Leopard Spots - 14. Chapter 14

“Give me a break! Enough with this garbage. Move onto something that’s newsworthy!” Phillip Rosewood pounded a fist into the padded arm of the lounge chair. “Yeah, yeah. We know already. The fucking poofs can’t stand the heat and need to be protected. Finish up and fucking tell me something interesting!”

Neil split his attention between his father’s rant and the television-news report on the agreement to wipe out homophobia in Australia’s major professional sports. The first made him cautious. The second had him excited.

“Bah! Political correctness gone mad. Give me the old days when words didn’t matter and it wasn’t wrong to have a tussle or two during the footy. These days they’re trying to sissify the game!”

Todd’s nightly chats helped Neil to decide to do something he normally wouldn’t attempt. Neil knew he was going to be out of the house soon, and so he could take a chance.

“Dad, sometimes those words lead to fights. The words can matter.”

Neil braced himself for an onslaught that never arrived. Instead, his father looked at him, a faint frown on his face.

“I already fucking well know that, Neil.” The tone was almost reasonable, not abrupt and over the top like Neil had expected. “But most of the time, they don’t. It’s like you and those bloody bullies a few years ago. I told you to stand up to them, and they’ve been no problem since. It’s the same for the fucking poofters. They need to bloody well stand up for themselves and not hide behind new rules and regulations that have been made just for them. Footy’s a man’s game. If the poofs want to play it, they have to man up and play it the way it’s meant to be played, the same as everyone else. If they get slammed into the ground, then they shouldn’t fucking well complain; no one else does. No one should be made to play this sissy version that the AFL wants to force down everyone’s throats.”

Neil stared for a moment and then made himself paint a smile on his face. “Yeah, you’re right, Dad.”

It was the same useless advice his father had given him years before. ‛Stand up’, ‛Be a man’, ‛Don’t let them get to you’. When Neil had told him that it didn’t work, he’d just repeat the advice, telling him to stick it out. After that, Neil never mentioned it again. He saw it as a waste of time.

Neil waited until the news switched to finance and then headed to his room. Once there, he lay on his bed holding his phone. He wanted to send Jim a text message, saying something about how great the anti-homophobia initiative was, but he couldn’t come up with words that wouldn’t make him sound strange or desperate.

* * *

Liam and Doug took shelter under the awning outside O’Grady’s Sports. There had been a steady rain all morning.

“You could’ve picked a better day,” Doug said as he shook some of the water off his jacket.

Liam rolled his eyes. “I sent an email to the Bureau of Meteorology, ordering a nice sunny day, but they didn’t reply.” He glanced at his reflection in the shop window. “Do I look okay?”

“You look like a drowned cat. I thought this wasn’t a date? You just wanted to say hello to the guy, remember.”

“I know, but I want to create a good first impression.” Liam threw up his hands. “Okay, I’m not being rational. Shoot me!”

Doug laughed and slapped Liam’s back. “You’ll be fine. Just be yourself and say hello. Then we can get out of here and somewhere out of the weather where we can get something hot to warm us up.”

Liam nodded but didn’t move.

“Well?” Doug gave Liam a gentle shove towards the door.

“Did your parents say anything about yesterday’s news report?” Liam asked.

Doug raised his eyes to the heavens. “You’re not usually a procrastinator.... I presume you mean about the anti-homophobia campaign. Yes, they did. Dad said hopefully the idea will filter down to the grassroots level for guys like you, and Mum said it would be nice to go to the footy and not hear so much disgusting abuse anymore.”

Liam gave Doug a small smile. “Your mum’s an optimist.”

“And you’re a chicken. Get in there! I’ll be right behind you.”

Liam swallowed once and squared his shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

The two young men entered the store. There were three racks of sports tops – football, netball, and basketball – on the left hand side, and a display of AFL-club-branded toy footballs on the right. Along both walls were miscellaneous sporting items such as drink bottles, sweatbands, and carry bags. Further back on the left, there were sections dedicated to particular sports, while on the right there was a collection of home-gym equipment and a display of various sporting shoes.

In front of them was the checkout counter, behind which stood a young man about their age, and a middle-aged gentleman. The two were talking quietly, the younger man with his back to the store entrance.

Liam took a breath and stepped forward. “Excuse me, but does Jim Henderson work here?”

The young man turned around and scowled. “Hello, Liam, Doug.” Despite the expression on his face, Neil’s tone was neutral.

“Four-Dork!” Liam glanced back at Doug who seemed equally surprised.

“Yes, Jim works here, but he’s not in at the moment. Can I help you?”

“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Liam found himself uncomfortable under Neil’s hostile gaze. It had never bothered him before, but Clarissa’s comments about Neil over a week earlier had unsettled him.

