Obsession, p.9
Obsession, page 9
‘No. I’m tired, so I don’t need this kind of aggro. I just need to relax.’
She shook her head in disappointment.
‘I mean, you can join me for a drink if you want?’ he said. ‘But there’s not much point if you’re just picking a fight.’
‘Are you serious? I wanted us to have sex! I don’t want to fight.’
‘Then why are you shouting at me! I was right here, ready for you.’
‘What…’ She paused and huffed. She had no idea what else to say. ‘I’m going to bed,’ she said. ‘You can come with me if you like.’
She held his eye for a moment. He looked so agitated and angry with her. Where was the love he’d spoken so genuinely about the night before in that speech?
‘So?’ she prompted.
‘Goodnight, Amy.’
She turned away before he noticed the tears welling and rushed back inside. As she slid closed the balcony door, she saw exactly where his gaze had rested once more.
‘I hate you,’ Amy said, her voice only just audible, her mind split as to who exactly she was talking to.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JAKE
Summer
He hung back a little as the others approached the entrance to the club. A red rope stretched along the outside of the three-storey brick building that sat near the shimmering water. Two burly, smartly suited bouncers stood by the closed doors, holding back the queue of barely a dozen people. The luxury area wasn’t exactly known as a major partying hotspot; it was too exclusive. Perhaps the stragglers outside were simply people who’d travelled to the town from elsewhere for a night splashing the cash with the wealthy.
Vinnie stepped forward as the four of them moved past the queue and right up to the bouncers. Jake stayed back still, keeping one eye on the people waiting, hoping no one would spot him. The last thing he wanted was for the bunch of teenagers to whip out their phones and begin pestering him. One of the reasons why he’d have happily stayed in the hotel for their entire holiday was that the staff there were professional, discreet, and the clientele were generally all so up their own arses that they didn’t see it as a big thing that the likes of Jake Grayson was staying there with them. But outside the confines of the hotel was a different beast.
When had he become so anxious anyway?
Vinnie was having no luck with the bouncers and became more agitated by the second. Leo tried to calm the situation before it got out of hand. Jake remained at the back. A few eyes were on him now, including those of a bouncer, who glared at him as though he was the one causing the fuss.
‘I don’t give a crap who you lot are,’ the big guy – a Londoner – said, before refocusing on Vinnie.
So Vinnie had played the ‘Do you know who we are?’ card. Not the ‘Do you know who I am’ card, because he was no one. Sometimes it was simply ‘Do you know who that is,’ together with a finger pointed to Jake. Not that Jake always let his friends do the hard work like this. Not that long ago he’d have been up at the front of the group, standing tall, ready to take on the world, but things – his outlook – had changed, particularly over the summer.
‘Yeah, we’re outside now,’ Macca said, talking into his phone. He faced Jake and shook his head then pulled the device from his ear. ‘They’re coming.’
Then Macca turned and moved to Vinnie and Leo and pulled them apart to step between them. Jake heard snippets of the conversation as Macca explained to the bouncers and pointed to the club beyond. Moments later Hollie and Hayley spilled out from the inside and came up to the bouncers. Hayley put a hand to the shoulder of the biggest one and had a quiet word in his ear.
The stand-off was soon over.
The bouncers stepped aside, their faces still sullen, as Jake and his mates headed on through, following Hollie. Jake brought up the rear. Hayley waited for him then snaked her arm around his as he passed. She wore a sparkly silver top that showed off a good chunk of cleavage, and a denim skirt that finished barely an inch below her backside. She looked stunning. Jake didn’t want to go clubbing. He wanted to take her back to the hotel there and then.
‘Who’d have thought it,’ she said to him. ‘Little me having to sort out problems for an England star.’
Jake said nothing to that. He was sure she’d meant the words playfully, but something about the comment still irked him.
Crystal turned out be pretty much like any other swanky club Jake had been too. A smallish place with glitz everywhere. Subdued, more than anything, rather than raucous and exciting. There were two areas. One for the lowliest of those lucky enough to get in, and then a separate more exclusive VIP section. Both played the same mellow house music from a DJ making a meal of hitting a few keys on his MacBook Air.
