Billie had barely slept, she spent the entire night berating herself for agreeing to her brother's plan rather than just turning him down. It wasn't necessarily that she didn't want the job, she really fucking wanted a job in media, but rather, there was a quiet voice in the back of her mind telling her that she wasn't good enough to do the job. She could try and tell herself that she was more than capable of assisting the club's media team, but there were no words that could silence that voice in her head.

She had planned her outfit the night before, because as she read in an article in Vogue once, your clothes are your armour. So in an attempt to appear professional yet laid back she'd opted for a sky blue sweater vest on top of a white t-shirt, paired with black jeans and her trusty Adidas gazelles, and she hadn't even realised they were AFC Richmond's kit colours. In the end she opted for minimal makeup and tied her hair back into a loose bun, letting the front pieces frame her face before stacking her fingers with gold rings and spritzing herself with her favourite vanilla scented perfume.

Her brother appeared his usual grumpy self when she rushed out of the flat and into his unnecessarily fancy car, struggling with the heavy tote bag that weighed her down. She felt a need to be prepared for any media based eventuality so she had packed her big camera with a few different lenses as well as her laptop, iPad and a disposable camera, she always carried one of those.

Roy had spent eighty percent of the drive to the training ground complaining that she had been late and he'd been waiting outside her house for ages. The truth was that Roy was just early, but Roy Kent was rarely early, especially when it involved picking up his sister. In the end Billie silenced his persistent winging with a quip about how she could've used a Ring Doorbell for VAR to see when he actually arrived if she had one, implying that Roy didn't care enough about her personal safety as he hadn't bought her one. She knew that wasn't true, and he didn't care to deflect because that was the first time in years he'd heard his little sister make a football based joke.

"Do I get to sit with you at lunch today?" Billie asked with a playful grin, her feet up on the dashboard as her brother concentrated on parking his car in between a Lamborghini and a Porsche, "Like at school?"

"Billie, you were still wearing nappies when I was doing my GCSEs, we were never at school together," Roy huffed as his parking sensors beeped like mad.

"First of all, you left school to become a footballer, meaning the last exam you sat were the end of year exams when you were eleven, secondly, when I was doing my actual GCSEs you were thirty two, how old does that make you feel?" Billie grinned, knowing exactly how to wind her brother up.

"I'm starting to think I shouldn't have got you this job interview," Roy groaned as he removed the key from the ignition, promptly realising just how insufferable his sister's teasing would be once she'd met the team.

"You just want to keep an eye on your little sister, I suppose you couldn't do that with Hannah, seeing as you need GCSEs, A Levels and a degree to become a doctor, none of which you have," Billie continued to probe her brother.

"Is it time for your interview yet?" Roy huffed, glancing at his watch.

"Starts in ten minutes," She answered succinctly, watching as a green sports car pulled into the car park, a young player with a kind face climbing out of it and heading into the club building, "I'm enjoying the view."

"You could just be early, it's a good way to make a good first impression," Roy remarked.

"I'm actually really happy sitting here, Royston," Billie grinned.

"If you get out of my car in the next ten seconds you can sit with me in the canteen at lunch," Roy mumbled.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it, big bro?" Billie laughed, opening the car door, picking her bag up from the footwell, "I'll text you to let you know how it went."

"Fuck off, kiddo," Roy muttered with a smile.

"Love you, Grandad." Billie smiled before slamming the door shut.

As she approached the club entrance it dawned on the girl that she didn't actually have a clue where she was going or where this illusive Rebecca Welton's office was. She could run back to her brother for help but that would only be met with more sarcasm and middle fingers than an episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show. So as usual she just decided to throw caution to the wind and hope that there was a massive flashing sign that would point her in the right direction.

Upon entering the clubhouse she realised that wasn't the case. It was quiet, well, quieter than she'd expected, but there was no sign of anyone as she made her way along the corridor that was decorated in various photos spanning decades, moments enriched in football history, moments that some might wish to forget and moments that others cherish.

"Can I help you?" A nervous, Yorkshire voice asked as Billie's eyes lingered on the photo of the man she recognised as Rupert Mannion.

Billie turned around with an awkward smile to see a man dressed in an AFC Richmond staff uniform, rather than the player's kit, "I've got a meeting with Miss Welton, I'm Billie."

