Premier Deception (12 page)

A look passed between Luke and Sylvia as
she drew near that was electrifying and Charlotte felt suddenly
very much in the way. “Charlotte,” said Sylvia, “you must think me
so rude, please let me take you around and introduce you to
everyone personally and then we must get you something to eat as
you must be starving. Please excuse us Luke,” she said smiling. He
returned the smile and said, “No worries there are many players
here that I need to speak to,” and with that he moved away.

Charlotte saw Sylvia’s expression as he
went, a look of longing mixed with sadness, the same look that she
felt when Max went away from her. So Sylvia, the Captains wife was
in love with the team coach and vice versa. Charlotte felt so sorry
for them as she knew that they could never act on their feelings
without causing a huge upset.

Sylvia was good company and Charlotte
really got on well with her. She couldn’t understand why on earth
she was with Ronnie so she asked her where they had met. “Ronnie
was doing a photo shoot with the team one day and I was doing one
for Cosmopolitan. We got talking and he asked me out on a date. We
married six months later, we fell in love very quickly and you
could call it a whirl wind romance. What do they say though, marry
in haste repent at leisure.” She looked dejected, but carried on.
“Jackson was born about eighteen months later and Ronnie wanted me
to give up my career due to the pressures of his job. I became a
stay at home mum. Don’t get me wrong I love them both but sometimes
it is very difficult dealing with a professional footballer. He has
the world at his feet and there are thousands of women waiting to
take my place. They feel that they are invincible and normal
behaviour seems to be forgotten under those circumstances.”
Charlotte sympathised and said, “what about Luke, does he have a
wife or girlfriend?” Sylvia visibly stiffened and said, “Not at the
moment, his fiancée left him three months ago, so what with that
and the terrible season he hasn’t had much luck lately.” That would
explain a lot thought Charlotte but said nothing.

They sat down outside on one of the
comfy seats and chatted about Sylvia’s lovely home and modelling
career when all of a sudden she was called away by one of the
staff. Left on her own Charlotte did what she loved to do and sat
back to observe the other guests. She noticed that the team
appeared to be split in half. The older players that included
Ronnie were all laughing and joking and causing a great commotion,
whilst the newer members seemed excluded and hovered awkwardly on
the sidelines, occasionally becoming the butt of one of the older
player’s jokes. There was a lot of innuendo amongst them and the
waitresses appeared to be fair game to them with lots of suggestive
remarks and flirting. The wives and girlfriends appeared oblivious
and chatted amongst themselves each one looking like they had
stepped out of a magazine. Charlotte felt really out of place. It
was as though she had stepped into another world. They were all
rich and beautiful with gorgeous clothes and perfect figures. This
was a world in which she didn’t belong and all too soon she was
sure that they would find out.

Just then Rose appeared and sat down
next to her. “A peculiar bunch aren’t they?” she remarked to
Charlotte indicating the other guests. “I wouldn’t give most of
them the time of day, spoilt, selfish and self obsessed with more
money than they could ever spend, although they try their best.”
Charlotte looked at her and said, “You don’t like them much do
you?” “No,” said Rose. “They treat everyone like dirt and as for
the new players they don’t get half the respect they deserve. They
are the new young blood, talented, keen and very skilled. The older
players resent that, it makes them fear for their position in the
team so they belittle them and intimidate them so that they feel
uncomfortable. They don’t get many chances to play because the
captain has his own gang and looks after them. You can see what the
results are by the placing at the bottom of the table.” “Well why
doesn’t Luke give the newer ones a chance?” asked Charlotte
confused, “surely he will pick the best one for the team?” “Not if
the others won’t work with them. Football is a team game after all;
you rely on each other to pass the ball, set up the set pieces etc
etc. They actively exclude the newer players and make them look bad
on the pitch and it intimidates them.” Charlotte was still
confused. “But Luke should go to the owners and tell them what is
happening.” Rose laughed loudly. “Not whilst Mitchell’s golden boy
is captain they won’t, he is the son he never had, the apple of his
eye, thick as thieves those two. It would be a brave man, or woman
I may now add to come between those two. Why do you think Luke
always looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders?
His hands are tied and he knows it.” Colin approached and Rose fell
silent, probably thinking that she had said too much thought
Charlotte, however she was grateful to her as it all began to make
sense now and slot into place.

