“Martin doesn’t sleep with his daughter, Nick.You need to understand that.”
Nick snorts, all put out.Casey lets her head fall onto his shoulder and turns back to the match.I drag in a breath, trying to relax as I watch.
Out on the pitch, there’s suddenly a heap of bodies on the grass.Lads are roaring, more players pile in, and the bench explodes into noise.Then someone bursts out of the ruck and tears down the field, leaving everyone else behind.
“You picked well, Doctor,” Madigan says behind me, and it’s only then I cop that it’s my Captain legging it for the try line.
The place goes mad.Everyone’s on their feet, even Nick and Casey, but I stay where I am, rooted to the spot and lost for words.
Jamie dots the ball down and gets back up, still clutching it, and his teammates come charging at him, shouting and thumping his back.
Madigan gives my shoulder a tap and nods up at the big screen.I look, and Jamie’s face is everywhere — his grin, his pride.Something warm flickers in my chest, pride or something close enough to it.I don’t know if I have any right to feel this, but I do.
And God help me, I want to keep feeling it.
“So, Doctor, did you enjoy it?”Nick asks, slinging his arm around my shoulders.
“Sure, it was exciting.”
“Mmm… that doesn’t sound very convincing.”
“Nick,” Casey cuts in, pulling him back.
“It’s your first time; you should savour every moment.”
“Please, can we not?”Casey tries to rescue me.
“You’ve got to see the behind-the-scenes, too.It’ll help you get into rugby and get to know the team better.”
“Don’t listen to him, Martin,” Casey warns.
“What do you mean?”I ask.
Nick’s grin makes it clear I’ve walked right into it.
“Hey there, may we?”Nick pokes his head into the room.“Come on, Doctor.All clear.”
“Clear for what?”
He waves for me to follow.I step through the doorway, eyes wide, jaw dropping in surprise.
We’re in the team locker room.The players are celebrating, shouting, jumping.Most of them are half-naked; a few are completely naked, and I’m desperately trying to keep my eyes on the ones who at least have kept their underwear on.
“You’d better have mates like me,” he tells me with a sly grin, before ditching me and disappearing among the others.
I’m stuck at the door, eyes glued to the floor.I can’t look up — I know rightly I’ll end up staring at their most obvious assets — and I can’t leave without looking like a total coward.
“Are you embarrassed, Doctor?”
I glance up, then snap my gaze straight back.“Holy shit.”
“What’s wrong, Doctor?Not used to such abundance?”
Ryan.The usual arsehole.
“You could at least cover your…”
“I’m not the one with the problem.As you can see, I’ve plenty to be proud of.”
