Jules was one of his oldest friends here, he had known her almost as long as he'd been living in England. Yes she was a good bit younger than him but we shared the same drive and passion for the game and that had formed a strong friendship. She'd been one of the only people he'd even seen during 'that' year.

Joe had known for almost as long as he'd known her that she had a thing for him. It was easy to ignore at first. She was only fourteen when they met and he was seventeen. Fresh out of Ireland with big dreams of getting signed. That was why his whole family had moved to England and that was all he was working for. That and the chance to finally make his father happy.

He told himself she was young and had a crush on the new guy with the funny accent.

As they got older he was concentrating on the game, he didn't have time for any of that nonsense. Yes there was the odd girl here and there after a night out, but he wasn't looking to be tied down. And that's what getting involved with Jules would have resulted in.

Then his knee gave in, and she was as supportive as she possibly could be.

It was then he realised the truth of it. He just didn't see her like anything other than a sister.

He'd tried my best to let her know without actually telling her, without directly hurting her.

Then one night, truly twisted, he slipped and snogged her. He blamed male weakness, she was interested and there was a lot of drink involved.

Everything was harder after that. She thought something could become of it. She thought he felt the same. Until he got the coaching job and there was a real reason to keep her at arms-length.

Now they were caught in a vicious circle where she tries to get closer and he tries to push her away, while ignoring the taunts from the rest of the team.

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He had honestly thought Jules was joking when she showed up with Jess. Man U jersey and no boots it just had to be a wind up.

He nearly hurt his eyes rolling them at her comments about where she usually played.

Then he saw her with the football, it was like pure magic.

She had more talent than any man he'd ever met, the perfect match for Jules in speed and brains. It was like something clicked and a light sudden went on inside him.

He couldn't stop grinning for the rest of the day thinking about how well she played. If he was a cleverer man he would have known then he was in trouble.

The light in her eyes when he handed her, her third-hand boots made his grin even wider. She loved the game just as much as him.

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He looked around the pitch for her, anxious to see what she and Jules could create next.

She had looked so small sitting in the stands all alone, he didn't even have time to think before he was going to over to her.

He didn't even notice her scar until she pointed it out. Too busy watching the sad expression on her dark face, she was so beautiful. Not a scrap of makeup to be seen and hair simply scraped back. And she still fascinated him.

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"Girls come on!" he said frustrated. "Concentrate."

He kicked the ball on between them again.

"Ah!" Jules yelled in frustration. "Joe come on we're tired!"

Jess just stool with her hands on her hips.

"I want you two match ready!" he shrugged. "The game is on Saturday."

"I think we've done enough for today." Jules continued.

"Yeah you're probably right. Well done girls go change." He nodded, realising the time. He couldn't seem to let them off the field most days. He convinced himself it was for their own good.

He could never admit it was simply because he couldn't take his eyes off her.

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He could feel Jules watching him as he ran over to Jess. He had seen her limp slightly and had gone straight over. She was going to hurt herself.

Stubborn girl! He thought as he reached her.

"Jess! You can stop now!" he yelled waiting for her to listen.

They sat on the grass, as he told his sob story. He held her small foot in his hand, and for the first time noticed how beautiful her skin was. Then he realised how strange a thought that was.

He would even admit that he held it a little longer than even necessary revelling in the touch.

"Joe I…" she aid as they walked to the changing rooms.

"Yes?" he slowed their pace. She stopped altogether and looked at him, he saw her swallow absently.

"Thank you." He just nodded. They were getting too close, he could feel it.

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"You alright mate?" a voice shook him out of his daze.

"What?" he said looking up from his pint.

"Joe I asked you are ya coming to Dublin with us."

"Sorry Alan I'm in my on world." He said shaking his head. "Am when is it again?"

"Friday week."

"Yeah, yeah I'll be there."

"Paddy's stag do already who'd have thought it?" his old friend shook his head. "Poor bloke."

Joe laughed. He'd had to cancel two training sessions for this trip. But Paddy was one of his closest friends, and this was the first wedding in their old school group.

"So come on fess up!" his friend shoved him. "Who is she?"

"You what?"

"The girl you keep thinking about. You're out of it." he smiled at his friend.

"She's… there's no one." He shook his head.

"It's that hot tall one that's always hanging around here isn't it?" Alan laughed.

"No, no that's Jules." He shook his head. "It doesn't even matter." He said ripping the label on his drink.

"Mate what's going on! I've never seen you this hung up!"

"I'm not hung up what are you talking about?" he frowned. "She's just…"

"She's gotten into your head! Man I never thought I'd see this!" Alan laughed. "You've never thought twice about a girl before."

"Ah now don't make me sound like…."

"Nah I just mean soccer's always been the first thing on your mind."

"How many times do I have to tell you, we call it football here?"

