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Chapter 28
The next morning, I insisted The Russian stuck to his normal pre-match routine and I put on my brightest face – I was fine, really fine ... a little jumpy maybe, but that was to be expected. Eddie called early to let us know that Ken had been charged, and not surprisingly, had a few other similar charges and complaints in his history. He also had my phone, handbag and my shoes as well, and he would get them back to The Russian today at the game. The other piece of information that The Russian told me, after I had been prodding him to know all the details, was that Ken hadn’t been working that night – he had followed me from the game to the club and had been waiting for me. Super creepy.
My man, The Russian was a rock. I just looked at him and felt better, and if he had at all been protective before, now he was truly over the top. We drove together to the game, The Russian in his team training gear, looking super sexy and in control. I knew he kept glancing my way ... I think he was waiting for me to have a repeat performance of the previous night and a total meltdown.
When we arrived at the Saints’ stadium, he insisted on walking me to my ticketed seat from Russian’s ticket allocation, but I wanted to drop into the media box first and wish my replacement good luck. When we got there, he managed to obtain a promise from Sasha that she would walk me to the WAGS area ... so sweet and over the top! I don’t know how he thought Sasha was going to save me from any evil—she was slighter than me—but I guess there’s safety in numbers.
He greeted the journos, casting a look at a few that he thought were going to put me over their shoulder and run off with me—yes, we were working on it— and then he pulled me aside before leaving. I could see some of the journos subtly watching us from the corner of the media box.
“Are you going to be okay?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“I’m going to be just fine. What could possibly go wrong?” I said, and he made this grunting sort of sound. “Really, I’ve been fine for twenty-four years, so one weird night isn’t a life sentence,” I said, assuring him.
“That weird night could have been a lot worse if you hadn’t been able to reach me. Thank God I wasn’t in the shower or asleep!”
“Play well,” I said, pushing him out the door of the media box and towards the stairs. I followed him out. “I love you.” OMG, I just said that. Out loud. I had been thinking it and then I just blurted it out.
The Russian stopped dead and turned to look at me. His came in close to kiss me but instead moved to whisper in my ear.
“I love you, Brooker.” He pulled away to look at me again and grinned.
“Go!” I said, returning his happiness with a silly grin of my own.
“Geez Brooker, you’re bossy,” he said, walking away.
“You don’t know the half of it buddy,” I told him, folding my arms across my chest, and watching that great butt disappear down the stairs. Yep, that was satisfying. I went back in and Sasha gave me the third degree.
“What’s going on? Has something happened? The Russian’s being all over-the-top protective!” she frowned.
“Confidentially?” I asked her.
“Of course,” she nodded, and pulled me back outside the media box.
“One of my stalkers attacked me last night,” I said. It was the first time I had said the words and it made me shiver. I rubbed my arms.
“Oh my God,” she hissed, “did he hurt you?”
I shook my head. “No, but he scared the shit out of me. I managed to get through to The Russian and he brought the police, Eddie and his team. They guy’s been arrested ... I’m not the first complaint, allegedly.”
Sasha shook her head. “Fucking men.”
As she said it, Nik appeared at the top of the stairs, hearing her comment.
“Who? What’s happened?” he asked, in his clipped German accent, a deep frown on his forehead.
“Not you, gorgeous,” she said, and kissed him. “We’re talking about bad men.”
“Oh them,” Nik said, looking relieved. “Can’t stay, I just slipped out on my way from physio into the training room.”
“They’re right next to each other,” I said.
“I know, so it was a fair slip,” he agreed.
“I’ve got to go talk to Dan,” I said, looking for a way to give them some privacy and spotting the journo from radio K-Talk inside the media room, “Have a good game, Nik.”
“Thanks Carla,” he said, not taking his eyes off Sasha.
I left the two cute lovebirds and went back into the media box, before Sasha rejoined me and escorted me to sit with the WAGS for the first time as The Russian’s girlfriend.
