Leading from the Front: A Playing for Glory Romance

Book 3: The Playing for Glory Series

by Francine Beaton

Genres: Clean & Wholesome Romance; Contemporary Romance; Sports Romance; Sports Romance; contemporary romance; rugby romance

Synopsis

Temptation can come in any form - as long as it doesn’t come in the form of Melissa Roux. The feisty blond with long, shapely legs spells trouble, and Daniel Cooper realises that from the moment he lays eyes on the new physio for the Buffaloes rugby team. As captain, he must set an example and falling head over heels in love wasn’t how to do it.

Melissa knew Daniel will be a problem from the first day. She refuses to risk her career for an arrogant chauvinist who calls her a blonde bimbo. She worked too hard to get her dream job.

Neither of them can deny the undeniable chemistry between. Daniel has enough experience with the famous Cooper curse to know that he has no chance of fighting it.

When Daniel makes one simple request, it has unexpected repercussions. In his quest to find the truth, he makes another error in judgement, risking not only Melissa’s career but also the loyalty of his team and the club.

Daniel and Melissa both face a decision: What’s more important? Your career or love?

Release date: February 26, 2019

Publisher: Francine Beaton

Print pages: 390

Sample

CHAPTER 1

 

Her fingers drummed the same rhythm on her steering wheel as the rest of her body was following. The rock song blaring over the radio was catching. It was a merry song and fitted her mood today. Melissa sneaked in a few false notes as she sang along, but nobody could hear it, so it didn’t bother her.

Now, if she had a choice, she might’ve turned the volume down a tad more. She wasn’t twenty after all, but she had no choice. The knobs to change the channel and those of the volume were long gone.

The sheer noise earned her enough dirty looks from her fellow road-users. At the first red traffic light, Melissa was already desperate to hide. She found the sunglasses while rummaging through the glove compartment, keeping one eye on the traffic. They might be the most hideous glasses she’d ever seen, but they were a lifesaver. It hid half her face and was not the best quality, but it did the trick.

That she made it to the stadium with no mishaps in the piece of junk surprised her.

It wasn’t as if she was ungrateful for the loan of the car, even though it was unsuitable, but it was embarrassing to arrive on her first day in a new job in this piece of junk. But, as they say, beggars can’t be choosers.

She had to take her car in for emergency repairs before the holidays. Even that couldn’t put a damper on her mood today.

This was a dream come true, and driving through the gates with the distinctive Buffalo logo, Melissa felt home at last. The only damper on her otherwise cheerful mood was the fact that she couldn’t find a parking space. She didn’t expect the parking area to be so busy. She understood the players would only report for the new season on Wednesday.

She circled the parking lot for a second time and saw a car pulling out. She pulled into the space seconds before she noticed a blue SUV in the next row had the same intention. You snooze, you lose.

Melissa pretended not to have seen the car, nor the angry gestures by its muscled owner. Mr Muscle drove off in search of another parking space. Although she couldn’t hear it, the motions were enough to know a few unsavoury words accompanied them. 

If her nerves and excitement were not already battling for supremacy, she might have felt guilty that she had upset someone on her first day in her new job but shrugged it off. 

She pulled the handbrake of the old Volkswagen up, switched off the ignition and put it in first gear, hoping the handbrake would hold. Judging by the radio controls, she wasn’t sure whether everything was working anymore. 

She bent down to pick up her bag she left on the floor next to her, and the overlarge sunglasses slid down her nose. She could only imagine how it looked. An image of a spy in a third-rate movie again came to mind, and Melissa laughed. It did the trick though, so she didn’t complain.

If she didn’t want to spoil her mood and confront the guy in the SUV, she’d better hurry. Melissa grabbed her bag and rushed to the main entrance of the stadium, glancing around. She only then noticed the construction vehicles on the other side of the main entrance. That explains the lack of parking spaces. 

