Premier Deception

Also By S J
Crabb

The Diary Of Madison
Brown

The One That Got Away
(Part 1 of The Hardcastle Saga)

A Matter Of Trust
(Part 2 of The Hardcastle Saga)

Payback
(Part 3 of The Hardcastle Saga)

Scarlett
(The Devil's Daughter)

sjcrabb.com

Copyrighted
Material

Copyright S J Crabb 2016
S J Crabb has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the Author of this
work.

Contents

Charlotte Dawson looked around her in
disbelief. How on earth had this happened? Only a few hours
previously she had been a university graduate looking for a summer
job, and now here she was about to make history as the first female
manager of a Premier League football team.

She was sitting in the club’s boardroom
surrounded by people that she had only just met a short time ago.
Her head was spinning and she felt confused and apprehensive as she
took in the scene around her. To the left of her sat one of the
owners of the club, Mitchell Maloney. She guessed that he was in
his early fifties, although by the look of him he could pass as a
lot older, time hadn’t been kind to him. He was rather a large man
with what her mother would have called, “a lived in face.” He was
beaming at her and looked very comfortable with his arm casually
draped along the back of her chair.

To the right of him
sat his brother and co owner, Maurice Maloney, a nervous looking
man a few years younger than his brother and looking every bit as
apprehensive as she was. He kept on looking at his watch and then
throwing worried looks her way. It wasn
’
t
helping calm her nerves she thought, shifting uncomfortably in her
chair.

Next to him sat the team coach, Luke Sandor, an angry
looking man with dark hair and dark eyes to match his equally dark
mood. He had not said two words to Charlotte throughout and looked
venomously toward the owners, who both steadfastly refused to look
in his direction.

And then there was
the Captain of the team, Ronnie Tyler. He looked at Charlotte with
an air of arrogance, which just about summed up the impression that
she had formed of him. He looked to be in his early thirties with
brown hair and shifty eyes. Something about him unnerved her, which
she couldn
’
t quite put her finger on. At
least he wasn
’
t sitting next to her, she
thought gratefully, which meant that she could avoid conversation
with him, for the last thing she needed right now was anything else
to occupy her mind at this life changing moment.

In fact there was no conversation in the room at all.
The only sound that could be heard was coming from the large clock
on the wall which was ticking away, highlighting the countdown to
the drama that was about to unfold, with her in the lead role.

Suddenly the door
swung open making her jump and an efficient looking lady stepped
into the room, who Charlotte knew to be Elsie Baker the secretary
to the owners. She looked at the two men and said briskly.
“
They are ready for you now,
”
and then stood to one side to reveal the doorway behind
her, which Charlotte knew that once she passed through, there would
be no going back.

Earlier that morning Charlotte awoke to the sound of
the birds singing outside and the sun breaking in through the
cracks of the curtains. Strange sounds were emanating from the
chimney breast in her room, long ago boarded up but reminding her
of its existence by way of the birds that were nesting in the
chimney.

She smiled as she
thought of her fabulous dream. Normally she didn
’
t remember her dreams but this one had been particularly
vivid. Johnny Depp had come to her university and seeing her
sitting cross legged on the grass making a daisy chain had fallen
in love with her. He whisked her away in his hot air balloon to the
envy of everyone- in particular Rebecca Cousins,
Charlotte
’
s arch enemy and nemesis whose
mission in life appeared to include being mean to Charlotte at all
times. They had landed on a Caribbean Island where they were
stranded and decided to set up home there and marry. They built a
mansion out of twigs and grass that turned into a Kardashian style
mansion. Whilst she was knitting them clothes out of ribbons there
was a knock at the door and her mother was standing there asking
what she would like for tea. It was at this point that she woke
up.

