Leopard Spots - 7. Chapter 7

Todd grinned as he stepped through the door and gave his girlfriend a kiss. Her home still had that faint citrus smell from the air freshener she used to hide the less-than-pristine nature of the rented house.

“You’re early.” Lorraine frowned slightly. “Is there something wrong?”

Todd chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off the ground, and spun around once. “No, nothing’s wrong. I didn’t see any point sitting around at home when I could be here with you, instead.”

Putting Lorraine down, Todd glanced around. “Are the kids up yet?”

Lorraine smiled. “Sean’s having breakfast; he’s eager to go. Becky....” She shook her head.

Todd’s grin faded away. “She’s still on her high horse?” When Lorraine nodded, he grimaced. “Does she know I won’t be able to be here next Saturday? I don’t want her to misunderstand and think I’ve dumped you.”

Lorraine sighed. “I’ve told her that you’ve got commitments and can’t make it every Saturday morning, but you know how she is. She hears what she wants to hear.”

Todd gnawed on his lower lip for a moment. “Tell you what, how about I come here next Saturday morning and go with you to Sean’s AusKick, then head off from there. I can probably stay for maybe half an hour before I have to leave.”

“Are you sure?” Lorraine frowned. “You don’t want to be late; it’s a long trip down to Geelong.”

Todd smiled. “I only have to get back to Lilydale before the team bus leaves. I’ll have time, and that way I get to see you and the kids before I go.”

Lorraine gave him a light kiss on the lips. “You’re wonderful. I really don’t deserve you.”

Todd scowled. “Stop putting yourself down!” He pulled her into a hug. “You’re a wonderful person, Lorraine, and I can’t stop wondering how lucky I am. I’ve got you and the kids in my life now, and I’ve never been happier.”

Lorraine pushed back so she could look up into his face. “Does that include Becky?”

Todd chuckled. “Yes, it includes Becky. I know she hates me, but that’s because she’s loyal to you. She doesn’t want to see you hurt again, and since I don’t, either, I understand where she’s coming from. Give her time.”

“I hope you’re right.” Lorraine rested her head on Todd’s chest. “Sometimes I want to throttle her.”

“She’s only ten. She’s still got a lot of growing up to do.” Todd cocked his head as he smiled. “Now, how about I make sure Sean’s ready while you check on Becky?”

Lorraine smiled, though Todd noticed that she seemed a little uncertain. He knew Lorraine had low self-esteem from the years of failed relationships after the breakup of her marriage, and he was always careful to try to avoid adding to her problems.

The two headed into the kitchen where Sean was busy shovelling cornflakes into his mouth. When he saw Todd, the young boy looked up and grinned, trickles of milk running down his chin. “Todd!”

“How’s my little man, today? Ready to see how hard you can kick the footy?” Todd asked as he slipped into the chair next to Sean.

“I’m going to kick a goal today! My coach told me that I’m going to play in the forward zone.”

Todd ruffled Sean’s hair. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Sean. Kicking goals is great, but helping someone else kick a goal is just as good, if not better. Footy’s a team sport; everyone works together to win the game. It doesn’t really matter who kicks the goals.”

Sean was wide-eyed. “But...”

“No buts. Everyone tries their hardest, and everyone helps each other.” Todd smiled down at the young boy next to him and reminded himself that Sean was only six. “Do you like it when someone kicks you the ball?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“And do you think they’ll like it when you kick them the ball?”

Sean’s face screwed up. “I guess so.”

“How would you feel if instead of kicking you the ball, your teammates kept it for themselves so they could be the ones to always kick the goals?”

“But that’s not fair!”

“Exactly!” Todd grinned. “It’s not fair if they don’t share the ball with you, and it’s not fair if you don’t share the ball with them. If you get a chance to kick a goal, go for it, but don’t hog the ball when you get a chance to let someone else have a go. It doesn’t matter if you don’t kick a goal; helping your teammates get one is just as good.”

Sean frowned as he thought about it. “Okay.”

Todd ruffled Sean’s hair again. “Good boy. Now, finish your breakfast, and let’s make sure we’ve got everything ready. If we get there early enough, the two of us could do a little kick-to-kick before AusKick starts.”

Todd had done some checking during the week. This was to be his first time at an AusKick event since he was in primary school and the first time as a spectator. From what he’d read online, Sean would have about an hour of warm-up activities and skills training before the actual match, which for his age group would only go for twelve minutes. Sean wouldn’t get a lot of chances to kick a goal, which is why Todd tried to make sure the young kid wouldn’t be discouraged if he didn’t score. The odds were he wouldn’t.

* * *

Neil was in shock. He had expected to spend the Saturday morning buying a few clothes, sticking them in his backpack, and then disappearing for the rest of the day. Clarissa’s expectations turned out to be different.

Instead of the couple of shirts and maybe a new pair of jeans that Neil had been anticipating purchasing, he was weighed down with three button-up shirts, four polo shirts, two jackets, one pair of dress pants, two pairs of jeans, one pair of slip-on shoes, and one pair of sneakers. Clarissa had also given him instructions as to what went with what, including clear instructions to never, ever, wear the dress pants with anything except a button-up shirt and the new shoes.

It was when she started selecting caps for him to wear that he finally rebelled.

“Why are you doing all of this?” Neil dropped the shopping bags, crossed his arms, and glared.

Clarissa frowned. “I would think that answer to that is obvious.”

