“Thank you, Andrés,” I call across the circle, and he lifts his beer in acknowledgement.
After we’ve all devoured the food like gannets, I make my way over to Immy.
“I’m going to miss you,” I say truthfully. She’s the closest I have to a sister.
“Thank you, Charley. We’ll be back before you know it. Certainly before the baby’s born.” She absently places her hand on her belly, which is only just starting to swell with life. She looks so radiant and happy and I’m pleased for her and Oliver.
As night becomes darker it gets chilly, and we all gravitate to the warmth of the fire, sitting in a circle around it. I have Gabriel on one side and Felix on the other.
“So, what’s next?” Oscar asks. “You’ve done the grand opening, have you planned any more polo fixtures for the season?”
“We have a few we want to plan, we just need to make sure we don’t clash dates with any of the other clubs in the county or when the team is playing away matches,” Gabriel replies.
“I think we need to do something unique, an event that sets us apart,” I say, and Gabriel gives my knee a squeeze. We’ve already had a quick conversation about this, but I want to know what the others think. “Oscar gave me the idea when he said we should be proud of our inclusivity. We should do something that highlights that.”
“How about a tournament to fundraise for a queer charity?” Felix asks. “I know a few who’d be glad of the help.”
“Yes, that’s a good idea. Something along those lines.”
“What about if only queer teams played?” Simon suggests.
“Would that work?” I turn to Gabriel. “I thought we were the only all-queer team.”
“Think we are, but there could be another way.” He stops and I can see he’s thinking.
“If it’s for charity, we can pick the teams,” Andrés supplies, and Gabriel picks up on it.
“Yes, that’s it. I’ve seen this done before. Instead of teams, we invite players, and then on the morning of the tournament we pull names out of a hat to form the teams. They play the tournament as that team. We can even give them names to fit the charity. Something fun.”
“How does that fit with the handicap system?” I ask, trying to get my head round it.
“We wouldn’t use it. As it’s for charity, there wouldn’t be any league points. It would be on its own, so we wouldn’t need to use the handicaps to keep the teams even. It’s the luck of the draw,” he explains. I can feel the excitement bubbling at the thought of it.
“In that case, would you allow players who weren’t registered?” Oscar asks.
“What do you mean?” I turn to him.
“It sounds like fun and I’d like to join in. I’ve played a little polo in the past, and I know a few others on the showjumping circuit who might be interested as well.”
“As long as they know enough to be able to follow the rule book and stay safe, then I can’t see it being a problem,” Gabriel says and turns to me. “Does that sound sensible?”
“It does, because we’ll need at least sixteen players to form four teams, and I’m not sure there are that many queer polo players,” I say and catch Andrés smirk, which tells me that might not be true.
“What about allies as well?” Immy pipes up. “Not that I’d be playing. I’m not getting back on a horse until after the baby comes. But it might solve your problem if there aren’t enough players.”
“I think we could make it open to all. Anyone willing to fundraise for a queer charity who isn’t queer themselves is going to be an ally, right?” I ask, and there’s a chorus of nods and words of agreement.
“If it works, you could make it a regular feature, or even take the concept to other clubs in the country,” Felix says.
“You’re a genius, you know that, don’t you?” I say quietly, and he smiles broadly like I’ve just made his day. He not only came up with the idea, but is forward thinking enough to already be thinking about how it might work long term. I make a note to make sure he’s on the working party for this idea. Because this is going to happen. I feel Gabriel bump his knee into mine and I swivel back to him. His eyes are dancing and he’s wearing a big smile. He tips his head towards the group and I look around them. Everyone is talking animatedly, sharing ideas, obviously enthusiastic about the new idea. Friends and family who are excited about the future. I feel a surge of pride. This is our doing, we’ve made this. I look back at Gabriel and I know he feels the same way. I thank the day he walked back into my life while I was at my lowest point and gave me a chance at something far better. I bump his knee with mine in answer, that I know what he’s feeling and that I feel it too. He puts his arm around me and I snuggle in close, also excited about the future.
EPILOGUE
GABRIEL
Dawn is just beginning to break when I wake Charley up by tightening my arms around him and nuzzling the back of his neck, peppering him with soft light kisses.
“Mmmm morning,” he says sleepily and turns to face me. His face is crumpled with sleep and his eyes are sexy in their half-lidded state. He’s beautiful and he’s my world. I’m hoping today he’s going to make me even happier.