"Billie, oh right, that's good, that's great in fact, super, yes," He rambled, "I'm Nate, or Nathan, anything goes."

"Right," Billie nodded slowly with narrowed eyes, "Do you think you could show me where Miss Welton's office is?"

"Oh, yes," Nathan answered eagerly, "Just down there, then you'll come to a set of stairs, go up them and then her office is on the right."

"Thank you, Nathan," Billie smiled, "See you around."

"Good luck," Nathan called out as she walked away, instantly regretting it, believing that a woman like that surely didn't cling to something like luck, but boy he couldn't be further from the truth.

The Kent girl made her way upstairs, her shoulder straining from the weight of her bag as she reached the summit. The office door was closed, which she expected so she simply knocked on it and awaited a response.

"Come in," A well-spoken female voice answered.

Billie opened the door to see a beautiful blonde woman sitting at a desk who looked almost out of place in such a bland room, dressed immaculately with hair styled to perfection. She seemed every inch a boss bitch, Billie could tell, and she admired that, especially after all the headlines she'd read about the woman.

"You must be Billie," Miss Welton smiled as Billie pushed the door shut before approaching her desk, "Your brother's told me a lot about you."

"All good I hope," Billie smirked as she placed her bag on the floor before taking a seat opposite the powerful woman, "It's a lovely office you have here, Miss Welton."

"It's dull and corporate, that's what it is," She answered, "And please, call me Rebecca."

"It's lovely to meet you, my brother speaks highly of you," Billie assured her, although the siblings' conversation the day before was one of the only conversations about the club's owners.

"Do you read the papers?" Rebecca asked, and Billie knew exactly what she was referring to.

"Would you prefer me to be honest?" Billie smiled, all while internally wincing.

"This is a safe space," Rebecca assured her, although Billie wasn't entirely convinced.

"I only read the articles written by women for publications ran by women, because the articles who support your ex-husband's handsy tendencies are written by men for men at papers ran by men," Billie rambled, unsure what Rebecca would think of her opinion, "And a man can't tell me the full story the way a woman would, and even though we've only just met I can safely say your ex husband is a waste of air consumption."

"You'll have to send me some of those articles," Rebecca answered with a half smile, appreciating the young woman's honesty when most people would choose to tiptoe around the topic, "Your brother said you've been searching for a job with no luck, tell me about that."

"I graduated from the University of Manchester in the summer, and the job market is drier than a camel's backside," Billie explained, regretting the latter part of the statement until she noticed the slight smile on Rebecca's face, "I've been working at a pub, applying for dozens of jobs and they all say the same thing, 'not enough experience' which is ridiculous because you'd think a whole degree would be more than enough."

"Have you got a portfolio?" Rebecca asked, Billie Kent had already won her over with her attitude and her relaxed yet well dressed style, she just needed to be sure that Billie was a valid investment.

"Yes, I do," Billie sighed, pulling her iPad from her bag and opening her portfolio file which consisted of various videos, photos and written pieces that she had produced as part of her degree and also in her own time.

She watched as Rebecca browsed the portfolio, her poised posture and sublime poker face giving little of what she thought away. But as Rebecca admired each photograph, scanned each piece of writing and then took time to watch the girl's showreel she couldn't understand why she was yet to be employed in a media role. Billie had an eye for detail and her creative content demonstrated an edge that Rebecca hadn't seen in the club's previous media team. Rebecca had always been one to take risks, she'd married certified cheating scum, Rupert Mannion regardless of his reputation.

So where was the harm in hiring a young woman with little professional experience to produce and create media content for a club she wanted to see crash and burn? It didn't matter to her whether or not the girl was any good, all she knew was that a sibling of Roy Kent was no doubt someone she could trust.

"Just one last question," Rebecca asked, hoping it would help her to deduce whether Billie was using the lucrative career opportunity just to rub shoulders with Premier League footballers, "Do you like football?"

"I like hearing the way my brother talks about it, I like the way my boyfriend smiles when his team have won a match," Billie paused, wondering how an interview for such a prestigious job could have gone so quickly, while realising her future was riding on her answer, "I've never liked it enough to sit still and pay attention to an entire match."

"When can you start?" Rebecca asked simply, causing Billie's heart to race.

"Whenever you want me," Billie grinned, not quite believing her luck.

Before Rebecca could even answer there was a gentle knock at the door followed by a man with a thick mustache peering around it, who Billie recognised as the new American coach, having seen him on TV at the pub, "Knockadoodle-doo!"

