The Own Goal ✔️

Part 49

Saturday.

I walk into the pub, I hate walking into pubs on my own, but luckily Craig already text to me to say he was inside.

I find him quicky and he stands up and gives me a peck on the cheek before asking what I want to drink.

I check my phone while he's at the bar. One message from Jack.
I open it to see a selfie of him and Mia in his bed, then another photo of the TV in the bedroom playing 'In the night garden' . Alongside it is the caption 'uh-oh daddy's being naughty letting me watch TV in bed' followed by another message 'teeth are well hurting her so iggle piggle to the rescue waiting for the Calpol to help'

Craig reappears "what you smiling about?"

"Just a photo of Mia" I go to put my phone down.

"Show me?"

"Ah you don't want to be bored with pictures of my baby"

"No, I do, she's s cutie! Go on!"

I turn my phone back to him and watch him examine the photo of a smiling Mia in her Aston Villa pajamas and a bare chested Jack, with loose fluffy messy hair framing his face and a cheesy smile.

"Bless her, he's obviously a good dad"

"The best, Mia is very lucky"

Do I address that morning he came around, or do I wait to see what he says?

I take a sip of my drink.

"So did you know who he was when you met him?" Craig asks me.

"Well I knew he was a footballer, the others soon made sure we knew he wasn't in the premier league at that point though"

"Ah fuck yeah, was it after the play offs they lost?"

I nod

"So who else was there? What other players?"

I stare at him, this isn't exactly standard first date conversation material is it.

He sees my face

"Sorry Chelsea, I'm not being weird, I'm just obsessed with football, anything football. I support city but you can't not admire Aston Villa and Jack, I mean he basically got them back into the premier league single handed"

"Well not really......-"

"So who else was there then?"

"Well in Jacks villa was Ben Chillwell,  Madders, sorry James Maddison, Ginny - John McGinn and Mason Mount and Declan Rice, then there were other villas with other players, there were some city players there"

"Must have been a blast" he says, then checks himself "well you came home pregnant, so you must have had a good time"

"I'm sure you don't want to talk about my ex all night do you?" I try to sound casual, rather than desperate to move on.

He raises his eyebrows, "ex, you said fuck buddy?"

"We gave it a go, it didn't even last 6 months, he cheated on me, twice"

"I'm sorry you went through that, but he had stayed the night with you? That night the other week I mean?"

"He turned up late, I'd had a few to drink, it's nothing Craig. Look I really don't want to talk about him. Also no one else knows he's Mia's dad, Ive only told anyone the holiday romance story......I don't particularly want people knowing"

"No I'm sorry, no more talk of your exes"

"I think you need to tell me more about you now, only fair" I prompt Craig, and once he starts talking he can't stop! He tells me about his ex, a teacher who he thought he'd probably marry, but they just drifted apart. He told me about his family, just him his mum and his brother. He told me about his job, how his skills at problem solving and being good with people kept leading him to be promoted, but he enjoyed the social side of going out on jobs so kept taking calls and going out to manual jobs. He found life in the office boring.
He told me how he was really into football and had a season ticket at city and had even gone away to watch England many times, so it was a shock when it clicked to him who Jack was and realising he'd seen a half naked England football player in my kitchen - he had been at Jacks debut game for the national team in the autumn after finally getting his call up.

Before I even realise it, we are three drinks in and the band hasn't even started yet.

I find myself laughing easily at his silly jokes and by the time the band does start I realise I am actually enjoying myself.

We both sway to the music and find ourselves making our way to the dancefloor where we are giggling together and singing along to oasis and stone roses covers.

At the end of the night Craig tells me that he'll treat me to a bag of chips on the way to the taxi rank.
"How can I resist that?" I giggle.

As we leave the takeaway shop and head to find a taxi I pause mid mouthful, I honestly can't remember the last time I had a night like this, not even necessarily a date, but a simple night out in a pub, a local band and a bag of chips on the way home.

We walk along comfortably together eating our chips. There's a taxi waiting at the rank when we get there "right well I'm glad you got in touch Chels" Craig says as he opens the taxi door for me.

"Me too, honestly it's been lovely, really lovely Craig"

"Would you like to do it again?" He shuffles looking nervously at me.

"Yes, yes I would" I'm smiling at him, finding it refreshingly sweet that he was nervous asking me.

"Can I kiss you before you go?"

"You not sharing this cab?"

"Nah, I'm only two minutes up the road, I'll walk, so.......er, can I kiss you?"

I smile "yes, I think I would like that"

He leans in, placing one hand on my arm. His lips brush mine lightly, it's a quick dry kiss, but when he pulls away I'm smiling.

"I'll give you a ring in the week if that's ok?"

"I look forward to it"

I wave at him as we drive off. I've genuinely enjoyed myself.
I really do hope Craig will call me, he's lovely.

I absent mindedly touch my lips with my fingertips where he kissed me.
I feel giddy in an almost innocent way, like I might be on the cusp of something really lovely.

I get ready for bed and I've still got a warm feeling inside from a fun night. I find myself humming tunes from the band as I get into bed and wander what will happen next with Craig. Will he call? When will he call? Where will we go next time?

I close my eyes as sleep creeps up on me.

But as I drift off its Jack's face that comes to me.
His cockiness as his first words to me in that club in Mykonos insinuated we'd definitely be having sex by the end of the night.
His self assurance that the first kiss would leave me desperate for more......his 'fuck me' eyes......
My first kiss with Jack left me gasping and moaning into his mouth for more.
My first kiss with Jack lit a fire in my belly that never seems to totally die out, like a little pilot light.