Suddenly there was a chink of glasses
and Ronnie called everyone to attention. “Thank you all for
coming,” he said somewhat slurring his words. “Just wanted to say
welcome to Charlie, can’t wait to get to know you better and I
speak for the team in saying we will all do our best for you this
season.” Everyone clapped and cheered. Charlotte was waiting for
the joke to follow but it never did. Ronnie looked at his wife
standing next to him and said. “And thank you to my lovely wife
Sylvia who organised this at a moments notice, I am the luckiest
man in the world to have her, although probably every man here and
probably woman wishes they could have her too if you know what I
mean, but only if I can watch,” he said laughing raucously.
Charlotte saw Sylvia blush really red and tears welled up in her
eyes. She was shocked, what a pig, fancy humiliating his own wife
like that in front of everyone. She saw Luke standing on the other
side of the room a murderous look in his eyes and his hands
clenched in fists beside him. Most people were embarrassed and
didn’t know where to look. Sylvia tried to laugh it off and then
luckily the waiters came in with mini deserts to hand around.

Charlotte suddenly felt really sick.
What sort of world had she fallen into? These were privileged
people acting like school children with no respect for their wives.
She was sickened and suddenly longed to get out of there back to
her loving family and normal life. She saw Ronnie run his hand up a
pretty waitress’s arm who gazed at him adoringly. That was it, she
stood up and made her way over to Sylvia. “Thank you so much for
your hospitality Sylvia, I had a lovely time but I must go now as
it’s been a long day. Please can you let me know where Max is and
if he can take me home now?” “Of course,” said Sylvia, “follow
me.”

They headed out into the hallway and
Sylvia said in a weary voice, “I hope that you don’t think too
badly of Ronnie, he has had a lot to drink and because he doesn’t
get to very often it goes to his head a bit.” Still making excuses
for him thought Charlotte sadly. They reached the kitchen and
Charlotte saw Max sitting at a table talking to a pretty waitress.
He was laughing and looked relaxed. The girl was looking at him
adoringly and flashing her eyes at him. Charlotte felt a surge of
jealousy run through her wishing that it was her who had spent the
night in his company rather than her.

He saw her by the door and jumped up
with that intense look that he always gave her. Charlotte noticed
with some satisfaction the look on the waitresses face as he came
towards her. Her face fell and she looked annoyed at the
interruption. Max noticed none of this and came towards her with a
concerned look on his face. “Charlotte, are you ready?” he said,
she nodded and they made their way outside. “Please thank Ronnie
for me?” she said to Sylvia, as she couldn’t bear to see one minute
more of him than she had to. “I had a lovely time and thank you
again for your hospitality.”

Sylvia looked at her and smiled saying,
“It was lovely to meet you both. I hope that we can become friends.
Please let me give you my phone number and anytime you fancy some
female company please give me a call.” She handed Charlotte her
number printed on a small business card. Charlotte and Max bid
their farewells and were glad to get out into the fresh air.

As they drove away from the house,
Charlotte relayed the night’s events to Max. “I am so glad to be
out of there,” she said at last, “thank goodness tomorrow is a day
off, at least I won’t have to see any of them again for 24 hours,”
and she laughed. “Anyway Max, what happened with you, did you find
anything out?” Max smiled and said, “Yes quite a lot actually,
staff love to gossip and they were very forthcoming. It appears
that Ronnie is after any girl that he comes into contact with. He
is not short of admirers and takes full advantage of it.” This
didn’t surprise her in the least. “They also told me that Luke’s
fiancée left him not long ago after shall we say a brief liaison
with our esteemed Captain.” Charlotte gasped in shock. “Poor Luke
and poor Sylvia, no wonder he always looks angry and I can’t
imagine why Sylvia has stayed with him.” “Apparently for the sake
of their son. She is very principled and doesn’t believe in
divorce. He is very friendly with Mitchell one of the owners and
gets away with murder at the club. They think that he may have some
hold over him because even though Luke was in charge of the team
all last season it was Ronnie calling the shots. Apparently every
time Luke tried to make changes to the team he was overruled by
Mitchell, hence the disastrous season, as Ronnie made sure that he
and his cronies were playing all the games and the new players
didn’t get a look in. They were hoping that now you have come in
things might change.”