Mr Muscle and Moody didn’t catch up with her before she reached the door. Judging by those arms, he might frequent the gymnasium next to the stadium, and she wouldn’t have to see him again. It was a relief she didn’t have to deal with him.

She had her fair share of moody men in her past. Roan, her ex, had more moods than a menopausal woman. She’d never known where she stood with him. It got worse in the latter part of their relationship. His aggression brought an end to it. Maybe she should thank him. If she hadn’t been so desperate to get away from him and Cape Town, she wouldn’t have applied for this position.

The moment she stepped into the large foyer, all thoughts of the man in the SUV flew out of her head. She breathed in deep and sighed in pleasure. 

Eight years was a long time to wait for her dream job, but she knew it was worth the wait. She might’ve followed the scenic route to get here, but every experience prepared her for this. She knew it was only a junior position, but it didn’t matter. She was here. Buffalo Stadium, Pretoria. Home of the Buffaloes.

From here on out, she could map out the rest of her career.

Like her father and three older brothers, Melissa was an avid supporter of the Buffaloes. The Buffaloes had always been what she had in mind for a dream job.

A bonus was that she would work with Michael. Michael’s father, Tom, might be the head coach of the Buffaloes, but Michael was a legend in his own right. Years ago he had worked for the All Blacks before he returned to South Africa to join the Buffaloes. Michael was the man who changed the way the physios at the Buffaloes dealt with the players. They treated not only the players with cramps or injuries. They were part of the team to make sure each player could reach his ultimate level of fitness. 

It would be a long season with an added new international competition, but Melissa couldn’t wait to start. She walked up to the receptionist and announced, “Good morning, I’m Melissa Roux, the new physiotherapist.”

Let the games begin.

 

***

 

Daniel sighed, frustrated. He should’ve left his car at the townhouse across the road and walked to the stadium. He didn’t expect parking would be such a problem.

He didn’t know why the sight of the construction vehicles surprised him. He knew Nicholas Carter and Grant Willoughby long enough. One of them would’ve cajoled the construction teams into starting so soon after the holidays. He could already foresee that it would cause mayhem with the parking. If it were a problem today, it would be even worse on Wednesday when the rest of the players resumed training.

If his back hadn’t been killing him, he would’ve walked. It was now too late to drive back to the townhouse and then navigate his way across the road again. The spasm caused him to walk too slow. He felt like the old man in the team today. He snorted. Except for Ryan Foster, he was the old man in the squad.

At thirty-two, Daniel might still have enough energy to play for a few more years. He had to admit, though—it was getting more and more difficult each year. He had a good run with the Buffaloes and the Springboks. It was on days like these that he was ready to hang up his boots. It might have to do with the shorter than usual break that he had. He could only relax for a short three weeks after the Springbok tour and the two matches for the Barbarians. 

This season was also starting earlier because of the new international competition. Last year was rough, but Daniel could bet this year would be worse. He knew he would need his wits about him. 

Daniel tried to stretch his back, but he stopped midway as the muscle contracted. He still didn’t know what he did. He was no farmer, but when he was at home, he helped his father and brother with the chores on the farm. It might’ve happened when he helped Damian vaccinating the buffalo heifers on Saturday. He had been in agony ever since. He could now feel a sharp pain stopping every sudden movement. 

He had returned to the city yesterday to prepare for the season. Daniel and Matthew Kemp went to pick Richie Campbell and Mark Bailey up at the airport. He didn’t mind. That was what friends did.

The pain in his back hit him in full force late yesterday afternoon, even after he had taken the prescribed muscle relaxants. Daniel had no choice but to contact the team doctor. Doctor Montgomery had agreed to see him before the planning meeting this morning. Doc or a physio would sort out the problem.

Daniel grumbled again. If he stayed at his house on the estate, he could’ve coaxed Sandy to give him a massage. The Buffaloes’ masseuse and her husband Carl lived only two houses from him.

