Harbinger Of Glory

When Leo said that, even the staff around couldn’t help but laugh.

"’Easy to use,’" the presenter repeated, not quite understanding what Leo meant.

"I don’t think that’s quite the compliment they intended," Leo clarified as she finally looked back at the card and then continued!

"Alright then," she made out while clearing her throat dramatically.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

When the question was thrown on the floor, Leo’s smile barely changed.

Inside his head, however, Vittoria’s voice replayed perfectly.

If they ask... say no.

He’d laughed when they’d talked about it a while ago, after it came up in a movie they were watching, with Vittoria doubling down when she heard the format the content filming was going to be in.

Now, sitting under half a dozen cameras, he realised she’d been completely right!

He wanted to say yes because half of him knew what was going to come after he said no, with Vittoria’s occasional mood swings, but he couldn’t afford to disappoint his mistress.

"...No," he finally answered, but as he did, the presenter stared at him for a second and then another until she tilted her head and shook her head.

"...I don’t believe you."

The room immediately burst into laughter after that, while Leo laughed too, though his was more of a formality.

"You hesitated," she said, pointing at him.

"It seems you were thinking about something or someone," she said while she filed the card away.

"But..."

She smiled.

"You’re far too adorable for me to interrogate you over it."

"So...," she shrugged dramatically.

"I’ll pretend I believe you."

The table laughed again as Leo simply shook his head, smiling to himself as the conversation rolled on.

The funniest moment of the afternoon arrived completely by accident when the presenter turned toward Rashford.

"I’ve got one for you."

She glanced at the card.

"What was it like watching and playing while Leo and Wigan knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup?"

Before she could even finish, Rashford burst out laughing.

"Oh..." he rubbed his forehead.

"Why are we doing this?"

"Because people want answers."

He looked over at Leo before smiling and then shaking his head.

"I’ve got nothing against him," he said before pointing at himself.

"I’ve got more against us because with how we played, we deserved to lose that day. I think we took a lot of things for granted and intentionally went lax."

He shrugged before pointing at Leo and then continuing.

"Watching Leo..... or Wigan now..."

"...I get it."

"The intensity.The discipline.The confidence. They are a team with hunger, so I am actually glad that it was them we lost to.’

Afterwards, he nodded toward Leo.

"So I’m at peace with it."

’

Before anyone else could speak, Haaland leaned across Leo toward the presenter.

"If that had been Manchester City..."

The room immediately quietened.

"...I would’ve invited him over for dinner," he continued as Leo looked at him suspiciously while Haaland nodded seriously.

"And then fed him. I would have made sure he was comfortable and then somehow...he would’ve picked up a mysterious injury."

The room exploded as Rashford bent forward, laughing.

Even Sam Kerr had tears in her eyes beside her as the presenter pointed at Haaland.

"That’s not fair play, is it!"

"No, it’s strategy."

When she heard that, she turned toward Leo.

"You should be very thankful Wigan weren’t able to win against Manchester City."

Leo laughed before nodding.

"I am glad now," he said as another round of laughter sounded around the group while the session continued.

By the time filming wrapped up, everyone had changed back into their own clothes and the studio had begun emptying.

Leo was making his way down one of the corridors when someone called after him.

"Leo."

He turned and found Trent running towards him.

The latter caught up and then put one hand up.

"I’ve got one request," he said as Leo curiously furrowed his brow.

"Go on."

"You play Everton this weekend."

"We do," Leo responded, causing Trent to nod slightly.

"You have to beat them."

Hearing that, Leo broke out laughing before looking up, searching for signs that Trent was joking, but he wasn’t.

"I’m completely serious. I don’t care how, and I don’t care who scores, but you need to win," he said in a dumped-down Scouse accent that Leo was still surprised he could understand.

"I’ll see what I can do," Leo said while offering his hand.

"That’s all I wanted to hear," Trent said with a grin before also offering his hand.

As Trent disappeared down the opposite corridor, Leo laughed some more and then extricated himself and found Noah near the exit.

"You good?" Noah said.

"I’ve got Haaland’s number," Leo said.

"And Rashford’s. And Trent’s."

Noah nodded slowly.

"Glad that you’re making friends!"

"Also, Trent wants us to beat Everton."

"As long as it doesn’t affect your performance, you can do whatever you want," Noah replied right as a voice came from behind Leo.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?"

He turned, and Maya was there with her lanyard still on and her phone in hand.

"It’s not a goodbye," Leo said. "I did say I was going to see you around."

"Fair enough," Maya said and then held her phone up slightly.

"Snapchat?"

"I’m not very active on there," Leo said while grinning wryly.

"Then I’ll have to be clutch with my timing," she said, and smiled.

Leo nodded and gave her the username before she thanked him, turned and walked back toward the production area.

Leo turned back to Noah, and there, Noah stood, almost looking at him with pity.

"You are so clueless," he muttered before looking away.

He shook his head once, turned and walked toward the exit while Leo stood where he was for a moment.

Then he went after him.

"Noah," he said, catching up. "What is it?"

Noah kept walking.

"Nothing," he said. "Come on. You’ve got a game on Saturday."

"Oh, come on, what is it?" Leo pestered, but Noah ignored him until the van they had come in came into view.

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