“No, it’s not. You and I both know that you don’t want me as a boyfriend and that you’re just using me to make some sort of point against Liam. I don’t need all this stuff for you to make that point.”

Clarissa scowled. “Don’t mention Jerk Face’s name to me, again. He...” She shook her head. “It’s not like that at all.”

Neil stared at her, silently challenging her statement.

“Okay, maybe it started out that way, but I’ve moved on from the childish tit-for-tat attitude. I’ve got other reasons for wanting you to look good.”

“Let me guess.” Neil put a finger to the side of his mouth and gave a mock pout as he pretended to think. “All the legitimate possible boyfriends are taken, so you’re having to settle for the loser of the class, and you don’t want to be seen with someone like that, so you’re trying to remake me in your own image, not caring a slightest about how I feel about it.”

Clarissa’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. She narrowed her gaze as she closed her mouth, and her lips tightened with disapproval. “And that attitude is why I’m doing this.”

“What?” Neil blinked as he tried to work out what she meant.

Clarissa sighed. “How about we sit down and I’ll explain it in terms that hopefully you will understand. I’ll even buy the coffees.” She raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

Neil jerked his head up and down to signify his acceptance. His bravado was already fading.

A few minutes later, they were seated at a table in the shopping-centre food court. Neil stared at the cafe latte in front of him, as much to avoid looking at Clarissa as for any other reason.

“Neil, I’ll admit that when I first started dragging you around the school, it was to score points against Jerk Face. However, that’s no longer the case; I grew out of that after only a couple of days. Since then, I’ve realised that I know almost nothing about you, and that’s sad considering we’ve been going to the same school for over five years. I can’t think of anyone else in our year that I know so little about.”

Neil looked up. “If I tell you about myself, will you leave me alone?”

She smiled, which scared Neil. It looked like she was trying to be sympathetic.

“How about you tell me why you want to be left alone? That’s not normal, Neil, and I was hoping to do something about it.” She frowned slightly. “I’m not saying that I’m going to be your girlfriend in reality, but I’m seriously wondering why you can’t be a friend.”

Her face took on a faint frown. “I really don’t know why you’ve got a reputation as a loser. Academically, you seem to be doing well. I certainly haven’t caught any indications from the teachers that there’s an issue. Socially, you’re not disliked; you’re just ignored. Doug and that stupid nickname he lumped you with have had a lot to do with that, but you also push away anyone who tries to speak to you. So much so that you’ve got me intrigued. What secrets are you hiding, Neil?”

Neil swallowed. He dropped his gaze back to his coffee and took a sip. He hadn’t expected her to ask personal questions.

When he didn’t respond, Clarissa continued. “As we both know, Neil, Year 12 is a tough year. Everyone I’ve spoken with who’s been through it tells me that I need to have something that will take my mind off schoolwork from time to time, and I’ll admit that I’m surprised to find that for me, that something is you. I want to know who Neil Rosewood is and what makes him tick. I also want to show you that you don’t have to be the person that Doug and his cohort make you out to be. Everyone’s got redeeming features, and I’m going to find out what yours are.”

Neil scowled. “So you’re not doing it for me. You’re doing it because you’ve made me your little project for the year. Well, fuck you!”

Neil stood up and stormed off, not caring about how much attention he was attracting. He’d had enough. He needed to get away from Clarissa, and if being publicly rude to her was the only way to do so, then that’s the way he’d have to play it.

“Neil, wait!”

He ignored her. Single-minded, he marched towards the train station. He had to get out of there, and heading to Lilydale seemed like the best idea. He would be early for the game, but it might also mean he’d have a chance to see Jim before the match.

It was only when he was standing on the platform waiting for the train that he realised that he’d left all his shopping behind. He grimaced, as what Clarissa had made him spend was money down the drain, money he no longer had for when he moved out of home. While they were shopping he had told himself that the better clothing would be appropriate for job interviews, but even that benefit was gone.

“There you are!”

Neil stared in disbelief as Clarissa staggered onto the platform, carrying the collection of shopping bags they’d accumulated during their shopping expedition.

“Neil, I’m sorry. I didn’t explain myself well, and it’s all my fault that you got upset. Please, let me try again.”

Neil continued to stare. If he had to assign an emotion to Clarissa’s expression, it would be contriteness, something he’d never seen from her before.

“I didn’t mean to make it sound as crass as it came out. I’m honestly interested in you as a person. You keep trying to push me away, but I can tell it’s not because you dislike me; you’re doing it to protect yourself. I want to know why.” She paused as she caught and held his gaze. “Maybe I can help.”

Neil looked away. “You can’t help, and you’re wasting your time.”

“How do you know I can’t help? At least let me try.”

Neil turned and scowled at her. “You want to help? Fine! Then leave me alone! I don’t want you; I want to be by myself.”

“You can’t spend your life alone, Neil.”

Neil opened his mouth, but the retort died because he knew she was right. He didn’t want to be alone; he wanted a boyfriend. Someone to spend his life with. He dropped his head and sighed.

“Neil?”

He looked up, but he wasn’t able to glare at her. “Please, leave me alone. You don’t understand.”

Clarissa frowned for a moment and then reached out to put a hand on his arm. Neil flinched.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but if you want some time by yourself, okay. I’ll see you on Monday at school.