As he was already in town and had meetings the whole day, he stayed with Richie. It was Richie’s first season with the Buffaloes, and Daniel had offered Richie the use of his townhouse. Situated across the road from Buffalo Stadium, it was convenient for Richie. Daniel only used it when he had to be at the stadium for a function or when they had a late night or early morning training.

The new neighbours’ housewarming party also didn’t help Daniel sleep. It went into the early hours of the morning. Nobody could get a blink of sleep with such a racket. Apart from Richie, that is. Daniel hadn’t heard him move throughout the night, and Richie was still sleeping when Daniel left.

Who had a housewarming party on a Sunday night? 

Daniel hoped this kind of party was a once-off occurrence. He might’ve no choice than to have a serious talk with the young boys. His new neighbours might not know their neighbour was also their club captain. He only needed to have one discussion with them to keep them on their toes.

Daniel would’ve preferred to let Richie stay with him on the estate last night, but... 

Damn!

He didn’t see the beat-up Volkswagen Beetle in the next row until it went into the parking spot he was waiting for. He cursed and glared at the blonde woman with a ponytail and huge sunglasses that obscured most of her face.

Come on, blondie. Take off the ugly sunglasses, then you could see I already indicated to park.

He still cursed the woman when he found a parking space on the other side of The Final Whistle. When he walked past the Beetle, Daniel gave it a kick in frustration. He regretted the stupid move when he felt the sting through his loafers. It shot a burning sensation to his back.

He had to hurry and made it into the doctor’s rooms with two minutes to spare, still scowling.

Doc Montgomery was silent after his greeting. Daniel got used to the team doctor’s lousy bedside manners over the years. Today he appreciated it. He wasn’t in the mood to chat either.

Doc wrote up his notes and glared at Daniel over his glasses as he was handing him the file, “Michael is waiting for you. I warned him after I spoke to you last night. A massage or two will sort you out. If not, come back and see me on Friday.”

Daniel got up, not bothering to put his shirt back on as he would anyway have to take it off again in a few minutes. He flung the shirt over his shoulder and made his way to the therapy rooms. 

Daniel heard Michael’s voice in the physio’s office and walked in that direction. The soft, melodic sound of a woman’s laughter reached his ears. He didn’t recognise it. It wasn’t Sandy’s. No, the masseuse had a hearty laugh, and you usually hear it from afar. It also wasn’t Hannah or Chloe or Rachel, the other women involved with the squad. Who was it then?

Hell, who was he fooling? He didn’t know enough about women to recognise their laughs, but this one? The sound made his skin tingle, making him wonder how she looked, but then he shrugged. It was no use wondering about any woman right now. He didn’t have the time or inclination. As the captain, he had to set an example for the rest of the players.

Like the rest of the squad, Daniel had signed a pledge last year, and a Cooper was a man who kept his word.

Michael walked out of the office before he reached it. Daniel swallowed his disappointment. It didn’t matter what he thought; he still wanted to see what the woman looked like who caused his awareness. Now he had to wait.

He could’ve asked Michael, but Daniel knew the other man long enough. Michael would tease him relentlessly when he showed any interest in a woman. No, rather let sleeping dogs lie.

As Daniel followed Michael to the therapy rooms, they caught up with each other’s and their families’ news. They’ve known each other for a long time, and as Michael was one of Damian’s friends, they had a lot in common. 

In the therapy room, Daniel kicked off his shoes while Michael read Doc’s notes. Michael had already prepared a massage bed, laid out with the towels he would need. Daniel lay down to make himself as comfortable as possible when Michael disappeared. Daniel knew the drill as he had been through it so many times before.

When Michael returned, he wasn’t alone. Daniel could smell the soft, floral scent of a woman’s perfume. It might be the same woman Daniel had heard earlier. He still wondered what she looked. He moved his head and shoulders to get up, but Michael didn’t give him a chance to satisfy his curiosity. He pressed on Daniel’s shoulder and said, “Lay still.”

