When Fools Rush In

Chapter 15 - Meat Feast

The Stones incident had shaken Lucy up. She was annoyed with herself for allowing herself to become so blasé and for allowing Jack to lead her astray in what was an unlocked room less than two hundred yards from the training pitch and Pep. She scolded herself for not having the mental strength to resist Jack wherever she was, whatever her thoughts or priorities at the time. After the video shoot had taken place, and after Jack had departed with a wink, making Lucy blush, she gathered up her phone and bag and decided she would work from home for the rest of the day. 

"Are you OK?" asked Rhys, fiddling with the camera as he evaluated the footage he had just captured. "You look quite flushed."

Great, thought Lucy, even Jack winking at her as he returned to the training ground was making her visibly flustered.

"Oh I'm fine, it's pretty warm today isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so," said Rhys, shrugging his shoulders. Lucy knew he wasn't convinced. She pulled her handbag close to her side.

"I'm heading off now, look forward to seeing the video once you've sliced and diced it."

"Don't you worry...it's gonna be a good one, but you knew that already," smiled Rhys. Even that was ambiguous. Had he cottoned on? Or was he just jokingly boasting about his video editing skills? Lucy couldn't be sure anymore. Now Stones officially knew, was it just a matter of time before everyone else just guessed? How many times had Lucy betrayed herself without even being aware?

***

Friday morning was another early start for Lucy. The charity gala dinner for City in the Community was taking a lot of organising, given she was on the organising committee and responsible for press liaison. This was in addition to the following day's Premier League home game against Brighton. Due to diary clashes, the only time the committee could meet in the morning was at 7.30am. It was barely light when Lucy arrived at the Etihad, and she had a whirlwind day of meetings, press accreditation and organising filming ahead of her - in addition to helping with the finishing touches for the dinner. 

Lucy pulled up in the Etihad Campus car park, fiddling with a cinnamon pastry she had lazily collected from the Costa drive-thru. Rain was drumming off the windscreen, the first autumn leaves swirling in the wind across the car park. There was another morning ritual she had to perform as she reached for her phone. Jack wouldn't be awake yet but when she had an early start she had become fond of leaving him a message.

"Morning sweetheart. Windy today but you already blew me away again yesterday. See you later? xx"

Lucy slid her phone back into her bag, preparing herself to exit the warmth of her car and into the cold outside. It pinged before she had chance to undo her seatbelt.

"Morning gorgeous. Come and stay tonight. Stay the whole weekend x"

So he was awake. Maybe he waited by his phone as much as she did. Maybe he'd just woken up early. Lucy smiled. This would keep her going through the day ahead.

***

It was 8.30pm and Lucy was still at her desk in her office, bashing out emails and finalising plans with journalists for the match and the gala dinner. She had only broken for half an hour throughout the whole day. Instead of using the time to get lunch, she had driven back home to pack her overnight bag and place it in the boot of her car, ready for when she would drive to the public car park nearest Jack's apartment and take the short walk to his building later. Her stomach was now grumbling as she reached into her desk drawer for a cereal bar. It was gone in several seconds, but didn't register.

Andy, Lucy's line manager, poked his head around the door.

"Everything's pretty much set isn't it?" he queried softly, "so hopefully you won't be here too much longer?"