Premier Deception (9 page)

Ronnie gave her the
creeps she decided after just a few short minutes in his company.
He showed her into the dressing room and explained what happened
before and after a match.
“
Don
’
t worry your pretty little
head about any of the team stuff,
”
he
said condescendingly.
“
Luke and I have it
all sewn up, you just concentrate on looking good for the media -
after all promotion is your job after all.
”
Charlotte felt incensed. Even though this was true she
still felt that she owed it to everyone to make the best job of
this appointment as she could. She may be in charge of promoting
the club and keeping it in the news but she still wanted to learn
all that she could. Before she could answer back Luke came into the
room and said that Elsie needed Charlotte back in her office. She
was glad to escape and found her own way back. Elsie was waiting
with a pretty girl with black hair and a slim figure wearing a
smart red dress and black heels. She had a lovely smile which she
directed at Charlotte.
“
Hi Charlotte,
meet Allison your new pa.
”
Elsie said
brightly, as Charlotte smiled and shook the girls hand.

Elsie
explained,
“
Allison is my brightest and
most trusted assistant. I am busy with my job looking after Maurice
so thought that you would need somebody to help you full time. She
will run your diary and field all calls and e mails and basically
look after and organise you. Anything that you need just ask
her.
”
Charlotte liked the look of Allison
and thought she must not be much older than herself. She had a warm
and friendly smile and Charlotte felt instantly at ease with her.
Elsie carried on.
“
Right I will leave you
two to get acquainted and then you can get going if you want to as
you are being picked up at 7.30am to meet the team at the training
ground tomorrow.
”

Elsie left the room
and Charlotte turned to the pleasant girl standing nervously
waiting.
“
I am very pleased to meet you
Allison; I
’
m looking forward to working
with you.
”
Allison smiled and
said,
“
Yes me too, my desk is just
outside and please call me for anything at all. I have your
schedule for the next few days if you would like me to go through
it with you and we have had several offers from magazines and talk
shows all requesting interviews, you must let me know which ones
you want to go to and I will arrange them around your
schedule.
”

They spent the next
hour going through the schedule and Charlotte started to realise
the mountain of work that was before her. Allison asked if she
would like a coffee and Charlotte gratefully accepted. As Allison
turned to leave Charlotte said suddenly,
“
Allison do you think that you could find my driver Max and
ask him if he could come here for a minute, if he is busy
don
’
t worry I just want to ask him
something.
”
Allison nodded and closed the
door. Within 10 minutes Max appeared.
“
Max come in,
”
Charlotte said with
a smile.
“
Do you want me to get you a
coffee?
”
Max smiled and nodded so
Charlotte poked her head outside the office and asked Allison if
she wouldn
’
t mind getting Max one as
well. When she went inside she said,
“
sorry Max I hope that you don
’
t
mind me asking you to come here but I wanted to ask you
something.
”
She gestured to the settee
and they sat down. Allison came in with the coffee,
“
I managed to find some biscuits as
well,
”
she said. Charlotte
replied,
“
Thanks Allison, make sure you
have one yourself won
’
t you?
”
Allison smiled and left the room. Once again
Charlotte was quite distracted by Max
’
s
presence. He seemed to fill the room with an air of mystery and
excitement and she found herself wanting to be close to him and not
wanting him to leave. She felt safe with him and was so glad that
fate had had a hand in bringing them together.

“
Max, I want to
stay a bit later tonight as I have to meet the team tomorrow. I
need to find out everything I can about them so that I am prepared
when I meet them. Would you help me? It may mean a late night
though and I don
’
t know if you have any
other commitments?
”
she said hoping that
he didn
’
t. Max smiled and said,
“
of course not I would love to help.
”
“
Good
”
she
said.
“
Do you like pizza?
I
’
ll order us some and maybe Allison can
help too, I don
’
t like to ask though as
it is your own time.
” “
No
worries,
”
he said. Allison also agreed
when she was asked and so the three of them settled in for the
night.

By 10pm they had
researched every single player on the main team plus the second
team and reserves. They had also researched the club, the owners
and the back room staff. They had eaten pizza and drank more
coffees than they should have to keep them awake. They tested her
on her knowledge and then as the clock struck 10 Charlotte decided
that she was ready and would probably benefit from some sleep. She
stretched and yawned and said,
“
Thanks so
much I really appreciate your help. We
’
ve
certainly covered most things. I could probably win mastermind now
with everything that I
’
ve
learned.
”
She gave a loud yawn and the
others laughed. Max said,
“
Come on
I
’
ll drive you home, would you like a
lift too Allison?
”
but she said,
“
No need my car is just outside in the car
park.
” “
Ok then when
you
’
re ready we
’
ll walk you to it,
”
said Max,
which made Charlotte like him even more. He seemed such a
gentleman.

The three of them
left the office tired, but happy that they had covered so much
ground. Once they had left Allison at her car they crossed the car
park to the Bentley.
“
Thanks again
Max,
”
Charlotte said gratefully.
“
I really do appreciate your help, although I am
sure that you had better things to do with your evening than spend
it at work.
”
Max smiled and
replied,
“
not really, it was good for me
to also spend time getting to know the club and players. I found it
all very interesting and the company could not have been
better.
”
He looked at her and even in the
darkness his eyes gleamed the darkest shade of brown. They were
truly mesmerising and Charlotte always felt fixated by them. How
could one person have such an effect on her without touching her or
even saying much? Just one look was enough to turn her legs to
jelly and she found him so very captivating.

