Choosing an outfit to wear on tv was far more nerve wracking than picking an outfit for her date with Chris. Almost every single item of clothing she owned had been picked up, held against her in front of the mirror and then discarded onto her bed. Nothing felt right and she had no time to go shopping.

Olly had been watching her from the doorway.

'Dad, why do girls find it so hard to choose clothes?' He asked as Josh joined him, also shaking his head at his sisters indecisiveness.

'No idea son' he sighed. 'Mum's exactly the same'

'This isn't just any old thing to wear though, I'm going to be on French tv, English tv, God knows what other countries. I need to look presentable, can you imagine what Mum and Dad will think if I look like a tramp on tv?' She asked, starting to rake through them again.

'Mum and Dad will be doing backflips regardless. Dads probably firing up the VCR in anticipation of your big moment' he joked. Their Dad was terrible with technology and it was a running joke between them.

'Did you see that picture he sent on the group chat the other day? Took me at least ten minutes to figure out it was his garden' she giggled.

'I genuinely had to wait for Mum to clarify what it was' Josh replied. 'I was going to ask if he'd seen the doctor about it'

'What do you think to this?' She asked, holding up a dress with short sleeves.

'Very nice, but we're talking November in Paris. You'll freeze'

'True, argh! Why is this so difficult. Last time it was so last minute I didn't have to think about it, but now I'm a bloody mess just thinking about it' she couldn't help but laugh at herself, she knew how ridiculous she sounded.

She sat down and tried to imagine what it would be like to actually be at the Parc des Princes. That's when she remembered, the players would be wearing their horrendous DSquared2 clothes and she realised that nothing she wore could possibly be worse than that. Apart from that bloody tracksuit of course!

Panic over, she went with simple but classy, a high necked white blouse with a large bow at the neck and a pair of darkest denim jeans.

The next morning she was able to work from home, helping with the international social media posts and translating a few emails, but it was nothing difficult. It did help to take her mind off the trip though.

When she'd text Chris to tell him she was going to Paris at the last minute and wouldn't see him until the weekend. He had immediately replied, telling her that he'd miss having her on the side lines at Olly's training session. She liked that he was always so good at replying, her ex, well that was a different story. He also text her when she was on her way to the airport to wish her good luck in Paris, which was lovely, and so thoughtful of him. He was such a sweetheart.

This time Jay arrived at the airport before the team. The stewardess welcomed her on board and she made her way confidently to the back of the plane to wait for Jack to arrive. Phil and Stonesy too, obviously, but mainly Jack.

Through the tiny window, she saw the tour bus pull up outside and the players getting off. She couldn't help but think they looked like school kids going on an exchange trip with their little backpacks on, except theirs were mainly Louis Vuitton or Gucci.

Jack, as usual, was last off the bus with John and Phil. She watched Pep clapping his hands to tell them to hurry up, and them giggling like naughty schoolboys. Jack had mischief written all over his face.

Jack and Jay shared a smile across the seats as he got on the plane. He had been doing his best not to look as if he was looking for her, when really he was, and he was glad to see that she'd taken him up on his offer to sit with them.

'Hello you' he said happily sitting down next to her, leaving John and Phil to sit on the two seats across the aisle.

'I tell you, this banter better be good, I've been promised that it's top notch!' she warned them playfully.

'The best, I promise!' Laughed Jack, 'How's about this? Phil was just telling us he got his knob caught in his zip once and that's why he hates wearing jeans' Jack told her, barely able to keep his face straight.

'I can't believe you just told Jay that, fucks sake' said Phil, starting to turn red.

'Don't worry, I grew up hanging out with my big brother and his pals, there's not much you can say that I've not heard before' she replied, giggling along with Jack.

Phil gave her a look, as if to consider if what he was going to say was appropriate, then smirked.
'It's agony, Jay, it's one of the worst pains ever. I tell you, I wanted that gas and air stuff our Becca had when she had the little ones, it was that bad' he confided.

That conversation set the tone for the whole one hour flight, and then the coach ride to the hotel. The four of them ended up laughing almost the whole way there. It was unbelievable to think she was getting paid extra for having such a good time.

The set up at the hotel was the same as in Madrid, where Jay was on the floor below the players with the rest of the Man City staff, but she soon met up with them on their way down to dinner.

Pep handed her a piece of paper on the way in to the dining room.

'This is the schedule for tomorrow. I highlighted the press conferences, interviews etc that we need you for'

'Okay. Wow' she nodded. Scanning the paper, she realised that it was a lot more than she had expected. 

'Don't be so nervous, we only asked you to do this because we know you are the best. Be confident, imagine the reporters naked or whatever works for you, because they're the ones that are waiting to hear what you say, not the other way around' she couldn't quite believe she was getting her own 'Pep' talk.

She thanked him and he patted her on the back. She headed over to the dinner table, where Jack had left her a seat.

'Looks like we're working together tomorrow Jack. You've got a magazine interview at ten' she read off the sheet.

'Do me a favour yeah, if I talk rubbish or say the wrong thing, just say I said something that doesn't make me look stupid. They ask some ridiculous questions sometimes, I think more people have heard me talking about my hair care routine than have actually seen me play' he laughed.

'Your hair is particularly shiny' she admitted. 'And I love it when you've got your hairband on'

'Moroccan oil' he said, giving her a wink as if he was letting her into some secret. That wink gave her instant butterflies. He has a girlfriend, he is not flirting with me, she reminded herself, because she definitely needed reminding right now.

John was watching the pair of them intently. He couldn't quite believe that neither of them seemed to realise that they were made for each other. He thought about saying something to him, but he was mindful of what Nadia had said. If it was meant to be, then it would happen on its own.

*****

On match day, the tension amongst the Man City camp was palpable. Now they were in the knockout stages of the Champions League, this was a must win game, and all of the players seemed to feeling the pressure judging by their expressions. All except Jack, who seemed to as excited as a kid waiting to go to a birthday party.

Just as he'd been the last to say goodnight to her when Pep had sent them all to bed, he was the first to greet her in the morning.

'You look really nice' said Jack, in between mouthfuls of his breakfast omelette. She had to laugh, he was the one being interviewed, and yet he was the one who looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, whilst she'd made the effort.

'I really appreciate that' she blushed.

'Seriously, I know you're nervous about this, but you're going to smash it, and at the end of the day, if you make a mistake I don't have a clue anyway' he joked. His smile, she thought, then stopped herself. Remember Chris at home she told herself

'Come on, we're going to be late' she said, taking one final swig of coffee.

'I love a woman telling me what to do' he said to her quietly. He is not flirting, she told herself again.

Before they walked into the hotels makeshift press room, they looked at each other and nodded, they had this! They both walked in together confidently. Although it was a magazine interview, it was also being filmed. The reporter explained clips would be shown on their social media accounts to advertise the article when it was published.

The interview was going well, and Jack was coming across great. She hoped she was keeping the humorous tone of his words, but the reporter seemed to laugh in all the right places, so that was a good sign.

'And one last question for Jack. What is his hair care regime?' Jay had to hold it together as she relayed the question back to him.

'Told ya, they always ask me that' he laughed afterwards.

'I thought I was going to die holding that laugh in'

'You did great. Listening to you talking all them languages, it just blows my mind. I dunno how you do it'

'To be fair, I'm awful at football so that goes both ways'

'I gotta go and do the technical talk now, but catch you after the game, yeah? Have a drink or something?' he asked.

'Sounds good' she nodded.

She watched him walk away, shamelessly checking out his butt. If today had shown her anything, it was that her and Jack really did work well together. Oh and that she also fancied the pants off him.

'HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND' her brain was screaming.