"Ah, good morning, Coach Lasso," Rebecca sighed with a smile.

"Hey, look at us, a couple of worm addicted early birds, am I right?" Coach Lasso grinned as he approached the desk with an overly positive disposition, slowly noticing Billie's presence, "Oh, I'm so sorry, am I interrupting a little ladies' pow-wow?"

"This is Billie, our new..." Rebecca replied, having yet to come up with a title for Billie's job, "Media Content Producer."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Billie," Coach Lasso held his hand out to the girl, "I'm Coach Lasso, you can call me Ted, you new round here too, huh?"

"Something like that," Billie smiled as she shook his hand, "I probably know the same amount about the sport as you."

"Well, then we can learn together, can't we? A problem shared and all that jazz," Ted remarked, "I bought the boss a little something, if I'd known you'd be here I'd have bought you some too, but I'll remember for next time."

"Oh?" Rebecca smiled.

"Cookies, or as y'all call them here, biscuits," Ted explained, placing his backpack on the spare chair, rummaging around while keeping his attention on both the women, "Though I do not recommend you smother these in gravy."

"Oh, Ted, I don't really think-" Rebecca rambled as he held out a small pale pink box.

"Oh, come on now, take a lookie there," Ted smiled at them both before opening the box for Rebecca to inspect its contents.

"Oh those do look good," Rebecca sighed.

"Right?" Ted grinned, "Go ahead, take a nibble, that's it, away you go."

Billie watched as Rebecca retrieved one of the biscuits and took a bite, instantly exclaiming, "Fuck me!"

"Hmm." Ted smiled in content.

"Where did you get these?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm glad you like 'em, you know what, I'll start bringing these to ya every morning, call it 'biscuits with the boss," Ted told her before glancing at Billie, "You're welcome to join the party if you like?"

"I'll leave that to the two of you," Billie smiled nervously.

"That really isn't necessary," Rebecca told the coach.

"Okay, well, mark this down as the first time we disagree then," Ted replied, ready to try his hardest to win his new boss over, "Actually, no, second time, uh, tea is horrible, absolute garbage water, I don't know why y'all do that, what do you think, Billie?"

"About tea?"

"Yes indeedy." Ted nodded.

"I can't stand it, I barely like coffee, I might be twenty two but it'll always be hot chocolate for me," She told the coach.

"Good for you, embrace your youth," Ted smiled, returning his gaze to Rebecca, "Anyhoo, you know, we can't be, uh, really good partners unless we get to know each other right?"

"Ted-"

"We're gonna start simple, real easy, real easy one," Ted told her as he took a seat beside Billie, "We're gonna do, uh, first concert, best concert, you go ahead and go first boss, right off the bat, come on."

"Uh, the Spice Girls, and uh, the Spice Girls," Rebecca answered without hesitation.

"Same answer for both?" Ted exclaimed, "I love that, what about you, Billie?"

Billie glanced at Rebecca briefly, noting how on edge she seemed amongst the whole interaction, "First concert was One Direction in 2011, best was One Direction in 2015, the last night of their tour."

"Another double bubble!" Ted exclaimed, "Please expand."

"My brother took me much to his dismay, he was still at Chelsea, and apparently the Irish fella is a big Chelsea fan so we got to go backstage and meet the band," Billie explained.

"Neil?" Ted remarked.

"Niall."

"What did your brother make of that?" Ted asked, seemingly invested in the story yet unaware that her brother was in fact Roy Kent.

"Hated every minute of it." Billie smirked.

"Okay, my turn, first concert, I mean come on, it was 'The Gambler' himself, Mr Kenny Rogers," Ted answered before singing a song that Billie herself had never heard before.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Rebecca attempted to interject.

"Know when to hold 'em," Ted continued to sing.

"Ted."

"Know when to fold 'em," He continued and Billie could already see the frustration lingering in Rebecca's eyes, "Know when to walk away, know when to-"

"Stop," Rebecca answered simply, "Ted, I'm sorry, biscuits with the boss is not something I have time for this morning or ever, I've still got to finish this meeting with Billie."

"I hear you boss," Ted nodded as he stood up, "Loud and clear."

"You're gonna show up tomorrow with biscuits aren't you?" Rebecca sighed in defeat.

