After 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.
"How's it going Sausage?" She heard Beth's voice through her phone.
Tatum groaned at the nickname. "Stop calling me that."
"Why! Your mum does."
"She pushed me out of her body! Did you push me out of your body? No."
"Calm down sausage." Tatum sighed at the use of it again. The worst thing that could have happened to her was her mum meeting her friends a few years ago. Her mum had called her sausage, getting many questions from Beth especially about the reason for the nickname. Tatum's mum proudly stated that it was because as a child she was round and soft, like a sausage.
"You know it's basically calling me fat."
"Shut your mouth. How's rehab going?"
"Decent, you know. Sling is off, I'm aiming to be back in full training in about 3 weeks max, so then getting back in the game not too long after that. How's like at the arse?"
"Don't let Leah hear you call it that. It's good, not bad. Frustrating, lately. Something is lacking in the team, we're just not getting the result, at the minute. We're being the better team on the pitch but coming out with draws."
"Hate that." Tatum agreed.
"It's almost like we need a new player...maybe a fellow European Champion." Beth teased.
Tatum let out a laugh, glancing at Leah's Arsenal shirt she had framed and on her wall. "Listen if the offer comes, I'll consider it. But it's gotta be spicy."
"Spicy? What, do you want it to include daily sexcapades with McCabe?"
"Obviously."
"Anyway, a little birdy told me that you're in good ol' London this weekend."
Tatum frowned and eyed up her already packed bag sitting by her front door, ready for when she leaves for her flight in a few hours. "How do you know about that?"
Beth laughed through the phone. "Mate, Katie hasn't shut up about it. She's like a kid at Christmas. Keeps on asking me and Leah about what you like and don't like. Oh, before I forget, you're allergic to Kiwi and Pineapple, aren't you?"
Tatum frowned. "Yeah...why?"
"Because she bought loads of food in yesterday and wanted to make smoothies with you in the morning, but wanted to check you had no allergies."
"Honestly, so soft."
Beth didn't respond for a second, instead Tatum could hear a muffled voice in the background. "Vivi wants to know if you and Katie want to go out with a few of us one if the nights you're here? Maybe dinner and then drinks? Assuming Katie hasn't planned every single second of your time here."
Tatum couldn't help the smile that came on her face. When she was doing relationships previously, she knew it tended to be herself making the majority of the effort, the one who sorted surprises, the one who wanted to make sure everything was done to make that person happy. But with Katie, it seems like so far, the roles have reversed. Tatum's not used to it, but she's enjoying it. Especially when she's got her little gossip England girls who tell her exactly what Katie is doing without her even being there.
"Yeah lad. Book it in."
"Alright poppet. Right, I'm off, Vivi is waving the mop at me thinking I'm trying to avoid mopping when I'm not." Beth replied, aiming the last bit of her sentence at Viv.
Tatum walked through through the airport as she headed to her gate which was now boarding. The nerves in her stomach were strong. Like butterflies on crack. She knew Katie wouldn't do it again, the Irish girl had very much been creeping for the last two weeks trying to get in Tatum's good books and gain the courage to ask Tatum if she would come visit her. But, there was always that what if. That one little intrusive thought that would wiggle around her brain.
She queued up to board, holding her back back over one shoulder and pulling the cap a bit further down her head. Pulling out her phone, she sent Katie a text letting her know she was getting ready to board. Giving her a warning that was thinly vailed as a heads up.
It didn't even take 30 seconds to respond, sending a video. She opened it and the familiar airport tannoy came through her headphones from the video.
"I'm already here, sweetheart!" Katie said on the video, holding up her coffee cup.
Tatum frowned but couldn't resist the smile that came on her face.
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Katie was keen. And Tatum was here for every bit of it.
