I thought Luca and I were just going to muck around, but with teammates coming in from every direction, this was feeling more and more like a setup. Something I wasn’t super impressed about.
“Quit your bitching, Rookie. Let’s play,” Kurt announced, throwing a ball into the middle of where we were standing.
Before I knew what was happening, Luca had stolen the ball and taken off towards the goals at the other end of the field. For a retired old man, he still knew how to move.
“Well, Rookie, you going to let him score or what?” Connor challenged, and everyone turned and looked at me.
“Why’ve I gotta go get it?”
“Cause you’re the rookie. And you’re playing on Coach today,” Angus added.
“Thank fuck it’s not my turn,” Hamish chuckled, pulling out a bright yellow bib he had in the bag at his feet before throwing one at me and Connor. “You’re on my team, Rookie. Let’s do this!”
Hamish was confusing the ever-loving fuck out of me. At training he was so serious. He rarely spoke and, in the gym, he always had his earbuds in and his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him as he worked his way through the circuit. Out here though, out here he was different. Almost a completely different person. He was kinda cool as he fist-pumped me before jogging off down the field to where Luca stood, showing off bouncing the ball off his feet, knees, and head, never once letting it touch the ground. Following along like the lost little puppy I felt like, I couldn’t help but smile when I heard Angus and Kurt whinging. Apparently being on Luca’s team was no better than being his direct opponent. Both sucked.
Twenty minutes later and I had more knocks and had landed on my arse more times than I normally did in an entire game. More of the boys showed up, and it was just a free for all. They divided themselves into teams, but that was about the extent of the rules.
“Can we play?” I heard someone ask as the ball sailed through the air and dropped directly in front of me.
“Sure. Grab a bib and join in,” Luca invited.
There were half a dozen guys from the high school, still in their gym shorts standing on the sidelines, backpacks discarded at their feet. It took them barely a minute to shrug on bibs and run onto the field, seemingly not afraid of taking on bigger, older, and professional players.
The trash talk was incredible. It rivalled the shit I used to give to Bryce on a daily basis when he pranced around the backyard pretending the aerial ping-pong bullshit game he played was a real man’s sport. Training was never like this.
When a skinny kid with possibly the world’s worst haircut passed me the ball, I heard Luca comment behind me that it was on. Remembering the advice he’d given me earlier about having fun, I ignored all the rules and courtesies that had been beaten into my head over the years and did just that.
Barely thirty seconds later I was lifted from my feet and hoisted up on shoulders. There was cheering and clapping and hooting and hollering. Anyone watching from the sidelines would’ve thought I just kicked the winning goal in the World Cup final, and if I was being honest, that’s exactly what it felt like too. I’d just scored on Luca Conti. Australia’s favourite footballing son. I’d made him look like a fool. And fuck, it felt good.
“Nice goal, Masters,” Luca grumbled. “Shame you were offside.”
“Bullshit he was offside, Conti!” Hamish defended.
“You just hate to lose, Luca,” Kurt mumbled as he stripped his bib off.
Obviously, the game was over, and Luca was pouting like I’d seen his adorable niece Phoebe do.
“So, who’s up for beer and burgers?” Connor asked around. A few of the guys mumbled something about needing to get home to the wife and kids, but when Connor elbowed me in the ribs asking me pointedly, I felt like I couldn’t say no. I didn’t want to. For the first time all week, I was starting to feel like I might actually be in the right place. That I hadn’t taken a wrong turn and gotten completely lost.
“I’m in!” I agreed, digging my phone from my pocket and doing something that made me feel like shit. I cancelled on Claire. Again. It was the right call and one I’d make again and again, but it didn’t mean it felt good. Somehow, I promised myself, I’d make it up to her. That is if she let me.
“Sweet. Conti?”
It was kinda cool that Luca was one of us. Up here, away from the club and the press and the pressure, he was just one of us. He was the happiest when he was chasing a ball up and down the field and showing off his epicness. Hell, if I could do half the things he could do, I’d be showing off too. And not once had I heard anyone call him ‘Coach’. It was kinda cool.
Turning around, I saw him and a few of the other guys taking selfies with the school kids. Everyone was smiling and laughing and having a good time, and I knew Luca was right. This is what I’d been missing. What I’d forgotten. The fun.
“Conti…beer and burgers?” Hamish asked again.
“I dunno. I’d have to call…”
“Yeah, yeah. We know. Elise has your balls in her purse. But are you coming out with us or you going home to eat your kale salad with a nice glass of coconut water?” Kurt added.
It was weird to see someone talking to him like that. I lived with the guy and even though I’d seen firsthand what Kurt was saying was true, I’d never call him out on it. But I guess it was different when you’d known each other for so long. At one point, Kurt had played alongside Luca in representative teams and then as his opponent before Luca’s retirement. There was a deep, ingrained respect there, but away from the confines of the club, they were first and foremost, mates.
“Like you’re any better. Penny has yours in a drawer in the back of the cupboard. It’s not like you’ve used them any time in the last ten years,” Luca tossed back as he jogged over to the goal post and collected his stuff.
“So, you’re in?”
“I’m in. Seth?”
Tucking my phone in my pocket, I headed over to join them. “Yep. Let’s do it.”
