I run my hand down my track pants, along the length of myself and feel the need I saw so clearly in her pleading eyes. I want to give her everything she wants, everything she needs. But I want this for her next job too. I don’t want to take away anything from my friend. We are all in this together.
She’s going to find out soon enough it’s not me at this booking. I wish it was. I’ve talked to the guys and although it would be amazing to watch Sophie on her bookings, we concluded the guys need to forge their own personal bond with her as I am doing in my own way. They need the new private intimacy and I understand that. I check my watch, thirteen hours until I see the remnants of his booking on her body. I can’t fucking wait.
Member 669
I breathe out a sigh of relief. She didn’t mention our evening events together, she still thinks it was Mack. She believes it’s a secret and part of his game. This couldn’t be going any better. She is mine for the taking now. No one can stop me.
FOURTEEN
Sophie
An hour later I pull up to work, head into the Clarendon and find Tye casually leaning against the wall next to a giant vase of flowers reading something on his phone. He looks up and smiles, “Good morning, Sophie,” he says in greeting and I can hear the smile in his tone just as clearly as the full smile that meets his eyes.
“Hey Tye,” I greet. “Ready to start with the lowest level of introduction to golf? I’m talking Golf for Dummies league, right?”
“Sophie, we can go as slow as you need. Remember, I am no Tiger Woods myself.”
“You play often though,” I say playfully, lighting taping my fingertips to his shoulder. He freezes like I’ve just electrocuted him, his eyes shooting to mine as the air suddenly grows thick between us. Something passes behind them, an intensity I’ve never experienced with him before.
I wonder if he doesn’t like to be touched but then theseriousness in his eyes eases to warm crinkles as if he’s back to his usual self and he replies, “Yeah, badly,” which makes me laugh. “Let me show you what I know and then we can see if I can level you up and you can beat me and join the ever growing list of every other member beating my arse.”
“No, surely, not everyone?” I say in mock horror.
“Take a look at the scoreboard, I simply read it and weep.”
“You do not!” I exclaim.
“Nah you’re right, I think it’s clear I come here for my coffees not the golf. But that is not going to stop me helping you become the best female player this golf club has ever seen.”
“Now you are dreaming,” I say, being mindful to keep my hands to myself this time.
“Come on, let’s head off to the first tee, I’ve left my clubs outside.”
I follow Tye out the door that leads out onto the grass. The lawns are really something. I know it takes a lot of skill and maintenance to keep them looking so perfect and short. I know there is not a cent scrimped on the upkeep of the Clarendon, the greens and the playmates being the crown jewels. And I can respect the work that has gone into keeping them looking so pristine, they sure are pretty on the eyes even though I have never stepped foot on them to play.
“Have you played golf since you were a kid?” I ask, trying to make small talk.
“It didn’t interest me growing up despite my dad’s best efforts.” Tye laughs.
“What made you start?”
“The playmates,” Tye shrugs. “You have to be a member to use the job boards and I figured seeing as I am a member, I could give it a go. But I fear maybe I should have started the ten years before I finally did because I think the extra ten years of practice could have come in real handy about now. But maybeit wouldn’t have made a blind bit of difference. You’ve either got it or you don’t with some sports, and this is simply not mine.”
“What is your chosen sport?” I ask, genuinely interested in finding out more about Tye over the surface level of interaction we usually have.
“I’m not hugely a sportsman in all honesty. I enjoy watching footy, UFC, tennis… But my first love is computers and building new apps, software and sometimes games.”
“So you’re a computer geek?” I ask, smiling cheekily.
“That I am Miss Sophie, a cool computer geek though, wouldn’t you say?”
“Oh absolutely, and everyone needs to know a cool computer geek when their laptop doesn’t turn on.”
“Indeed. I can’t say I’ll be out of work in the near future. Just means you’re taking lessons from someone who is far away from a golf pro, I’m no gold standard, but I know the basics, the rules.”
“I won’t notice. How hard can it be to hit tiny balls?” I say jokingly, knowing full well it’s way harder than it looks. “Must be therapeutic whacking all those balls at least?”
“Yes, it is. Until everyone you are playing with thinks you’re a dickhead because you can barely hit the ball over to the next green and lose nearly every other ball in the brush.”
