match. The dark-haired cricketer zoned straight in on them bringing others with him including Graeme.
"You’re only on mineral water?" he asked Alice. "Driving?"
"Exam tomorrow."
"School or university? Where do you go?"
"School." If they were out on the pull they usually lied and said college but all the Gloucestershire players knew their ages because of Brett and Becky. "In Cheltenham."
"Really? That’s where I’m from, I went to school there too. Fairmount," he said.
"Same. You must have left a while ago, I don’t remember you."
"My little brother’s still there, doing his A-levels too."
The penny dropped for Jules. "You’re Joe Jackson aren’t you? Can’t believe I didn’t realise earlier. I heard you played for Worcestershire."
He smiled showing white, even teeth. "Big cricket fan then?"
"No, my dad is. But everyone’s heard about you because of Mike. Plus your name’s up on a plaque of glorious old boys."
Joe got a ribbing from the other players for this but laughed it off.
"Are you all coming to this party on Saturday night?" Graeme asked. It was at someone's house in Gloucester and everyone seemed to be going. It was a Bank Holiday weekend.
"Hopefully," Alice said.
"Look forward to seeing you there then," Joe told her.
"You still going to be around?" Jules asked, thinking that the Worcester team would have moved on by then.
"We're playing in Birmingham, so not far." It was about an hour's drive down the motorway from Gloucester.
"You missed a huge night in Stroud the other week," Jules told Graeme.
"So I heard. And that your Headmaster was there too." He looked slyly at Alice when he said this.
"Mr Francis?" Joe asked, surprised. Fairmount still had the same Headmaster as in his day.
"Not their actual Headmaster. A mate of Chris's who's coaching at the school. Has a thing for Alice." Joe raised his eyebrows at this.
Alice wanted to sink through the floor, even more so when the man in question entered the bar the exact same moment.
"And here he is. Your round, Stewie?"
She dreaded to think how she looked to him, sitting at the bar surrounded by a load of guys. She looked at him but his expression was impassive, he gave her no signal whatsoever.
Jules was biting her lip trying not to laugh.
"You’re coaching my brother?" Joe asked him. "Mike Jackson?"
"Yes, he’s a good kid. Got some talent," Mr Walker said.
"Don’t tell him that, he’s as cocky enough as it is." Joe was sitting there with his arm on the bar in such a way that it was half around Alice. She saw Mr Walker notice this, briefly flick his eyes to hers and then look away. Her heart sank.
She didn’t know if Joe was deliberately trying to play up and annoy him, but he leaned slightly closer to Alice and even brushed her arm when he reached for a drink. He also made a point of getting her a new drink. Alice felt incredibly uncomfortable and hemmed in. She also felt guilty even though it wasn’t her fault.
Joe also brought up various reminiscences and anecdotes of former events and teachers at Fairmount, deliberately trying to establish a rapport with Alice and cut Mr Walker out. Joe was completely focused on her and it was hard for her not to respond without seeming rude.
Alice wasn’t sure if he liked the challenge, was trying to score against the more experienced man, or was acting out of some misguided rescue instinct.
She had always imagined that having two men contend over you would be hugely flattering, particularly when they were both so attractive. The reality was just awkward and embarrassing. She felt annoyed with Joe and bad for Mr Walker, and she was panicked that he might think that she was encouraging it.
He completely ignored her, not saying a single word to her. She couldn’t even try to include him in the conversation because he eventually sat apart from their group drinking with Chris.
It was a relief to finally leave.
"That was a bit of a chest baring," Jules said as they drove back
"You’re only on mineral water?" he asked Alice. "Driving?"
"Exam tomorrow."
"School or university? Where do you go?"
"School." If they were out on the pull they usually lied and said college but all the Gloucestershire players knew their ages because of Brett and Becky. "In Cheltenham."
"Really? That’s where I’m from, I went to school there too. Fairmount," he said.
"Same. You must have left a while ago, I don’t remember you."
"My little brother’s still there, doing his A-levels too."
The penny dropped for Jules. "You’re Joe Jackson aren’t you? Can’t believe I didn’t realise earlier. I heard you played for Worcestershire."
He smiled showing white, even teeth. "Big cricket fan then?"
"No, my dad is. But everyone’s heard about you because of Mike. Plus your name’s up on a plaque of glorious old boys."
Joe got a ribbing from the other players for this but laughed it off.
"Are you all coming to this party on Saturday night?" Graeme asked. It was at someone's house in Gloucester and everyone seemed to be going. It was a Bank Holiday weekend.
"Hopefully," Alice said.
"Look forward to seeing you there then," Joe told her.
"You still going to be around?" Jules asked, thinking that the Worcester team would have moved on by then.
"We're playing in Birmingham, so not far." It was about an hour's drive down the motorway from Gloucester.
"You missed a huge night in Stroud the other week," Jules told Graeme.
"So I heard. And that your Headmaster was there too." He looked slyly at Alice when he said this.
"Mr Francis?" Joe asked, surprised. Fairmount still had the same Headmaster as in his day.
"Not their actual Headmaster. A mate of Chris's who's coaching at the school. Has a thing for Alice." Joe raised his eyebrows at this.
Alice wanted to sink through the floor, even more so when the man in question entered the bar the exact same moment.
"And here he is. Your round, Stewie?"
She dreaded to think how she looked to him, sitting at the bar surrounded by a load of guys. She looked at him but his expression was impassive, he gave her no signal whatsoever.
Jules was biting her lip trying not to laugh.
"You’re coaching my brother?" Joe asked him. "Mike Jackson?"
"Yes, he’s a good kid. Got some talent," Mr Walker said.
"Don’t tell him that, he’s as cocky enough as it is." Joe was sitting there with his arm on the bar in such a way that it was half around Alice. She saw Mr Walker notice this, briefly flick his eyes to hers and then look away. Her heart sank.
She didn’t know if Joe was deliberately trying to play up and annoy him, but he leaned slightly closer to Alice and even brushed her arm when he reached for a drink. He also made a point of getting her a new drink. Alice felt incredibly uncomfortable and hemmed in. She also felt guilty even though it wasn’t her fault.
Joe also brought up various reminiscences and anecdotes of former events and teachers at Fairmount, deliberately trying to establish a rapport with Alice and cut Mr Walker out. Joe was completely focused on her and it was hard for her not to respond without seeming rude.
Alice wasn’t sure if he liked the challenge, was trying to score against the more experienced man, or was acting out of some misguided rescue instinct.
She had always imagined that having two men contend over you would be hugely flattering, particularly when they were both so attractive. The reality was just awkward and embarrassing. She felt annoyed with Joe and bad for Mr Walker, and she was panicked that he might think that she was encouraging it.
He completely ignored her, not saying a single word to her. She couldn’t even try to include him in the conversation because he eventually sat apart from their group drinking with Chris.
It was a relief to finally leave.
"That was a bit of a chest baring," Jules said as they drove back
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