The Lasso Effect 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐭

7

Alicia was changing in the bathroom. At least once a week, she would go out on the pitch and join the guys for football warm ups and a scrimmage or two to ensure she was still well experienced with the sport.

It was cold out, so she was getting into a pair of sweats and a hoodie. As she was changing, she talked to Roy on speakerphone.

"Just saw your thing on tv. Didn't think you'd take the job."

"I didn't really want to."

"You're right on most things you mentioned. Keeley told me how proud she is. Can you do me a favor though?"

"What?"

"Tell that buttfucker George I still think he should die."

"Oh. I already did that. Remember that thing you said you did to your shitty ex's car in uni?"

"The thing where you lick hard candy and stick it on the windows of the car so when you get them off it brea—" Alicia gasped. "You didn't."

"Of course I fucking did."

"Aww, you love me."

There was a silence on his end.

"Roy?"

"I love you."

"Sorry, you were cutting out there, what was that?"

"I'm not fucking saying it again."

"I love you too, Roy. You're the best friend a girl could have. See ya!"

He growled and hung up. Alicia tied her hair back in front of the mirror and left the bathroom. She went out into the pitch. Some of the guys waved hello.

She warmed up with Dani and Sam, talking about their weekend, future plans, possible plans for her upcoming 24th birthday.

Then the unexpected happened. Of all people, Jaime Tartt walked onto the pitch dressed in Richmond attire.

Alicia started screaming internally. What the fuck was going on with the universe making that man pop up everywhere in her life?!

"Y'know what, I've got work to do today, I'll see if I can do this later in the week."

Alicia decided this was something Future Alicia could handle. But then Future Alicia got pissed with Past Alicia for finishing enough work for the rest of the week, so now she didn't have an excuse to avoid practice with Jaime there.

When Sassy and her kid Nora came to town, she thought she could avoid the tension of the team by hanging out with her and call it babysitting.

But after talking to Nora, she helped her come to the conclusion that she should just go and get it over with. She liked watching drama, what was she so anxious about?

Plus, Nora was interested in the friction within the team, and Alicia promised to text her about it in deep detail.

She was really good with girls old enough to be her little sister, even if she never had siblings.