The VIP section had its own bar, three staff. Tonight the area was reserved for Ziyad Faisal and his crew, of which Jake and his mates were soon part. The group clustered around a square of sofas and benches and low stools. A few quick introductions were made before everyone settled down. Along with Ziyad and Hayley’s brother, Gus, there was one other guy – Kyle – plus Hayley, Carla, Hollie and their two remaining friends. Jake had been told their names but he’d forgotten almost instantly. He wasn’t interested in them. They were carbon copies of Hollie and Carla, and the other lads could go after them if they wanted. He had his sights firmly fixed on Hayley, who to start with remained on the sofa adjacent to him, facing away.
Was she playing hard to get?
Jake sat back on a sofa with a glass of champagne, from one of four bottles of Dom Perignon on the table in the middle, all bought by Ziyad, apparently. Ziyad was late twenties. Wiry. Slicked back hair. White shirt with a big, open-necked collar. Judging by his look, his manner, he was definitely someone who craved attention. After Hayley’s first mention of him, Jake had been intrigued. He knew for a fact that the apartments around the marina were each worth a small fortune, so he’d decided to find out who this character was before coming out to the club.
Based on what he’d found, he’d taken an instant dislike to Ziyad Faisal. The son of a billionaire tech mogul, he’d never worked a day in his life to fund his outrageous lifestyle. He’d had everything in life handed to him – and it showed, Jake could see now, in the way he looked at everything and everyone like he was superior.
People could say what they wanted about Jake’s wealth, about how easy it was for Premier League footballers. About how they got paid millions for doing nothing but hoofing a ball around a field. But Jake had worked his backside off for years, since he was a little kid, to achieve what he had, and his parents had invested so much time and effort too. The sacrifices had been real for all of them. Talent was only a small part of his success. Ambition, attitude and hard work had a huge role too. Luck? Yeah, he’d admit, he’d had some of that, but nothing compared to being born a billionaire’s son.
Ziyad caught Jake’s eye. Jake had been staring. Ziyad smirked and raised his glass.
‘How’s the leg, Grace?’ he shouted over the table.
‘You what?’ Jake said, cupping his ear. He realised the remark had caught Macca’s attention too. And Hayley’s. Ziyad had definitely said Grace, hadn’t he? Was he trying to wind Jake up?
‘I said, how’s the leg, Ace?’
‘I’ll be back soon enough.’
‘Back to warming the bench?’ Ziyad said with a chuckle. He sipped his champagne, holding Jake’s eye. What was this clown doing?
‘Watch your fucking mouth, rich boy,’ Vinnie shouted over to Ziyad, his voice raised enough to draw everyone’s attention. A strange hush came over the group. Even the music seemed to lull in that moment.
Ziyad kept his eye on Jake, no dent in his confident stare.
‘I’m just playing with him,’ Ziyad said. ‘I’m a Gunner, aren’t I? Just banter, boys.’
Smartly done. Claiming his comment was nothing more than football rivalry. Jake didn’t buy it. But the next moment Hollie and Carla bounced up from their seats.
‘Let’s dance!’ they shouted out in unison and they and the other girls got up and Macca and Leo got up too.
Hayley glanced over to Jake and looked to the boot on his leg.
‘You should see my moves without this thing,’ Jake said.
Ziyad laughed. At Jake? Hard to tell, as Kyle was in his ear about something and Jake couldn’t hear, but both were looking over at him still.
Hayley put her hand to Jake’s shoulder.
‘You can still enjoy watching me,’ she said softly as she bent down to him. ‘Take a look at what you might get later. If you’re a good boy.’
A rush of blood to his groin. He gripped his champagne glass a little more tightly then Hayley dashed off. Jake half-turned to watch her go and spent a few seconds admiring her gently gyrating hips. Leo was already busting his best break-dancing moves. Jake laughed at the sight. Macca and Leo were both trying to get close to the girls, but clearly keeping their distance from Hayley. They knew the score.
‘What do you reckon?’ Vinnie asked.
