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Authors: Sean Kennedy
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bucket. I was grateful, because I take as much coffee as I can, and it would also serve as a convenient handwarmer against the cold wind coming off from the ocean. We exchanged goodbyes with Arnie. I saw Declan’s public face drop for a brief second when he was wished luck for the weekend’s game, but he covered it up pretty quickly. Arnie began packing the cart up, and we walked onto the pier, moving out into the darkness.
“You’re not playing again this weekend, are you?” I asked to break the silence. He looked stonily ahead. Maybe he wished I had kept quiet. “Nope.”
“They were saying on the news there was a possibility you would.”
“You keeping track of me?”
I couldn’t tell whether it was an accusation or a tease. His tone was neutral. “It’s hard not to,” I said evenly. “You watch the news, you get a commentary on all the big player injuries.”
40 | SEAN KENNEDY
He stopped walking and leant against the wooden railing, cupping his coffee in both of his hands. “Well, the media doesn’t know everything.”
I sipped at my latte. “Okay, so you don’t want to talk about it.”
He looked at me. “It’s not that.”
“You don’t trust me? You think I’m going to run and tell your story to the New Idea ?”
There was a faint indication of his smile returning. “Nah, I don’t think you’d do that.”
“How do you know?” I was definitely pushing it, but I was intrigued. “I mean, you don’t know me at all. It’s a big risk, it’s hard enough dating a guy, but when you take into account how harder it is for you—”
“Like I said, I didn’t think you’d be like that.”
“But—”
“It was just a feeling, okay? No, I don’t normally do this, but I just….” He trailed off. “Just… you’re one of the few people I’ve met lately who didn’t fall at my feet. Sometimes it’s hard to know a person’s intentions.”
I was gobsmacked. “So it was my natural surliness that won you over?”
He chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”
“Wow. Normally it drives people away, not the other way round.” I took a huge gulp of coffee to reward myself.
“Maybe you want it to.” His tone remained neutral, and he continued to stare out at the waves whipped up by the constant wind.
It was a little too early for him to start psychoanalysing me. “Really.”
“Uh oh. You sound pissed.”
“Slightly.”
“Why?”
“You’re making a lot of assumptions about me.”
“Like what?” He sounded genuinely perplexed.
“That I look like a Greens supporter. That I’ll drink a latte.”
“Was I wrong?”
Bugger . “No.”
“You’re a bit of a type, that’s all.”
I was starting to get really pissed now. Why the hell was I here when I could be home waiting for Forensic Investigators to come on? “And what type is that?”
“You know. The arty wanker type.”
“Are you trying to be insulting?”
He straightened up. “No!”
TIGERS AND DEVILS | 41
“You want to analyse types?”
Declan grinned, a surprising move. “You’re going to say I’m a typical meathead jock?”
He wasn’t, and I had to admit that. “Not really. But you do have the natural arrogance.”
“That was the first thing I ever heard you say about me.” It was nostalgic, coming from him.
“You’re fucking weird.”
“So are you. That’s why I like you.”
I was glad it was dark, so he couldn’t see me flush. “So, you like arty wankers then?”
“I’m not sure as a whole, but I like you.”
Definitely flushing now. I took refuge in my bucket-o-coffee again.
“Doesn’t take compliments well,” Declan remarked. “Noted.”
I sighed. “Look, it’s just… oh, forget it.”
“Yeah, that always works when somebody says that. Spit it out.”
I was embarrassed, and I didn’t want to show it. “Why me? My friend Roger said you could date anybody you wanted—”
“And he’s your friend, saying things like that?”
“He was being honest.
“You’re not playing again this weekend, are you?” I asked to break the silence. He looked stonily ahead. Maybe he wished I had kept quiet. “Nope.”
“They were saying on the news there was a possibility you would.”
“You keeping track of me?”
I couldn’t tell whether it was an accusation or a tease. His tone was neutral. “It’s hard not to,” I said evenly. “You watch the news, you get a commentary on all the big player injuries.”
40 | SEAN KENNEDY
He stopped walking and leant against the wooden railing, cupping his coffee in both of his hands. “Well, the media doesn’t know everything.”
I sipped at my latte. “Okay, so you don’t want to talk about it.”
He looked at me. “It’s not that.”
“You don’t trust me? You think I’m going to run and tell your story to the New Idea ?”
There was a faint indication of his smile returning. “Nah, I don’t think you’d do that.”
“How do you know?” I was definitely pushing it, but I was intrigued. “I mean, you don’t know me at all. It’s a big risk, it’s hard enough dating a guy, but when you take into account how harder it is for you—”
“Like I said, I didn’t think you’d be like that.”
“But—”
“It was just a feeling, okay? No, I don’t normally do this, but I just….” He trailed off. “Just… you’re one of the few people I’ve met lately who didn’t fall at my feet. Sometimes it’s hard to know a person’s intentions.”
I was gobsmacked. “So it was my natural surliness that won you over?”
He chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”
“Wow. Normally it drives people away, not the other way round.” I took a huge gulp of coffee to reward myself.
“Maybe you want it to.” His tone remained neutral, and he continued to stare out at the waves whipped up by the constant wind.
It was a little too early for him to start psychoanalysing me. “Really.”
“Uh oh. You sound pissed.”
“Slightly.”
“Why?”
“You’re making a lot of assumptions about me.”
“Like what?” He sounded genuinely perplexed.
“That I look like a Greens supporter. That I’ll drink a latte.”
“Was I wrong?”
Bugger . “No.”
“You’re a bit of a type, that’s all.”
I was starting to get really pissed now. Why the hell was I here when I could be home waiting for Forensic Investigators to come on? “And what type is that?”
“You know. The arty wanker type.”
“Are you trying to be insulting?”
He straightened up. “No!”
TIGERS AND DEVILS | 41
“You want to analyse types?”
Declan grinned, a surprising move. “You’re going to say I’m a typical meathead jock?”
He wasn’t, and I had to admit that. “Not really. But you do have the natural arrogance.”
“That was the first thing I ever heard you say about me.” It was nostalgic, coming from him.
“You’re fucking weird.”
“So are you. That’s why I like you.”
I was glad it was dark, so he couldn’t see me flush. “So, you like arty wankers then?”
“I’m not sure as a whole, but I like you.”
Definitely flushing now. I took refuge in my bucket-o-coffee again.
“Doesn’t take compliments well,” Declan remarked. “Noted.”
I sighed. “Look, it’s just… oh, forget it.”
“Yeah, that always works when somebody says that. Spit it out.”
I was embarrassed, and I didn’t want to show it. “Why me? My friend Roger said you could date anybody you wanted—”
“And he’s your friend, saying things like that?”
“He was being honest.
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