Playing the Field

by Foster, Zoe

  ‘Oh, you know, Holly and the girls, Lucas and Adrian and a few other of Eric’s deadshit friends. Pretty much everyone who already knew we were back together, whether we’d told them or they’d figured it out for themselves.’

  ‘Oh. Oh well. I’m glad you had a nice time with all your friends. I’m sure they’re all very happy for you – for you both.’

  I went to my room but Col followed me, pushing the door closed behind us.

  ‘Jay?’ she said quietly.

  I sat down on the bed. What now? I was irritable and wanted only a shower and sleep.

  ‘I know this Eric thing is weird for you.’

  ‘Mm-hmmm …’

  ‘You’re not the only one freaking out, trust me. But I wanted you to know that it’s just a trial. We’re taking things slowly. You know, a lot of shit went down when we split, and there’s a good chance we won’t be able to get past it. Me, especially. I mean, you’ve seen us – one day we’re all loved up; the next, I want to tear his fucking arms out.’

  I smiled. I had to admit I was relieved.

  ‘I think that’s a good idea, Col. Really good. I would hate for —’

  ‘I know, I know, for me to get hurt again. And that’s why I love you. Even though you ate all the bread, and used my ghd and left it on and could’ve burned the whole joint down.’

  ‘But I wa—’

  ‘Shoosh. Don’t care, whatever. Go to bed, snarkyarse; see you in the morning.’

  With that, she kissed me on the cheek, spun on her heel and went back to the sofa and her trial boyfriend.

  ROUND 41

  Misguided Jealousies vs The Twinklings of Truth

  According to Godfrey, I was in danger.

  ‘Where can you go from here? Any man after Josh can only suffer at the hands of what it was like to be with a professional football star. Your standard of living will be stratospheric!’

  I laughed as Mum tore the phone from his hands.

  ‘Now, you know I’ll be down next weekend? I’m showing the princess on Saturday, which means we can all spend some time together Sunday. I’d like to get the full story on this Eric situation with both of you there. I don’t know that Colette’s telling me the full story.’ ZING! So she did know about them being back together. I decided not to ask her thoughts on it. Now wasn’t the right time, as I was likely to plant several verbal spears into Eric. ‘Oooh! Maybe we can do some shopping!’ she continued with glee. Mum loved to shop in the Big City; there so many more animal prints on offer.

  Oh shit. Hang on, Sunday was the day I was going to be at Morgan’s for her Semi-final Spa-palloza, where all the WAGs were going to have manis and pedis and champagne and massages and blow-dries before heading off to the game in limos. I couldn’t help wondering what we’d do if the Bulls got into the grand final. Caviar facials and golden helicopters?

  Actually, I didn’t mind Morgan. She was being quite nice to me these days. Paola said it was because she had fallen out with Tess, so was free to befriend me now. She’d been through a bitch of a time lately: Phil had been busted cheating on her – publicly, because the nineteen-year-old he’d cheated with (in the pokies room at an interstate nightclub, no less) had gone to the papers – and the media scrutiny of the ‘perfect glamour couple’ had been heavy. Phil had bought Morgan pistachio-sized diamond earrings to make up for it, but apparently didn’t need to, as she was unfaltering in her support for him. Which I found a bit bizarre. She was telling anyone who’d listen that the girl in question was a filthy little slut and had slept with half the players in the comp, and wouldn’t have said a word to the press if Phil had bothered to put her in a cab afterwards.

  I understood why she was upset, but I found Morgan’s venom towards the girl a little unsettling, considering it was her long-term boyfriend who was as much at fault – perhaps even more so, considering his age and the fact that he had a live-in girlfriend. And yet there she was, snuggling up to him at breakfast in the social pages of the Sunday papers. Paola was convinced Morgan was a fool, and that Phil had been playing up for years, but even she couldn’t get through to her. Morgan was simply not prepared to end her relationship over this indiscretion. I’d wondered if maybe she might be pregnant, and needed to keep the relationship for that reason, but the way she put away champagne after the match ruled out that idea.