Neil watched as she walked away. His plans for the day had been shattered because he couldn’t take all the shopping with him to the game in Lilydale. He’d have to go home, and once there, he wouldn’t be able to easily leave. He knew his parents would make him do his homework before he’d be allowed out again.

* * *

Sam put out a hand to stop Marcus as they were about to leave the hotel room. “Do you think it’ll work out? Am I making a big mistake?”

Marcus pulled his partner into an embrace. “The worst that can happen is that there’s no change. But I think things will work out. Don’t worry; just be yourself.”

“I haven’t seen them for over nine years. I’m a stranger to them.”

Marcus gave Sam a squeeze, trying to reassure him. “But you don’t have to stay a stranger. You’re also not a complete stranger; you ring them from time to time. Anyway, look at how things went with Deon last night.”

Marcus felt Sam shudder. “He still hates me.”

“He’s gone from not talking to you to talking. He went out of his way to be there at the airport to pick us up. That’s progress.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Marcus pushed Sam back just enough so he could look his lover in the eye. “It’s going to be okay. Don’t get so depressed, Sam. I didn’t understand what we were doing here when you first organised this, but I do now. It’s time – probably past time – for you to reconnect with your family. You’ve made a start with Deon; now it’s time for you to see the rest of the gang. They’re going to be here any minute, so let’s get out there and wait for them.” He leant forward and gave Sam a soft, slow kiss. “Be happy,” he whispered.

Sam’s return smile was weak, but Marcus hoped that it was only reflecting nerves. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like for Sam to be seeing his family after so many years away. Sam was usually confident and outgoing, but since he’d seen Deon on the television, he had been withdrawing into himself. Marcus hoped that this weekend would turn him around.

Ten minutes later, an old, white Holden Commodore with several small rust patches pulled up in front of them. Mandy, Sam’s ex-wife, exited from the passenger side in front of them. “G’day, Sam, Marcus.”

Sam stepped forward and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “Hello, Mandy.” He looked past her to where a young woman had clambered out of the driver’s door. “Teresa, it’s been a long time.”

“It has.” Teresa glanced at her mother and then back at Sam. “You’ve changed, but not that much.”

Marcus stepped forward and stuck out his hand. “Hi, Mandy. It’s good to finally meet you.” He glanced past her to Teresa who gave him a small nod to say hello.

“Marcus.” She shook his hand, but her face was expressionless.

Sam leant over to look into the back of the Commodore. “Isn’t Jordan getting out?”

Teresa chuckled. “He wants to get to the game to see Deon and doesn’t want to waste time. Getting out means it’ll be longer before he sees Deon again, so...”

Marcus smiled. “So...we should all get into the car and head off.” He turned to Sam to see him and Mandy staring at each other. Neither’s expression was easy to read. If Marcus had to, he would’ve said that both were waiting. He just wasn’t sure what it was they were waiting for.

“Are we still planning on having lunch somewhere before the game?” Marcus asked.

Teresa glanced at her mother, who didn’t appear to hear the question. “Yeah, though it’s going to be KFC. Jordan wore Mum down and made her promise.”

Marcus chuckled. “KFC’s fine with us.” He nudged Sam, causing him to break eye contact with his ex-wife. “Time to go.”

“Oh...okay.” Sam looked at Mandy and then Teresa. “We’re in the back seat with Jordan?”

“Yes.” Mandy’s tone was short. She then sighed and gave Sam a small smile. “He’s been told who you are, but he doesn’t remember you. You’ll need to introduce yourself.”

Sam nodded and then, after a glance at Marcus, climbed in the back seat of the old Commodore. It was time to say hello to his youngest son.

* * *

Neil’s forehead wrinkled as he paused outside O’Grady’s Sports, the store where Jim worked. He knew Jim wouldn’t be there, but since he had a bit of time before the game started, he had decided to do a little reconnoitring. He had been lucky when he arrived home to find both of his parents out of the house. He had been able to dump the shopping and then head back to the station to catch the next train to Lilydale.

What made him pause and start to think hard was the sign in the window advertising for a new staff member. That had opened up new possibilities that Neil was furiously considering.

After a couple of minutes of contemplation, Neil smiled and walked into the store. He could see no downside in asking, and if he got the response he was hoping for, it could be the answer to a lot of his problems.

Spotting an older gentleman with greying sideburns (though with still largely light-brown hair) who seemed to be one of the employees, Neil approached. “Excuse me, sir, but I’d like to speak to Mr. O’Grady about the sales position being advertised.”

“I’m Mr. O’Grady.” The man smiled and waved a hand towards the rear of the store. “How about we have a chat in my office?”

Neil followed the older man into a small room at the back of the store. There was barely enough room for the desk and two chairs, with bookshelves filled with ring binders and folders covering the side walls.

Mr. O’Grady used the arms on the seat of the chair to lower himself into his seat, sighing with relief once he was down. “Now, as I said, I’m Mr. O’Grady. You are...?”

Neil swallowed once and then smiled, and he held out a hand across the desk, which was immediately accepted and given a firm shake. “I’m Neil Rosewood.”

“Pleased to meet you, Neil. Now, how can I help you?”

“It’s about the sales position you’ve got advertised. I’m interested, but I won’t be able to work full-time until after I’ve finished school. Until then, I can work the school holidays and weekends.”

Mr. O’Grady frowned. “I’m looking more for someone during the week, and I certainly can’t wait until the end of the year to take someone on.”