Charlotte was silent. She wanted to tell
him that the role was not as it seemed and that she didn’t have
that sort of authority but she had made a promise and stood by it.
Changing the subject she said, “What are you doing tomorrow on your
day off Max?” “Just catching up with family and shopping and
stuff.” he said in reply. “Where do your family live? You haven’t
told me much about them and life outside the club,” she said as
they drove into her drive. “Some other time,” he said. “You are
home now and I am sure that you cannot wait to get some sleep after
the day you’ve had.” He looked at her intently and as usual
Charlotte melted inside. She didn’t want him to go, she wanted him
to pull her to him and hold her against his hard muscular body and
put his arms around her and protect her. She wanted to feel his
soft lips against hers and her body melt into his. She saw him
looking at her strangely and she pulled herself together. Not
wanting the night to end she said, “Would you like to come in for a
coffee?” “Another time, it is very late and I do not want to
disturb your family,” he said in his sexy accent which always sent
shivers down her spine. Disappointed she opened the car door.
“Thank you for today Max, I really appreciate your help with all of
it, have a lovely day off and I will see you on Monday.” She smiled
at him and waved as she opened her front door and went inside. She
heard the car edge out of the drive and she felt as though her
heart had gone with it. Monday couldn’t come soon enough for her as
it meant a whole day without him tomorrow.

Charlotte slept in very late the next
day and woke to the sound of the lawn mower outside. She looked at
her alarm clock, 10am goodness she hadn’t slept so late for ages.
She stretched and the events of the day before came flooding back
to her. She had a real problem facing her, how was she to make any
difference to the team if she couldn’t make any changes? She saw
what she had to do but doing it was going to prove impossible. The
only people who knew her situation were the very people that she
needed to convince to let her change things around. She thought of
Max, could she confide in him? She wanted to more than anything and
she trusted him fully but she had made a promise and she believed
in keeping them.

The door opened and her mother popped
her head around the door. “I’ve brought you a cup of tea darling,”
she said bringing it into the room and placing it on the bedside
chest. “I feel as though I haven’t seen you for ages, how are
things going? Are you enjoying yourself and are the men behaving
themselves?” Charlotte smiled, but her mum knew that something was
bugging her; she hadn’t lived with her all these years without
spying when something was up. “Come on Lola tell me what’s on your
mind.” Charlotte knew that her mum wouldn’t give up so said, “Mum,
if you want to do something and someone is standing in your way and
you can’t do the thing that you want to how do you deal with it?”
“That’s easy,” said her mum. “It’s one of the basic rules that
every female learns at some point, you make them believe that it
was their idea in the first place. There is not a woman alive who
doesn’t use this method on men at one time or another and it always
works. You just need to figure out how?” Charlotte laughed. “You
are right of course, you always are, I just need a plan.” “Well
obviously,” said her mother. “Where in life would we be without a
plan. Do you need a folder? I can bring one up if you like.” They
both laughed and Mary said, “Come on, breakfast is ready, I’ve got
those frozen croissants that you like that I cook in the oven and
Trudy has given me some eggs from her hens so I will make you a
nice cooked breakfast to go with it. I don’t think that you’ve been
eating properly my girl and it’s my intention to feed you up
today.”

After breakfast Charlotte took Scruffy
for a walk. She loved spending time with her dog and some fresh air
was just what she needed. She nodded to her fellow dog walkers and
took in the beautiful countryside around her. She always liked to
get out in the fresh air when she had something on her mind. She
took Scruffy for quite a long walk whilst she mulled everything
over. A plan was beginning to form in her mind and feeling
invigorated she returned home to find Imogen waiting for her. They
squealed with delight and raced off to Charlotte’s room armed with
hot chocolates and plates of biscuits, standard gossip food.