  I guess it just came down to what you were willing to put up with as a WAG. I was certain that in the same situation I would break up with Josh straight away. Cheating is not okay in my books; I don’t care how famous you are. And the arrogance of doing it in a nightclub, with people all around, spoke volumes about how invincible some of the boys thought they were, not to mention how much they drank on a big night out. Phil was a pig.

  Mum was still waiting for an answer on shopping. I would have to find a way to do both. I was sure I could manage it: I’d just sneak off from Morgan’s for an hour or two.

  The first twinkling of summer air had drifted in and work was revolting: furiously busy, boxes upon boxes of new stock, and lots and lots of customers looking for formal dresses for the races, or flippy, flirty dresses for parties. Finally able to sneak out for a bite at 2.30, I walked next door, exhausted and starving, to see if Cam was around and wanted to come with me.

  I saw him as soon as I walked into the store, serving a gorgeous little thing with icy-blue eyes and a sweet little blue dress, waistcoat, sandals and a tangle of string necklaces and bracelets. He was laughing and smiling with her as he rang up a denim belt miscast as a skirt. She flicked her hair from side to side, smiling coyly; he leaned forward on the counter, his eyes gripping hers, making her laugh, flirting with Olympic-style skill and prowess.

  I stood in the bikini section, pretending to fondle an eighties-style one-piece but unable to tear my eyes away from Cam and pretty Little Miss Waistcoat. I watched as he wrote down what was probably not his grandma’s Mars Bar cookie recipe and held it out to his little doe-eyed princess. Who took it. And smiled. And flicked her hair cutely before closing her tan leather vintage handbag and picking up her shopping. Ooh, look at me, I’m so cool with my eclectic jewellery and totally alternative waistcoat and op-shop bag.

  Watching her walk out, I wasn’t sure what stunned me more: my malice, or the effect that seeing her and Cam carrying on had had on me. I collected myself quickly and walked purposefully towards the counter, watching Cam watching her walk away.

  ‘Love at first purchase?’

  Cam’s head whipped around to me.

  ‘Where’d you spring from?’ His face was flushed with being-bustedness.

  ‘She was cute. Reckon she’ll call?’

  A smile spread slowly over his face. It was spicy. I didn’t like it.

  ‘Yeah, actually. We’re gonna go and see Dreamer play next week,’ he said, with feigned insouciance. ‘She comes in every now and then. Ava, her name is.’

  ‘She legal yet?’

  He looked at me. ‘Yes, she’s twenty-three, actually.’

  ‘Ooooh, he already knows her age. Must be love. I’m sure – if she can lift her arm, with all of those bangles – she’ll call.’ He raised one eyebrow. I bulldozed on, unable to stop. ‘But are your star signs compatible, that’s the real question. Actually, does she like house music? That’s the real question.’

  He continued to look at me with an expression I couldn’t quite figure out – but I think it might have been a sibling of disgust’s.

  ‘What’s your go?’

  ‘What?’ I said, smiling in what I hoped was a totally normal fashion.

  ‘You’re being all twisted and bitchy.’

  ‘No I’m not. I’m just screwing with you.’ I folded my arms.

  ‘Whatever.’ He turned around and started tinkering with the cash register.

  ‘You’re incredible, you really are. You can tease and terrorise me whenever you like, but the moment the tables are turned, you get all defensive.’

  ‘There’s a difference between teasing and being a b
itch.’ He still had his back to me.

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘Well, you don’t even know her, and you’re being gnarly. You know, you actually sounded just like a jealous gir—’

  ‘Go on.’ My voice was slow and saturated with barely disguised fury.

  ‘Nothing. Forget it. Why’d you come in, anyway?’

  ‘Never mind.’ I shook my head in disbelief, spun around and walked out of the shop. He could have his silly little Ava. What did it matter to me? I didn’t care. So didn’t care. Couldn’t care less than if a giant care extractor had come along and extracted every last ounce of the stuff from my body. I walked out of the shop in a huff and started towards the revolting sandwich shop on the corner. It would have to do. Just as I reached it, I ran into Col and, of all people, Frank.

  ‘Frank! Hi! God, haven’t seen you for ages!’ We kissed on the cheek and smiled genuinely at each other. I adored Frank, he was such a winner.