"Oh come on now, I would not bet on that," Ted answered as he walked towards the door, "I mean, unless you wanna win a buttload of money."

"See you around, Coach Lasso," Billie called out.

"Not if I see you first, kiddo," Ted answered, high fiving Rebecca's tree style coat rack, "High five tree!"

"Well, I'm very sorry about that, Billie," Rebecca sighed.

"It's okay, he seems fun," Billie replied, unsure what to make of the man compared to the other managers her brother had played for.

"So, would you be happy to start today?" Rebecca asked outright, "As our new Media Content Producer, you can get a feel for the job then if you want to keep at it there'll be a contract waiting for you in your inbox by the end of play."

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Billie asked, aware of how large of an undertaking the whole thing was, "Do you have a media team already?"

"We did, and now we don't," Rebecca told her, knowing that most of them had been stale middle aged men lacking flare, handpicked by Rupert Mannion, "I'll have someone email you all the passwords for our social media accounts and then the floor is yours, videos, photos, whatever you want to post of the team, go wild!"

"That's the best thing anyone's ever said to me," Billie smiled, grateful that she wouldn't have some middle aged know it all man breathing down her neck, she could tailor the content to help build her portfolio, then perhaps by the end of the season she'd be working her dream job. The club might have been something that Rebecca dreamt of tearing down to spite her ex husband, but for Billie Kent it may as well have been a stepping stone.

"You'll be needing this, would you like me to find you a desk amongst the corporate and sales teams?" Rebecca held out a staff pass on a lanyard.

"I'd prefer to be on the same floor as the team if that's alright?" Billie asked, "Fans respond well to off the cuff content that lets them get to know their team beyond the surface level, I'll have a better chance of doing that down there."

"Well that's just perfect, there's an unused office across the hall from the locker room," Rebecca told her, "Office is a loose term, it's a room with a desk in it, but you can do what you like to it to make it your own."

"Thank you, I appreciate your hospitality," Billie smiled.

"Anytime," Rebecca told the girl, "And welcome to the family."

Once she'd left Rebecca's office, one of the club owner's assistants showed her to the room that the young woman would call her office. Rebecca was right when she said that 'office' was a loose term. It was a room with a desk and a chair, so she made a mental note to bring in some cushions and posters from home to make it her own.

She had mixed feelings about the job, having convinced herself that the nepo-sibling trap wasn't something she'd slip into, but everyone around her assured her that she'd be stupid not to take the job, especially if her only reason was principle. She admitted to herself that hundreds of people would kill to be in her position, so she couldn't take it for granted.

Principle or not.

After she'd discarded her bag beside the desk and rehydrated she retrieved her camera and hung it around her neck with her staff pass, deciding that there was no point in waiting around, she could start taking photos of the boys in training and have them on all social media platforms before the end of the day.

She made her way out of the office and along the corridor towards two double doors, pushing through them to see the training pitch where her brother had spent every day since being sold on by Chelsea. She walked up towards the pitch, noticing Nathan from earlier, preparing some sort of drinks table before she made her way towards Coach Lasso.

"Hey, Coach, do you mind if I get some pictures of the boys in training?" Billie asked as she stood beside him and his friend she had yet to be introduced to, "I just want candid stuff, let the fans know that you'll be taking no prisoners ahead of your first match."

"Ooh, I like that, sounds like something out of those dystopian young adult novels, like erm...Divergent," Ted smiled with an overly cheery disposition.

"Or The Hunger Games," Billie answered, reminded of her favourite books as a kid.

"May the odds be ever in our favour," Coach Lasso's friend added.

"Oh, Billie, this is Coach Beard, Coach this is Billie...erm, What's your last name?" Ted asked.

"Kent."

"Well either that's a massive coincidence or you're related to number six, Mr Roy Kent over there," Ted exclaimed as the three individuals kept their eyes on the training pitch.

"He's my brother," Billie admitted.

"Well, darn, who knew there were two lots of awesome people called Kent?" Ted replied excitedly.

"Three," Billie told him, "I've got a sister as well."

"You got a whole Brady Bunch up in here, love that," Ted smiled, "I'll get the boys over, introduce you to the team."

"Oh, you don't have to-"

Before Billie could finish her sentence Coach Lasso had blown his whistle, "All right, gentlemen, over here for a minute, come rehydrate while I tell you something cool."

