Free Into The Team by Rob Damon Page A

with me,” he said with a strict tone. “We’ll talk in my office.”
    Todd swallowed with difficulty. His mouth was dry, and sweat trickled down his forehead. He followed Aiden upstairs to his office with a sharp lump stinging his throat.
    Aiden’s office was bright - one wall almost taken up by a single window that looked out over the pitch. Right now that pitch was empty.
    “Sit.” Aiden walked around his large oval desk. It was the first time Todd had been in this office, but he gave only a vacant glance around, not really taking in the décor, the large flat screen behind the desk, or the photographs hanging on the wall. His mind was spinning with the feel of Jason’s cock on his ass. And with the amount of sweat that had poured off him in the bath, he was now feeling lethargic and docile.
    Aiden sat in his chair. His eyes showed complete concern, as if Todd were in the middle of a seizure.
    “Tell me.”
    Todd flinched. He didn’t know where to start. But with those eyes staring back at him from across the desk, he knew he’d have to get something out.
    “I, erm, I….” He rubbed his eyes then looked around the room. Seeing the water dispenser, he gestured to it.
    Aiden nodded, his eyes serious.
    After gulping down a glass of water, Todd relaxed.
    “One of the players was a little too…” He couldn’t say it.
    “A little too?” Aiden lifted his gaze.
    Todd realized how strange he must seem at this moment, so he took a deep breath and decided to be sensible about it.
    “I have nothing against it,” he said. “I know gay people exist, and I believe everyone should be free to express themselves.”
    Aiden studied Todd as if thinking he’d lost his mind. His puzzled frown continued as Todd licked his lips while trying to think how to phrase what had taken place in the bath. But before he had to say anything more, the boss’s face relaxed.
    “You feel some of the players are too tactile, too personal with each other?”
    Todd let out his breath and nodded. “Yes.”
    It was almost a joy to have the boss know what he was talking about without having to say it.
    Aiden smiled, and it was a smile that Todd felt was a little on the patronizing side.
    “Is that all?” he asked.
    Todd frowned, wondering if he’d taken this all too seriously. “I didn’t expect it,” he said.
    Taking in a deep breath, Aiden walked slowly to the wall and stood in front of two photographs. Each one showed the team, but it was clear one of them was much older than the other. He pointed to the older image.
    “This is the team of eight years ago,” he said, motioning for Todd to stand with him. “It was taken the year I became manager.” He nodded at the recent image. “This was taken last year.”
    It was clear that some of the players were showing age. Todd glanced back to the older picture and noted Jason Collier’s thicker hair and smoother skin, although he still frowned hard.
    “I want you to tell me how many different faces you see in last year’s photograph,” the boss said.
    That was easy. Todd could tell him without even looking. It was no secret the Reds had acquired only three new players on the first team since Aiden became manager – Kieran Lewis, Daryl Atkins, and the six-foot-five-inch Adam Conner, who saved every goal shot at him.
    “Three, boss.”
    “That’s right,” Aiden said as he turned to Todd. “This club is all about stability. A stable team is a consistent team. Strength is gained during years of loyalty.”
    His soft, confident tone made Todd feel more relaxed. It felt like he’d just been delivered from a hell of confusion and was now being patted gently on the head. This man had wisdom and Todd felt a great privilege to be hearing it.
    “While the other clubs scrap amongst themselves for who they see as the best players in Europe, paying obscene amounts for those who’ve scored the most goals and gained the biggest following, I concentrate on nurturing a team whose strength