The Own Goal ✔️

Part 54

Baby Tracker 👶
14 months old 🗓️

April.

It's Layla's birthday weekend.
Ben is throwing a lavish party for her at his London mansion.
They are definitely more on than off lately and Layla seems to think he's going to propose.

I ask Jack about this when he picks Mia up on the Friday.

It's not his weekend to have her, but I have no one to look after her here apart from Jasmin, who is coming to the party too. So Jacks parents are happy to have her, as Jack will be at the party too.
Jack agreed to pick her up today, then I'll pick her up on my way back up to Manchester on Sunday.

"He ain't gonna fuckin' propose Chels!"

"Well why is she so sure he is?"

"I dunno, she's your fuckin' friend, ya know I think she's mental, propa loopy that one......" Jack's laughing like Ben proposing is the most obsurd thing he's ever heard.

"Is it really that ridiculous that maybe he loves her?"

Jack properly belly laughs at this.
"If he proposes I'll wear a fuckin' Birmingham City shirt under me suit at their wedding" he almost chokes from laughing. "Sorry, but Ben's more likely to propose to me than Layla"

"But he's throwing this huge party for her!"

"It's a fuckin' excuse for a party ain't it" he shrugs.

I watch him sitting in my kitchen in a training tracksuit and black baseball cap.
Nothing has happened between us since the night of Mia's party.

Things are going great with with me and Craig. Jack has met him one other time when he went to the camp at St George's Park he brought her back a day early on the Sunday and Craig was here.
To be fair to Jack he wasn't a dick and they chatted about football like a couple of old friends.

"So is ya boring boiler man comin' with ya?"

I stare at him "I told you not to call him that, he's a fucking area maintenance manager for Christ sake! And yes he is"

"Are ya stayin' at Ben's?" He's rooting through my fruit bowl again.

"No, we've booked a hotel nearby, Jasmin is traveling with me and Craig, then Sian is meeting us at the hotel"

Jack raises an eyebrow at me "can I have this?" He's holding up a big red apple, but bites into it before I can even answer. "Does Sian know Chris is going?" He continues.

"I don't know, why would that matter?"
They have seen each other a handful of times over the last nearly two years that have passed since the holiday. But for them, the timing just never seems right.

"Cos he likes her, a lot, he's a good bloke Chels"

"Yeah I know, I just think Sian has lots going on......" To be fair I barely speak to Sian these days, life just gets pretty hectic at times. "So who are you taking? Stacey, Laura, Amy?"

"Nicole" he replies without hesitation.

"Nicole....?" I spit out, I wasn't expecting a new name in the mix.

"Nicole Grainger" he looks at me, unable to hide the grin his lips are struggling to conceal.

"The actress?" Wow, I'm genuinely lost for words on this one.

"Yeah"

"Oh what the fuck does she see in you?" I tease

"My big cock obviously" he says casually, chomping on the apple, "the euros soon, everyone's gonna want to be with an England footballer! She's bagged me early" I watch his face, he's like a cat that got the cream, but also he's definitely fishing for a reaction from me.