They reached the car
and Max opened the passenger door for her. She sat down happy with
her first day
’
s work. It had been quite a
day and there was a lot to take in, at least she had a better idea
of things now, she thought, but knew that there were many
challenges still ahead. She thought of Max next to her and felt so
comfortable with him. It was strange because she
didn
’
t know him that well but there was a
definite connection between them, something she had never
experienced before. Her eyes started to feel heavy as the car edged
its way nearer home. The darkness outside and inside the car
enveloped her and she drifted off to sleep.

“Charlotte, wake up
you
’
re home now,
”
said a soft sexy voice drifting into
Charlotte
’
s dreams. With a start she
opened her eyes and realised to her embarrassment that she had her
head on Max
’
s shoulder. Quickly she sat
up as she remembered where she was. Oh no, I hope I
wasn
’
t dribbling she thought as she
realised that she had nodded off - or even worse snored or talked
in my sleep!

Max grinned at her
obvious discomfort and said,
“
wake up
sleepy head; you really are quite the dreamer
aren
’
t you?
” “
What!
”
said Charlotte, now really
worried, Oh no please don
’
t say
I
’
ve made a fool of myself.
“
Sorry Max,
”
she
stuttered,
“
I hope that I
didn
’
t make you feel uncomfortable, I
don
’
t know what came over me.
”
He laughed and said,
“
No worries, it
’
s been a long day,
you must be tired. Come on I
’
ll walk you
to your door - just in case you fall asleep in a hedge on the
way.
”
He helped her out of the car and
took her bags in one hand and with the other gently led her up to
her front door.
“
Here you are
then,
”
he said softly.
“
Have a good sleep and I will pick you up bright
and early.
”
He turned to go as she
said,
“
Do you have far to go Max? Will
you be alright driving; I mean you
’
re not
too tired I hope.
” “
No,
”
he answered,
“
I
don
’
t live far, maybe ten minutes, so
I
’
ll soon be home. Goodnight.
”
She went inside feeling strangely lost in her
own home.

She woke up late the next morning and realised that
Max would be due in fifteen minutes. She hurriedly dressed in some
smart trousers and a loose fitting top and grabbed a jacket. Before
she knew it she heard the car pulling into the drive and her mother
calling her. Damn she thought, she hated rushing and now she would
look a total mess in front of Max. There was no time for breakfast
and she raced for the door. On opening it she saw Max leaning
nonchalantly against the porch looking refreshed, his clothes smart
and freshly laundered and his hair well groomed and smelling of the
delicious aftershave that he always wore. She on the other hand was
aware of what a state she must look. He looked at her with an
amused look on his face as she shouted her goodbyes.

Before she got half
way down the drive her mother came running out,
“
Charlotte you have forgotten your folder.
”
She spun around to take it from her.
“
Oh and Imogen called last night, you got in so
late I never had a chance to tell you,
”
admonished her mother. Charlotte remembered the missed
calls and texts from her friend and groaned,
“
what did she want?
”
she said
curiously.
“
Oh apparently she has been
moved to the local Lido on life guarding duties and in her words
there are lots of hot lifeguards here.
”
Charlotte looked surprised and then flushed as she saw
Max
’
s amused expression. Her mother
carried on oblivious.
“
Well one of them
found out that you were her friend and wants her to arrange a
double date with you both. She says he is a real hunk - again her
words! and she wondered if you were free tonight?
”
Charlotte was mortified; she saw the look on
Max
’
s face had changed from mild
amusement to something else that she couldn
’
t quite fathom. He looked almost annoyed and his eyes had
gone darker as though he was angry. Her mother carried on.
“
Well if you want my opinion I would stay well
away. It sounds like this guy is a bit of a stalker type, I mean he
has seen your picture in the paper and wants in on the action. You
have to be careful now that you are a celebrity, you hear it all
the time how fans get out of hand and before long you will be in
court taking out an injunction against him!
”

Oh no this was too
much Charlotte thought highly embarrassed. Damn Imogen and damn her
mother. She wanted to play it cool with Max and make him see how
sophisticated she was and dazzle him with her wit and charm, and
now he would think of her as some giggling schoolgirl going out on
dates set up by her friend against her mother
’
s wishes. They were both looking intently at her and she
mumbled,
“
I haven
’
t got time for this, I will be late. I
’
ll phone her this morning.
”
Her
mother shrugged and bent down to pick a weed out of the drive.
Charlotte raced towards the car before she could embarrass her any
more and waited for Max to get them out of there. He was very quiet
on the journey and Charlotte wasn
’
t sure
whether to mention the incident or to just leave it. It seemed a
bit awkward so she pulled out her phone saying,
“
Oh I
’
ll just text Imogen and
refuse her kind offer, I don
’
t have time
anyway and the last thing I want is a blind date.
”
She laughed hoping to lighten the mood. She
thought that she saw relief on his face but again it was so
fleeting and once again he looked impassively ahead.