Billie watched as the team jogged towards them, feeling suddenly in the spotlight. She spotted her brother at the back of the pack, a small smirk on his face when he noticed his sister with a staff pass hanging from her neck.

"Make sure y'all get some of that good H2O in you, very important," Ted told the team as they crowded round him, gesturing to the baskets of water bottles on the ground, "I've got someone to introduce to you fine fellas, lots of new faces this week, this is Billie, she's going to be running all things media for the team, so if you see her taking pictures or filming videos, just act natural unless she tells you otherwise, that sound good, Billie?"

"Sure," Billie nodded, feeling uneasy with at least twenty five pairs of eyes on her as she stood beside Coach Lasso.

"Heck, maybe she'll help me make the Carlton go viral again," Ted added, "So, please just be nice to our new team member, and make her feel welcome, any questions?"

"You single?" One of the players asked.

"Oi!" A familiar voice shouted from the back of the group shouted before the crowd slowly parted to see a frustrated looking Roy Kent, "She's my little sister, so any of you pricks so much as look at her longer than professionally necessary I will chop your dicks off and feed them to the greyhounds, got it?"

"Yes, Captain," The boys mumbled in unison.

"Okidoki," Ted exhaled, "Now that's all out in the open, let's go ahead and do a little seven on seven, we're gonna call this drill the exorcist, cause it's all about controlling possession."

"Alright, let's go!" Coach Beard clapped his hands together, leading the confused looking young men back onto the pitch.

While the team did whatever training drill Coach Lasso was leading them in, Billie decided to get familiar with the pitch and the movements of the players. Most of the photos she had taken up to that point had been portrait photography so taking photos of moving subjects while making sure they look good took some getting used to.

She'd mostly been taking photos of the team in action, but there'd been a few poses along the way after some of the boys had taken the time to introduce themselves to her. She got a photo of Sam Obisanya doing a thumbs up after he told her that he liked her trainers, a photo of Isaac and Colin throwing peace signs and then when she asked Roy to pose he simply exclaimed 'No' and stuck up his middle finger.

The last one was going straight on her close friends story.

"How's it going, Billie?" Ted asked as Billie joined him on the sideline.

"Takes some getting used to, they move about like speedy fucking greyhounds," She remarked, "My brother not so much."

"You got any cool snaps of the boys?" Ted asked as they watched the club's golden boy, Jamie Tartt dribble straight past Sam, knocking the young player to the ground.

"I'll have to see once I've got them loaded onto my laptop," Billie told him as Jamie Tartt kicked the ball straight past him towards the goal, shooting straight into the goal.

"I look forward to seeing your work, if you've got any of me I'll promise not to reenact that Keira Knightly scene from Love Actually." Ted told her.

"I look quite pretty?" She remarked, quoting the famous festive film.

"That's the one," Ted exclaimed as they watched Jamie taunting Sam on the floor before Roy intercepted the situation and sent Jamie on his way.

"I think you might wanna deal with that, Coach," Billie muttered as her brother helped Sam up from the grass.

"Good call," Ted nodded, "Hey, Sam, come here a sec."

Sam made his way over to where the pair stood, panting, "Coach, I'm sorry-"

"You know what the happiest animal on earth is?" Ted asked the young player who simply stared back at him blankly, "It's a goldfish, you know why?"

"No," Sam answered, looking at Billie who was equally clueless.

"Got a ten second memory," Ted told them both, "Be a goldfish, Sam, yeah?"

"Thank you, Coach, Thank you, Billie," Sam nodded before running back to the pitch.

"He's a good kid," Billie smiled, "Most of them are, it's just like searching for gold in the sand, gotta keep sifting till you find the good stuff."

"Oooh, I like that," Ted grinned.

"Well, I've got a good selection of photos, I'll head inside and start sifting through them, hopefully there's something resembling gold in there," Billie replied.

"Aye aye, captain," Ted saluted her.

Billie had spent several hours sitting at her desk, filtering through the photos she had taken. Considering it was her first time doing any sort of sports photography she was pretty content with some of the photos she had taken. She spent some time editing the best ones, saving them to post on the club's social channels later that evening.

A knock at the door startled the girl as she looked up to see the striker slash golden boy, Jamie Tartt standing in the doorway, one of the only players she was yet to interact with.

"Are you lost?" Billie asked, not exactly sure what he could want that had led him to her office.