Neil stared for a moment. “Can I ask what it’s about?”

“Ah...I wanted to find out if he got my letter.”

Neil’s eyebrows rose. “A letter?”

Liam found himself glancing past Neil at the older gentleman behind him. The middle-aged man, whose name tag read ‛Mr. O’Grady’, had his eyes fixed on Liam. His expression was neutral, but his body language indicated faint disapproval. “I was asking if he’d come out to the school to do one of those footy clinics the Leopards did last year.”

“I’ll phone him. In the meantime, why don’t you have a look around and see if there’s anything you’re interested in?”

“Sure. Thanks, Four...er...Neil.” Liam grabbed Doug by the arm and pulled him a few steps away. The two put their heads close together so they could whisper.

“What’s he doing here?” Doug asked.

Liam glanced back at where Neil had his phone to his ear. “No fucking idea, but he knows Jim, and he’s got his number.”

“Tread carefully, Liam. Four-Dork can really mess things up for you.”

“Don’t I know it! Come on. Let’s see if there’s anything to buy. It might make a good impression to counter anything Four-Dork tells Jim.”

A few minutes later, Neil approached them while they were checking out the various footballs. “Jim’s busy at the moment, but he might be able to drop in later. How long will you be sticking around?”

Liam glanced at Doug, who shrugged. “We can stay in Lilydale for a couple of hours if he’s going to be back by then.”

“I’ll let him know, but I can’t promise anything. He’s busy training and may not be able to make it in time.”

“He’s at the club?” Liam mentally crossed his fingers.

Neil scowled. “Probably.”

“Maybe we’ll see him there. Thanks, Neil.” Liam was making a conscious effort to avoid using the Four-Dork nickname.

Neil glanced at what Liam and Doug had been browsing. “I believe we’ve still got a couple of footballs that Jim’s autographed if you’re interested.”

“Yeah, sure! That’d be great.” Liam felt a purchase would help ease things with Jim, and an autographed football would be worthwhile in its own right.

“I’ll check out the back.”

Doug and Liam headed back to the checkout counter where the older man was waiting.

“Did you find what you wanted?” Mr. O’Grady asked.

“Neil’s checking out the back for an autographed football,” Liam said.

Mr. O’Grady frowned. “Did he tell you how much they were?”

“Er...no. I didn’t ask.”

“The only ones left are the top-of-the-range Sherrin Kangaroo Brand footballs. We’re selling them for $159.95.”

Liam gulped. “That’s a bit more than I think I can afford.”

“I’ll go in halves with you,” Doug said from behind Liam.

Liam spun around. “You don’t have to. It’s a lot of money.”

Doug smiled. “You want one, don’t you?” When Liam nodded, Doug continued. “That’s what friends are for. Think of it as a really early birthday present.”

Liam grabbed Doug and pulled him into a bear hug. “Thanks, mate.”

“I’ve found three,” Neil said as he approached. “Have a look and let me know which one you’d like.” He placed the autographed leather footballs on the counter.

Liam glanced at Doug. “Red or yellow?”

Doug shrugged. “It’s your choice.”

Liam made a quick decision “I’ll take the red.” He picked it up, leaving the two yellow footballs on the counter. He rotated the ovoid ball until he found Jim’s signature and then smiled. The football was expensive, but it was something special that he could keep for a long time.

“I’ll take the other two away, then.” Neil went to pick up the two yellow footballs but was stopped by the older man.

“Leave them for now, Neil. I want to show you how to ring this one up. The autographed footballs have a five dollar markup that goes to the club, so we need to process them differently than normal.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Liam watched, it became obvious that Neil was a new employee at the store. The older man, who he assumed was the store owner, was giving him instructions on what to do.

Neil placed the football into a plastic bag. After a moment’s hesitation, he rolled up that bag and put it and the football inside a second bag. “Here you are. That should stop it from getting wet.”

Liam smiled. “Thanks, Neil.”

Neil scowled, but his tone was upbeat. “My pleasure, Liam. I hope you have a nice day.”

“Yeah. You, too.” Liam hesitated. “If Jim rings back and says he’s coming in later, I don’t suppose you could text me to let me know?”

“I don’t have your number.”

“I’ll give it to you.” Liam tried to smile, but he didn’t think it was effective. Trying to act like friends after all the times of being anything but wouldn’t come over as being sincere.

Neil glanced at Mr. O’Grady who nodded. “As long as you don’t give them Jim’s number, that’s fine. I’m sure if he’s free, he’d be happy to meet Liam and his...er...friend.”

Liam winced but didn’t try to contradict the older man. Neil’s look of glee didn’t help the situation.

“Yes, sir.” Neil smirked. “I’ll let Jim know that Liam and his...friend...will be around for the next couple of hours.”