Neil nodded. “I understand. My plan is to drop out of school as soon as I turn eighteen. That’ll be in two months’ time. I can work the school holidays, so that’s two weeks’ full-time plus weekends. You’ll only have to wait about a month after the holidays before I’m available.”

The older man’s frowned deepened. “Dropping out of school isn’t particularly smart, Neil. Why do you want to do that, and why do it as soon as you turn eighteen?”

Neil grimaced as he wrestled with how much to say. Taking a deep breath, he decided to tell most of the truth. His original plan with school had to been to wait until the end of the year before moving out of home, but the opportunity to quit early and get a job working with Jim had been too good to pass up. He could tell, though, that Mr. O’Grady wasn’t impressed with the idea.

“I’ve got problems at home, and I need to be ready to leave as soon as I’m an adult. I’m hoping I can work here, and that’ll give me enough to rent somewhere in the area. My parents won’t let me go before then, but if you can wait until I’m eighteen, I’m sure I’ll be an asset. You can trial me over the school holidays to see if I’m good enough – no commitment until after then. How does that sound?”

Mr. O’Grady started to drum his fingers on the desk while staring intently at Neil. There was a pause of a couple of seconds before he gave a slow nod. “I’ll get you some forms to fill in. You’ll start work Monday week...” He paused before continuing. “Your school term does finish next week, doesn’t it? I know some schools have a different term break.”

Neil grinned. “Yeah, that’s right. We finish next week, then have two weeks off. We go back to school on the Tuesday after Easter, and just over a month later, on May 28^th, I turn eighteen and I’ll be free to work full-time.”

“I’m still not sure that dropping out of school is a good idea, but if you’ve got no choice, then I’ll do what I can to give you a job.” Mr. O’Grady narrowed his eyes. “But I’m not running a charity. I’ll be expecting you to work hard and do what you’re told. If you do, though, I’ll pay you well. Now, do you have any questions?”

Twenty minutes later, Neil had completed the paperwork to become a part-time employee of O’Grady Sports. He had decided not to ask about Jim Henderson but to wait until the school holidays, when, sooner or later, the two would be working at the same time.

The grin on Neil’s face hadn’t faded by the time he made it to the football oval. His tentative plan was to speak to Jim about needing a place to stay while they were at work. Neil’s intention was to lay the seed for him to stay at Jim’s place – in Jim’s room, if possible – but on the couch if not. Neil was sure that the more time he spent with Jim, the sooner his hero would become his boyfriend.

* * *

“Mum, the game’s going to start, soon. Can I go meet the players as they’re running out?” Jordan waved a hand towards where a number of other kids were gathering by one of the doors near the ground. “I’ll just be over there.”

Mandy frowned as she considered the request.

“Please! I want Deon to see me, and know I’m here to see him play. I just know he’ll be glad to see me, and I won’t be gone that long. I’ll come straight back afterwards, but I really, really, want to–”

Mandy laughed and flicked a hand to dismiss him. “Go.”

Jordan was off and dodging between other spectators before she could say another word.

“He’s a good kid,” Sam said quietly.

Mandy gave him a sardonic stare. “He’s also a handful most of the time. He doesn’t come with a throttle; he’s always going flat out.”

“If you need a break and you think you can trust me, you could always send him up to Sydney for a weekend. I’ll pay for the flights.” Sam looked past his ex-wife to his daughter. “That goes for you, too, Teresa.”

“He doesn’t know you, and you don’t know him.” Mandy stared reflectively out over the football oval. “Maybe it was the wrong decision to cut you off from the kids, but it’s done now. At least Jordan’s not poisoned against you. Unlike Teresa and Deon.”

“Mum, what the hell are you talking about? I don’t really know him anymore, but otherwise I’ve got nothing against Sam.”

Mandy sighed as she glanced at first Teresa and then Sam. Her shoulders slumped as she stared at where Jordan was chatting with some of the other kids waiting for the players.

“When you left me, Deon and Teresa didn’t know what was going on. They both kept asking me why you weren’t there. Both of them started blaming themselves, thinking it was something they’d done...”

Teresa grunted. “I thought it was because you didn’t want me going out with that boy...” She chuckled. “I can’t even remember his name, now. Ian, maybe, but I’m not sure. I broke up with him, thinking it might get you two back together.”

Mandy grimaced. “Deon was just as bad, maybe worse. He was really distraught, wondering what he’d done wrong. I told both of them that it was your fault, Sam, and nothing to do with them. The things I laid at your feet, the hateful things I said...” She shook her head.

Teresa frowned. “You were hurting. I knew that, and I took what you said with a grain of salt because of that.” She gave Sam a smile of apology. “I didn’t like you, but I worked out eventually that it wasn’t all your fault. I figured you weren’t as bad as Mum made out at the time.”

“But Deon took it all in, and he’s been holding it in his heart ever since.” Sam’s soft statement had Mandy nodding her head. “Mandy, you probably didn’t tell them anything I haven’t told myself. I was a coward, a bastard. Deon was nine; that’s a bad age for a father to walk out on his son.”

Mandy glared at him. “There’s a good age?”

“No...” Sam’s shoulders sagged as he stared at the ground in front of him. “I didn’t want to go, but I couldn’t stay, either. In the end, I ran away.”

“And I kept you away when you asked if you could see the kids. Your children, but I kept them from you.”

