into the AFL.”

Ty sat for a couple of seconds, his brow wrinkled in concentration. He then nodded and stood up. “Okay, Jim.”

Jim stood up. “We’ll help you, Ty, but you have to do the hard work yourself.”

“I know, and I’ll start by calling Charlie.” Ty headed towards his bedroom but paused in the doorway from the kitchen and looked back.

“Oh, and Jim?”

“Yes?”

Ty grinned. “Thanks, Dad.” He sprinted to his room and slammed the door shut before Jim could find something to throw.

* * *

Paul picked up his car keys and headed out the door of the Bronson Avenue house. “I’ll be home late, guys, so don’t wait up for me.”

Oliver looked up and raised a hand in acknowledgement, though his attention was mainly on the conversation he was having on the phone with his new girlfriend.

“Say hello to Julie for me,” Todd said before turning his attention back to the television.

Paul felt guilty about deceiving both his housemates and his sister, but the opportunity that Julie gave him was too good to miss. Unless they compared notes, no one would be aware that he’d have several hours unaccounted for that evening.

It didn’t take long for him to arrive at his sister’s apartment. She’d been living there for the last four years. The first year had been with her then boyfriend, but that relationship had turned sour, a situation that Paul was finally able to appreciate.

With a bottle of cheap red wine in his left hand, he knocked on the door.

“Paul!” Julie gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek before stepping back and letting him in. As he handed her the bottle, she shook her head, though she was still smiling. “You didn’t need to do that.”

He shrugged. “Blame our parents. You know what they always said.”

The two chorused the response. “Never show up for dinner without something for the host.”

Chuckling, the two made their way into the apartment to where Julie had set the table for two. “Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes. I didn’t want to start cooking the pasta until you arrived. Why don’t you pour the wine? There’s a bottle of red already opened since I used it when I was making the meat sauce.”

Paul had a quick glance at the bottle already on the table and wasn’t surprised to see it was a much better wine than the one he’d brought. Grimacing to himself, he poured two glasses before taking one of them into the kitchen for Julie.

“Here you are.”

Julie looked up from where she was stirring the pasta sauce. “Thanks, Paul, but I’ll wait until we start eating. It won’t be long.”

Smiling, Paul took the wine back to the table. Glancing around the room, he saw some additions since the last time he’d been to Julie’s apartment. The runner-up trophy from the previous year’s district grand final that the Broncos narrowly lost and a photograph of that team were the first items he noticed, but a small photo of a young man Paul didn’t recognise drew his attention.

Picking it up, he gave the picture a careful examination. The young man had the tall, muscular build of an Australian Rules football player. He seemed to be about Paul’s age, with jet-black, shoulder-length hair. The photo was taken in a park somewhere, and his smile lit up his whole face.

“That’s Aaron.”

Paul glanced over his shoulder to where Julie was placing dinner on the table. “And…?”

She smiled. “We started going out last month, though we’ve known each other for a couple of years.”

Paul put the picture back where he found it and moved to the dinner table. “Why have you just started going out now?”

Julie shrugged. “He was one of my players. I didn’t think of him that way and didn’t know he’d had a crush on me all the time I was coaching. When I left the Broncos at the end of last year, he rang me up and asked if I’d go to a New Year’s Eve party with him. I said no.”

Paul laughed as he sat down. “Playing hard to get, I see.”

She poked her tongue out at him. “I was the head coach for two years. I didn’t think of him as anything other than one of the guys. I was still in that frame of mind when he asked me out.”

“I take it you’ve changed your mind since then.”

She smiled as she served herself and then handed the pasta fork to Paul. “Yeah. He was politely persistent. I finally gave in on Australia Day and went to a barbecue with him. We’ve gone on a few dates since, then, and it’s been great.”

“I’m a little surprised he’s not here tonight.” Paul gave himself a large serving of the pasta. It had been a long time since he’d eaten his sister’s cooking.

Julie shook her head. “I thought about it, but this is just for us. It’s been too long since we’ve had any time together, Paul.” She caught his eye, and he flinched. He knew that he’d been the one who had drifted away from the rest of the family.

“Well, I wish you all the best. I hope he makes you happy.”

She grinned. “He does.” Dropping the smile, she continued. “I learnt last night how important it’ll be to have someone who understands football.”

Paul frowned. “What do you mean?”

