Ch 5

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

The next morning, Jay was up with the lark, excited and nervous about starting her new job at the Etihad in equal amounts. It was only temporary, but that would give her more time to get CV's out to other companies.

She'd picked her outfit out carefully. She needed to look professional and grown up. Often with her age people seemed to underestimate her, but she wanted the people at city to take her seriously.

She'd chosen a knee length black pencil skirt with a white shirt unbuttoned just enough to still look classy, not to mention her treasured black Christian Louboutin heels. She'd applied some natural looking make up and had curled her long dark hair.

'How do I look?' She asked Anna. It felt weird being back in business dress after so long.

'Perfect!' Reassured Anna. 'I just hope you don't have to kick a ball in those shoes, I mean are they real?'

'Yup, 100% genuine. I bought them with my last wage in Paris, so definitely won't be kicking any balls in them!' She laughed. 'I assume It's all office based anyway, I probably won't even get to see the players ' Jay explained.

'Good because they're all rubbish. But good luck aunty Jay' said Olly grudgingly, as she gave him one last hug before leaving. Narrowly avoiding a Nutella smear on her white shirt.

Jay stood outside the Etihad in awe at the size of the complex. It was absolutely massive, even bigger than she'd expected. Since it was so early, there weren't very many people around. A few people going into the superstore to open up and a few random people taking pictures outside, but as she walked round and into the training complex it was a lot quieter.

As the automatic doors opened, a girl with long blonde hair behind the desk raised her head to greet Jay.

'Good morning, how can I help you?' She asked in a bubbly way.

'My name is Jayme Douglas, I've got a meeting with someone named, Erm Robert....' She trailed off, a mixture of nerves and slight intimidation kicking in.

'Ahh Roberto, yes he's expecting you' the blonde, whose name badge read Rachel, said looking at the screen in front of her. 'I'll just buzz him for you. Take a seat over there' she indicated to some pale blue sofas.

Jay sat herself down and picked up a copy of City magazine that was on the small table in front of her. As she flicked through she looked at the different players. She wondered if she'd ever get to meet any of them working here, not that she had the slightest clue who most of them were. Obviously she'd heard of De Bruyne, and then there was Grealish, the million pound man, but besides that, she didn't have a clue. Olly had been trying to educate her, but it clearly hadn't sank in.

A tall dark haired man bounded down a flight of stairs.

'Jamie?' He called, looking around blankly. Immediately she realised this must be Roberto. She popped the magazine back down and stood up.

'Yes, hello Roberto? I'm Jayme, but most people just call me Jay' she said politely, holding her hand out for him to shake.

'You're Jamie?' He asked shaking her hand as if he were in slow motion. He looked confused and not exactly pleased. What was she missing?

'Is there a problem?' She asked, confused at his reactions.

'Yes, well no. You'd better come up to my office' he said, slightly more politely, pointing up the stairs.

She followed him up the stairs into his office and took a seat. He went to sit down behind his desk, but then changed his mind.

'I just need to speak to Pep, one moment' and with that he disappeared, leaving her there alone looking at all the framed pictures of trophies on the wall.

Downstairs Pep could hardly believe what Roberto was telling him.

'A woman?....you expect me to have a woman in my changing room?....are you insane?' He was shaking his head and waving his arms around in true angry Pep style, utterly convinced Roberto had lost his mind.

'It's temporary, you said we needed someone today and she's really qualified. Look, speak to the players but it will be fine. I'm sure. Just give her today, see how it goes' said Roberto, wishing that he believed what he was saying.

'Joder!' Shouted Pep, storming off to speak to his players. He might not have a choice in it, but he didn't have to be happy about it.

Eventually Roberto walked back into the room followed by Pep. Jay had been starting to think they'd just left her there alone.

'The thing is Jayme, when we were given your CV we didn't realise you were a woman' Roberto admitted.