  ‘I know. Bet you miss your handsome brother-in-law, huh?’

  I laughed. Same old Frank.

  ‘Very much. Josh does too – what’s with all the travel?’

  Frank had received a promotion a few months ago and now seemed to travel non-stop, both interstate and throughout Asia.

  ‘I’m too good at my job, so they make me train people all over the place. It’s tough being lauded as some kind of idol. The pressure is intense, but someone has to do it, right Col?’

  Uh-oh, he still looked at her like that. Poor Frank. I wondered if he had any idea about Eric or if he still thought he had a chance with her.

  ‘So, what are you two doing?’ The curiosity was oozing from my pores.

  ‘Oh, you know, Frank and I ran into each other. At my office. At my desk.’ Col shot Frank a wry smile. ‘And now he’s accompanying me to the bank because he was’ – she made quotation marks with her fingers – ‘heading that way anyway.’ Despite her sarcasm, she was smiling.

  ‘Ahhh, I see …’ I said, not really seeing at all. I wondered if they had caught up before and Col had failed to tell me, but figured it was probably more a case of Frank being obsessed with her and having another shot at the title.

  ‘Okay, well, I’d love to stay and chat but I’m starving and—’

  ‘Fine by me, Jay. I’m happy to have Col all to myself. Even if that does make her nervous because she knows deep down she wants to kiss me passionately and may not be able to control herself.’

  Col rolled her eyes and I stifled a laugh.

  ‘I’ve told Frank that I’m off the market but he —’

  ‘Yeah, and with the ex! Jay, how did you let this happen?’ Frank’s expression had become one of disbelief.

  ‘Um …’ I looked to Col for help.

  ‘If Jay’d had her way, there would be no ex. Trust me.’

  ‘See?’ Frank said emphatically. ‘Your sister sees the error of your ways!’

  ‘Frank? Please drop it. I told you before, Eric and I are just giving things a go. Jesus, I’m not marrying the guy.’

  ‘Well, you know what they say – if you go backwards, you fall over …’

  ‘Frank, I know what I’m doing, okay? As I explained before, if I don’t do this, I’ll always wonder what could’ve been, and I don’t want to live that life. Now, can we drop it? Please?’

  I saw Col’s eyes flash with irritation and decided now would be a really awesome time to leave.

  ‘Hey, so, Frank, I’ll see you at the game, right? How are you going to get to the stadium? I could give you a lift, if you like … God, you know what? We can sort that out later, I gotta eat and get back to the shop. See ya, Frank. Later, Col!’

  I blew them a kiss and dashed off, wondering very much where their heated little conversation would end up. I had to commend Frank’s impressive persistence, but I had a feeling that even he couldn’t penetrate Col’s steely resolve. Very few things could.

  ROUND 42

  The Past vs The Future

  ‘See that column over there – that big yellow thing?’ We were sitting on a flat boulder, overlooking the city from a perspective I’d never imagined existed. It was incredible – almost worth the forty-five minutes of steep climbing in gripless shoes that it took to get up here – and I loved that Joel had insisted we do this together, especially in such an important week for him, in the lead-up to the semi-final. Feeling included, feeling like a priority when everyone wanted a piece of him was, I was embarrassed to admit, both blissful and a bit of an ego trip.

  ‘About five years ago, some mates and I came up here and got completely ripped. And we all swore that column was Homer Simpson, and I think we laughed for about twelve hours about it. Can you see how it kind of looks like him, with the shirt and the …?’

  He looked at me, excited, eyebrows raised, finger extended towards the yellow mass in the distance, and I laughed, shaking my head.

  ‘Noooooot really, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Well, next time you take a couple of hits from a huge skull-shaped bong, come up here and try again.’

  ‘Of course. That’s if I can get up here with all the chip sandwiches and Mars Bars I’d need to sustain my munchies.’

  He looked into my eyes, smiling, and planted a kiss on my lips.

  ‘What was that for?’

  ‘What, I’m not allowed to kiss my girl?’

  He was beaming at me, and knowing what an anxious week this was for him, it was enormously comforting to see him so calm and happy. I admired his chilled-out state of mind – he was always calm under fire. It was sexy, I thought.