Doug stepped up next to Liam. His fists were clenched. “Watch it, Four-Dork. You know Liam’s not my boyfriend.”

Neil cringed and took a half step backwards.

Mr. O’Grady shuffled past Neil. “I’m sorry. That’s my fault. I just assumed.... My apologies.”

“It’s okay.” Liam turned to Doug and quickly whispered. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Doug scowled, but he took a step back. “Sorry.”

Mr. O’Grady glanced at Doug, then Neil, and finally Liam. “Maybe you should give me your number. I’ll contact you if Jim drops in.”

“Thank you.” Liam wrote down his phone number and handed it over. “If Jim’s not available, I understand.”

Mr. O’Grady nodded. “Have a nice day.”

* * *

Once the customers were out of the store, Mr. O’Grady turned and stared down his nose at Neil. “You obviously have a history with those two.”

Neil nodded. He didn’t meet his boss’s eyes. “They’ve been bullying me for the last five years.”

Mr. O’Grady’s eyes widened. “That long. In that case, I think you did very well. Very professional, apart from the comment at the end. I’ll excuse that this once, but don’t do it again. To be honest, I was almost going to say ‛boyfriend’, but I stopped myself. Never make assumptions about customers. You could be wrong, and you risk offending them.” He paused, taking in the body language of the chastened youth in front of him and then reached over and put a hand on Neil’s shoulder. “Contact Jim and let him know what’s going on. I’ll leave it up to you as to whether you tell him about the bullying.”

Neil flinched. “He already knows. I told him about it on Monday.”

“I see...” The older man frowned. “Did those two play a part in your original decision to drop out of school.”

Neil shrugged. “A little, but not a lot. That was mainly me needing to move out of home. I hate them, but I’ve lived with their abuse for so long, I can take it for a bit longer.” His eyes flicked up to meet Mr. O’Grady’s before dropping back down to the carpeted floor. “They might even be stopping. They didn’t do anything the last week of term.”

“Okay, back to work. Oh, and congratulations on the sale. You worked out what the customer wanted, and you gave it to him. You even managed to get him to spend more than he originally intended. Wrapping the football in a second bag to stop the rain from getting to it was a good idea, too. Well done!”

Neil looked up. Mr. O’Grady was pleased to see a small smile on Neil’s lips. “Thank you, sir.”

* * *

Liam and Doug paused just inside the entrance to the Lilydale Leopards’ admin building. They took off their jackets and shook off the water.

Doug glanced at Liam. “Do you want me to take the lead this time?”

Liam shook his head. “This was supposed to be for me, so I’d better do it. I’m just concerned that Four-Dor...er...Neil has gotten in first and given me a bad rap.”

Doug cracked his knuckles. “If he has...”

“No!” Liam grabbed Doug’s arm. “Don’t forget what Clarissa’s got on me. I can’t afford for that to get out.”

Doug smirked. “I’ll never forget that, Liam, m’boy, and I’d love to see it for myself, but okay,” he waved a hand, “it’s all yours.”

Liam approached the desk where a portly, though still pleasant-looking, woman was sitting. She had been watching the two guys as soon as they’d entered the building.

“Excuse me, but is there any chance that Jim Henderson is here today?”

She smiled. “He’s currently training. Is he expecting you?”

“No...well, maybe. Someone we know rang him earlier to let him know that we were on our way.”

She frowned. “Your names?”

“Liam Bellweather and Doug Harding.”

“Can I ask what it’s about?”

Liam pulled a face and stared down at the top of the desk. “I wrote him a letter a few weeks ago just after he made the news. I wanted to find out if he got the letter and whether he’s going to be coming to our school.”

“Oh, you’re that Liam!” Liam looked up to see her beaming. “I’ll see if he’s available. I’m sure he’d love to say hello even if he can’t spend much time with you.” She picked up the phone before nodding her head in the direction behind the guys. “Take a seat and I’ll be back to you soon.”

Doug and Liam moved over to the far side of the reception area to where there was a set of comfortable chairs. Doug sank into one, but Liam perched on the edge of his, too tense to relax.

“That sounded promising,” Doug said.

“Yeah, but Neil’s got a direct line to Jim. Would she know what he’s been saying?”

“Nothing you can do about it, Liam. Don’t stress.”

Liam grimaced. “What would you say about a complete back-away from Neil? Drop the Four-Dork nickname and just treat him like any other student?”

Doug frowned. “Why? You’re not going soft on me, are you?”

“No, but Clarissa said something to me last week, and I can’t convince myself she’s wrong.”

“You’ve still got feelings for that bitch?”

Liam shrugged. “Not really, but she generally doesn’t lie. She told me she’s concerned that...er...Neil may become suicidal if we keep harassing him. That’s why she’s blackmailing me. To try to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Doug stared expressionlessly for several seconds before responding. “If that’s what you want.”

