“That’s amazing. You’re so young! I’ve always wanted to work for myself.”
Beth immediately launched into an enthusiastic diatribe about self-employment, and the women disappeared out of the entrance doors, having completely forgotten I existed.
CHAPTER THREE
CALLAN
Idon’t know how they’d managed it, but Beth and Georgia were already standing next to Beth’s MINI Cooper by the time I’d followed them out of the building. I knew it was her MINI because this wasn’t the first time we’d bumped into each other in the last two weeks. When it became clear we left our flats around the same time, I’d started leaving for training earlier.
Until today, of course.
I strode toward my Land Rover, eyes on the women as they chatted easily, gesturing with their hands, and laughing. What the fuck?
To my horror, their phones came out and they exchanged numbers.
When I’d dragged Georgia out of bed, I told her I’d drop her off at her place on my way to the training ground. So I waited impatiently for her as she laughed at something else Beth said and then bloody wellhuggedher.
First Baird. Now my one-night stand?
What was it with this woman?
Georgia hurried over to the Land Rover as Beth peeled out of our car park in her shiny new Cooper that I’d assumedMummy and Daddy Carmichael paid for. But having heard her tell Georgia she owned her own company, maybe Beth had paid for the car herself, after all. To be fair, I didn’t know anything about her anymore.
She’d made it clear she didn’t want to have anything to do with me when we were kids.
I’d showed her, though. Who lived in the penthouse? Who was plastered across national ads and representing his country in world tournaments?
Aye, Beth Carmichael would never make me feel less than again.
Pissed the hell off now, I climbed into the four-by-four at the same time as Georgia.
“Your neighbor is a total sweetheart,” she gushed. “We’re going to meet for coffee next week. I have this idea for my own business, and Beth said she’ll give me any advice she can about starting up. Can you believe that?”
I grunted.
“She said her name was Carmichael. You don’t think she has anything to do withtheCarmichaels, do you?”
Swinging out of the car park, I didn’t answer. “Where am I dropping you off?”
“Comely Bank. I mean, she could be a Carmichael. She has the look of someone who was born to money, you know. I wonder if it would be rude to ask when we meet up. But how amazing would that be? Jocelyn Carmichael is a big deal ever since her book series got adapted for TV. And Braden Carmichael is practically a real estate king in Edinburgh.”
Aye, Jocelyn and Braden Carmichael were Beth’s parents and they were both well known in Edinburgh. Theywerea “big deal.” And Beth thought so too. Too much of a big deal to be friends with the poor kid who transferred to her school. At sixteen, I’d been awarded a football scholarship to the academyBeth attended. I was only there for a year when I was scouted by Caledonia United Under 18s (U18). I’d been with them ever since, and Caley had become my family.
While I was at the academy, I’d shared two classes with Beth, even though I was a year older. It was how the senior classes worked at the school. We’d become friends quickly, and then we became more. The “more” didn’t last long before she made sure we becamenothing.
I’d shared things with her I’d never shared with anyone. And just after her sixteenth birthday, a few months before I left to play for Caley, Beth stopped talking to me. She avoided me in the halls, started sitting as far from me as possible in class, and she’d started dating the son of a millionaire who was a complete prick.
When I’d finally gotten up the courage to confront her, she’d told me that we were “too different.”
I’d taken that to mean exactly what I knew she’d meant.
I wasn’t good enough for a fucking Carmichael.
My hands fisted around the leather steering wheel of the Land Rover.
Aye, I’d shown her. I’d shown them all.
“Are you okay?” Georgia asked quietly.