Sam looked up. He reached out and put a hand on his ex-wife’s arm. “You did what you thought was right. I didn’t argue; I didn’t want you or the kids hurt any more than I’d already done.”

Teresa stood up. “I think I’ll go keep an eye on Jordan. We don’t want him causing any problems.”

“He’ll be fine. This is a big day for him; don’t mess it up, Teresa,” Mandy said.

Teresa smiled. “I won’t. Anyway, it sounds like you and Sam could do with a more private chat.” She walked away before her mother could say anything.

“You’ve done a good job of raising her, Mandy.” Sam paused. “Actually, you’ve done a great job of raising all three of them. You should be proud.”

“I am proud, but it was hard work at times. I could’ve done with someone to help me. You were reliable with the child-support payments, but I needed someone who was there.”

“Why didn’t you find someone? That’s what I was hoping would happen.” Sam grimaced. “I’ll admit that I wasn’t keen to have my kids call someone else ‘Dad’, but I thought it would be best for you.”

Mandy scowled. “And when did I have the fucking time to go out on a date, Sam? I had three kids to raise; the youngest had just started school and the oldest was in her first year of secondary. I didn’t have a spare minute a day, let alone enough time to get to know someone else!”

Sam winced. “I’m sorry.”

Mandy held the anger for a moment longer, and then she sighed. “Don’t be. You were a good father, Sam, but I finally realised that you had to go. It took me a few years, but I’ve learnt enough to understand. You needed to get away; you were dying inside. At least you were – eventually – honest enough to tell me and not maintain a boyfriend on the side forever.” Her tone at the end was acidic, but her expression was neutral. She looked around. “Speaking of which, when’s he coming back with the drinks?”

Sam glanced over his shoulder, spotting Marcus partly hiding behind some other spectators. Sam waved a hand to beckon him forward. “I think he was trying to give us a chance to talk privately.”

“Kind of him, but I’m not sure what we’ve got to talk about.” She peered at Sam for a moment. “I’m sure there are things we should discuss, but I’ve moved on. The only things that still tie me to you, Sam, are the kids.”

Sam nodded. “And Deon’s the reason I’m here. I wanted to see if he’d let me be his father again.”

“You’ll find out after the game. I hope he doesn’t crack it when he sees you.”

Marcus arrived at that time and handed Mandy and Sam their coffees. He glanced around. “Where are the other two?”

Mandy pointed to the oval. “Waiting for the players to come out.”

“Ah...I’ll put their drinks under my seat until they get back.”

Sam sighed. “Deon should be fine. He knows I’m here.”

Mandy frowned. “I didn’t think you were going to tell him ahead of time.”

“I wasn’t, but he found out anyway. He was there at the airport to pick us up last night.” Sam gave an unamused chuckle. “It turned out I was the one surprised.”

“What happened?”

Sam stared down at the ground where the players were just starting to come out of the change room. “He hates me, but he was prepared to talk, so that’s progress. Strangely, he got along well with Marcus.”

Marcus put an arm across Sam’s shoulders. “The communication lines are back open. That’s a start. Let’s not ask for too much too soon.”

Mandy’s smile was weak, but her eyes were encouraging. “I hope it works out. For all your sakes.”

* * *

Neil moved closer to where the players would exit from the change rooms. He didn’t expect to have any chance to introduce himself to Jim at that time, and he had already decided that trying would result in giving a bad impression when Jim’s focus should be on the upcoming game. However, Neil still wanted to see his idol from as close as possible.

There were a couple of dozen other people waiting nearby, a significant decrease from the week before. At that time, Neil hadn’t initially realised where the players would enter the ground, but the collection of cameras and large crowd of people waiting had made it pretty obvious. The cameras, in particular, had intimidated Neil sufficiently to keep him away for the game against Collingwood, but there was no obvious media presence this time.

After careful consideration, Neil decided against pushing his way forward to be in the front line of spectators greeting the players coming out. He didn’t know if any of the other people were friends of Jim’s or related to people that Jim knew, and Neil didn’t want to take the chance of offending them.

Instead, Neil stood behind a small group of young boys, giving him an unimpeded view over their heads. He only had to listen for a few moments to realised he had made the right decision. Two of the boys knew some players personally. The older boy, whom Neil guessed to be around twelve, was boasting about how his brother was going to kick tons of goals, while the younger boy who seemed around five or six, was talking about one of the players teaching him how to kick the football with either foot. Neil glanced around, and from the smiles on a couple of nearby women’s faces, he guessed that there were family members keeping an eye on them.

It wasn’t long before the players were jogging out onto the oval, slapping outreached hands from the gathered crowd as they went. Neil recognised the redhead leading the group as Roger, the Leopards’ captain. Jim was third in line, followed by Ty. Neil let his eyes linger on Jim’s back for a couple of seconds as he fantasised about being able to caress that body. Wrenching his gaze away, he noticed that the younger boy he had been listening to earlier was trying to squirm his way through the older boys who had pushed their way in front.

“Here, let me help you,” Neil said as he bent down, put a hand under each armpit, and lifted him up to allow him to sit on Neil’s left shoulder.

“Thanks.” The young boy smiled shyly down at Neil for a moment and then looked back at where the players were still entering the ground and started waving his arms. “Todd!”

Neil saw one of the taller Leopards divert slightly so he could reach over the crowd to slap the kid’s hand. The two, player and young boy, grinned at each other before the player rejoined the rest of his teammates.