Liam smiled. “Yeah, I do. The guy’s a loser, but I wouldn’t want that on my conscience.”

Doug’s response went unsaid as their attention was drawn to the approach of a thickset blond in his early twenties.

“Hi, I’m Tony Hills, the marketing assistant here. Which one of you two is Liam?”

The two guys stood up, and Liam stepped forward. “That’d be me.”

Tony grinned and shook his hand. “I’m really pleased to meet you. Jim showed me the letter you wrote; it made a big impression on him. I’ve told him you’re here, and he’ll join us after he’s cleaned up. Why don’t you come through with me to my office, and we’ll wait for him there?”

“Cool!” Liam grinned at Doug. The two bumped fists and followed Tony further into the building.

“I’ve got the schedule for the school visits on my laptop. I’ll check out when we’re visiting yours as soon as we get there. Which school do you go to?”

“Ringwood East Secondary,” Liam said.

Tony glanced at him, the smile on his face fading. “I think I can remember that one. Five or six weeks’ time, from memory, somewhere around the middle of the term.”

“That’s absolutely fantastic! Jim will be there?”

Tony’s smile returned. “Barring accidents, yes. He didn’t used to do the school programs, but after getting your letter, he changed things around and organised it so he could go.” Tony paused at the entrance to one of the offices and indicated that his two guests should enter. “I’ll just grab another couple of chairs. I won’t be long.”

Liam grinned at Doug as soon as Tony was gone. “It’s all working out!”

Doug chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose it is. Now hold onto yourself and don’t cum in your pants when your idol shows up, because if you do, I’m going to take photos and show everyone.”

Liam laughed, but Tony returned before he could tell Doug to go jump.

“Here you are...Doug, isn’t it?” Tony put down the two chairs he’s collected. “Jim will probably be ten-to-fifteen minutes, so why don’t you two tell me a bit about yourselves while we wait?”

It was closer to twenty minutes later before Jim showed up, a phone held to his ear.

“...yeah, that’s right.” Jim smiled at the two guys, but it was obvious his concentration was still on his phone call. He rolled his eyes. “Yes, Neil, Tony and I will be there for dinner. Now, I’ve got to go. I’m meeting your two friends from school.” There was another pause. “Okay, thanks. See you tomorrow, mate.”

Jim grinned as he put away his phone. “Hi, guys. Sorry about taking so long.”

Tony stepped forward. “Jim, I’d like you to meet Liam and Doug.” He indicated to the two in turn. “Liam’s the one who wrote you that letter.”

Jim shook hands with Doug first. “G’day, Doug.”

Doug smiled. “Hi, Jim.”

Jim turned to Liam. “I’m pleased to finally meet you, Liam. I thought I’d have to wait until I attended your school.”

“Thank you. I think what you’re doing is fantastic. It’s what inspired me to come out to my family and the school.” Liam was still tense. It was obvious from that overheard conversation that Jim and Neil were more than just work colleagues.

Jim grinned as he settled into the spare chair. “Do either of you play any sports?”

Liam answered for them. “We both play football for the school as well as for our local club. During the off season, Doug plays cricket, and I play basketball.”

“That’s great!” Jim reached out and gave both guys a high five. “How have your teammates handled your coming out?”

Liam flicked a glance at Doug. He knew he was about to get into trouble, but this had been one of the reasons he wanted to talk to Jim. “Generally, fine, but there’s been a few problems.”

Doug scowled and leant forward. “What problems? I haven’t seen any.... What haven’t you been telling me?”

Liam tried to give Doug an apologetic smile before turning back to Jim. “Doug here’s my best mate. He’s been keeping an eye out and putting any homophobes in their place.”

Jim had a faint frown on his face while he stared at Doug. He then gave Liam an encouraging smile. “What is it that he doesn’t know?”

“No one’s said anything to my face, but some of my footy-club teammates are avoiding me. They’re going out of their way to not even kick the ball to me during a game.”

“That’s not good.” Jim frowned. “Footy’s a team sport. I can appreciate that they might be uncomfortable with you in some settings, but not treating you as part of the team is hurting everyone.”

“Names, Liam.” Doug grabbed the sleeve of Liam’s jacket. “I want names.”

“Doug, I appreciate you want to defend Liam but some things he needs to do by himself.” Jim turned back to Liam. “You obviously came here, hoping to talk about it. I was going to head back to the gym, but I’ll stick around for a while.”

Liam smiled with relief. “Thanks, Jim.”

Jim glanced across to the quiet person in the room. “Tony, can you show Doug around the club? It’ll be easier if Liam and I talk in private.”

