Billy pulled up to the gates and buzzed down her window. The guard on the gate smiled at her.
“Hi, I’m picking up my daughter.” She noticed his name tag—Bill.
“What’s the name?”
“My daughter, or me?” Billy grinned. The guard didn’t. “Her name is Imogen Cafferty-Fisk. I’m Billy Fisk.”
He dragged a finger down a clipboard, and after finding what he was looking for, he finally smiled. “Okay, Ms Fisk, if you want to pull up to the building on the left and then park somewhere to the right of that.”
“Okay, great. Thank you, Bill.”
The arm of the gate rose and Billy hit the accelerator, driving in like a rally driver until she noticed the 5mph sign and slowed down to a crawl.
“Spoilsports.” She grinned.
As sports training centres went, she didn’t have much experience, but it all looked nice—freshly painted, windows washed, up to date for a club the size of Bath Street Harriers.
She parked up, got out, and wandered over to a door marked ‘Reception’.
“Hi,” she said the moment she walked in and found a young woman smiling at her from behind a big counter. “I’m just here to pick up my daughter.” She then proudly added, “She was having a trial with the academy.”
“Cool, she must be good. Name?”
“Uh, yes, she is,” Billy said, feeling even prouder, if that was possible. “Imogen Cafferty—”
“Fisk? Got it,” the woman said as she tapped away on the keyboard. “Did you want to go down and watch the end of training?”
Billy glanced at her name badge. “Sure, Josie, if that’s allowed.”
“Of course.” Josie grinned. “Gimme two seconds and I’ll show you where to go.”
“Thanks.”
While Billy waited, she checked out the artwork and the posters on the walls, reading about the goals and expectations Gabby Dean set for everyone at the club. It all looked good as far as Billy was concerned.
Josie appeared at her shoulder. “Ms Dean really does have the right direction in sight, doesn’t she? Ready?”
“Yes, and yes.” Billy smiled, following the younger woman out of the door she’d come in and around the building.
She could see the lights illuminating the pitch and hear the shouts of players talking to each other as they moved around, even before they were halfway there.
“The academy coaches will happily answer any questions you might have,” Josie said as she hit a keypad and entered the number that opened a metal gate. On the other side, the pitch was lit up and a game was going on—pink bibs versus yellow bibs. Imogen was in pink.
“Thanks.” Billy smiled at Josie. “Do I just sit over there?”
“Yeah. Make yourself at home. Never know, you might be here more often.”
“I hope so.”
Chapter fifty-nine
Imogen ran off the pitch, grinning from ear to ear. “Did you see that?” she said, coming to a halt and throwing her arms around Billy. “I was playing with Nora Brady and Sammy-Jo Costa!”
“Yeah, I saw.” Billy smiled like the proudest parent on the planet. She only knew who the two players were because they’d met on Sunday, but it didn’t matter. Imogen was stoked, and that was worth everything. “So, you coming back?”
Imogen shrugged, a small frown appearing. “Dunno…they said they’d be in touch in a few days.”
“I guess they’ll want to discuss what they saw. Were you the only newbie?”