Jake turned back. He hadn’t realised Vinnie had scooted right up next to him.
‘Hayley?’
Vinnie laughed. ‘Nah, she’s a dead cert now. Even you couldn’t balls this up.’
‘Very funny.’
‘I mean, what do you reckon about them?’
He indicated with his head to Ziyad and Gus and Kyle who were now in the midst of a private conversation across the table.
‘I couldn’t give a toss.’
Vinnie held Jake’s eye. Clearly, he didn’t believe the statement. But what was he suggesting?
‘So are you staying at West Ham or what?’ Gus shouted over.
‘Excuse me?’ Jake said, pretending he hadn’t heard. He didn’t like the sneer on the guy’s face.
‘New manager doesn’t like you, I heard,’ Gus responded with a shrug.
Which was probably true. Jake had signed for West Ham in something of a media frenzy, everyone suggesting he was the next big England star, that the signing was a coup for a team that had won so little silverware in recent decades. But within months, Jake was injured, the team was floundering, and the manager who’d brought Jake in lost his job. His replacement, Hugo Wolfe, who’d come to England from Germany, had immediately taken a dislike to Jake. Why, he still didn’t know. But he made Jake work harder than everyone else in training. Gave him more grief than anyone else. Made him feel like he had to prove himself, to prove his worth. Even if Jake had kept quiet about the situation publicly, he wasn’t happy. His performances had been hit as a result, and with it the press speculation about a move had started – of course, always fuelled at least a little by Fred, who’d benefit the most from an onward sale. But before the summer, the rumours had been about West Ham cashing in, and Jake moving to one of the title contenders.
The stories hadn’t been quite so kind recently.
‘I heard Forest were interested in taking you back on loan,’ Ziyad said. ‘Injury prone, the reports said. None of the big clubs want the risk.’
Jake clenched his teeth.
‘Bit of a comedown for England’s next greatest.’
‘And what would you pricks know about any of it?’ Vinnie said.
Ziyad held his hands up as if in apology. ‘Just repeating what I heard. And we’re just interested. We’re all football fans. It’s not often we get to meet a real star.’
A silent stand-off followed for a few seconds.
‘You know what,’ Ziyad said. ‘We should celebrate.’ He clicked his fingers and a barwoman dashed over. ‘Four bottles of Cristal, please. Jake the Ace will have nothing but the best.’
Jake waved at her then fished in his pocket for his wallet. ‘My round,’ he said.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Ziyad responded. ‘You might be famous now, and all, but maybe save your money while you can. Where you’re headed you might need it.’
Gus and Kyle burst into laughter. Vinnie went to shoot up from his seat but Jake pulled him back down.
‘Lads,’ Ziyad protested, not at all bothered by Vinnie’s obvious anger, ‘it’s–’
‘Just banter,’ Jake finished for him. ‘Yeah, you’re really fucking hilarious, mate.’
‘Fucking losers,’ Vinnie said as he shuffled back into his seat.
‘Sorry, who are you, anyway?’ Gus threw Vinnie’s way.
Not the wisest decision the guy had ever made, to turn onto Vinnie. As long as Jake had known him, Vinnie had been a hothead. As much as he’d love to see his friend smash these guys’ faces, the situation needed to defuse.
‘This looks a bit serious,’ Hayley said, appearing from behind Jake. She slumped down onto the sofa next to him, out of breath, her skin clammy from exertion. She smelled so good. She crossed her legs over so they were both draped over Jake’s. He slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. He noticed the look of distaste on Ziyad’s face. So was he into her then? Hollie and Carla were back too and once the expensive champagne arrived the mood soon settled as the drinks went down, and more relaxed conversation flowed.
‘Was my brother giving you a hard time?’ Hayley said after a while.
‘Just banter,’ Jake said, trying to not cringe at the now repeated words.
‘He’s only jealous. Ziyad too. For all his money… I think they’d both rather be you. Not just rich. Famous too.’
‘Is that why you’re attracted to me? Because I’m famous?’
She glared at him. Perhaps his tone had been too hard. But then she smiled. ‘Who says I’m attracted to you?’