Tony smiled as he rose to his feet. “Sure, Jim. Come on, Doug. I’ll take you down to the gym and introduce you to some of the guys.”

Doug was reluctant to go, but Liam gave him a silent reassurance that everything was okay. Once they were alone, Liam found he had trouble meeting Jim’s eyes.

“Okay, Liam. What’s been going on?”

* * *

Christopher Talbot poked his head into Patrick O’Malley’s office. “Sir, I’ve got some more news on Ty Flanders that you might find interesting.”

The old man looked up from the statistics he was studying. “Yes?”

“It’s from the Lilydale Leopards’ website. Last night, Ty Flanders was voted in as vice-captain.”

Mr. O’Malley frowned. “What are the age ranges of the Leopards?”

Christopher checked his tablet. “They’ve got four players, including Flanders, who are eighteen. The oldest is their captain, Roger McDowell, at twenty-six. He’s also their only ex-AFL player. Most of the players are twenty to twenty-three, with one player who’s twenty-four and three who are nineteen.”

“A young team.” Mr. O’Malley tapped his lips thoughtfully. “Still, it’s odd that they’ve picked an eighteen-year-old for vice-captain. Do they have a co-captain or a co-vice-captain?”

“No, sir. It’s McDowell as the captain and now Flanders as the vice-captain.”

“Interesting...”

“Do you think it’s significant, sir?”

“Definitely. If, as you told me on Monday, Flanders had an attitude problem, the fact that his teammates voted him vice-captain says a lot.”

“He was popular at the draft camp despite the attitude.” Christopher flicked through a couple of pages on his tablet. “However, he wasn’t put in a leadership position in any of his junior clubs or during the TAC Cup.”

Mr. O’Malley smiled. “Keep an eye on him. Leadership potential is another plus for him if his attitude issues have been corrected. If they haven’t, it’s a minus, as he could lead other players astray.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Note down that I want a review of Flanders in four weeks’ time. That will give us a chance to see him over a range of games in hopefully a variety of conditions. Get a scout to each of his games – and to some of his training sessions, if feasible. Try to keep it as low-key as possible; we don’t want to alert the other teams too early. No contact at this stage; we’re still only monitoring him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s upgraded to draftable at our next draft-review meeting.”

Christopher smiled. “Yes, sir.”

“Any word on what caused the attitude change?”

“Not yet. We’re hampered by not wanting anyone to know of our interest in the kid. We’ve got a couple of possible contacts who we could talk to once we have the okay to ask questions.”

Mr. O’Malley’s face was scrunched while he considered the matter. “One contact. Whichever one is least likely to blurt the news out to others.”

“The fact that someone is asking questions will probably get out. At a minimum, they’ll almost certainly tell Flanders.”

“Be as discreet as you can. The information is important, but you can take up to four weeks to get it.” Mr. O’Malley turned his attention back to the printout in front of him, effectively dismissing his assistant.

Christopher returned to his desk and reviewed his notes. After careful consideration of the options, he rang one of the trainers. “Alan, I’ve got a job for you.”

“What is it?”

“Get back in touch with Peter Stevenson.” According to Christopher’s records, Alan had previously worked with the Leopards’ head coach and had maintained a passing acquaintanceship. “You’ve got four weeks to find out what’s going on inside his team and what’s happening with Ty Flanders, in particular. You can probably use the fact that they’ve elected an eighteen-year-old as vice-captain as an opener. We need to keep this quiet, so take your time and try not to give away too much.”

“Peter’s not stupid. If I ask questions, he’ll know that the club’s interested.”

“I know. If you need to, tell him that we’re curious, but Flanders is a long way from the top of our list. From what you’ve told me, Stevenson will know not to raise Flanders’s hopes by saying anything too early. We can accept it if the Leopards’ head coach knows as long it goes no further.”

* * *

Doug scowled at the person seated across from him in the train carriage. “You’re going to have to tell me eventually.”

Liam shrugged. “Jim’s pointed out that it’s only been two games and that the other guys on the team may just need time to sort things out for themselves. He suggested I try to speak to them, one on one, and to wait a bit longer.”

“How long before I need to start breaking heads?”

“Hopefully, everything will be sorted in a couple of weeks. Can you wait until then?”

Doug frowned. A couple of seconds later, he spoke. “Jeremy?”

Liam glared. “I said I’m not telling you. At least not yet. I don’t want you barging in and wrecking the team because you couldn’t give them a chance!”

“Scott, then. Or, maybe Keith.”

Liam threw his hands up. “Give it a rest, Doug! I told you: I’ll deal with it, and I’ll let you know if I need help!”

Doug clicked his fingers and pointed at Liam. “Sam!”

Liam stared and then shook his head. “Sam has to be one of the nicest guys around. There’s no fucking way that he’s homophobic!”