"I was just wondering if you've got any cool pics of me I can use for me Instagram?" He replied, scratching the back of his neck, now wearing his own clothes, rather than his training gear.

"You want photos for Instagram?" Billie asked, surprised that any of the players were even bothered by their social media presences.

"Well, I need to keep the fans well fed, don't I?" Jamie smirked, leaning against the edge of her desk, "It's about building me brand."

"What's your Instagram handle? I'll send you some of the best ones." Billie asked, retrieving a stack of post-it-notes and pen.

"You don't know me Instagram?" Jamie scoffed as though it were some divine fact she should just automatically know.

"No I don't, that's why I'm asking," She sighed, she didn't necessarily have a reason herself to be so short with him, but from observing the way he'd been on the pitch with Sam she wasn't entirely sure he was the sort of person she wanted to be friendly with.

"Well it's just Jamie underscore Tartt," He told her as she scribbled it down on the small piece of paper, "Cheers, Billie."

"it's not Billeh, it's Billie." She told him as he headed back towards the door.

"I know, that's what I said, Billie." Jamie remarked as he turned to face her.

"It's an ee, not an eh." Billie sighed, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest

"Well it sounds better when I say it, Billie." He smirked with a suave wink before waltzing out of the office.

"What the fuck did that Tartt want?" Roy's gruff voice echoed around the room as he stormed towards her desk.

"Hello, lovely sister, how are you? Oh I'm not too bad, brother, how are you? Oh I'm just being a massive prick, what's new?" Billie retorted, changing her tone of voice for each sibling.

"How are you?" Roy asked through gritted teeth, frustrated by the idea of Jamie fucking Tartt so much as looking at his little sister (even though she was an adult with the capacity to make adult choices).

"Splendid, you?" Billie smiled.

"Terrific," Roy muttered, "What the fuck did Tartt want?"

"Pictures."

"Of what?" Roy continued.

"Me," She teased, knowing it would only rile her brother up more as he slowly clenched his fists, "Okay, that was meant to be a joke, he just wanted some pictures from training for his social media."

"Just steer clear of that one, he's a prick," Roy grunted.

"So you say," Billie sighed.

"You want a lift home?" Roy asked, "I'm picking Phoebe up and taking her for ice cream."

"Brad's picking me up," Billie answered simply.

"Why are you still with that prized prick?" Roy huffed, astounded by his sister's taste in men.

"Well it's got nothing to do with the number of goals that he scores." She smiled, even though Bradley Barker was one of Chelsea's top goal scorers of the last season, despite being a defensive player.

"Billie, you deserve much better than him, you could do so much better than him," Roy insisted.

"Are we talking about Brad as a footballer or Brad as a person?" Billie sighed, closing her laptop and shoving it into her bag before slinging it over her shoulder.

"Both, his last goal in that match against Liverpool was easily offside, but because he's America's golden boy with a left foot kissed by God, no one gives a shit," Roy huffed, "And I also see what the tabloids say about him."

"You shouldn't read that shit, I don't," Billie answered, knowing exactly what her older brother was referring to.

"I read that shit because it concerns you," Roy told her, doing his best to be the protective older brother, "And if the guy my sister is in a relationship with is being papped kissing other girls, I'm gonna have a few things to say about it."

"I'm not in the mood to talk about it, Roy," Billie huffed, shutting down the conversation as always as she grabbed her bag from her desk and walked past him out of the office.

"Ah, Billie, how was your first day?" Rebecca smiled as the two Kent siblings appeared in front of her.

"It was great, thank you," Billie replied as the pair began walking towards the carpark, leaving Roy in their dust without another word.

"I've had a contract drawn up, it should be in your inbox," Rebecca explained as Billie noticed that the door to the carpark all the way at the other end of the corridor was being held open by Ted, "If you're happy to join us?"

"I'd like that," Billie told her, because as much as the job wasn't necessarily what she had expected for her first graduate role, she needed the experience and she'd be stupid to let the opportunity go to waste.

"Perfect," Rebecca beamed, her desire to destroy her ex husband's favourite football club leading her to wonder if there might be any way she could use Billie as part of that plan.

"He's holding that door open for us, isn't he?" Billie whispered as they neared the door.

"I believe so," Rebecca muttered as they reached the open door, glancing at Ted "That's a long time to wait, Ted."