  Having never paid attention to football previously, I’d been unaware of the whopping media focus and intense build-up leading into the finals. It was bordering on ridiculous. Every day the headlines screamed about what the boys ate for breakfast, whether any of them had been spotted anywhere ‘inappropriate’ leading up to the game or, God forbid, having a drink. There were photos of Nick, Lou and the kids wearing Bulls jerseys, posing cheesily in their backyard, and – my personal favourite – a photographic trip down memory lane for Josh Fox, from his first game at five years of age to his shirtless Men of League calendar shots. It was nuts.

  ‘You know, Jean Bennet,’ he said, leaning in and kissing me again, ‘I shouldn’t be up here with you. Not only is it dangerous physically – I could trip and injure myself – but we’re meant to resist all “temptation” before the semi. Coach’s rule. The thing is, you look very tempting in that little singlet …’

  I kissed him in return, passionately, forcefully, then pulled back and looked him dead in the eyes, gripping the collar of his polo shirt.

  ‘Let’s do it. Right here. Come on.’ Josh’s eyes flashed, seemingly unable to comprehend what I was suggesting. ‘What, are you shy? Scared your coach will find out?’ I watched his face as his brain clicked and whirred with the possibility being presented to him. ‘Come on, over there behind those trees.’ I stood up, dusted off my shorts and held a hand out to him.

  ‘Really? Jean … are you sure about this?’

  ‘Course! I’ve always wanted to make love propped up against a whopping great eucalypt —’ I couldn’t play the game any longer; laughter tumbled from my mouth.

  ‘Ohhh Foxy, the look on your face,’ I said, catching my breath. ‘Honestly, you love to play the Casanova, but when push comes to shove …’ I climbed onto his back, piggyback-style, and kissed him on the cheek. It felt good, so good to be playful and fun with him again.

  He grabbed my wrists from around his chest and kissed them. ‘Ohhhh, you’re a little piece of work. ’Swat I love about you. So easy, so fun … so low-maintenance.’

  ‘That makes me sound like I don’t shower or brush my hair.’

  ‘You know what I mean.’

  I peeled myself from his back and came to sit close by his side on the rock again. He wrapped his arm around me.

  ‘With you, it’s never hard. And that’s how it should be, you know? I always have fun with you. You prop me up, give me some
perspective away from footy and all of that stuff. I think – and I’m sorry to bring her up – but with Tess, I think I was confusing “hard” with “passionate”, and assuming that because our relationship required so much work, it must’ve meant we really loved each other, because we were always working so hard to keep it alive. But being with you, I can see how wrong I was.’

  I turned to face him, smiling. He came out with some very emotionally evolved stuff for a guy. Impressive.

  ‘I suppose if I’m dead honest,’ he continued, ‘with Tess there was an element of showmanship, too. I felt like I had to have this girlfriend who was … over-the-top flashy and, well, I guess high-profile, because that’s what you’re meant to do when you’re a footy guy, you know? I even remember my manager pushing it, saying that it would help my profile, and that it looked great for the club because of her dad being Henry, and the media loved a power couple, and … maaaaan.’ He stopped and shook his head. ‘It’s pretty twisted, Jeanie. Like, okay, the perks and everything are great, and I’m grateful for that stuff, but none of it comes free. There is so much arse-kissing and shit talk that comes with it, and when you’re young, and you’re suddenly thrown all this money and everyone knows your name, it can be hard to remember that no one actually cares about who you are, who you really are, they just want a piece of who they think you are, or who they want you to be, because it makes them sound cool to know a footballer.’

  Sensing he was on a roll, I stayed quiet.

  ‘And I see it happening to the young boys coming through, you know, and part of me wants to shake them, and sometimes I try to guide them a little bit. But in the end, it’s their lesson to learn. It’s just fucked, though, when you see them living this David Beckham-style life, which they can’t really afford, and playing the local hero, and then cut to ten years later, when they’re too old for first-grade and they’ve spent all their cash and no one wants to know them any more. I’m just lucky I had Dad and Frank there when I was younger, because I was heading for that end real fast.’