Doug nodded slowly. “Okay, that’s one name off the list. What about Eric?”

“Doug...” Liam turned away and did his best to tune out. He knew Doug was going to go through the whole team, one at a time, trying to find out who had been avoiding him.

Instead, Liam thought about the private conversation he’d had with Jim. It had only been afterwards that an odd thing had struck him. Jim had mentioned Neil in passing, acknowledging that Liam was one of Neil’s classmates, but only as a side comment. Either Neil hadn’t mentioned the bullying, or Jim had decided not to raise it. Liam didn’t know which.

* * *

Ty and Karen stared out at the night rain. They were standing in the southern exit from Box Hill Central, having arrived at the train station underneath the shopping centre a few minutes earlier. Late-night shopping was in full swing behind them, but they were only passing through on their now-regular Thursday night out.

“There’s the Indochine,” Karen said, pointing across the narrow one-way road to the Vietnamese restaurant where they had a booking. It had been recommended to Ty by Tony as a reasonably priced place to eat with good-quality food.

Ty took off his jacket and held it over their heads. “Let’s make a run for it.”

A couple of minutes later, they were seated in the crowded room, and Ty was making the introductions.

“Karen, this is Alex, Tony’s flatmate.” He grinned at the guy sitting next to Alex and stretched out his hand. “You must be Ethan. Guys, this is Karen.”

“Pleased to meet you, Ty, Karen.” Ethan smiled at Ty as they shook hands. “Alex has been raving about his new best friend, so it’s good to finally meet you.”

Alex gave Ethan a mock-frown. “I haven’t been raving. Frothing at the mouth and sending you crazy by talking about him all the time, maybe, but I...do...not...rave.” Alex winked at Karen. “Had a bad experience at a rave party last year, and I haven’t raved since.”

Karen chuckled. “Should I be jealous?”

Ethan shrugged. “No more than me. Since Ty came out on national TV as straight and Alex knows he’s allowed to look but not touch, I’m not concerned.”

“You trust him?”

“Absolutely!” Ethan turned and gave his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, followed by another on the lips when Alex smiled and turned his head.

Ty thought he heard something from behind him, but when he turned his head he didn’t see anything unusual; just the rest of the restaurant patrons at their tables.

“Ignore them, Ty. They’re not worth worrying about,” Alex said.

“Who are you talking about?” Karen asked.

“I won’t tell you exactly because there’s no point in making a scene, but there’s some guys a couple of tables back who appeared to object to Ethan and me kissing.” Alex grimaced and shook his head. “This is supposed to be an enjoyable night out, and I don’t want it spoilt.”

“I wouldn’t spoil our night out – just theirs.” Ty stretched his arms above his head in a way that showed off his muscles. “It might even be fun.”

“Ty...”

Karen’s warning growl made Ty drop his arms and give her a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Bad habits, I suppose.”

Karen smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Give me time and I’ll teach you some new bad habits you can use, instead.”

“Sounds cool to me!” Ty leered “I’ve got a list of things I want to learn.”

Ethan gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes “Great! Now I see why Alex likes you so much, Ty. You two think alike.”

Karen grinned. “Isn’t that one of the reasons you’re with Alex? Because of the way he thinks?”

Ethan laughed. “Touché.”

The conversation was interrupted by the waitress taking the orders. The four quickly narrowed that chore by selecting the set menu: a selection of popular starters and main courses, following by tea, coffee, and gourmet ice cream.

“Where were we?” Alex asked.

Karen grinned. “We were talking about how you and Ty think alike. You’re probably identical twins, separated at birth.”

Alex glanced at his body and then across the table at the much larger and muscular Ty. “I can see the resemblance.”

Ethan chuckled. “Yeah, right. You’re Danny de Vito, and he’s Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

“Don’t be cruel, Ethan.” Karen smiled. “Alex is much better looking than that.”

“You tell him!” Alex gave her a thumbs-up as he glanced at Ty. “She’s a keeper.”

Ty shook his head. “No, she’s a cat.” He grinned at Karen. “Slinky, sexy, beautiful to look at, lovely to hold, but with a mind of her own and claws to make sure she gets her way. You don’t own a cat; it owns you.”

Karen laughed. “What does that make you?”

“I’m a dog. Loyal, eager, but prone to making messes that need to be cleaned up. Also with a tendency towards inappropriate displays of affection.” Ty leant over and licked Karen’s neck.

“Ew...Ty!” Karen pushed him away, though not too hard, and she smiled when she did so.

The other two guys laughed.

Alex tried to look concerned, but a cheeky grin kept spoiling it. “I’m sorry, Karen, but that doesn’t bode well for you. I mean one of the easiest ways to keep a dog happy is to give it a bone. That’s what I do with Ethan, but you’re the wrong sex.”