"Well, I respect you didn't hurry," Ted smiledas Billie looked over her shoulder to see Brad leaning against his red Ferrari, sunglasses hiding his eyes.

"So, how was your first official day?" Rebecca asked the Coach.

"I'm not entirely sure what y'all's smallest unit of measurement is over here, but that's about how much headway I made," Ted admitted to the two women as Brad joined them.

"And yet, you seem undeterred," Rebecca smiled.

"Hey," Billie smiled, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend who had just joined the group, dressed in his Chelsea training kit, "You have a good day?"

"Yeah, it was good as always, five out of seven goals on target," Bradley answered, even though Billie didn't care for the sport.

"Oh, Brad, this is Ted and Rebecca, Manager and owner of the club respectively," Billie told him as he pulled her into his side, his arm around her shoulders.

"Cool to meet you," Brad nodded at them both as he chewed his gum aggressively.

"You too, sir, whereabouts you from?" Ted asked.

"Chelsea."

"No, I mean your accent, I'm getting Southern California?" Ted narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah," Brad nodded as a car sped into the carpark, its engine revving aggressively, parking up in the middle of the car park, a petite blonde woman who Billie recognised as Keeley Jones, climbing out.

"What would you rather be, a lion or a panda?" She asked with a certain tone of intent in her voice.

"I don't have time for this," Rebecca sighed as she parted ways with the group, heading for her car.

"Ted?" Keeley asked as she approached him, Billie and Brad.

"Gotta go panda," Ted smiled.

"Are you mad?" Rebecca stopped in her tracks, "Pandas are fat and lazy and have piss stained fur, lions are powerful and majestic and rule the jungle."

"Try telling that to an elephant, ooh, can I be an elephant?" Ted replied.

"Mm-mmm," Keeley shook her head, "Lion or panda."

"Panda." Ted stated.

"Lion!" Rebecca interjected, "What's black and white and red all over?"

"A Newcastle player's kit when I've thrashed him?" Brad suggested, standing beside Billie with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"A panda that gets anywhere near a fucking lion, the answer is lion," Rebecca told the group before walking back to her car.

"Alright."

"That Rebecca is an intimidating, very tall woman," Keeley muttered, glancing between Ted and Billie, "I mean the minute she locked eyes with me, I, like started sweating."

"Oh no, she's got some fences alright, but you just gotta hop over 'em," Ted assured her, "Oh, let me introduce Billie Kent, our new Media Content Producer, Billie, this is Keeley."

"I love your outfit," Keeley smiled, "What about you, lion or panda?"

"Can't I have a bit of both?" Billie asked, "Like the heart of a panda, courage of a lion?"

"Oh, very Wizard of Oz," Ted nodded along in agreement.

"One or the other, but you seem cool, I'll let you have that," Keeley smiled, recognising the man who was holding onto Billie as Chelsea's top player on and off the pitch, "We should hang out sometime, footballer's girlfriends gotta stick together."

"Who's your-"

As if on cue the clubhouse doors opened and out slipped Jamie Tartt, her brother's least favourite player and first class prick. Although she didn't really know much about him as a person, she had seen enough of him on the pitch to conclude that she had seen enough. She felt Brad tense up beside her, given that he was a defensive midfielder he had shared many tackles on the field with Jamie, most of which Brad had won.

"Hey, babe," Keeley grinned, kissing her boyfriend, "Here, keys."

"Hey, Jamie, what would you rather be, a lion or a panda?" Ted asked him.

"Coach, I'm me," Jamie answered, "Why would I wanna be anything else?"

"I'm not sure you realise how psychologically healthy that actually is," Ted remarked.

"Hmm, cheers," Jamie nodded before glancing at Billie, "Laters, Billie."

"I'll see you on the pitch, Tartt." Brad smirked as the Richmond striker made his way towards Keeley's car, ignoring the words of Billie's boyfriend, all while chuckling to himself about how easy it was to get under the man's skin.

"Baby, I really shouldn't be here, if a fan spots me it'll be all over Twitter." Brad whispered to Billie.

"Go get in the car then," Billie told him, slipping out of his embrace, "I won't be long."

"Fine," Brad sighed, sulking as he paced towards his car.

"Wow," Keeley glanced between Ted and Billie, "Those boys are both lions."

"Definitely lions," Ted nodded in agreement.

author's note: hope you enjoyed!