Only you- John Stones

The new job

August 16th 2022
"Well Lex, you do realise you're going to bump into John. It's inevitable." Kloe, a friend shes known for years says, while they're sat opposite each other outside a quiet Manchester Cafè.
"I mean it's been a year, I doubt he'll notice me until its a game day and im there in the changing room." Lex laughed trying to make light of what she knew was going to be an awkward situation. She wasn't joining the Manchester City Footballing staff to see John, but when the job was offered she couldn't say no, how could she! Making 90,000+ a year following on overtime was hard to say no too, considering her last job just scraped above povertying lines. She had been offered a job of player mental health management, which seemed so important to her that she got. Lex was always dreaming of being a mental health professional. She had finished her degree through her heartbreak at the university of Manchester and was waiting for the right job to come along.  She was enjoying her last work-free day with Kloe before making her way to the city academy training ground to meet the players. She knew this could make or break her, but she doesn't need John to be successful anymore. She had, happliy started dating again and was hoping to find her love she had been waiting for all this time. She knew everyone she would be with after John could never compare but finding one that satisfied her enough would do.
"Do you miss John?" Kloe asked, she had always been intrigued because Lex mourned for a week or two and was back to her normal self.
"I did, but not anymore. I think i can work with him, along side him, and not feel the feelings I once felt." Lex said with her head held high.
"I'm so proud of you Lex." Kloe said, because she say the devestation that she felt when she lived with Kloe for a few months.
"Thank you, Doll." She said smiling, taking a sip of her coffee.

August 17th 2022
The morning was rushed, and Lex felt she had next to no time to spare. She woke up early enough, ensured she ate, showered, was wearing the lovely Manchester City tracksuit that was delivered the day before, but Manchester Traffic was insane. She made it with minutes to spare, she ushered out a sigh of relief as she walked into the reception. The eyes of the receptionist, showed welcomeness.
"Hi! I'm Alexis Moore, starting today." She said slightly nervous.
"Ah, welcome, just on time." The receptionist giggled, he was gay, no doubt about that. Lex thought to herself. He made his way around the desk and showed Lex to the auditorium where she would be doing an introduction powerpoint, in order to show the players what is expected of her to help them. You could hear chatting from the other side of the door, which placed numerous nerves in Lex's stomach. As she walked through the creeked door. She felt the eyes of the Manchester City men on her from the moment she entered the room. Pep was still talking but smiled as she waked in.
"Now guys, this is Alexis Moore, who is going to be on the phycological team!" He said, spanish accent in full. Lex waved as some of them smiled as others waved back, she didn't even remember John was going to be there, she was too focused on presenting and meeting the other players. Lex was now stoof at the front, projected onto the wall was the powerpoint she was swiftly going to go through.
"Hi lads, I know a lot of you are probably gonna think 'who let this girl in' but i promise you your mental health is just as important as your physical health, especially as footballers where there is a lot of heartache and loss." And with that Johns eyes lifted from his lap and met hers, he knew the moment she walked in that it was her. Her perfect curves, the way her brunette waved hair sat perfectly anf hugged the frame of her face to perfection, her elegant features were exactly how he remembered them. He was sat quite far up the seats with Leroy on one side of him and Kyle on the other, they both knew of John's and Lex's history and eyed John wearily.
"John- I" kyle said
"Don't." Leroy said when he noticed Johns face contorted into a scowel.
"I can't believe she is here. I thought she moved back to Barnsley." John said, breathlessly. John then stayed silent and watched her carefully, eyeing her hands, was she engaged? He thought to himself. No of course she wasn't , surely not, it's only been just over a year. He thought to himself.
"I am going to be here all the time. Game days, recovery after both tough and easy wins, loses. Whatever you need, I am here to support you."
"I am also in charge of the process of coming back after injury. So please, any questions please stay behind and we can chat. I will be talking to you all individually over the next few days, but great to see all your faces!" She says as a ray of 'thank yous' and 'welcomes' announciated the room. As the men went to leave the room a few did stay behind, all of which were injured. Vincent, Kyle, John, Leroy, Raheem and Benjamin stayed behind. Knowing John had stayed behind, threw Lex off completely and the nerves had gotten the better of her.
"Lex how are you?" Leroy comes up and gave her a quick hug. Leroy and Lex were friends due to his and Johns close relationship, them along with Raz and Kyle hanging out from time to time.
"I'm great, so happy to be here." She replied as they pulled away.
"You guys got questions then?" She said after a hug from Kyle and Raheem also.
"We were jusy wondering what you did to get this job smartass." Kyle poked at her side causing her to laugh. Johns eyes smiled for a moment, as he hears the echo of her perfectly laugh, that he hadn't heard in so long. In that moment he never knew why he let her go so easily, he had brought her departure upon himself and was heart broken for months on end, both Kyle, Leroy and Raz knew this, which is why they acted to lovingly towards her because they knew you and John were perfect and having you in the same proximity as him meant maybe you guys could be happy again. Lex noticed John's eyes on her but chose to remain silent not taking one glance at him. She expected to feel a lot of emotions, but she felt next to none considering who she use to think was the love of her life was stood in front of her. She felt nothing for John, and it felt strange, maybe she was numb to the feelings she felt with John.
"Well I finished my physology and sociology degrees and was looking for a job as a mental health advisor for mental hospitals but Pep got in touch, I almost passed out the day i found out but knew I couldn't decline a job like this." She said as they all stared, including John, intently. They all knew John's feelings without even asking him, his eyes did all the talking. He stared at her even when the boys were talking, his eyes watching in admiration.
"We were actually wanting to know when we could talk, we've had a rough summer, all of us, you know the World Cup and all that." Raheem said as all the boys nodded in agreement.
"Ah yes, I have a free hour from 5-6, i know you guys would usually head home but if you'd like you could stick around an extra hour and we can run through the things i've set up for you all." Lex finished smiling at them all when they all agreed to see her then.
Lex had managed to speak to most of the players today which made her job easier tomorrow, she had to make sure they all understood the importance of her job here as it will really help them. Most of their own worst enemies were themselves from what she had heard them say. She was now meeting with Raz before her 5 o'clock session with the few England lads and Leroy.
"Hi Raz, come on in." She said when she saw him stood in the door way.
"It's so cool that you're working here, Lex." He said smiling as he sat down in her very large office, opposite her.
"I can't quite believe it yet either." She replied.
"I do gotta ask, before we get all serious."
"Right?" She knew where this was going.
"You're here, John's here." He said smirking at her.
"I didn't come here for him. He isn't what I came here for, it's a coincidence and a bloody fucking annoying coincidence, because i know i am going to have to talk to him about what goes on in his life, if he has a partner, if he feels alone if hes happy and i just don't know if i can do that."
"He hasn't been with anyone." Raheem said simply.
"Don't be stupid, Raz. I've seen the articles. I did my research before joining. I know you are expecting your second daughter, congrats." She said as he laughed, wiggling his eyebrows.
"But seriously Lex. It can't be a coincidence. He loves you, he always has. Those articles were him walking around town with Leroys girlfriend."  that was unknown to Lex and it made her feel quite stupid.
"Me and him are done, properly." She exlaimed and Raz knew to let it rest now, no need to piss her off on her first day.
"Anyways, being a good footballer is even better with a head on the straight and narrow. So i just need a few questions answered."
"Ok, that sounds simple enough."
"Do you find youself blaming losses of the team on you?"..

