“You forgot what tuna was called?”
“Have you ever tried to use your brain while arguing with a small person?”
“At least once a week.”
“Good for you. This morning, I had a debate over whether Leo needed to use toothpaste or if water was adequate to clean his teeth.”
“Did you win?”
“Of course I won. One, I’m a woman, and two, I’m in charge.”
I laughed, unwrapping the sandwich. “Both very valid points.”
“Thank you. I thought so.” She unwrapped her own that was just plain ham. “Do you mind if I just finish this email while we eat?”
“You go ahead.”
“Thanks.” She typed with an impressive speed. She wasn’t even looking at the keys, but I guessed she was so used to typing that she didn’t need to. It would probably take her longer if she did look.
I pulled up the sports news on my phone while we ate. It was a weirdly comfortable silence between us, with the only noise that of her tapping her nails against the keys as she wrote.
“Okay, done. Whenever you’re ready.”
I wiped my mouth with a napkin and peered over at her. “Ready when you are.”
“Okay.” She set her phone between us, plugged it into the cable attached to the laptop, and swiped at the screen, tapping a big red button on an app I didn’t recognize. “Dictation app,” she said quietly. “It’ll also transcribe the conversation for me so I have numerous points of reference.”
“Smart,” I agreed.
“Okay, let’s get started. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today—I really appreciate it. You’re one of the most popular coaches at the center with both kids and women alike.”
I almost choked on a laugh. “Thank you for taking the time to invite me. As for the last part, I can’t say I’ve noticed.”
She grinned. “Well, if it helps, I think most single women in the town have a betting pool on who’s going to go out with you first. Although they’re probably not fans of me telling you that.”
“Duly noted. What’s the bet for you so you can win?”
She blushed again. “I’m not a part of it, sadly, but I don’t turn down free food if you’re offering.”
I laughed and motioned to the cupcakes.
“Let’s get started. You are, obviously, British. Can I ask you about your life back in England and what led you to end up here in White Peak?”
Bloody hell.
How long did we have?
“I grew up in a small town in the south of England about an hour from London. My dad worked for one of the major Premier League teams as their team doctor, so I was invested in football from an early age. Unfortunately, an injury in an academy game cut my career short, so I decided to go into coaching. I initially came over on a short work visa, but when my contract got extended, I decided to stay longer.”
“You were in New York, right?”
“That’s correct. I grew up in the countryside and struggled with the fast pace, so when Dylan called me and said he had a job for me here, it was a no brainer. I was about to quit and go home anyway, so I had nothing to lose by moving.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your injury. That must have been hard.”
“It was extremely hard for sixteen-year-old me. I could have continued playing, but the chances of me getting injured again and messing my ankle up for good were too big to risk.”
“Well, let me say very selfishly that I’m glad you’re here coaching. On a personal level, my son has improved immensely under your guidance. What made you go into coaching children and not adults?”
“It’s much easier to coach children, for a start, when you don’t have years of football experience under your belt. Many of the top coaches and managers you see in the game were players for many years. On the other hand, my coaches when I was a child made a huge difference in my life. They were big inspirations to me, and without them, I wouldn’t be here now. I guess that’s what I wanted. To make a difference in these kids’ lives.”
“You absolutely do,” London said, typing furiously at her keyboard. She paused to flash me a small smile.
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Let’s talk about soccer. You said that your father was a team doctor for a Premier League team—that’s the top soccer league in England, for readers unfamiliar with it—but I imagine that took a lot of time away from you. Was that all that got you into the sport?”
I nodded. “It did. I started playing in the back garden with my cousin as a means to spend more time with him when he was home or during the summer when we have the off-season. Eventually, he realized I had some real talent and signed me up to a local team, and I discovered a true love of the game.”
“What position did you play?”
“I was in goal.”
She paused, fingers hovering over the keys, and smiled. “Well, that explains a lot. Was it your chosen position?”
“No, actually. I wanted to play in midfield, but my first team had a rule that we all had to try a position in every part of the team at least once. I’ve always been tall, and my then-coach recognized I had quick reflexes, so encouraged me to focus on it.”
“That’s interesting. I remember not long after I signed my son up and the soccer classes started that you did a similar thing to test them all. Was that inspired by your first coach?”
“Absolutely. Most kids dream of being a striker like Messi or Ronaldo and scoring hundreds of goals for all the glory, but it’s a team sport for a reason. Sometimes a kid who wants to be up front is better talented to being in defense. It’s also just great for them to understand the dynamics of a team and the fundamentals of each position. In my opinion, it makes them better team players if they know how hard their teammates are working.”
“That makes sense. It’s a good philosophy to have, and those team-building skills are invaluable in life in general.”
“Exactly. Even if they don’t pursue a career in sports, the underlying lessons will serve them well.”
“So you’re not just coaching them in soccer. You’re also giving them skills they can use later on in life.”
“Unintentionally, but yes. Everyone involved in a child’s life helps shape who they’ll become, and if that means I have a hand in shaping some great kids into great adults, then I’ve done my job well.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
London went on to ask more about what I did at the center. It was all very general stuff—the classes offered, the age groups, boys and girls, too. It definitely turned more into a minor advertisement than an interview, but I was pretty happy about that.
I’d talked enough about myself.
“Well, that’s about everything. Thank you so much for sitting down with me today, Oliver.”
“Thank you for having me. It’s been a pleasure.”
London reached over and hit the same button on her phone, presumably ending the recording. “I’ll write the introduction and close it out when I’ve written it up and edited it.” She tapped the mousepad with a flourish and sighed, then turned to me with a big smile. “Thank you so much.”