Balls Fore (Ball Games #4) (3 page)

My mum runs over and practically drags him back with her.

‘Cam. This is Leo Coleman. He’s an ex-pro golfer, currently working at Rother Valley.’

I hit my forehead. ‘Ah, that’s where I’ve seen you. I saw an advert for lessons in the paper.’

‘Ah yes. Well, thanks for letting me come and say a few words. Sorry I’m late. I got lost. I should put the satnav on, but hey, I’m a guy and think I can work it out. I’m hoping I can recruit some of the fathers for golf lessons while I’m here.’

‘And the mothers,’ says my mum. ‘I bet there are a lot of women here who’d like lessons.’

‘Yeah, I try not to encourage those,’ laughs Leo. He has a booming laugh that makes his eyes sparkle. I think I’m in love.

‘Well thanks so much, Leo, for coming here today. Do you want to follow me and we’ll head over to the microphone?’

‘Sure. Sorry about running late.’

‘No worries. I’m just pleased you’re here.’

I cough and ask for people to be quiet. Miracles can’t be expected, so it gets quieter, but silence in a kids play centre will never happen.

My parents come and stand at the front as I start my speech. I cross my fingers that my mother doesn’t cry or applaud like I’ve won an Oscar.

My eyes scan the crowds while I address the people paying attention. ‘I’d like to thank you all for being part of our one-year anniversary party. When I opened Kid Zone, I never expected to not only run a business but to make a family of the team of staff that work here.’ A round of applause is made for the staff. ‘This business couldn’t succeed without all the parents, carers, grandparents and kids that come here. So, to say thank you, I hope you’ve grabbed some chocolate, a biscuit, a cupcake or all three, plus a free tea, coffee, water or juice. Here’s to another year.’ I raise a plastic tumbler of water. There is a loud cheer and another round of applause. ‘Now, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to our special guest. He’s an amazing golfer. Please welcome to Kid Zone, ex-professional Leo Coleman.’

The place erupts in applause, the kids copy their parents, even though they’ll have no clue who he is. Leo places the microphone below his mouth.

‘Wow, thank you for such a warm welcome, Kid Zone. Now if you don’t know me, I used to play golf quite well and now I’m running lessons at Rother Valley, so if any interested dads want to come see me after my speech.’ He winks. ‘Now I don’t have any kids of my own but know that most children like a balloon animal. So who wants to come get one?’

As Leo states he doesn’t have kids of his own, Beth walks out of the toilets with Trey in her arms. Her face hones in on Leo’s voice and pales. The next few minutes feel like one of those moments when you try different keys to open a lock and suddenly find the right one. As Beth stares as Leo, and I stare at her, I realise why Leo’s face is so familiar. Not only from an advert but because he is so clearly related to Trey.

Holy shit.

Chapter Four

Beth

Camille's brother, Tyler, had been minding Trey while I served customers with biscuits and juice. Tyler said he'd rather play with Trey than obey his younger sister's bossy instructions. However, I saw Lindsay, Tyler's girlfriend, getting fed up of watching Ty and Trey playing in the ball pool. Tyler looked disappointed when I ended their fun, at least until Trey did a body tremble and wee appeared at the front of his shorts.

'Oh, Trey,' I grab him and my bag and hurtle to the toilets. I should have known better. Newly toilet trained, the excitement had proved too much for my three-year-old son. He'd held his bladder as long as he could to continue having fun. Luckily, I go nowhere without wipes and a change of clothes, so after a quick wash down and change we're ready to leave the toilets and rejoin the party. Trey holds onto me like a little koala, sitting astride my right hip while I hold the carrier bag of wet clothes in the other hand. Hopefully, Camille will let me put them in her office until it's time for us to leave.