"Don't change the subject."

"I don't know man, she just fascinates me. I don't even know what I think about her."

Alan just laughed and took a swig of his own drink.

"She must be some girl to have messed with Joe O' Riordon."

"She's like no girl I've ever met mate."

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His head hurt, his legs hurt, his back hurt. Everything hurt.

It had been one of the best weekends he'd had in a long time, but he was paying for it now.

Their plane had been delayed so he'd just crashed at Alan's as it was closer to Heathrow than his.

He'd thought walking home for fresh air would help, it wasn't.

"I'm getting too old for this." He muttered to himself running a hand through his short hair.

"Nah way Jess! You can't make it!" he heard a call through the hedge.

"No way Jess you 'aint man enough!" came another goad.

He moved closer to the hedge and walked along until he came to a gap. He watched as a familiar form came into view, she lined up the ball and he grinned as it soared around the men standing in front of her and into the goal. She ran rings around them celebrating, making aeroplane noises as she passed. He couldn't help but laugh as they groaned.

"How'd you do that mate!" one of them said smiling at her.

"I told you Tony training!" she shrugged, and wrapped her arms around him.

His stomach turned at the sight, even as the let each other go and the others crowed around them he could feel something filling his head. He frowned and zipping his jacked up under his chin he turned and left before anyone saw him.

He couldn't afford to be seen with what seemed to be a blush.

He blamed the drink.

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"Jess relax would ya!" he said throwing her another ball. She hung her head and stared at it.

"I just can't control it. It won't go…" she started gesturing when he sighed.

"You have to stop trying so hard!" he said shrugging. "You have more than enough natural talent in that foot of yours to just trust it and let it go"

"But when I try to aim…"

"Don't aim!" he cut her off again, taking the ball back off her he dropped it to his own feet. He kicked it back and forth as he stayed looked at her. "Never aim, just think about where it's going, where you want it to finish. Then kick!" he passed it back to her, she stopped it effortlessly. "See natural."

She nodded and rolling the ball into position she looked at the goal and stepping back, kicked it with ease.

He grinned as it sailed into the back of the net.

Her jaw dropped and she squealed quietly, jumping up and down. He cheered her on and walking towards her took her shoulders.

"Yes! You beaut that was perfect." He said excitedly.

"That felt amazing!" she said almost breathlessly. It was then he looked fully into those dark brown eyes. She wasn't blinking, and he didn't think he could. He couldn't look away.

"Hey you two, lace is sorted." A call from across the pitch jolted him back to life.

"Good, good Jules. Hang on though Jess you should try that again." he said looking down to find another ball.

What the fuck was he playing at?

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His heart was in his throat. He couldn't stop fidgeting.

He'd never done anything like this before, not for any of his players.

But the team really needed her, she completed them and could all admit they needed her to give them that final edge to win.

He was doing this for the team, he told himself again as he waited at the door.

He quickly forgot that mantra when a young woman other than Jess answered the door.

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"Jess your parents don't always know what's best for you." He said trying not to scream. He understood now what she was up against, why she had left them. But she needed to come back for her own sake.

There was so much he wanted to say to her but nothing seemed to want to come out, especially when he knew there was probably at least one set of eyes watching them.

The look in her eyes was heart breaking, he could see just how torn she was.

He hated himself slightly for allowing himself to hope some of that torment was caused by him.

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He cursed as the coins fell on the floor. The bars takings had been carefully counted and were now on the ground.

Putting the rest down gently he began picked them up.

"Hey Johnny was here again." he heard a voice, the girls were leaving after training.

"Was he? I didn't notice." He heard the group laugh.

"Of course you didn't." came a sarcastic response.

"I didn't!"

"Oh whatever Rach! He's mad for you!"

He laughed, they were such girls underneath it all.

"You think?"

"It's been so long since you'd a guy! Get in there!" Jules joined in the conversation.

"Hey your one to talk Jules! You haven't so much as looked at a guy in months!"

"You know I don't have time for that…"

"Yes because you've only got eyes for one guy!"

"What I... no I'm training you know there's nothing for me but footie."

"Seriously though…" Mel's voice spoke up, defending her friend he thought. "We have to be the saddest bunch ever! No one's got any love life."

"We all have the same problem, no man is man enough for us!" he laughed silently at them.

"Then why's Joe single?" came another voice, he couldn't pin who it was.

"Doubt he will be for long" laughed another further away voice.

"What?" cut in Jules' shrill response.

"Nothing, nothing…" he had been so busy listening that he didn't notice how close to him they were.

They all came around the corner at once. He was still crouching on the ground, and just looked up at them.

"You ok down there Joe?" Mel asked.

He briefly caught Jules' eye, she was biting her lip.

"Give us a hand up would ya?"

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