Daniel sighed under his breath. He didn’t register that Michael was introducing the woman, but he didn’t catch her name. By the time he caught up, he only heard that she was the new physiotherapist. 

“I would like her to do your massage. It will be rough next week, and it would give me an opportunity now to assess her techniques. Do you mind?”

“No,” Daniel mumbled. A massage was a massage. He didn’t care which physio did it as long as someone relieved him of the spasm.

Michael and the woman talked about the treatment, but Daniel didn’t hear a word they were saying. For some or other reason, he listened to the sound, but the words didn’t penetrate his brain. He focused far too much on the lilt in her voice. The soft melodic tones almost mesmerised him.

He almost jumped when Michael pressed on his shoulder to get his attention. “Lift your feet.”

Daniel obeyed. He lifted his feet, waiting for Michael to push the towel underneath his ankles before he relaxed again. Michael tucked a towel into Daniel’s jeans to protect it from the oil before he instructed the woman, “Go ahead.”

Daniel willed himself to relax. He listened as she poured the oil into her hands and then the swish-swish sound as she warmed it between her palms. Her perfume filled his nostrils when she had moved closer to the table, increasing his awareness of her. The next moment she laid her hands on his lower back. Daniel’s skin jumped, and he drew in his breath. It felt as if a bolt of lightning shot through him, straight from his back to his groin. 

He was glad he was lying on his stomach because his body had reacted most inappropriately. He pressed his head deeper into the designated hole to hide his embarrassment. He was thirty-two. By now he knew how he looked like when embarrassment hit, and this time it hit hard. He didn’t have to look into a mirror to know that his face resembled a tomato at that moment. He could feel the heat spreading from his cheeks to his neck.

What the hell had happened, and whatever it was, why now? 

Had he been the only one who felt it? He took deep breaths to calm his raging libido. Hell, he hadn’t expected this. He had suppressed his urges for so long, how had this woman awoke it in a matter of seconds? 

He stiffened when he felt her hands on him again. By concentrating on his breathing, he managed not to react as he had with her first touch. At least Michael started talking to him. Anything, as long as he didn’t focus on the woman’s touch, which affected him in ways it shouldn’t have.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 2

 

 

Melissa followed Michael into the therapy room for the second time that morning. Although she had been nervous about meeting him, the head physio had welcomed her and had put her at ease within the first five minutes. He had warned her they might have a patient, and when he showed her around, he prepared a massage bed before they returned to the physio’s office where they chatted for a while.

She hadn’t even heard the footsteps, but Michael had and had excused himself to meet the visitor outside. The voice belonging to the visitor was deep as he greeted Michael in the hallway. 

Michael returned after a couple of minutes, telling her she had her first patient. Melissa had been looking forward to work but hadn’t expected it to happen this soon. She didn’t complain, though.

Michael first obscured Melissa’s view, but then she saw him, laying on his stomach on the therapy bed. He was big, wearing only jeans and socks. The light-blue jeans stretched over his tight bum and upper thighs, offering a rather tantalising view.

Goodness, he had muscles in places where other men did not even have places. 

The exposed parts of his body displayed a deep tan, as if he had spent long hours in the sun, which he might do. Most of the players used the summer break to relax, and he might have done the same.

His hair was dark and curly and ran into his neck. It looked silky, and Melissa’s fingers itched to run through it. And over the smooth skin of his back and down…

Melissa flushed, realising where her thoughts were going.

She only realised who the man she was drooling over was when Michael made the introductions.

Daniel Cooper, captain of the Buffaloes—and the object of all her secret teenage fantasies.

Melissa exhaled. She knew that the man on the table would look as good from the front as he did from the back. She had studied him enough. She had collected every photo she could find, hiding it under her bed. Oh yes, she had admired him from afar during the years he played for the local university. At that stage, he had been a teammate of her brother Pierre. She could still remember his facial features. He had a rugged and clean-shaven face. His brown hair had been shorter, but was now curling around his ears. His eyes were a peculiar brown, which often crinkled around the corners with laughter. 