As I leave the toilets, a deep voice speaks about not having kids. I follow the sound, it resonating in my ear like an alarm. There's a tingle in my chest and tightness in my gut. It can't be. There's no reason for him to be in a children's play centre. My imagination is obviously running wild. But my eyes settle on his face and I recognise the familiar features of my ex-lover, Leo Coleman. It may have been a few years, but he has changed little. My awareness of my surroundings dims as I'm transported back to student life in Manchester. A teenage girl enjoying life in a club, then a pregnant girl returning to Rotherham. My heartbeat feels like it will explode in my chest and my hands are clammy. I'm thinking of my fastest route out of here when my eyes meet hers - Camille's. Her wide-eyed expression and open mouth show me that she has made her calculations and is aiming for an A star result in mathematics. Shit.

Assessing the situation, I see Cam shaking her head, muttering to herself. If it weren't for the children waiting for their balloon animals, she'd probably have her hands around Leo's throat by now, demanding to know why a championship golfer has ignored his own son.

Because I said he was a twat.

Because I lied.

I shake my head at Cam and point toward her office. I pull Tyler and Lindsay to one side where I apologise but beg them to have Trey for a little while as I must talk to Camille. Lindsay frowns but Tyler tells me it's no problem.

Cam stalks towards us. Lindsay sees Cam's face and turns to me.

'We're fine with Trey. You'd better go.'

'He's Trey's father isn't he? Or an Uncle. He's definitely related.'

I sigh. 'He's the father.'

'Leo Coleman is Trey's dad?'

'I just said that didn't I?' I run a hand through my hair, almost grabbing it in a clump.

Cam flops into her office chair and gestures for me to sit in another. 'Fuck me, I didn't see that one coming.'

'You didn't see it coming?' I laugh hysterically. 'What's he doing here? I thought Cole was coming. If you'd mentioned Leo, I wouldn't be here.'

'My mum booked him because Cole couldn't make it. I didn't know he was coming, and I didn't know he was Trey's father so don't get at me. Now I know he's the fucking twat who couldn’t be bothered with his son I'll get rid of him. He needn't think he's getting any business from here. I'll make some shit up so no-one wants anything to do with him.'

'Cam. I need to tell you -'

'Cheeky fucking bastard. To come to a kid's play centre when he doesn't have anything to do with his own.'

'Cam-'

'He even said he didn't have any children. I'm going to kill the fucker.'

'Cam!'

She turns to me. 'Sorry, honey, I'm getting worked up on your behalf.'

'He doesn't know,' I mumble.

'Pardon?'

Cam takes a deep breath and holds it in. She folds her arms over her chest.

'He doesn't know.'

Cam lets her breath go and then speaks just as slowly. If she were a cat, she'd be calculating how to catch a mouse right now. 'He doesn't know about what, Beth?'

I put my head in my hands and look at the floor. 'He doesn't know about Trey. He's not a twat. I said that so no-one asked too many questions. He doesn't know he has a son.'

'Oh, Beth.' says Camille.

I look away from her. Tears start to fall and won't stop coming.

Cam

I leave her in the room while I go and get her a cup of hot sweet tea. That's what you do for people in shock, isn't it? I find my mum first and ask her to take Trey from Ty and Lindsay.

Mum lifts her chin. 'What's going on with Beth?'

'She's not feeling very well.'

Mum frowns. 'She was fine earlier.'

'Not now, Mum, okay?'

Mum nods slowly. 'Ah, okay, hun. Let me know if I can help.'

'You can. Please get Trey.' I point at Tyler and Lindsay.

Mum holds Trey's hand and walks over with me to the counter while I get the tea. 'You need to say thanks to Leo before you disappear with Beth. He looks like he's finished up.'

As I look up, he's heading towards us.
Shit. Trey
.

Leo gives one of his fantastic smiles. I can see why Beth fell for him.

'Thanks so much for asking me to come, Dora, and you too, of course, Camille. I’ll chat with the father's now if that's okay?'

I scratch my eyebrow. 'Yeah, but don't take too long. You know, cos they won't be expecting to be talking about golf today will they?'

'Well yeah, okay. I'll not take up too much of their time.'

My mum stares at me like I've lost my mind and touches Leo's arm. 'Oh don't be silly, Camille. The blokes will be made up to talk about golf. I bet they're bored to death with the kids.' She smiles up at Leo, completely missing my second death glare of the day.