‘I’m Jake the Ace. Of course you are.’
She looked taken aback by his sudden confidence. He leaned forward and planted his lips on hers and soon they were enjoying a deep kiss. Her hand rested on his cheek. His hand on her hip. Her legs writhed across his. He wanted to scoop her up and take her out of there.
When he pulled back he couldn’t help but glance over to Ziyad. Yeah, he was looking. Jake was about to go in for another kiss but his phone vibrated in his pocket. Right between him and Hayley. She felt it too and moved back when it didn’t stop. Not a message but a call.
‘You’re not going to look?’ she said to him when the phone stopped. ‘It could be important.’ She continued to stare at him, as if demanding he follow her instruction. He took the phone out and glanced at the screen. Chantelle. Who else?
‘I bet that’s your missus,’ Ziyad shouted over.
‘Bad luck, Ace,’ Gus added. ‘You’ve been cock-blocked.’
Ziyad hit his friend’s arm as they guffawed.
‘You’re not supposed to mention the c-word around him. Apparently he likes a bit of schlong every now and then,’ Kyle added.
More childish laughter. Luckily – for them – Vinnie and the others were distracted by the girls.
Jake looked to Hayley. He noticed the hurt in her eyes. About Chantelle? Had she not known?
‘Is that right, Grace?’ Ziyad shouted. ‘You like batting for both teams?’
Vinnie heard that time. He looked to Jake. As though asking for permission to start the fight. But it was a fight Jake couldn’t win. What if any of it got into the press? A no-win situation. He had no choice but to take this crap.
Same as he always had to.
Where and when did it end?
‘I need a piss,’ he said, getting up from the sofa.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jake didn’t bother to return to the sofa after he’d finished in the toilet, instead heading to the gold-trimmed bar where he sat on a high stool. He needed a breather from the others. Or from Ziyad and Gus and Kyle at least.
He didn’t get much time on his own.
‘What’s up,’ Leo said, coming over moments later on his way to the toilet.
‘Nothing.’
‘You know, I reckon they’re alright really.’ He indicated back to the sofas.
‘Yeah? Based on what?’
‘Based on chatting to them. They’re just winding you up. Nothing I wouldn’t say to you, is it?’
‘No. But you’re a mate. They’re not.’
‘No reason why they shouldn’t be.’
Jake didn’t say anything.
‘Relax. Have fun. It’ll do you good.’
‘Yeah.’
Jake glared over to Ziyad, Gus and Kyle. Relax? As though Jake was unreasonably uptight. Was Leo saying he was the problem?
‘Maybe they’re just not my type of people.’
‘No? Based on you… not talking to them?’
Jake rolled his eyes.
‘You know who his dad is, don’t you? Ziyad, I mean?’
‘Some rich guy.’
‘Yeah. Some rich guy who has a stake at Southampton. Ziyad reckons he knows all sorts there. It’s good to make connections, you know. Keep your options open.’
‘Ah, so that’s the deal. You want to see if Richie Rich can get you a move to a new club. I’ll sit back and take their shit then, shall I? To help your career.’
Leo glared daggers. ‘Did I say I was talking about me?’ He paused, then, ‘You know, we haven’t all had it as easy as you.’
Jake scoffed. ‘Sure. Everything’s fucking great for me. I’m successful so it’s okay for me to be abused, right? From whoever, wherever.’
‘Mate…’ Leo shook his head. He looked like he had something else to say. In the end he simply walked away.
‘Would you like a drink?’ the barman asked, wiping a champagne glass as he spoke.
‘Something strong.’
‘Whisky? Cognac?’
Jake looked over at the bottles on display on the mirrored wall behind the barman. He recognised a few of the labels though, honestly, hard liquor wasn’t his thing. Certainly wasn’t supposed to be for a professional athlete.
‘What’s the most expensive bottle you have?’
The barman glanced behind him, then back to Jake. ‘Up there? It’s the Macallan 30 years.’ He eyed Jake for a few moments, looked around him, then took a step closer. ‘But we have more special bottles too, for discerning tastes.’ He laughed. ‘And budgets of course.’
