“Fine. See you in an hour then.”
Steven ended the call. He wandered over to the French doors. He stared up at the clouds.
“No offence but fuck off. This is an emergency situation.”
An hour later and Steven was still staring at the sky as he pulled off the main road. Sure enough the clouds had cleared. It was still overcast although the sun made concerted efforts to break through.
Cliff Stone Reservoir was a beautiful patch of water up on the moors. The fact that it was man-made added to the allure. It had served the local area with drinking water for decades.
Udo waited for him in the car park. He looked stunning in a black leather jacket, white T-shirt and jeans.
A modern-day blond Brando.
Steven had made the effort too in black tailored shorts and a salmon-pink linen shirt.
There were quite a few cars there. Lots of families would come for picnics or to swim.
Steven hopped out of his Mercedes SUV and walked over. Udo leant against his sparkling white BMW Z4. For someone who didn’t always like attention, he’d chosen a standout set of wheels.
“Good afternoon,” Udo said. “I hope you didn’t mind my calling.”
“Of course not. I wasn’t doing much.”
They set off across the car park. The reservoir had a footpath which snaked around the large patch of water.
Steven noticed that Udo walked with his head up. Perhaps Steven’s advice for play had spilled into Udo’s personal life. Either way, Steven was proud of him.
“Have you come down from yesterday’s goal?” Steven asked.
“I don’t know what was more incredible,” Udo replied. “The goal or Shaun’s handshake.”
They were on the path proper now. Some cattle grazed near the water’s edge. They didn’t seem at all perturbed by human company.
“Shaun is all right, you know,” Steven said. “He’s had his own problems, that’s for sure.”
“Really? I wonder why he takes them out on me?”
That was quite the question and one that Steven had every intention of getting to the bottom of. Shaun had always been fiery, but this instant dislike of Udo was out of character.
They walked in silence for a short while.
“It sounded like you were going to tell me something the other day,” Steven said. “If it’s affecting your play, then I’d be grateful if you’d try again.”
Udo sighed. “There isn’t anything worth mentioning.”
That meant there was something. Steven could hardly hold him down until he came out with it. He respected Udo and his privacy.
“That’s up to you. Please remember that I’m always happy to listen.”
“You are very kind,” Udo replied. “It’s getting hot again.”
He took his jacket off and threw it over his shoulder.
The temperature had risen. Steven suspected being with Udo had a lot to do with it. He always seemed to get hot under the collar in the handsome midfielder’s presence these days.
“Summer’s coming,” Steven said. “Do you have any plans?”
“I’ll probably go home for a while and see my mother. How about you?”