Ethan punched him. “Alex, behave!” He glanced at Karen. “Sorry, sometimes he shouldn’t be let out.”

Karen chuckled. “It’s okay. Ty has a bone he can play with if he’s bored. He doesn’t require any others.”

“Too right! There’s lots of things I can do with my own bone; I don’t need someone else’s.” He leant forward and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “The best fun is when I get to bury my bone...”

Alex gave Ty a high-five while Ethan buried his face in his hands. “Jim was right. Alex and Ty should never have been introduced to each other.” Ethan looked up to give Karen a sardonic stare. “I’m not sure you’re any better.”

Karen grinned as she wrapped herself around Ty’s right arm. “I’m only like this with friends. Most of the time I’m concentrating on trying to keep this big lug under control.”

“You’ve got your work cut out for you, then.” Alex winked.

Karen smiled. “If I’m a cat, and Ty’s a dog, what are you two? Dogs, too?”

“Yes.”

“No.” Ethan smiled at Alex’s surprise before turning back to Karen. “Alex is a monkey. Curious, into everything, loves to touch, always cheeky, and never stops.”

Alex considered it for a moment and then grinned. “A monkey it is.” His hand slipped under the table. “Monkey want a banana. Monkey want a banana, now!”

Ethan grabbed Alex’s hand and brought it back up above the table. “Monkey can have a banana when we get home, but only if he behaves.”

Alex pouted. “Monkey doesn’t know how to behave.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know...”

Karen and Ty laughed.

“What about you? We’ve got a cat, dog, and monkey at the table. Who’s the last one?” Karen asked.

“He’s a spider.” Alex grinned at the surprised expressions. “He lays a trap for the innocent–”

Ethan snorted. “You? Innocent? Never!”

Alex flipped him a middle finger while still grinning at Karen and Ty. “He lures them into his den, where he injects his venom so they can’t escape. Unlike most spiders, though, his venom doesn’t kill or paralyse. Instead, it invokes such waves of ecstasy that the poor victim never wants to escape.” He leant forward and lowered his voice, like Ty had done moments before. “I won’t mention how he really does have eight limbs while he’s consuming his victim. He’s got hands everywhere.”

“Normally, I kill spiders, but it sounds like I need to make some exceptions.” Ty chuckled. “I prefer being a dog, though.”

“You just like playing with bones.” Alex smirked. “Admit it.”

Ty jabbed a finger at Alex. “There’s no way I’m ever playing with your bone. I’ve got suspicions as to where it’s been, and I’m having nothing to do with it.”

Karen chuckled. “Guys, I haven’t had a fun conversation like this for ages. Thank you, but I think it’s time for the cat to get her claws out and make everyone play nice. We are in a public place, even if it’s noisy enough that I doubt anyone could overhear us clearly.”

Ty sighed. “I suppose so.” He grinned across the table at the other two guys. “We’re going to have to do this again. How about next Thursday?”

Karen shook her head. “Sorry, Ty. I’m working next Thursday. And every Thursday after that, as well.”

Ty frowned. “What? But you’re already working Friday to Sunday. If you add Thursday, it doesn’t leave much time for just us.”

Karen smiled. “I’m not adding Thursday. I’m moving from Saturday to Thursday.” She gave him a kiss on the lips. “I decided that I don’t want to keep missing out on your games. I can’t make the Sunday matches, but after next week I’ll be able to be there for the Saturday ones and to go out and celebrate afterwards with someone special.”

“Woo hoo!” Ty grinned and gave her a longer kiss. “When did you organise this?”

“I asked a couple of weeks ago if it was possible. My boss approved the change last weekend, and I got the email today telling me that the paperwork has all been done. I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you.”

Ty kissed her again. “Another reason to celebrate!”

“Another reason?” Karen asked. “What else are we celebrating?”

Ty grinned. “Last night, the team voted to put me in charge of all illegal team activities.”

“Way to go!” Alex put up his hand and slapped Ty’s. “Congratulations, mate!”

Karen and Ethan exchanged puzzled looks.

“What are you talking about?” Karen asked. “What illegal activities?”

Ty shrugged. “I think that’s up to me. Any suggestions?”

Alex grinned. “You’re on the wrong track, Karen. You need to learn to think outside the square.”

Karen frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Ty’s been elected as the head of illegal activities. That is, the captain of vice, normally called the vice-captain. Which is fantastic news!” Alex gave Ty a two-thumbs-up salute.

Karen turned to Ty and raised her eyebrows. He grinned and nodded in reply and then gave her a kiss.

Ethan glanced between Alex and Ty and then shook his head. “They’ve even got the same sick sense of humour. They really must be twins.” He gave Karen a sympathetic smile. “Welcome to the nuthouse.”

