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what happened? Did you knock him back?’ Ronnie grinned.
    Amber briefly looked at him, smiling slightly. ‘No, I didn’t knock him back because he never asked me anything.’
    ‘Ryan Fisher doesn’t need to ask, Amber. He just gets. Whatever he wants, usually. That’s the way this game plays out these days, with players at his level.’
    ‘Did you always get what you wanted when you were playing?’
    ‘I already had what I wanted, didn’t I? I had Karen. I didn’t need to look anywhere else. I didn’t want to.’
    Ronnie turned to look out of the window and Amber threw her head back for a second as they pulled up at traffic lights. ‘Ronnie, I’m sorry,’ she sighed.
    ‘It’s okay, really,’ he smiled. ‘I guess I’m still just a bit over-sensitive about everything, that’s all. Which is why I’m glad to be back here in the North East for a while. I get to come home, hang out with you, and forget about all that crap.’
    Amber returned his smile, leaning over to quickly kiss his cheek again before the lights turned to green and she sped off out of the city centre, towards Red Star’s training ground on the outskirts of town. ‘Having a good time sounds like a plan to me. It’s been ages since I’ve had a decent night out.’
    ‘That’s because you work too hard and never let yourself go,’ Ronnie said. ‘It’s not a crime to enjoy yourself, y’know.’
    ‘Yeah, thanks, I know that, Ronnie. But there aren’t all that many people around to have a good time with .’
    ‘Rubbish! You just hate letting your guard down. You hate letting people see beneath that ball-breaking exterior.’
    Amber couldn’t help laughing. ‘Ball-breaking exterior?’
    ‘Yes,’ Ronnie laughed. ‘You’ve got a bit of a reputation, kiddo.’
    ‘Have I now,’ Amber remarked. ‘Well, we might have to do something about that, then.’
    ‘Is that a promise?’ Ronnie grinned as they pulled into the visitor’s car park at Red Star’s training ground.
    ‘Tell you what,’ Amber smiled, getting out of the car and slamming the door shut. ‘Tell Kevin you’ve got other plans for tonight and I’ll show you that I can let myself go just as much as the next person. Alright?’
    ‘You’re on,’ Ronnie said. ‘So, Amber Sullivan, party girl, is coming out to play?’
    Amber just smiled, sliding her sunglasses up onto her head as she turned away and started walking towards the entrance to the training ground. ‘I never said that. Come on. I’ve got work to do before I can even start thinking about having any kind of fun.’
    But, all of a sudden, fun seemed like a really great idea. Especially if she was sharing that fun with Ronnie. Yeah. Maybe a night out was something she needed. After all, what harm could it do?
     
    *
     
    Ryan was having a good day. So far nothing was telling him that this move back to his native North East was one he was going to regret but, even if it was, he couldn’t go back. Anyway, wasn’t playing for the club you’d supported all your life a really big deal for a professional footballer? That hadn’t been the first thing on Ryan’s mind when he’d asked Max to find him a northern club, but he was secretly over-the-moon that Newcastle Red Star had wanted him so much they’d agreed to all the terms Max had put forward. His wages had increased significantly, they’d provided him with a fabulous, if not slightly-out-of-the-way, house to live in, and everyone was treating him like a returning hero. Everyone except that reporter from News North East. The one with the hard-faced attitude and the sexy-as-hell body. What a conundrum that posed. Despite the fact he’d been seriously unimpressed at her reaction towards him – being cold-shouldered wasn’t something he was used to – he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head. More’s the pity. He’d never had to chase after a woman in his life and he wasn’t about to start now. It was pointless even trying with her, anyway.