Still surrounded by
the haze of contentment that was the legacy of her dream she
thought about the situation she was now in. The day, if not her
life, now stretched out in front of her like a blank notebook
waiting for the pages to be filled in, full of uncertainty and hope
with a tinge of sadness for what had now gone and would never be
again. She had just finished studying sports science at Dorminster
University and had bid farewell to her home of the last two years
the day before. She had shared a room with a mad girl called Zoe,
who was studying politics, and despite their differences they had
actually become good friends. Zoe had crazy red hair that swirled
around her like a ginger afro and green eyes that made you squirm
whenever she looked at you in a certain way. She had a habit of
making you feel really stupid and uncomfortable if you questioned
her and also wouldn
’
t answer a question
with a straight answer, so would make the perfect MP one day.
Charlotte thought of this possibility and laughed to herself,
Jeremy Paxman look out! Zoe was spending the summer working for her
local Conservative party on a voluntary basis, council elections
were looming and it was all hands on deck. Charlotte had resisted
the offer to help out as politics left her cold.

It
wasn
’
t as if she had never helped, there
was the time that she had helped out on, Zoe
’
s campaign to become the leader of the debating society.
There were endless leaflet drops and forms to hand out. She had to
attend various meetings and canvas the people as they left. Despite
her efforts nobody wanted to know and in one instance somebody
threw an egg at her head! Zoe wasn
’
t at
all sympathetic and said that these were the perils of democracy
and you didn
’
t win wars without a
fight.

Charlotte personally
thought that there were better wars to fight than being crowned
queen of the debating society but knew better than to answer Zoe
back, she had learned that it wasn
’
t
worth arguing with her as it was unlikely that you would win
anyway, Zoe could argue that there were actually twenty five hours
in the day and win! A door slammed and the sound of footsteps could
be heard coming upstairs.

Her bedroom door
swung open and Charlotte saw the familiar sight of her mother enter
the room. Her mother could be a very formidable person and took no
prisoners when on a mission, which by the looks of things she was
on one now. She looked at Charlotte, lying in bed weak from the
effort of sleeping, and said in a brisk tone.
“
Don
’
t think that you can lay
around in bed all day my girl,
”
and she
strode over to draw the curtains, allowing the sun to explode into
the room. She carried on.
“
Last night
whilst you were sleeping I was surfing the web looking for
opportunities for you and came across something right up your
street on the surrey mother
’
s
website.
”

Charlotte groaned
inwardly. Her mother was a very determined person who
didn
’
t let the grass grow under
anyone
’
s feet for a second. Even Zoe was
in awe of her mother
’
s organisational
skills and became very docile and irreverent around her much to
Charlotte
’
s amusement. Oh this
wasn
’
t fair! she hadn
’
t even had one day to get used to life after uni and her
mum was making plans for her. She had wanted to spend the morning
watching TV in bed followed by a long hot bath and possibly an
afternoon shopping. The sales had started and she knew that there
would be things that she needed in town, what they were yet she
didn
’
t know but as soon as she saw them
the need would be overwhelmingly obvious.

Her mother carried on
not even drawing breath.
“
I found out
that there is an open day at Kingsbridge United today and there
will be lots of summer jobs going. You may even get a job in the
player
’
s bar, or even better on reception
which may lead onto a permanent position. You could start at the
bottom and work yourself up.
”
She started
tidying the room as she spoke - in true Stepford fashion, Charlotte
thought that her Mum had OCD tendencies and they came out in force
when she had an idea.
“
I have done your
research for you and found out information that you can read
beforehand so that you can speak knowledgably about the club. They
like to know that you have done your homework.
”

Charlotte sat up
slowly.
“
But I haven
’
t had time to think about it, I mean I
don
’
t even have anything suitable to
wear,
”
she said exasperatedly, spying her
crumpled jogging bottoms and sweatshirt on the floor. There you go,
she thought suddenly, that
’
s what I need
to go to the sales for, smart Interview wear, I knew I needed
something!

“Don
’
t worry about that,
”
said her mother, sweeping away her objections
with ease.

“
I have laid
out the Chanel Jacket and Louboutin heels in the spare room so when
you have showered, washed your hair and brushed your teeth you can
go and get dressed.
”
As she started to
leave she shouted over her shoulder,
“
breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes and we can talk
strategy then. Now get a move as there is no time to waste.
”
With that she swept out of the room as quickly
as she had entered it.