* * *

“Neil told me that you had a couple of visitors today,” Todd said as he sat on the edge of his bed, phone in hand. His nightly call with Neil had finished a couple of minutes earlier.

“Yeah, Liam and Doug. Neil rang me from the store to let me know they were on their way to the club.” Jim’s voice was a little scratchy. It wasn’t the best connection, but it was clear enough.

“What did you think of them?”

Jim chuckled. “My thoughts were coloured by Neil’s views before I met them, but overall I thought they were okay, though they both needed work. Doug’s a thug, pure and simple, but he’s also extremely loyal to his friend. Liam seemed more complex, but that could be because I spent more time with him.”

“Did Neil tell you that they’ve been bullying him?”

“Yeah.... As I said, I could see it in Doug. If it started years ago as Neil indicated, it might be one of those things that’s continued without necessarily any real reason. Both guys struck me as being callous and not particularly sympathetic to anyone they didn’t consider manly.”

“Which would be Neil.”

“Exactly. My read is that Doug would’ve been the instigator and Liam the follower. Liam was still in the closet and probably afraid that anyone would see him as weak. When you’re a twelve- or thirteen-year-old kid, Doug’s attitude would’ve looked strong, and Liam’s been copying him. He’s now got the mindset that he has to be tough if he’s to be considered a man.” Jim snorted. “He seems to think I’m the role model on how to do that.”

Todd laughed. “Did you set him straight?”

“No, but I gave him my phone number. He’s got a couple of problems that I’m pleased to say he’s trying to resolve himself and not let Doug deal with them for him. He’s going to call me to let me know how things go.”

“Was that wise?”

“Probably wiser than giving Neil my number. I don’t have to be careful with Liam by mentioning Tony whenever I talk to him. Neil’s got a major crush, and I don’t want to feed it.”

“Are you sure?” Todd knew that Neil’d had a crush after his young friend had broken down during their phone conversation on Monday night. He hadn’t told Jim because he thought Neil had accepted that Jim was out of reach. Todd wasn’t sure if Jim’s comment related to what had happened on Monday, or if Neil’s behaviour had continued during the week.

“Yeah. The brat was the one who picked up on it after your outing on Sunday. I had to tell him afterwards that he was right. At least he’s matured enough to know not to rub it in too much.”

Todd chuckled, relieved that it appeared to be the Monday incident that had prompted Jim’s comment. “If you can do that to the brat, maybe you should take Doug and Liam under your wing, too.”

“No fucking way! The brat’s more than enough for me.” There was a short pause. “Underneath, I think Liam’s pretty decent. He needs to learn to be more tolerant of others and to turn his empathy back on, but I saw signs that he’s learning he doesn’t have to bully people to be considered strong.”

“What about the other one?”

“I didn’t spend enough time with him. He’s extremely loyal and overly protective. He wanted to thump some of his teammates because they weren’t treating Liam the way he thought they should. The only thing holding him back was Liam wouldn’t tell him who they were.”

“A bit like the brat, then, if anyone says anything about you.”

“What are you talking about? Has he been doing something behind my back?”

Todd grinned. “You don’t need to know. All I’m going to say is that Ty didn’t thump anyone. He looked like he might, but he stepped away.”

There was another pause before Jim responded. “I don’t want the brat to get into trouble. As long as he walks away, I can live with that. As for Doug, I’m not sure if he would. He’s not mature enough, and if Neil offends him in any way, Doug may lash out without thinking. Just my impression; I might be wrong.”

“Okay, thanks, Jim. Neil told me he wanted to ring you to ask what happened, but he didn’t want to bother you.”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow, either at work or at your place over dinner. I’ll also have a chat with Tony before then to get his impressions of Doug. Tony took him for a tour around the club while I spoke with Liam. He might have some insights into Doug’s character.”

“Sounds good! Regarding tomorrow night, given the number of people showing up we’ve decided to get pizzas. I know Tony can’t have any, so can I leave it with you to bring something for him?”

“No problem. I’ll ring him now to organise it.”

“Thanks, Jim. I’ll let you go, then. See you tomorrow at training!”

* * *

It was Friday morning, and Dave was feeling guilty. He had promised Charlie that he would mention the nightmares to Dr. Wiesenburg, and he hadn’t. His excuse was that the psychologist was a professional and would know the best things to discuss, and they were still going through his aggression issues. The referral from Dr. Bardley had mentioned sleeping issues, but so far the psychologist hadn’t asked any questions along those lines.

Dave mentally stiffened his spine. The sleeping problems were under control. The slight increase in the dosage of his sleeping pills had made a difference, and Dave was sleeping better.

At least, that’s what he told himself.