Julie pulled a face. “I had dinner with Will and Rachel last night, and we were talking work. We had some preparation to do before a meeting with Peter this afternoon, but Rachel didn’t understand what we were talking about. I could tell she was miffed with being excluded, but I didn’t know what to do. At least with Aaron, I can talk work, and he’ll understand it.”

“I’m sorry. Will’s a nice guy, and he and Rachel seem a pretty solid couple. I’ve met her a few times at club functions, but I’ve never tried to talk football with her.”

Julie shrugged. “They’re a nice couple, but I could tell she wasn’t impressed with him bringing his work home on a Saturday night. He invited me to dinner tonight but changed the invitation early this morning to a coffee in town after lunch. I think he wanted a night with just the two of them with football off the menu. Anyway, enough of that. How’s things with you and your housemates?”

“Good! Todd may’ve found himself a decent girl, from what he was saying this morning. Early days, though. What I found intriguing is the fact that he won’t even tell me her name. I think he’s fallen for her but doesn’t want to admit it. He certainly wasn’t his usually bang-em-and-leave-em self.”

Julie grinned. “Well, good luck to him. I hope it all works out.”

The siblings chatted over dinner until it was time for Paul to go. With a kiss on his sister’s cheek and a promise to come over again for dinner the following Sunday night to meet Aaron, he disappeared.

Only Paul knew that he wasn’t driving home. He had something else he needed to do that night.

* * *

Glenda Williams was just settling at her desk in the Lilydale Leopards administration block after collecting her Monday morning coffee when she spotted the young man entering the office. She sighed, put down her coffee, and walked over to the front desk.

She smiled as she approached, not only because it was her natural personality but also because he was an attractive young man. Stocky, with blond hair showing dark roots, he was dressed in a smart though cheap suit. Even though she was married and he was probably ten years younger than she was, Glenda still appreciated a good-looking male. It was one of the perks of working for a football club.

“Hi. Can I help you?”

He smiled back. “G’day. I’m looking for Colin Mann. He should be expecting me.”

She grinned. “You must be the new marketing assistant we’ve been expecting. I’m Glenda, and I’m the front-office manager. You have no idea how glad we all are to see you.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You are?”

She nodded. “Colin’s been run off his feet trying to manage player sponsorships as well as the general marketing. He desperately needs someone to help out, especially with a couple of players who still need sponsorships.”

He grinned. “I think that’s why I got the job. I’ve got some potential deals already lined up, though the players who get them will need to be vetted; the companies involved are particular about the sort of person they’ll be dealing with.”

“That’s excellent news. I’m sure Colin will be organising some meetings with the players soon, probably today, but I’ll let him give you the details. By the way, I didn’t catch your name.”

He smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Tony. Tony Hills.”

* * *

“... and that’s the summary of your duties,” Colin Mann said.

Tony nodded. “Sounds good to me!”

“I know you said you didn’t mind irregular hours, but we really need to get Jarrod a sponsor as soon as possible. The other two aren’t as cash-strapped as he is, and I want to see him being able to concentrate more on his football and not on having to work full time to make ends meet.”

Tony shrugged. “I’m happy to meet him after training tonight and talk in general terms about the sponsorships I’ve got lined up. They may not suit him, and the sponsors want to meet him before they’ll approve, but he’ll be able to see we’re trying. If he’s interested, I’ll meet with him tomorrow whenever it’s convenient to have a detailed discussion about what the sponsorships entail.”

“Excellent. We’ll introduce you to the whole team tonight, then. You’ll be working with most of them at various times through the year, so it’ll be good for them to know who you are and what you’ll be doing. Knowing the team, you’ll probably be invited to join them for drinks afterwards.”

Tony frowned. “Do you think I should accept?”

Colin paused. “Why wouldn’t you?”

“If I start socialising with them, they’ll find out that I’m gay, because I won’t lie about that. Would it be better if we waited before they found out?”

“That’s your call. You shouldn’t have any problems with them, but if you do, let me know and I’ll speak to Peter. They’re a good bunch of guys, Tony. There may be one or two of them that are homophobic, but the rest should be fine. You’ll probably get some kidding, but it’ll be all in good humour.” Colin grinned. “Given that those sponsorships you’ve lined up are all with gay organisations, I think your sexual orientation is going to be known pretty quickly. Don’t be afraid to tell them whenever you feel it’s appropriate.”

Tony smiled. “Thanks, Colin. I’m really looking forward to working here. The Leopards have always been my favourite team.”