She had to take another deep breath. Now, this was awkward. She never expected to find her teenage fantasy laying on the table in front of her, and she knew she had to touch him. Would she ever have imagined that when she was younger? Melissa almost laughed. She would’ve drooled over him and would’ve looked like a total idiot. 

At least she had outgrown that phase in her life. She was now a grownup, professional woman, and the likes of Daniel Cooper would not affect her. She had massaged hundreds of guys like him in the years since she qualified. Some of them were even better looking than the Buffaloes’ team captain.

She managed not to sound like an idiot when she answered Michael’s questions. Michael agreed with her assessment and her proposed treatment. Melissa again wanted to laugh at that thought. Michael should agree since she had studied his methods over the years. He’d written enough articles on the subject enabling her to do so. She knew what he expected.

Michael tucked the towel into Daniel’s jeans while Melissa warmed the oil up in her hands. She stepped closer to the table and lay her hands on his lower back to start her massage. She felt a zing in her hands and pulled it back, eliciting a curious glance from Michael. 

Holy hell! What was that?

She took a deep breath and put her hands on his back again. With an effort, she stopped the trembling in her hands. She started her massage, all the time aware of the firm skin under her hands. Her mind tried to work out what had happened, but none of the answers she came up with sounded right. She had been working with rugby players for a while now and had never reacted like this.

Michael started talking to Daniel, for which Melissa was grateful. Daniel sounded reluctant to answer at first, but then she could feel his body heave as he took a deep breath before he replied. 

She could’ve listened to his voice all day. As she suspected earlier, his voice was rich, reminding her of hot chocolate on a winter’s day. Melissa flushed when she realised where her thoughts were going. She needed to concentrate on her job instead of Daniel Cooper. Geez, she should’ve been over her crush years ago. She had been. Or hadn’t she? No, this was ridiculous.

Michael cleared his throat. He sounded amused when he teased Daniel, “Why were you so grumpy when you arrived? You looked worse than a buffalo on steroids.”

Daniel snorted and said irritated, “The stupid parking area. If I’d known that the construction crews were working already, I would’ve left my car at the townhouse and walked here, but they are delivering Richie’s sponsored car today, and he needs the parking space. I now wish I had walked, but my back was killing me. I just thought I had to go back to leave my car there anyway when a car pulled out. I had my indicator on to pull into it when a blonde bimbo with a ponytail in a beat-up old Volkswagen stole it. Right in front of my eyes. I doubt she could see me with those huge, ugly glasses she was wearing. I couldn’t even vent my frustration as her crappy music was so loud she couldn’t hear me,” he fumed. 

 

***

 

By the time Daniel finished, Melissa was as angry as he was. Who did he think he was? There was no name on that parking space. And anyway, how could he generalise like that? He didn’t know the woman from Adam. Her hair might be blond, but she was no bimbo, and Daniel Cooper would soon realise that. 

Melissa looked up and noticed Michael studying her with an amused expression. Yep, Michael had put two and two together and got the right answer. She might not be wearing the sunglasses, but she had blond hair and her hair was in a ponytail. There might not be many women with that description at the stadium so early on a Monday morning. Even if there were, the telltale flush spreading over her cheekbones had given her away. 

Melissa took deep breaths before she could continue. It took all her effort not to hurt Daniel Cooper as she wanted to do. She concentrated on the massage instead and made sure she got rid of the spasm.

It must have been uncomfortable, but it still didn’t give him the right to be an asshole. It served him right! She immediately chastised herself. She was not a nasty person, not under normal circumstances anyway, but she felt unsettled over her reaction to him. 

She was probably more angry because she was so disappointed with him. She had always admired him but now she had to find out he was so full of himself. Okay, she admit. She didn’t know him apart from what Pierre said, and what she saw from a distance.

