Extra Time. Michelle Betham

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СКАЧАТЬ Christ’s sake,’ Ryan sighed, finding it hard to keep the irritation out of his voice. ‘I told you I wasn’t going back there, okay? And I mean it this time.’

      ‘Well, let’s hope you do. Anyway, I thought you might like to come with me to the Wearside Spartans match this afternoon. My newest client’s playing and I want to be there to support him.’

      ‘Newest client?’ Ryan frowned, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck.

      ‘Brandon Palmer,’ Max said, looking at Ryan as though he should be aware of this fact. ‘Managed to snare his signature before he’d even set foot on British soil. I mean, the fact he’s Jim Allen’s son should mean there’s some talent in there somewhere, not to mention the fact that his family links alone will have the sponsorship deals flooding in. And he’s a good-looking kid, so that’s a bonus…’

      ‘Whoa, hang on…’ Ryan interrupted, confusion now setting in big time. ‘Can you rewind a bit there? Did you say Brandon Palmer was Jim Allen’s son?’

      Max looked at Ryan with that same expression that said he really should know all this. ‘Yes. Christ, have you not been listening to any news at all this morning? It’s been kept a bit of a secret, granted, which hasn’t made my job any easier, but I guess the kid wanted to get noticed on his own merits rather than because of who his famous father is. Anyway, whatever the reason, it’s worked. He had about half a dozen clubs after him, but he wanted to go to Spartans.’

      ‘You knew he was Jim Allen’s son?’

      ‘Of course I knew,’ Max said, taking another sip of coffee. ‘There’s not much I don’t know about any of my clients, Ryan, you should know that by now. I can’t deal with people’s shit if I don’t know anything about it.’

      ‘And… does Amber know about this?’

      ‘No, she doesn’t. Well, she didn’t, but apparently Jim broke the news to her this morning, although Christ knows why he hasn’t told her before. The kid’s twenty-years-old for heaven’s sake. But who am I to question what kind of relationships these people have?’ He took another sip of coffee as Ryan continued to stare at him in disbelief. ‘Anyway, thank heavens Amber’s playing ball and acting the role of the proud stepmother. It’s a wise move. It won’t cause any added or unwanted media attention, which I know she hates. We’re trying to keep the focus on Brandon here. She’s a good girl is Amber. Sensible. She knows the score. No pun intended there by the way.’

      Listening to Max talk about Amber so candidly made Ryan flinch slightly.

      ‘But…’ Max went on, oblivious to Ryan’s feelings, ‘… as far as I’m concerned it’s going to make great headlines. And it won’t do her new career any harm either. Married to the Premier League’s most successful manager, step-mum to his extremely talented son – and an extremely beautiful step-mum at that. Actually, that’s just reminded me, I’ve got a few men’s magazines chomping at the bit to have her featured on their covers wearing nothing but a Newcastle Red Star scarf and a smile.’

      ‘Jesus fucking Christ, Max…’

      ‘What? What have I said?’

      ‘Have you heard yourself? Jim Allen has only now told Amber that he has a twenty-year-old son? And she’s okay with that?’

      ‘I have no idea whether she’s okay with that or not, Ryan. What happens between her and Jim behind closed doors is none of my business.’

      ‘Shit! This is fucking crazy.’

      ‘All I know is I’ve now got half the Allen family on my books, and that equals big bucks. For everyone concerned.’ Max didn’t usually represent TV presenters, or any other kind of entertainment-based celebrities – he was a football agent. That’s what he specialised in. But he’d seen something in Amber, and he wanted to be the one to guide her to exactly where she needed to be. As far as he was concerned she’d been wasted in regional TV. She deserved a bigger platform, and he’d gotten her exactly that. And the fact he now represented her stepson, too, well, Max couldn’t be happier. ‘The money is gonna come rolling in, I can feel it.’

      ‘And fuck how people may be feeling, is that it?’ Ryan sneered, his mind now on something other than his own problems.

      Max arched an eyebrow again. ‘Sorry? And who are you? Mr. I-give-everything-I-earn-away? This is what I do, Ryan. I’m an agent.’ He put his now-empty mug down on the counter behind him. ‘Anyway, what did you want to speak to me about?’

      Ryan leaned back against the wall, pushing a hand through his hair. He’d almost forgotten that it was him who’d asked Max to come over. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

      Max looked at him through slightly narrowed eyes. ‘Well, it sounded like it mattered when you called me yesterday.’

      ‘It can wait,’ Ryan sighed, his headache now a thing of the past. ‘It’s not important.’

      ‘You sure?’ Max asked, his expression conveying that he didn’t entirely believe what Ryan was telling him. ‘Look, Ryan, if there’s something going on…’

      ‘I’d tell you, Max. All right? I’d tell you. I promise.’

      That seemed to placate Max, but for how long Ryan had no idea. And it wasn’t that he’d changed his mind about what he was going to do, it was just that, after what Max had told him, he wasn’t really in the mood to talk about it right now.

      ‘Okay,’ Max said, keeping his eyes on Ryan. ‘Well, come on, then. Let’s get going. I want to have a word with Brandon before kick-off.’

      There were people Ryan wanted a word with, too. But Brandon Palmer wasn’t one of them.

      ‘Everything all right?’ Ronnie asked as Amber joined him up in the makeshift TV studio in the corner of the ground.

      ‘Everything’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be?’

      Ronnie diverted his attention away from what was happening on the pitch outside to look at her. ‘Sorry, am I missing something here? Didn’t your husband just inform you, not an hour ago, that he has a secret son? A son who just happens to be making his debut as a Premiership player for a rival local club this afternoon?’

      ‘I’m dealing with it.’

      Ronnie turned back to look outside. Some of the players from both teams were warming up on the pitch, but there was no sign of Brandon Palmer. ‘Yeah, well, maybe you need to stop “dealing” with things in your usual way.’

      ‘And what way would that be?’

      ‘Burying your head in the sand and trying to pretend that things don’t exist, or that the problem will just go away if you leave it alone for long enough.’

      ‘Jesus, Ronnie, credit me with a little bit of intelligence, will you? We’re talking about a human being here, so he isn’t just going to “go away”, is he?’

      ‘No. He isn’t.’ He turned round and leaned back against the huge plate-glass window that looked out over the pitch. ‘So, have you met him yet?’

      ‘No. Not yet.’

      ‘And, СКАЧАТЬ