'Right, thanks, I will. Hey little man,' he says and tickles Trey under the chin. 'Cute grandchild you got there.'

'Oh he's not-' says my mum, but Leo has already moved on.

I run my hands through my hair, tempted to pull some of it out. 'Okay. I'm going back to Beth. We'll be out soon.'

'Well don't be too long, love, people want to celebrate with you.'

'I'll be as long as I'm going to be.'

Mum rolls her eyes. 'It's just like when I used to ask you how long you would be in the bathroom cos I was desperate for a pee. Right, get on with it. I'll occupy Trey and re-live feeling Leo's arm.'

Beth

While Camille goes to sort out Trey and make tea, I sit feeling useless.

My son is outside and I'm in here. The fact is I don't want him in here because I'm crying and a mess. I need to get myself under control before I see my beautiful son. Plus, I don't want to go out there because his father is there.

Neither do I really want Camille to come back because she'll want answers to questions I'm not ready to face.

Maybe it's best if I quickly grab Trey, tell everyone I'm not feeling well and leave?

But I don't. I sit there as if frozen to the spot until Camille returns.

She enters her office and puts my cup of tea in front of me.

'I suppose you deserve an explanation.'

She strokes my shoulder and then sits back down. 'I'd like to know what's been going on in your life, but Beth, if it's too painful, you don't have to tell me. I’m sure you had your reasons for keeping your son's father a secret.'

'I need to tell someone.' I take a sip of sweet tea. 'The thing is, I've never known whether I made the right decision. Maybe talking about it will help.' So I begin.

Manchester 2012

As with many other Uni students before me, life became as much about the drinking and parties outside Uni hours as it did about the study. Hannah and Lucy, my house share friends, had lined up a night at Discord, an intimate nightclub apparently frequented by celebrities. If you counted actors from the small soap opera celebs that is.

Hannah had us in the VIP section within the hour. Tall and blonde, she'd caught the attention of a footballer. Lucy homed in on his friend. I nursed a vodka and coke and wondered if I'd lost my friends for the night.

Then he came over.

'Mind if I sit here?' He indicated the seat to my left.

'There's no-one sitting there,' I informed him.

'Yes, but I asked if you minded if I sat there?' His lip turned up at the corner, showing his amusement.

I put my drink on the table. 'Well, I'm not sure how to answer. What if I say I don't mind and you sit there, and then I find you annoying? Will you move?'

The amusement reaches his eyes and they almost twinkle. Fucking hell, he's hot. He can sit in my lap, never mind the seat beside me.

'You only have to say the word and I'll move.'

'Okay. The word will be bored.'

He takes the seat. From his manner, something tells me he's as awkward here as I am. Call it an inner instinct, which tells me he's not a player like those my friends are with, who I'm sure do this every week.

'So how did you end up in the VIP section?' I ask him.

'I play golf. Quite well.'

'Oh.'

'What about you?'

'Me? I'm a soap actress. Recently, I won the most attractive female award. I can't act but they don't care.'

'Oh.' He scratches his top lip.

'Joking.' I hold out a hand. 'I'm Beth and I'm a business student at Manchester University.'

He takes it. I swear electric currents jump between our hands.

'Leo Coleman. Thank goodness you're not an actress.'

'Why?'

'I don't court celebrity life. It's too fake.'

'So why are you in the VIP section of a club?'

'My agent made me.' Leo points to a bloke in the distance. 'He likes this scene.'

'Sad.'

'I think so. So how are you in the VIP section?'

I point to my friends who are now engaged in tonsil tennis with the footballers.

'Shall we go somewhere else?' he asks me.

I snigger. 'Like where? It's half-past one in the morning.'

'We could go for a walk. Buy some chips from a van or something.'

I stare at him, looking him over. 'How do I know you aren't a serial killer?'

'You don't. So what do you say? Are you willing to take the risk?'

I take a risk, and later, in his hotel room, I take another.

My studies slide. The only study I'm interested in is the anatomy of Leo. When he's not playing golf, we meet up. I travel to him or he comes to me. Comes in me. We come together.

Stolen moments.

Sex, sex and more sex.

Studies slide further.