After the questions with Raheem, Lex found herself dreading the session with the lads. She knew she would have to hear his voice, and that was the biggest pain.
"Hey lads, come on in, take a seat." Lex said ad they all entered single file.
After they were all seated the session had begun.
"I really want to emphasise that this is safe to talk about how you feel. So, the world cup, what emotions does that bring?" Lex asked the group.
"Well I mean, we did something the press thought was unachieveable, but we did it. I just wish we could of done the whole thing." Kyle said as the group nodded in content.
"And that is completely fine to feel. You did some great things. The games were filled with such passion." Lex said.
"What you need to do is allow your body to feel the feelings your brain is telling it to, for example, relax if you feel stressed, nap when you're tired, you get my point."
"I do think that even though we didnt get as far as we could've we did all we could and I am so proud i was a part of it." John spoke up, hearing his voice ignited something in Lex, but she dared to let it show, he still had his thick Barnsley accent she loved, even though it had only been a year away from each other.
"The way to feel the things you're talking about is by being at one with your feelings, therepy is a good way to go. I do therepy sessions if needed but having someone to vent too is so important." Lex added, she felt in control the boys sat listening intently was exactly what she wanted this job to be about.
The session went on a futher twenty minutes but they didn't seem to mind and eventually Lex was walking out the exit, heading to her parked car.
"Lex?" John said from behind her. He thought it was worth clearing the air before they worked together everyday.
"Hey John, more questions?" She asked as he chuckled.
"No- um, i just wanted you to know i dont want you to feel awkward, i know we were together and it may be awkward for a bit but welcome, good to see you." He said shuffling on his feet in one spot.
"It's not awkward, we will go about our days as if nothings even happened, okay?" Lex said sternly, he wasn't welcomed back to her as nicely as most people would've thought.
"But something did happen." He urged. He wanted to clear the air, he missed her, he couldn't think about even being in the same house as a girl let alone on a date or a one night stand.
"John, let's not pretend were gonna be friends, we will be colleagues. Good night." She said as she continued her walk.
"You know I haven't been with anyone else. No matter what any articles say Lex." She snorted turning around.
"Shame I can't say the same." She retorted as Johns face looked at her in disgust, although, enjoying the banter she threw him.
"Please don't put that image in my head."
"Bye John." She chuckled, reaching her car.
John smiled, he knew they would be friends one day at a time