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After a great victory what did the young, single footballers only want to do? While the more seasoned players might just want to relax and celebrate with their families, the group of six young men of Scotland's national squad headed to the nightclub, one of Switzerland's hottest spots to party the night away to celebrate the fact that Scotland had actually qualified for the World Cup for the first time in forty-three years, before they returned to the UK, and back to their respective clubs for training.
As they pulled up to the ski resort of which Benji's nightclub was included, a couple of the lads wished they could also take advantage of the slopes, but all of them were under strict team orders that skiing and snowboarding were strictly off limits because of the risk of injury. The six poured out of the limo, the last a handsome red-head, who stood for several moments just looking up at the entrance.
"Come on, Campbell. Ger your arse moving! You picked this place." A Latino shouted back at him in a distinctive Glaswegian accent.
"Fuck off, Hernandez." Liam Campbell replied, managing a grin as he was pulled from his thoughts. It was a long shot. A fucking huge long shot, but as slim as it was, it was the only clue he'd found in years. It was just good fortune that they'd been selected to play away in Switzerland...in Zurich, just less than an hour up the road. He could have so easily have missed the photo spread in the tabloid website, but there had been a photo of a dark-haired woman with pale blue eyes, and the caption had her name as Danika Harper. A few very discreet calls had determined that she was a regular visitor to the resort and a good friend of the club's owner, Benjamin Phillips. Liam shouldered his backpack and headed inside.
They'd reserved a suite of rooms, and Hernandez suggested they all go up, get room service while getting well lubricated with alcohol in preparation for the partying in the club later.
"Nah, I'll join you later. I'm going to check out the place first. Catch!" Liam threw his backpack, making McKenzie dive to catch it, provoking laughter from his teammates. "If you'd made a save like that, we would've won three-nil." Liam, probably the most Scottish looking of the team with his ginger hair, had not lost any of his American accent.
“Mebbe, but you’s the one chickening oot on us, Maverick.” The laughter died suddenly, and McKenzie put his hands up, taking one or two steps backwards. Most of the team had already learned how much Liam hated his first name. But fortunately for the goalie, Liam had other things on his mind, and getting kicked out of the resort for brawling was not one of them. Instead, he just called him several colourful names as he walked away.
He headed to the one of the bars and ordered a pint. This was a long-shot. A hell of a long shot, but he had to try. It was unlikely Danika Harper would just walk right by, but he’d been looking too long for her not to miss this chance. If he was right, and he was far from sure about that, Danika could be his sister. But if he didn’t find her, and didn’t try and meet her, then he would never know for sure. The bar was quiet as he sipped his lager, perched on a bar stool and leaning on the bar. Each time someone came in, he looked up hopefully, but it was usually a member of staff going about their duties. One time a middle-aged couple wandered in and took a table over by the picture windows, probably so they could look out over the deep pristine snow.
The next person who came in was a casually dressed, muscular man. His dark hair was just long enough to curl a little. Liam glanced at him and then just sighed and returned to his drink, not paying much attention to him.
“Hi Magda, is everything ready for tonight?” Liam heard the man ask the bartender.
“Ja. Oh Dan, do you want me to still keep that gift for Ben back here?”
Dan nodded as he reached across the bar, knowing exactly where the sparkling water was kept under the bar. “Sure. Have it brought to Benji’s once it opens, and when things get pumping we’ll surprise him. He’s going to be so surprised this year.” He laughed, as he drank straight from the bottle. Hopping back, he saw Liam at the end of the bar and nodded a greeting before leaving.
It took him a moment to realize the man must have been speaking about Benjamin Phillips, the owner of the club, and this guy was probably the manager, even if he was dressed on the casual side, but perhaps he was doing some physical work. Liam pulled the imagine from the website up on his phone and studied Danika for probably the hundredth time, and how close she was to Ben Phillips, her arm linked in his as they laughed over something. Boyfriend and girlfriend? If tonight was some sort of celebration for Phillips, then Danika was sure to be there. He shut off his phone, downed the rest of his pint, and happier, headed up to the suite.
As they pulled up to the ski resort of which Benji's nightclub was included, a couple of the lads wished they could also take advantage of the slopes, but all of them were under strict team orders that skiing and snowboarding were strictly off limits because of the risk of injury. The six poured out of the limo, the last a handsome red-head, who stood for several moments just looking up at the entrance.
"Come on, Campbell. Ger your arse moving! You picked this place." A Latino shouted back at him in a distinctive Glaswegian accent.
"Fuck off, Hernandez." Liam Campbell replied, managing a grin as he was pulled from his thoughts. It was a long shot. A fucking huge long shot, but as slim as it was, it was the only clue he'd found in years. It was just good fortune that they'd been selected to play away in Switzerland...in Zurich, just less than an hour up the road. He could have so easily have missed the photo spread in the tabloid website, but there had been a photo of a dark-haired woman with pale blue eyes, and the caption had her name as Danika Harper. A few very discreet calls had determined that she was a regular visitor to the resort and a good friend of the club's owner, Benjamin Phillips. Liam shouldered his backpack and headed inside.
They'd reserved a suite of rooms, and Hernandez suggested they all go up, get room service while getting well lubricated with alcohol in preparation for the partying in the club later.
"Nah, I'll join you later. I'm going to check out the place first. Catch!" Liam threw his backpack, making McKenzie dive to catch it, provoking laughter from his teammates. "If you'd made a save like that, we would've won three-nil." Liam, probably the most Scottish looking of the team with his ginger hair, had not lost any of his American accent.
“Mebbe, but you’s the one chickening oot on us, Maverick.” The laughter died suddenly, and McKenzie put his hands up, taking one or two steps backwards. Most of the team had already learned how much Liam hated his first name. But fortunately for the goalie, Liam had other things on his mind, and getting kicked out of the resort for brawling was not one of them. Instead, he just called him several colourful names as he walked away.
He headed to the one of the bars and ordered a pint. This was a long-shot. A hell of a long shot, but he had to try. It was unlikely Danika Harper would just walk right by, but he’d been looking too long for her not to miss this chance. If he was right, and he was far from sure about that, Danika could be his sister. But if he didn’t find her, and didn’t try and meet her, then he would never know for sure. The bar was quiet as he sipped his lager, perched on a bar stool and leaning on the bar. Each time someone came in, he looked up hopefully, but it was usually a member of staff going about their duties. One time a middle-aged couple wandered in and took a table over by the picture windows, probably so they could look out over the deep pristine snow.
The next person who came in was a casually dressed, muscular man. His dark hair was just long enough to curl a little. Liam glanced at him and then just sighed and returned to his drink, not paying much attention to him.
“Hi Magda, is everything ready for tonight?” Liam heard the man ask the bartender.
“Ja. Oh Dan, do you want me to still keep that gift for Ben back here?”
Dan nodded as he reached across the bar, knowing exactly where the sparkling water was kept under the bar. “Sure. Have it brought to Benji’s once it opens, and when things get pumping we’ll surprise him. He’s going to be so surprised this year.” He laughed, as he drank straight from the bottle. Hopping back, he saw Liam at the end of the bar and nodded a greeting before leaving.
It took him a moment to realize the man must have been speaking about Benjamin Phillips, the owner of the club, and this guy was probably the manager, even if he was dressed on the casual side, but perhaps he was doing some physical work. Liam pulled the imagine from the website up on his phone and studied Danika for probably the hundredth time, and how close she was to Ben Phillips, her arm linked in his as they laughed over something. Boyfriend and girlfriend? If tonight was some sort of celebration for Phillips, then Danika was sure to be there. He shut off his phone, downed the rest of his pint, and happier, headed up to the suite.