Harbinger Of Glory

Leo snorted, but when he looked up, she was looking straight at him, waiting for an answer.

Leo considered it for a second before nodding.

”I am sure you wouldn’t need me to take care of you, but sure.”

At that, Vittoria rolled her eyes.

”Seriously, though, be a bit more romantic. That was a terrible answer.”

”You asked if I’d do it. I said yes.”

”Yes, but not before you went about how you wouldn’t need to. You should have fawned over me or something while saying it.”

Leo looked at her, short of words, while she pressed her lips together, trying not to smile, but it didn’t last long.

”Fine. I’ll remember that when I decide to quit and spend the rest of my life doing absolutely nothing.”

”I look forward to seeing how long that lasts.”

She shook her head, laughing under her breath before settling back into her chair.

”Speaking of things that have changed since dinner, my mother has been declining those invitations.”

Leo’s eyebrows rose.

”Which invitations?”

She gave him a pointed look.

”The courtship invitations, Leo. The ones I told you about.”

”Oh.”

”Yes, oh.”

He sat a little straighter, his amusement returning.

He remembered what Vittoria had told him about her mother’s social circle and the way certain invitations were rarely as innocent as they appeared.

Dinner with her family had clearly shifted something, even if he hadn’t expected the consequences to reach quite so far.

”So I should thank your mother the next time I see her.”

Vittoria nodded, looking entirely satisfied with that conclusion.

”You should.”

”Perhaps I’ll bring flowers.”

”Dad will be jealous.”

”I thought I was supposed to show my appreciation.”

”Eating a few plates of her cooking will be enough. Anyway, there’s something else I wanted to ask you.”

”That sounds ominous, but go on.”

”It’s about Loewe. You told me Noah said something about a possible partnership.”

Leo sighed and shifted position.

Leo shifted upright, dragging a hand down his face before answering.

”Noah says they’ve been in touch and they were apparently glad with the submission. All they told him was that they would be looking at me really closely.”

At that, Vittoria smiled.

”That’s good, isn’t it?”

”It could be.”

”You sound thrilled.”

”What do you want me to say? They haven’t offered me anything yet.”

He settled back against the sofa.

”They’re interested, Noah’s spoken to them, and that’s about it. I think they’re waiting to see how the season goes before making a decision.”

”Waiting for what?”

”How I perform over the next few months, I suppose. Whether I keep playing like this. The Euros are coming up, too, so there’ll be more attention on football in general. They might want to see what happens before committing to anything.”

Vittoria nodded thoughtfully.

”Ah.”

Leo looked at her through the screen.

”What does that mean?”

”It means I understand.”

He laughed, and she settled back into her chair.

”Anyway, speaking of the Euros, where are Italy in the qualifying group?”

Leo stared at her for a second before laughing again.

”Just answer the question, babe.”

”Italy can still qualify, but we can’t afford to drop points. One bad result at the wrong time, and things get complicated.”

Vittoria’s expression changed.

”They could actually miss out?”

”They could. It’s not as though they’re comfortably through.”

”That’s harsh.”

”It is.”

She frowned slightly, thinking it over.

Leo watched her for a moment before leaning his head against the sofa again.

”Look at you. Are you finally feeling patriotic?”

Vittoria scoffed.

”When have I ever not been patriotic?”

”Well, you needed me to tell you where your national team stood.”

She opened her mouth to reply, then apparently thought better of it, knowing with Leo, it might go on endlessly.

Instead, she gave him a dismissive wave and reached for something just outside the camera’s view.

For a few moments, the conversation drifted.x

Vittoria checked something on her desk while Leo remained stretched out on the sofa, watching her through the screen.

Then she looked back at him, and her expression softened.

”Have you been sleeping properly?”

Leo blinked. ”What?”

”Your eyes. You look exhausted.”

”I’m fine.”

He rubbed one eye with his knuckle.

”I’ve been sleeping.”

”How much?”

”Enough.”

Vittoria sighed at that and didn’t press on.

”Just take it easy when you can, all right? You don’t have to do everything at once.”

She studied him for another second before apparently deciding not to take it further.

Leo, on the other hand, nodded.

”Yes, Ma’am.”

”Don’t start,” Vittoria immediately interjected, and Leo couldn’t quite suppress his grin.

She could pretend otherwise, but he knew she liked it when he called her that.

”All right, Ma’am.”

She rolled her eyes, though the corner of her mouth lifted.

”I’m hanging up.”

”Already?”

”Yes. Some of us have things to do tomorrow.”

”Right. Some of us.”

She shook her head, smiling now. ”I’ll see you soon, okay?”

”That I don’t doubt.”

Vittoria leaned towards the camera, her expression briefly softening before the screen went dark.

Leo lowered his phone and let his head fall back against the cushion.

He was tired, and there was no point denying it.

Still, he felt better than he had before the call.

Eventually, he pushed himself off the sofa and went to find something to eat.

He had training in the morning, and Dawson was unlikely to appreciate him turning up half-asleep.

........

The following morning, Dawson gathered the squad before training began.

The players stood in a loose group near the edge of the training pitch, some still talking among themselves while others stretched or adjusted their boots.

The two newest arrivals stood a little apart from the rest, waiting for the manager to get on with it.

Jordan Henderson and Willian had completed their moves to Wigan.

Now came the less formal business of introducing them to the people they’d be working with.

Dawson looked around the group and then nodded.

”Morning, lads.”

The greetings came back, followed by a few last murmurs that faded as he stepped forward.

”Right. You all know who’s joined us, but I wanted to get everyone together before we start.”

He glanced at Henderson and Willian.

”First off, welcome to Wigan. Good to have you both here.”

Henderson nodded. ”Thanks, gaffer.”

”Thank you,” Willian added, smiling at the group as Dawson turned back to the squad.

”I won’t give you a speech about their careers. Most of you have watched them play enough to know what they’ve done.

They’ve won this league, they’ve played in big European games, and they’ve been in dressing rooms where the expectation was to win every week.”

A few players glanced towards Henderson, who had captained Liverpool through some of the biggest moments in the club’s recent history.

Willian had his own share of experience, having spent years competing at the top level in England and Europe.

Dawson continued.

”That’s why I wanted them here. We’ve got a young group, and we’ve done brilliantly to get ourselves into the position we’re in.

But the next few months are going to test us in ways we haven’t faced before. The games come quickly, the pressure builds, and everyone starts looking at the table.”

”These two have been through that before. They know what it takes to get over the line. I expect them to help us, both on the pitch and in the dressing room.”

Henderson gave a small nod. ”We’ll do our best.”

”That’s all I’m asking,” Dawson replied and then turned to the rest of the squad.

”And the same goes for you lot. Don’t look at them as though they’ve arrived to do the job for you. They’ve come here to be part of this team, same as everyone else. You’ve earned your place at the top through your own work. Nobody’s handing us anything now.”

Dawson pointed briefly towards Henderson and Willian.

”You’ve got two players here who’ve been where we’re trying to go. Ask questions. Watch how they prepare, how they handle themselves when things aren’t going well.

You don’t have to agree with everything they say, but you’d be foolish not to learn something from their experience.”

Willian chuckled. ”I promise we won’t make you listen to us all day.”

A few players laughed.

”Good,” Dawson said. ”Because I’ve got training to run.”

That drew another round of smiles, loosening the atmosphere just enough as Dawson glanced towards his assistants, then back at the squad.

”All right, lads. Let’s get to work.”