Inevitable

Leah

Georgia (12:32) I promise I am on my way!!

Keira (12:32) It’s ok tables not actually booked until 12:45

Georgia (12:33) You told me 12:30!!

Leah (12:33) Yeah but you have been 15 minutes late for everything we’ve ever done for the last decade xx

Georgia (12:34) You are both so rude

Keira and Leah are already at the restaurant sipping their lemonades when Georgia finally shows up.

‘Sorry sorry sorry’ Georgia says as she slips her jacket onto the back of the chair and sits down.

‘It’s all good G we knew you were on your way’ Leah replied leaning in to give her friend a hug.

With Keira being in Barcelona and Georgia in Munich the three friends don’t get to see each other at the same time very often. So on the rare occasion they are all in the same city they go to the same restaurant for lunch every time. Mostly because they do beige enough food for Leah to enjoy and strong enough coffee for Keira.

The girls catch up talking about the most recent matches, the upcoming England camp before the Euros and life in general before Leah’s phone makes a text notification sound. She looks down at her phone and sees:

Alessia (13:24) Look at my recent foray into bread baking 🤩 *attached picture of a loaf of bread*

Leah smiles at her phone.

‘Well who has got you cheesing like that Lee?’ Georgia quickly comments.

‘No one’ Leah replies with her smile dropping as she scowls at her friend.

‘Damn Lee she was just asking.’ Keira chimes in. ‘You’ll tell us eventually so it may as well be now.’

Leah sighs. ‘It's just Alessia sending me a picture of some bread she baked.’ She turns her phone around to show the girls the picture.

‘Wow Lee that's some really dull flirting you are doing there with our stargirl’ Keira prods at her friend laughing.

‘We are not flirting!’ Leah replied fast and adamantly. ‘She just wants to be friends so that's what we are.’

‘Oh sorry Lee, I didn't realise you had finally worked up the courage to ask her.’ Keira turns her prod into a comforting stroke of Leah's arm.

‘No we haven’t spoken about it.’

Georgia and Keira look at each other confused.

‘Lee it's been over a year? Why haven’t you spoken about it? And wait sorry so how do you know she just wants to be friends if you haven’t spoke about it?’

‘I dunno we talk all the time but it's just friend stuff and even at camps we haven’t had another moment like at her first camp so I just admire from a distance and will take what I can get and if that is just being her friend then that's it. I’ll get over the crush eventually’

‘Lee you are a moron sometimes.’ Keira is now looking straight at her.

‘Hey don’t be rude!’ Leah scowls at Keira, ‘what else do you want me to do?’

‘Actually have the conversation with her Lee! You can’t just go around being all mopey and not even asking her. You are making the decision for her but she is a grown woman who can decide for herself. Is this why you haven’t gone on a date in almost 2 years?’

‘But now we are so much closer friends than we were 18 months ago its going to be so much worse and harder to lose her when she inevitably tells me to fuck of.’

‘Leah have you ever even met Russo before?’ Georgia adds in looking confused, ‘she wouldn’t say boo to a fly and i don’t think i’ve ever heard her swear in the decade that i’ve known her.’

Keira adds, ‘Yeah the worst she can say is that she doesn’t feel the same way and then you just go back to being friends but at least you would know and be able to move on. You are living in limbo waiting for her to make the first move. Do you even know if she likes women?’

That last question had been on Leah’s mind for months. Years if she is being honest with herself. Her and Alessia don’t talk about their other relationships. All she knows about Alessia's past is that there was a messy break up at UNC but she doesn’t even know the gender. When she had prodded at Lotte she had just queried why she was so interested and said to ask her herself so Leah dared not pry any further. Alessia had kept her cards close to her chest over the last year and a half, there had been the occasional mention of going out to dinner but that could have just been with friends or even with family.

Leah's own past was pretty plain. One major relationship with another player many years older than her when she was too young to know any better. Followed by a bitter break up and an extended period of one night stands with attractive models, artists and athletes that she had nothing in common with. All of that had abruptly come to an end when she had accepted her true feelings towards a certain blonde haired, blue eyed and kind hearted striker.

Leah nods gently, still looking down at her hands in defeat.

‘Leah, you are a catch. You have to trust that Less is smart enough to see that.’

‘I know you are right. I’ll think about it.’

‘Don't think about it. Just do it. We all go to camp tomorrow anyway so it's perfect timing.’

‘The camp right before the Euros is absolutely not the perfect timing. What if she says no and then you have a centre back who’s just sobbing on the pitch while Spanish forwards just run around her?’

‘Damn Lee you’ve really fallen for our stargirl.’

‘I know. It's a disaster.’