The players were followed out by what Neil assumed were the coaching and support staff, including one person whose arm was in a sling. All were wearing Lilydale Leopard tracksuits, some clearly older and more worn than others. Noticing that the boy’s attention was out on the oval with the players, Neil lowered him back to the ground. “There you go.”

“Thank you.” The boy scampered over to where an older, tattooed woman stood with a scowling young girl.

Neil smiled after him before he noticed the young man with the sling approaching him. Neil frowned, wondering if he’d done something wrong before he realised that the young man was smiling.

“Stacey! I’m so glad you could make it.” The young man stepped past Neil and gave the girl behind him a kiss on the cheek.

“Even if you’re not playing, there’s no reason I can’t come to your game.” She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Now go and join your teammates, Charlie. Tell Ty that I’ll be giving Karen a report tomorrow, so he’d better behave.”

Charlie laughed. “Ty never behaves.” He glanced past Stacey and waved a hand to attract the attention of someone.

Neil turned to see who Charlie was waving to and then grimaced. He recognised the approaching broad-shouldered blond from the photo taken at Pride FM: Tony, his rival for Jim’s affection. Neil couldn’t understand what Jim saw in the guy; Neil didn’t think Tony was particularly good-looking.

“Tony, I’ve got a favour to ask. Can you introduce Stacey to a few people? I don’t want her left in the stand by herself.”

Stacey jumped in before Tony could respond. “You don’t need to do that; I’ll be fine by myself.”

Tony grinned, lighting up his face and making Neil grit his teeth. “It’s no problem, Stacey. Indeed, it’s part of my job to show people around.”

“Well, if it’s no trouble...”

Tony smiled. “No trouble at all.” Something attracted his attention in the grandstand. “I’ll leave you with Charlie for now, but I’ll come and find you soon. Is that okay?”

“Sure...”

Neil scowled at Tony’s retreating back. It was clear that his rival had insinuated himself well with the team, and it was going to be important to make sure no one blamed Neil for stealing Jim away from the blond mistake.

Charlie pulled Stacey into a one-armed hug. “I’m going to sit with the team on the interchange bench, but I’ll try to get away to see you at halftime.”

“If you can’t, don’t worry. I’ll see you after the game.”

Charlie glanced behind him at where the players were gathering around their coach. “I’ve got to go.” He leant forward and gave Stacey another quick kiss, this time on the lips. “See you soon!”

“Bye!”

Neil glanced at the girl and took in the misty smile as she watched Charlie jog over to join the rest of the team. He decided it wouldn’t hurt to try to know someone who knew one of the players. They might be able to put in a good word for him if there was ever any ill will in the club from his acquisition of Jim.

“What happened to him?” Neil asked, waving a hand towards the players.

She jumped slightly and flicked him a short glance. “An accident at training during the week.”

“Nothing serious, I hope.” Neil joined her in watching the players, though he was sure the player he was keeping an eye on wasn’t the same one she was eyeing.

Stacey shrugged. “He’ll be out for a few weeks, but hopefully not too many.”

“That’s good to hear. I hope he gets better soon; it must be frustrating for him to miss out on the opening game of the season.” He turned his head and smiled at her. “I’m Neil, by the way.”

“Stacey.” She shook hands with him, though he noted she was quick to let go and generally avoided eye contact.

The two watched for a short time until Neil felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see the older woman he’d noticed before with the tattoos. She was holding the hand of the young boy he’d helped earlier. The kid was hiding partway behind her.

“Sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say thank you for helping out my son earlier. He so much wanted to say hello to Todd before he played; he would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t lifted him up.” She smiled. “I’m Lorraine, and this is Sean.” She glanced down. “Sean, say hello.”

“Hello.” Sean buried his head against Lorraine’s legs.

“Hello again, Sean.” Neil smiled back to Lorraine. “It’s okay. I could see he was desperate to get in to see the players, but the other kids had blocked him out.”

“Still, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated it. If you’re staying after the game, would you like you join Todd and me in the club room for a drink or two?”

Neil’s face lit up. “I’d love to! I’ll have to skip on the drinks, though; I’m not eighteen for another couple of months.”

Lorraine smiled. “They have non-alcoholic drinks, too.” She glanced down to see Sean tugging on her hand as he tried to move away. “Sorry, looks like I have to go.” She smiled back at Neil. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Neil. Neil Rosewood.”

She nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you in the club room after the game, Neil. Hopefully, it’ll be for a celebration.” She chuckled as Sean gave her arm another tug. “Got to go. Bye!”

Neil resisted the urge to pump his fist. Unless disaster struck, he had a good chance of being introduced to Jim later that day. He also had another person whom he hoped would back him against Tony when it came to securing Jim’s affections.

* * *

“Gary and Matt, I’d like you to meet Mandy, Sam and Marcus. Mandy is Deon’s mum. Sam and Marcus are down from Sydney to watch the game.” Tony smiled as he made the introductions. Deon had asked him to find someone to teach Marcus about Australian Rules football, and Jarrod’s two sponsors seemed perfect for the job.

Tony glanced around the grandstand, wondering where Mandy’s other two children were, before he spotted Teresa and Jordan down by the railing around the oval.

Matt’s eyes widened as a broad grin appeared on his face. He gave Mandy a theatrical sweeping bow. “M’Lady, it’s an absolute pleasure. Anyone who can raise a boy like Deon deserves only the best in life. Would you like a wine? Champagne, maybe?” he asked as he straightened up.