Melissa felt the relaxing of his muscles and looked at Michael to see if she should continue. Their conversation had stopped during her massage without her realising it. Michael stood at one side, observing.

Michael nodded, leaving Melissa relieved she could stop touching Daniel. She took a towel out of the warmer to lay it over his shoulders and back, not only to keep him comfortable but also to remove temptation. What you could not see shouldn’t bother you. She almost snorted when she realised even that didn’t help. Daniel Cooper was a temptation on two legs, and she would do well to stay clear of him.

She almost jumped when Michael asked how she would proceed with treatment. It was far better to concentrate on work instead. Focussing on her answers helped to suppress her wayward thoughts. Michael again seemed satisfied with her response and told her he would do the strapping.

Melissa escaped the therapy room without saying goodbye. Assholes didn’t deserve courtesy, she fumed as she made her way to the bathrooms. She took her time, trying to calm herself. 

She didn’t understand why the man could cause such a fierce reaction in her. She remembered that zing and had been more aware of him than she should’ve been. He was a patient, and then he had such an attitude. She hated men with big egos. 

It had surprised her that Daniel was a chauvinist. It proved that looks could be deceiving.

By the time she returned to the office, Daniel had left, and Melissa breathed easier. 

She hoped she would not have to deal with Daniel often. At the times when they might meet, she would ignore him. The stadium was big, and there were many players. It should not be that difficult.

 

***

 

Daniel’s first meeting ended before lunchtime. The massage had done the trick, and his back was not bothering him too much. Thoughts about his back made him think about the therapist and the effect she had on him. If her hands had that effect on his back, what would it do to other parts of his body? Daniel groaned, not realising that he did it. 

Matthew frowned at him, concerned. Michael regarded him with a strange expression, but Daniel ignored the looks. He grimaced and stretched his back. Let them think his back was still bothering him. 

At lunch, Daniel shared a table with Matthew, Michael, and Simon, the other senior therapist. As soon as they took their seats, Michael asked, “How’s your back?”

Daniel stretched his shoulders and back. He admitted, “Still stiff, but not as painful as this morning.”

Michael grinned when he told Matthew, “We have a new physio, Melissa. She started today. I put her straight to work, giving Daniel a massage,” he added for Matthew’s benefit. He studied Daniel and asked with a sly expression, “How was it, Daniel? Did she have a firm touch?”

Daniel flushed as he remembered how his body reacted to her touch.

At least he now knew her name was Melissa. How did she look? Was she as beautiful, as soft as her voice and laughter? He tried, but he still hadn’t seen her face-to-face. When he wanted to thank her, she was not in the office.

Daniel looked up, finding that all three men were studying him. His mind had drifted again, and he had heard nothing of the conversation. He flushed. “Sorry, guys. You were saying?”

This time Michael was laughing at him and quite openly at that. Michael had caught Daniel out, as he couldn’t hide his reactions as he hoped to do. 

Daniel concentrated for the rest of the lunch. Michael regaled them with talk about his trip to Denver, Jakes du Plessis’ injury and treatment. When lunch was over, Daniel and Matthew had another meeting with the coaching staff. It took up most of the afternoon, and it was close to peak traffic when they left the stadium. 

They were drifting to their cars when Matthew asked, “I’m visiting Richie to see how he is doing. Are you coming?”

Daniel shook his head, “No, sorry. I need to go shopping. I don’t think I even have milk in the fridge.”

It hadn’t been a lie, but Daniel wanted to get home and forget what happened today.

Matthew started to walk away, but Daniel stopped him, “Matt, you and Richie are closer than any of us. I’m concerned about the press briefing tomorrow. Could you spend some time with him and prepare him? You know the drill during these first press briefings of a season. I have a bad feeling the press will focus on him. He is our first international and a damn good player, but you and I know how he feels about the press. One of us should always be near anyway. Half of the press won’t understand him when he rants.”

