The Own Goal ✔️

Part 108

"I think it's a cool present" Jasmin laughs, with Jack, Dele and Ben all busy with pre season we've taken the opportunity to all visit Sian and Chris and baby Liam.
The girls and Alfie are tucked up in bed and we are enjoying a few bottles of wine in their pretty country garden, the surrounding rolling hills a welcome change in scenery.

"I guess if a man gives his girl a vibrator he must be pretty sure of his own....." Layla narrows her eyes at me as she thinks of a word to use "skill" she settles on. I giggle with Jasmin and Sian the wine relaxing us all, it's been too long since we've had a chance to all have a drink and chill together.

"He bought it because he wanted to watch" I tell them.

"But he's in America!"

"Er, face time??"

"Seriously?" Sian sounds a little shocked.

"Yeah......what's wrong with that?" I finish my glass and reach for the bottle. "Honestly there's something really sexy about having a wank with him watching via video" I pass the bottle to Layla, the drinks really gone to my head "and you know what? I fucking love watching him having a wank too" I tense internally at just the memory of the sight of his large hands gently taking his own cock and making himself come.

"What you girls laughing at?" Chris appears with a cheese board that he places on the table for us, we all thank him eagerly as Sian checks Liam and the kids are all ok inside.
"Yeah all fine, all sleeping" he assures us. "So, what's so funny?" He pours himself a glass and sits between Sian and Jasmin.

"Jack bought Chelsea a new vibrator before he went away and has been watching her use it over facetime" Layla informs him.

Chris blushes slightly and avoids eye contact with me "of course he has".

"Aaaand, aaaaaand!" Layla is continuing "Chelsea likes to watch him wank too!" She shrills.

"And on that note I'm going back inside" he kisses Sians head as he gets up and heads back inside shaking his head to himself.

A comfortable silence falls over us as we just enjoy the simpleness of being together, and sampling the delights of the amazing cheese board Chris put together.
Jasmin catches my eye and I nod. Now's as good a time as ever.
"So Carly got time off then babes?" Jasmin asks Layla.

The silence becomes heavy, I turn and Layla is studying her cracker with far more interest than is required.
"Actually she doesn't work for us anymore"

"Oh" myself Sian and Jasmin say in unison.
"What happened, Alfie seemed to really like her" Sian says diplomatically.

Layla sighs, a little sadly maybe. "It just didn't work out, it's fine, I mean I don't actually work that much and Ben's mum really wanted to be more involved"

"So, nothing happened, nothing bad I mean happened with Carly? You didn't actually sack her?" I pry and feel Jasmin glaring at me for becoming too obvious in what I'm starting to hint at.

"Oh no, nothing like that, just me and Ben, you know just had a cha.....we just decided it wasn't right, wasn't working" I can't read her face, she's looking down into her lap.

"You ok though?" I offer softly and she meets my eyes, and there's so much emotion there that I fleetingly feel guilty that our relationship never recovered fully, that possibly there's been times she's needed a friend, a better friend than I've been.

"Yeah, yeah I am" she says, softly, almost wistfully. I see the look Jasmin gives Sian and Sian breezily changes the subject onto our plans for the rest of the weekend.

-

The following day we head out for lunch at a little farm shop nearby while Chris catches up on some work.
It's refreshing to blend in with the other mums and families in the courtyard.
Layla seems to feel differently.
"It's weird isn't it, no one staring?" She muses as she watches me butter Alfie's teacake as I do the girls ones.

"Not really, why would they?"

"You get recognised don't you? I do all the time"

"Yeah but you're a model anyway, people recognise your face from the tyre billboards" I know it's a bitchy blow, especially when I see the others try to hide their sniggers.

She ignores me and carries on "you get papped with Jack often enough" and I do, I guess, but ours are always boring just us doing everyday things like going to the zoo, or occasionally Jack will get invited to take Mia to the premiere of a new kids film, and sometimes we do pose for photos, but the girls faces are always blurred out and we never post their faces on social media, they only appear from behind or with emojis over their faces. We have a decent level of anonymity. Whereas Layla will call the paps if they go even just to the high street together.

"It's easy to be private if you want to be" I glare at her, she still hasn't taken over from helping Alfie. "Jack came to a Halloween event and pumpkin picking when Mia was a baby at a local farm and not a single person said anything to him" Esme starts fussing and I hand her Alfie's teacake "can you take over please" I ask through gritted teeth "if Jack can blend into crowds then I'm sure you can"

"Do you get recognised yet?" Sian asks Jasmin.

"Occasionally, but thankfully Dele knows when to play it down and how to blend in, same as Jack"

"God glad we don't have to worry about all this" Sian mutters.

"Worry bout wot?" Mia asks through a mouthful of cake "are ya talkin' bout when people want photos of daddy?" She fixes her dark eyes onto Sian "it's only cos people see him play football on telly innit mama?"

Sian grins at me "Christ it's a miniature Jack, Chels, if she didn't have curly hair you wouldn't even know she was part you!"

I nod, she is all him.
"Some people don' like him though, cos he's good an' not on their team!" Mia continues

Jasmin laughs "daddy tell you that did he Mia?"

"Stop it" I say gently "she goes to games remember" Mia realised a while back that people boo'd at Jack getting the ball, it upset her. We had to tell her something so Jack just shrugged it off and told her its just people that wished he played for their team.

Later we take a walk around the animals, feeding the goats and pigs. Jasmin and Sian have gone ahead to explore with Mia and Liam  who is being carried by Sian in his sling, while me and Layla stick to the paths with Esme and Alfie in their pushchairs.
We're chatting nonesense when Layla's phone rings, she ignores the call.
"I'll call him later"

"Was that Ben? I don't mind I'll catch up with the others if you wanted privacy"

"No, no it's fine, we'll talk later"

"Ok, if you're sure"

"I am, I said it's fine"

"Right, ok"

"Chelsea it's fine!"

"Ok, I didn't say it wasn't!" I stop walking.

"Layla?"

"No, it's fine, it's fine" I watch her and it clearly isn't.

"Ok, but please, if it isn't and you want to talk I'm here"

She looks down, twisting her hands around the handle of Alfie's pram. When she looks up her eyes are full of tears.

"Oh Layla, what's going on? I know I've not always been around and I know we aren't as close as we used to be, but I still love you and care, Layla"
She turns away, trying to compose herself.
"Is it Ben? Are you and Ben ok?"

"We're ok" her voice is quiet. I lead us over towards a bench.

"Did something happen with Carly?"
She nods and bites her lip as a small sob escapes.

I check how ahead the others are and that there's no one else nearby "Layla, did something happen between Ben and Carly?"

She brings a finger to her eye, trying to stop the tears rolling over her waterline.
She shakes her head.
"No, not Carly and Ben" she says meekly.

I gasp, was it someone else? Maybe Carly caught Ben with someone else and told Layla?
"You can tell me Layla" I take her hand.

She looks me square in the face and she looks older and more tired than I've ever seen her look.

"It was me Chelsea"

What?
"You? What was you?"

"I had a fling with Carly"