Mandy laughed. “If you insist, a white wine would be lovely, but you don’t have to. After the way you treated my boy last weekend, I can’t ask for anything more.”

“Nonsense! As long as he keeps winning games with that boot of his, you’ll both be treated like royalty.”

Tony noticed that Sam and Marcus seemed puzzled, but Gary broke in before he could explain.

“Sam, Marcus – Matt and I own a car dealership. After Deon kicked the winning goal against Collingwood last weekend, we lent Deon and Jarrod a car to drive for Sunday afternoon.”

Mandy grinned. “Not just any car. A brand-new BMW sports car. Deon was in seventh heaven when he rang me that night to tell me about it.”

Gary shrugged. “We own a BMW dealership. BMWs sort of come with the territory.”

“Matt, if you’re in the mood to be generous, Sam can take some of the credit for Deon, too. He’s Deon’s father.”

Sam gave Mandy a nervous glance before turning his attention to Matt and Gary. “Mandy deserves all the credit. We divorced almost ten years ago, and she’s been raising him by herself since. The way he turned out is all because of her.”

Matt shrugged. “You helped with the genetics. What would you like? I’m getting beers for Gary and me. Would you like one, too?” He glanced at Marcus. “How about you?”

“You don’t have to...” Sam said.

Matt waved a hand to dismiss the idea. “I rarely do things I ‘have’ to. If I’m offering, it’s because I want to.” He flicked his gaze between Sam and Marcus. “Two beers?”

Both guys nodded, though obviously reluctantly.

“I’ll have a red wine, since you’re offering,” Tony said, grinning to show he was teasing.

Matt frowned. “You don’t get a drink until you replace that piece of sh...” His eyes flicked towards Mandy. “...rubbish you drive. Get yourself a decent car and I’ll buy you a drink.”

Tony laughed. “If I ever have enough money to afford a BMW, I’ll be around to see you. Until that happens, my car’s doing fine, and I’m not replacing it. At least, not yet.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “Okay. I’ll be back soon. Don’t let them start the game without me.”

Tony chuckled as Matt flounced off. A couple of steps later, the balding gym junkie reverted to his normal stride as he headed to the bar. Tony noticed that Marcus had a quizzical look on his face as he watched Matt disappear. Sam’s attention was back on the oval where the players were huddled around their coach.

Mandy turned to Gary. “Deon didn’t fill me in on a lot of details, so I hope you don’t mind if I ask a few questions. How long have you and Matt been a couple?”

Tony smiled as he saw Marcus’s eyebrows rise and then a smile appear on his face. Tony told himself to thank Mandy privately later for the adroit way she’d passed on that little snippet of information to Marcus and Sam.

Gary’s brow wrinkled as he considered the question. “I’d have to work it out, but around twenty years. More if you count the time we were dating before we moved in together.”

Mandy’s eyebrows rose. “That’s longer than Sam and I were married.” She glanced at her ex-husband. “Do you think you and Marcus will make it that far?”

Tony frowned as an expression of panic appeared on Sam’s face. He guessed the reason and decided to get the issue out in the open. He hadn’t been sure if he should when he made the initial introductions, but it seemed best to have everything out in the open.

“Gary, just so you know, Sam and Mandy divorced because he’s gay. He and Marcus are a couple.” He glanced at Marcus as the one who seemed more comfortable. “You’re coming up to your tenth anniversary, aren’t you?”

Marcus smiled. “That’s right; though, like Gary, I’d have to work it out, because it depends on how you decide when the relationship started.”

Gary nodded slowly. “So that’s why Deon’s gay-friendly.”

Mandy shook her head. “No, that’s why Deon used to be homophobic. Jim and Tony are the reasons he’s gay-friendly.”

Tony frowned at the direction the conversation was going. “I’m not sure we should be talking about this. I’m sorry I mentioned it at all.”

Mandy smiled and waved a hand to dismiss his concerns. “I rang Deon this morning, and he’s said he doesn’t have any secrets any more. He’s not going to make a big announcement that he’s got a gay father, but he’s no longer trying to keep it hidden. You and Jim have done wonders in helping him get over his issues with Sam. So much so that the two are talking again.”

Tony smiled with relief. He should’ve spoken to Deon about it, but he hadn’t thought of it on Friday night, and that morning he hadn’t wanted to interrupt the pre-game preparations. “I’ve also got instructions from Deon, and I’m passing them on to you, Gary, so you and Matt can take care of them.”

Gary raised an eyebrow. “Oh...?”

Tony grinned at Marcus before turning his attention back to Gary. “Apparently Marcus is a rugby person and doesn’t know the first thing about real football, so I thought you and Matt could educate him on the finer points of the game while he’s here.”

Marcus laughed. “You can try, but I should warn you that I’m very much a bigot when it comes to which sporting code is better...and it’s definitely rugby.”

Gary grinned. “I’ll leave you to Matt, then. He’s had lots of experience in dealing with bigots.”

“Ouch. I’m sorry to hear that.” Marcus frowned. “I thought Melbourne was fairly gay-friendly.”

“It is, but there are pockets...” Gary shrugged. “Most of his experience is from years ago, before I met him.”

