Football System: Touchline God
Chapter 31: An Acquaintance

Chapter 31: An Acquaintance

Even in the dim light from the stadium, her face was clear. Blonde and in her mid-twenties, icy features, confident posture.

She had the look of someone used to getting what she wanted, which was a stark contrast to the gentle girl he spoke with the night before at Benny’s All-Night Diner.

Elira.

She walked past the windows, heading back toward the main entrance. Her heels clicked against the concrete with each confident step.

Maddox’s mind raced. ’What was she doing here? And why was she talking about signing Morrison?’

As the team nutritionist for Silvergate Youth Sailors, she had no business discussing player transfers. That wasn’t her job. So why was she making deals with her father about buying players?

Questions flooded his thoughts, but he had no time to process them. Elira was walking straight toward his direction.

He tried to step back, to find somewhere to hide, but it was too late. She’d already seen him through the glass doors.

Their eyes met across the concourse. For a moment, neither of them moved. The noise of the stadium faded into background static.

Then recognition flashed across her face.

"Eric!"

She called out at the exact same moment he spoke.

"Elira!"

They stood frozen, staring at each other across ten feet of empty space. Other fans walked between them, oblivious to the tension crackling in the air.

Elira recovered first. She walked toward him with measured steps, her face cycling through emotions too quickly to read. Shock, confusion, something that might have been hope.

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked when she reached him.

Her voice was different from the confident tone he’d overheard on the phone. Now she sounded nervous, almost fragile. Her hands clutched her phone tightly, knuckles white against the dark screen.

Was she worried he’d heard her conversation? Or was seeing him such a shock that it had shaken her composure?

Maddox studied her face, looking for clues. The sharp features were the same as they had last met. The ice-blue eyes that had earned her the nickname "Ice Queen" among the youth team players.

But something was different tonight. The usual cold confidence had cracks in it.

"I came to watch football," he said simply, raising his eyebrow like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It was a safe answer. Neutral. The kind of thing anyone might say.

Elira blinked, as if she’d expected something more complicated. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and she took a deep breath.

"Of course," she said, palming her head with an embarrassed smile on her face.

"What about you?" he asked, turning the question back on her. "Bit far from Silvergate for a casual evening out."

The words came out more pointed than he’d intended. Elira’s eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, the Ice Queen was back.

Then she seemed to catch herself. Her expression softened, and she managed a small smile.

"I had some business in the area," she said carefully. "Thought I’d catch the match while I was here."

Business. Right. The kind of business that involved discussing player transfers with her father.

"Fancy that," Maddox said. "What are the odds?"

They stood in awkward silence for a moment. Fans streamed past them, heading back to their seats or queuing for more drinks. The match was still going on, but it felt like a world away.

Elira shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She was wearing expensive boots under her dark coat, the kind that probably cost more than most people’s monthly rent.

Another reminder that there was more to her story than just being a team nutritionist.

"Would you like to get a drink?" she asked suddenly. "We could... talk. It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper conversation."

The suggestion caught him off guard. His first instinct was to make an excuse and get away. Being around Elira was dangerous. She knew Eric surprisingly too well, and sooner or later, she’d notice something was wrong. Especially since he didn’t have any memories of her relationship with him.

But she was also the key to understanding why she was here discussing Morrison’s transfer. And why her father was involved. His curiosity got the better of him.

"Sure," he heard himself say. "That sounds good."

Relief flickered across her face, so brief he almost missed it.

"There’s a quiet bar upstairs," she said, gesturing toward the stairs that led to the premium seating areas. "Away from all this noise."

They walked together through the concourse, past the busy food stalls and merchandise stands. Elira moved with practiced grace, like she belonged in places like this.

The stairs to the upper level were carpeted, a stark contrast to the concrete floors below. Security guards nodded at them as they passed, recognizing Elira or simply assuming they belonged.

The bar was exactly as she’d described. Quiet, dimly lit, with leather chairs and polished wood tables. Booths lined a large one-way glass wall were the pitch could be seen, a perfect vantage point. It felt more like an upscale hotel lounge than a football stadium.

"What would you like?" Elira asked, approaching the bar.

"Just a beer," Maddox replied, settling into a chair in one of the booths.

She ordered for both of them, his beer and something with gin for herself. The bartender served them with professional efficiency, then retreated to give them privacy.

Elira closed the booth’s door and sat across from him, cradling her glass in both hands. The ice cubes clinked softly as she swirled the liquid.

"So," she said, not quite meeting his eyes. "How have you been? Really?"

It was such a simple question, but loaded with history he didn’t understand. The way she asked it suggested she expected a complicated answer.

"Fine," he said carefully. "Keeping busy."

"With the youth team?"

"Among other things."

She nodded, but her expression suggested his answer wasn’t what she’d hoped for.

"You seem different," she said quietly. "Distant. Like you’re holding something back."

Maddox’s chest tightened. This was exactly what he’d been afraid of. She knew Eric well enough to sense that something had changed.

"People change," he said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"Do they?" Her blue eyes finally met his, and he saw pain there. Old hurt that hadn’t healed properly. "Or do they just decide to become someone else entirely?"

The accusation hung in the air between them. Maddox took a sip of his beer, buying time to think.

What had happened between Eric and Elira? What had he done to put that look in her eyes?

"I’m still me," he said finally.

"Are you?" She leaned forward, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Because the Eric I knew wouldn’t sit there giving me one-word answers like I’m some stranger he just met."

Her words hit closer to home than she realized. That’s exactly what she was to him currently—a stranger with Eric’s memories attached to her face.

The intimacy in her words, the raw vulnerability in her voice—this wasn’t just about friendship or work colleagues.

Eric and Elira had been close. Really close.

’Has he been cheating on his wife?’ The realization finally settled in, making him speechless. ’He’s got balls atleast’

"Elira..." he started, but she held up her hand.

"I know something’s wrong," she said, her voice stronger now. "I’ve known for a long time. You barely look at me when we’re at the training ground. You act like our meetings never happened. Like what we had meant nothing."

The pain in her voice was unbearable. Maddox wanted to tell her the truth—that he wasn’t Eric, that he couldn’t remember their shared history because it wasn’t his to remember.

But he couldn’t. Too much depended on maintaining the illusion.

"Things have been complicated," he said instead.

"Complicated how?"

He stared into his beer, searching for an answer that wouldn’t hurt her more than she was already hurting.

"I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. The job, the pressure... it changes you."

It was weak, and they both knew it.

Elira sat back in her chair, her expression hardening. The Ice Queen was returning, walls going up to protect herself from further disappointment.

"Right," she said coolly. "Of course."

============

============

Please remember to vote with your power stones and golden tickets for the WSA 2025. Thank you.