Matthew chuckled, “Yeah, you’re right. Don’t worry. I got the line-up for tomorrow from Chris, the same as you did.”

Daniel turned away relieved. At least he could rely on Matt. The guy was one of the most stable influences in the team. Daniel couldn’t ask for a better vice-captain. No, he was lucky he had good senior players at the core. He could count on every one of them. These days a captain needed his senior players to be his eyes and ears when he couldn’t be there. 

He would need their support this year. They were venturing in new territory with the International Club Competition. It was far bigger than the previous competition where they played against junior clubs from Australia and New Zealand. This one would spread over all the continents, involving teams from the Americas, Oceania and Europe, under which the South African teams fell.

Daniel had prepared himself as best as he could, even going to visit some venues they would play while he was with the Springboks in the UK. 

No, this year would be a challenge, and he would need his wits about him.

He didn’t have time to think about women.

 

***

 

When Melissa returned from the bathroom, two other men had joined Michael. Michael made the introductions. Melissa would work with Simon Keller, the senior therapist with the second-string squad playing in the Charity Cup. 

Damian Ladbrooke, the other junior therapist, will work with Michael. Melissa hid her disappointment. She would’ve loved to work with Michael learning more from him, but beggars can’t be choosers. She might still get her chance. 

Michael and Simon left for a meeting, leaving Melissa with Damian with the instruction to help her settle in. They didn’t have to worry. Damian kept Melissa entertained. Although she had to look down on his short frame, he moved at a speed that had her breathless. He first took her to the HR office, where they spent almost an hour to get all the paperwork sorted out. Melissa also had to get photos taken for her security passes and measured for the team kit.

When they finished at HR, he took her on a tour of the stadium. At lunchtime, they stopped at the staff- and player’s cafeteria. After lunch, they went back to the HR Office to pick up Melissa’s security passes and uniforms.

The number of outfits Melissa received, surprised her. It was not only tracksuits but also a black skirt and two pairs of black pants and Bermuda shorts. She could combine that with a formal white shirt and black jacket. They also had several golf shirts in the team colours of black, grey and white. 

Melissa and Damian made it back to the office for a two o’clock meeting. Michael and Simon returned hot on their heels, carrying a cardboard box. “We come bearing gifts with the compliments of management,” Michael joked.

They gathered at the conference table at the one end of the office. Before Michael delved into the box, he told them about his recent trip to Denver. He went to get further training at a high-altitude centre. Melissa then understood why there was construction work going on. The Buffaloes were building high-altitude therapy rooms, amongst other things. 

Michael handed them each a tablet from the box and a password. Damian, Melissa and Simon all stood behind Michael as he gave them a short demonstration. 

Melissa’s excitement grew, the more Michael explained. Nicholas Carter, the CEO, was a computer programmer before he bought the Buffaloes. Nicholas and his team had created an app that would contain every single detail of a player. Melissa grinned. This technology would make life so much easier. She didn’t need to go through folders and folders to get to know the players and the injuries they were prone too. Everything was at her fingertips.

They left soon after Michael’s demonstration. They could spend the rest of the day familiarising themselves with the system. They will compare the data on the system with their files the following day. It was the only way they could ensure that the IT team had captured it all. 

They left the office in a group which might’ve been a mistake. Melissa noticed that Michael was studying her car with an amused grin, and she flushed. She remembered Daniel’s remark, and she didn’t doubt that Michael had too.

She again felt irritated with the asshole, as she had dubbed Daniel, and mumbled, “This is my brother’s student car. As we finished early, I can collect mine. I had a problem with the wheel alignment. I hit a pothole on the way up from the Cape.”

Melissa knew she was babbling, and it further increased her irritation. She didn’t babble. Well, not usually. At least she would now pick up her car. Daniel Cooper wouldn’t see this piece of junk again and associate her with it.