Tony stood up. “I’ve got some other people I need to see, but I’ll be back soon. Have fun!” After exchanging a couple more pleasantries, Tony headed over to where Stacey was sitting. He’d just spotted Anne Flintlock, the club’s financial controller, entering with her husband, and he wanted to introduce Stacey to them. He was guessing that Stacey was the quiet type, similar in some respects to Charlie, and Anne would be a good person for her to sit with.

* * *

“Are all games this one-sided?” Marcus asked, his eyes watching as the football was kicked down the ground towards the Leopards’ forwards, where Deon took a strong mark despite the opposition’s attempts to spoil the catch.

Matt snorted. “No, but I believe a reasonable number are. I haven’t been a follower of the VFL before this year, but from what I’ve heard, there’s maybe six or seven teams that tend to dominate the others. Games between those top teams can be great to watch, like last week’s practise match against Collingwood, but a match between one of the top teams and those lower down...” He rolled his eyes to express his opinion.

“I take it that the Leopards are one of those top teams, then.”

“They certainly appear to be.” Matt frowned. “As I said, I haven’t paid any attention to the VFL before, but last year the Leopards finished in the bottom half of the ladder. The way they’re currently playing, I think they’ll make the finals. From there, who knows?”

Marcus watched as Deon launched the ball high and long towards the goal. The ball drifted off to the right and Deon’s frustration was evident to all by the way he kicked the ground as the goal umpire waved one flag to signal a behind, instead of the two flags for a goal. “Does that happen a lot? The inaccurate kicking, I mean.”

Matt shrugged. “A fair amount, though Deon’s not doing too badly. He’s kicked four goals so far, and there’s still plenty of time. He’s told me he’s not particularly accurate at longer distances, but it’s something he’s working on.”

He paused and glanced over to where Gary was sitting with Sam, Mandy, and Teresa. Jordan had wandered down to the fence near where Deon was playing. “I hope you don’t mind, but are you able to tell me what’s the situation with Sam and Mandy?”

Marcus sighed as he turned to watch Sam. “A deeply closeted gay guy falls to pressure from friends and family and marries someone who he loves and cares for but who isn’t the gender he really wanted. On business trips, he’d take the opportunity to go to gay bars. On one of those trips to Sydney, he met me, and we hit it off almost immediately. By that stage, he’d had three kids with his wife. Meeting me was either the best or worst thing that could’ve happened to him. It got him out of the closet but inflicted a lot of pain on him and his family.”

He looked back at Matt with a sombre expression. “If he hadn’t met me, he might still be with her, and all that pain could’ve been avoided. The price would’ve been his own internal agony, knowing he was spending his life with someone he cared for but didn’t love the way she should be loved. He’s made me one of the happiest people in the world...and he paid for it with the loss of his family. Mandy didn’t want to see him afterwards and didn’t want the kids to see him, either. To give her the best chance of moving on, he moved to Sydney to be with me. I’d been prepared to move down here to be with him, but he thought it was best to do what she wanted and stay away. Moving to Sydney seemed like the best solution at the time. The kids were five, nine, and thirteen. Deon was the nine-year-old.”

Marcus sighed, and his gaze dropped to the back of the seat in front of him. “Sam kept in touch by phone, but a few years ago Deon stopped taking the calls. We thought that it was because Deon was homophobic – neither of us blamed him, given what had happened – but then Sam saw him at the press conference supporting Jim. We’re down here to see if Sam can recover his relationship with Deon and maybe start seeing his children again. Mandy’s moved on now, and while there’s still tension between them, she’s no longer standing in the way of Sam re-establishing contact with the kids. Teresa seems cool so far, Deon’s hostile but starting to talk, and Jordan doesn’t remember Sam at all.

“That’s it in a nut shell.”

Matt pulled a face. “I don’t know what to say. Gary and I have got one friend who’s divorced after coming out, but he doesn’t have kids. He and his ex-wife are still friends, but they largely move in different circles. The only comment I can make is that Deon seems a great guy from the little that Gary and I have had to do with him. Unless there’s more to it than you’ve said, I think he’ll come around.”

Marcus’s chuckle had dark overtones. “He seems fine with me, too, despite me being the ‘other woman’ that broke up his parents’ marriage. It’s just Sam he’s hostile to.”

Matt sat for a moment before responding. “If there’s anything Gary and I can do to help, let us know. Family’s important. It might take him a little time to work it out, but hopefully Deon will learn that little fact, too.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes. “Sometimes family’s important. Maybe most of the time, but there are some families where it’s better to just walk away.”

“You’re talking about your own, now, aren’t you? Not Deon and Sam.” Matt’s face expressed his sympathy more than his words.

Marcus sighed. “Yeah.... I hope those two sort out their differences, but I’m going to try to keep Sam from pushing too hard or he might push Deon away. I think it’ll all work out in the end, but it’s going to take time. It’s not going to happen this weekend.”

Matt nodded. “As I said, if you need any help, let us know.” He pulled out a small case from his pocket and extracted a business card. “Here’s my details. Feel free to ring or email me if you and Sam need anything.”

“You’re rather trusting,” Marcus said as he slipped the card into the back pocket of his jeans.

Matt shrugged. “I trust my ability to judge people, and I’m a sucker for a happy ending.”

The two were distracted by a loud cheer from the crowd around them. They glanced at the action on the ground to see several Leopard players mobbing a grinning Deon.

“I think that makes five goals for Deon.” Matt grinned. “He’s having a good game.”

Marcus pulled a face. “Hopefully, that means he’ll be in a good mood when we see him after the game.”