EJ in Love

Connor 

"I don't change girlfriends often, it's just they all look the same so people get confused. Lottie changes her hair ten times a week. No wonder everyone thinks I'm hopping about." Lottie changed her wardrobe, her hair, her hair colour and sometimes she could be as tanned as a carrot or as pale as paper depending if she got a spray tan appointment. 

It felt like an extreme sport to be dating her and at the same time her craziness could be refreshing. It was like living with a squirrel who you were not sure had rabies or not. It was a surprise every day what mood she was in.

"Lottie has been your longest. Three years is a long time," his eyes searched my face for something I did not recognise. 

I was not one to back away from a challenge as I stared back. "Trust me, I've tried to kick her out plenty but she's like mold. Just keeps coming back."

His smile nearly disarmed me. "I like her. You should marry her."

"And why are you so fascinated with who I marry?" I felt irritation crawl onto my skin. 

"I'm just giving advice to a good friend."

"Sounds like you're trying to fuck me over," I took a sip of my wine as if it would actually make me drunk when I knew it wouldn't, "If I had to give you advice, maybe find someone who you're serious about. I'm sure there must be some girl who has roped in your heart. Entertain that for a few years. Make everyone forget this playboy personna you're carrying off."

"Maybe it's a personna," he immediately voiced, "And I'm not interested in any girls."

My cheeks flushed realising I had thrown myself in the very conversation I always tried to avoid with Edward. It was well known he was pansexual. Not something everyone was extremely excited about when he first came into the rugby world, but he played so well people generally ignored it. I always dribbled around it and steered clear of the topic. 

It was not something that made me feel overly comfortable. 

"You don't have to look like you're having a heart attack," even though he was smiling I could not miss the bit of hurt in his eyes. 

I just had to put on my big boy pants and engage. "So there's a man who caught your eye?"

He nodded, "Yes."

"Then you should approach him and tell him how you feel to end this madness of a new girl every week."

"If I told him he would probably kill me," he was laughing but it sounded painful as well which told me things must have been bad. I was always so bad at giving advice that I wondered how I had gotten myself tied into this conversation. 

"Why would you like someone who would want to kill you? Clearly the feelings aren't reciprocated."

"Maybe I'm a masochist." By now the food had arrived and I was glad he had ordered a platter style lunch. I could pick what looked appetising which was everything which left my plate looking like a colourful array. "But it won't happen. I know my place."

"Your brother Demyan looks like he could give you solid advice on this love troubles," I hoped this would kill the conversation that I knew I had started up, but a cold sweat had formed at the back of my neck and I was worried someone would overhear us. 

"Demyan's love life is shite," he guffawed, "Trust me. He is the last person I would want to get advice from regarding that and he hates the man I'm interested in with every fibre in his being. He would probably forbid me if he had the chance."

As if the situation could not get any more complex. You would think with Edward's reputation, his family and his career whoever the person was would be throwing themselves in his arms but they seemed to be doing a better job at running away than running towards. 

"I guess that being a playboy sounds better," I forced out a chuckle before I focused on my food. Edward simply stared at me for a few seconds before nodding. We ate in silence and eventually when all the plates were cleared we headed out. I offered to pay the bill but his laugh told me that was a fat chance. 

"This was lovely," he grinned as we stood next to my car. His bright green Lamborghini next to mine. 

We came in separate cars because I refused to be shoved into a sardine can and he thought I was trying to kidnap and kill him. 

"Let's not do this again," I firmly nodded before trying to open my door. 

Edward's pale hand stopped it then shut it back close. "Connor can't we just leave this feud behind. It's getting exhausting."

"Abandon your captaincy," I stared him down. "Abandon it and you might find I'm a little nicer."

"You know rugby isn't the end of the world right. You don't need to be always right and at the top of the pyramid. We're meant to be a team. My deputy is meant to be my support and not the very person who does a greater task at tearing down my authority."

"It takes people years to be captain," I defended, "You did it in record time. You're only twenty-three and you don't understand the pressure that comes with it."

"If everybody felt that way they wouldn't have voted for me," he stressed, "You're the only one so hung up on it. Can't you just accept that being a deputy is just as great?"

My anger was near to a boiling point but I did everything in me to keep it down. I could see paparazzi to my far right. They always followed Edward like flies and I knew I had to keep things from escalating. 

"For some of us Edward, rugby is all we have. It's all we can fall back on. We don't have daddy's who can buy us our own teams whenever we want."