"Excuse me, TK? Can I please have a picture?" Tatum heard making her wince slightly before turning around to face the source of the voice, her eyes meeting a young girl about 14 standing there with a nervous smile and her phone in her hand."Yeah, of course." She replied before taking a step towards the girl and wrapping her arm around her shoulder and bending down slightly. "Want me to take it?" Tatum asked as she watched the young girl nervous hands shaking and likely making the pictures blurry. The young girl nodded and Tatum took the phone from her hands, grinning to the camera as she snapped a few pictures for the girl. "Do you want anything signed?"
"Can you sign my shirt?" The girl asked as she unzipped her loose jacket, revealing the England shirt underneath.
"No worries. Got a pen?" The young girls eyes widened as she rooted around in her backpack, eventually pulling out a pencil case and grabbed a sharpie out of it. "What's your name?"
"Grace!" Tatum nodded and signed the shirt. "I watched the Euros, every game, you're amazing. I wanna be able to play like you."
Tatum smiled at the kind words. "Wow, that means a lot, thank you. Who do you support, Grace?"
"Arsenal. But I try and watch the Barcelona matches as much as I can!"
"Yeah, nice save. Listen I happen to be close with a few of the Arsenal girls. Let me see what I can do, see if I can get you tickets for a game, yeah?" Tatum asked. Grace nodded so quickly it looked like her head was going to fall off her shoulders. "Sweet. Give me your email, mate. I'll get someone to get in touch with you. I'll make sure you're taken care off and I'll give the girls a headsup."
The two stood there for a second as Tatum took down the girls email address. She couldn't do this for every fan that stopped her, but she would try and go as above and beyond as she could as often as she could. She remembered being that age and meeting her idols, knowing just how much even an autograph meant. After taking the girls details she gave her a fist bump and watched how she speed walked back to her parents who were sitting down smiling at the interaction.
Tatum pulled her bag higher over her shoulder and re-tied her hoodie around her waist. After much back and forth, she had eventually been convinced by Katie to come and collect her shirt. And about two weeks after being back in Barcelona, she finally had 2 days off together meaning she could fly back to London and stay the night before flying back the following evening. Realistically, knowing that the young girl, Grace, would likely post that picture on social media was a bit inconvenient. She hadn't told anyone she was flying back to London, not the Barca girls, and not any of her teammates back in London, not even her family. She was literally planning on coming, spending some time with Katie, hopefully get laid, and get her shirt back, simple.
Walking out of the airport, she pulled out the cap she had stuffed in her pocket and pulled it over her head, mostly to stop her getting as easily recognised again, but also because Katie had maybe commented on how she liked how she looked in hats the other day on Facetime.
She got outside and looked around, seeing if she could see the Irish girl anywhere. She had previously advised her she would pick her up from the airport. Considering she had taken her time getting through security and then meeting Grace, she thought Katie would have been here impatiently waiting.
But no, not yet.
Knowing what traffic is like in London, it wasn't a big deal to her, instead walking over to one of the benches outside that was unoccupied and sitting herself on it with her bag on the floor, resting her legs on it. Pulling out her phone, she shot of a quick text to Katie; advising her she lost a point for lateness.
YOU ARE READING
All The Small Things You Do | Katie McCabe.
RomanceAfter winning the Euro's, there's a shift in momentum in Women's football. There's also a shift in Tatum Madden's life, but that shift has a name: Katie McCabe. Katie McCabe X OC.