'Excuse me?' She asked indignantly. 'Because I can do this job just as well as any man could. Why on Earth would me being make or female or non-binary affect my ability to translate?'

'No, no, it's not that' said Roberto quickly, already imagining the law suit the club could be facing for gender inequality. 'It's just this role that we have involves working very closely with two players. It means being out on the pitch during training, in the changing rooms and ordinarily for our male players we employ male translators for that reason'

'I understand, but I just want you to know that I can be professional in any circumstance' she replied, feeling as if the job was slipping from her grasp.

Next it was Pep's turn to talk.

'Listen, I don't normally have women in the changing room. Yes there's female staff who come and go, like the medics and physios but as a translator it's different. I need you to listen and to pass on exactly what I'm saying to the players. You will see them in some of their most vulnerable states in there. I need to know I can trust you'

'Of course' she said with a shrug. It was starting to feel like the changing room was some kind of sacred hallowed ground the way people round here were talking about it. Surely it was just a room where people got changed?

Roberto looked at her intently, it was almost as if she could see the thought processes whirling past his eyes. Pep gave him a grudging nod to okay her. What choice did he have?

'Go and speak to Rachel on the desk and ask her for a uniform' Roberto said finally.

'So I've got the job?' She asked, completely confused by what was happening.

'Temporarily' he sighed. It was going to be completely unconventional having a woman in this position. Never mind at City, but at any premier league team, but right now he needed a translator and from her CV, she was the best he could hope for.

Roberto showed her out of his office and she went back down to the front desk again.

'Everything okay?' Asked Rachel.

'Yeah. I think so' said Jay giving a slight laugh. 'Apparently I've to see you for a uniform' she wondered what it would be like.

'Great, what size are you?' Asked Rachel.

'Erm 12/14' replied Jay.

'And shoe size?'

'5 and a half, but why do you need my shoe size?' Asked Jay, completely baffled.

'Your football boots of course, you can't go on the pitch in those heels you know' giggled Rachel, as if Jay had just made the biggest faux pas ever. This was going to be one hell of a learning curve.

*****

Jack was running late for training.

Again.

He was also on the front page of the Sun.

Again.

Apparently he'd been sexting some reality show contestant this time. The story was absolute bullshit, he'd never text her, not even once. It was the other finalist that he'd hooked up with a few months back. Not that anyone knew about it outside the Avengers chat. Her boyfriend would have killed him with one punch if he'd even got a hint of their dalliance.

He knew that Pep was going to kill him, in fact he was probably plotting his death at that very moment, but this genuinely was all lies this time. As for being late, Tasha had turned off his alarm after he'd snoozed it three times and he'd fallen back asleep. He hadn't even had time to do his hair properly, a hair band would just have to do. He'd made a mental note to himself to get some highlights booked in soon, his roots were really coming through.

The traffic in Manchester today seemed utterly ridiculous.

'Can't you go annuva way?' He asked his driver.

'Prince Charles and Camilla are here on a Royal visit, a lot of roads have been shut off for that. I'm going as fast as I can' his driver explained.

Things went from bad to worse when they pulled up outside the Etihad, there were press everywhere and they all seemed to be waiting for him.

Jack
Jack
Jack

His name echoed around the place as they all jostled with each other to get the best picture of him.

'Do you have anything to say about the cheating allegations' someone shouted.

He wanted to respond alright, he'd have loved to, but his manager had warned him under no circumstances was he to talk about any of it publicly. He just had to keep his head down.

'Scuse me' said Jack grumpily as camera after camera was shoved in his face. One guy wouldn't take the message so Jack grabbed the lens that was right in his cheek and shoved it away.

'Get the fook out my way!' Said Jack through gritted teeth, before the security finally pushed them back. 

Not only had they made him even later, they'd pissed him off too boot. This was going to be one fucker of a day. The irony of it all was him and Tasha had actually spent some time together the night before and it had seemed like they were getting somewhere.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net