Man of the Match: hot celebrity romance (FULL NOVEL)

20. Calculations

[RECAP: Cara was shocked to discover that she's pregnant with Matt's baby.]

The test series against Pakistan had been a welcome distraction that month for Matt. Just being able to get away to Manchester for a week felt like an escape. Back to his old life.

England had drawn the series which was disappointing, but Matt had bigger things on his mind.

"You must be disappointed, missing out on a fifth consecutive win," a reporter asked him in the post-test press conference.

Matt gave a polite but neutral answer.

"Would you say England is losing momentum? Not showing the same spirit at Lord's, or in Karachi last November?" another cricket writer asked him.

Matt hated questions like these. The journalist had already decided what tone to take with his story, and whatever Matt said would be twisted into a negative statement. He gave a formulaic response.

There were a couple of questions about the upcoming Ashes series against Australia that summer and the conference was wound up.

Matt escaped to the bar to join the rest of his teammates where the conversation turned to Australia once again. The Ashes, a five-match series that England played against Australia every couple of years, were cricket's most celebrated rivalry.

"You taking any time off for the arrival?" someone asked Matt. "When's it due?"

"Not until August." Between the third and fourth tests from what the doctors had said. Matt still hadn't decided what to do.

He noticed Chris frown but didn't think much of it.

Talk turned to other topics and Matt found himself drinking more beer than he should. He was drinking too much these days generally and he needed to put a lid on it. He resolved to do so when he was back home in London. A fresh start. After all he wanted to be at peak fitness for the Ashes series. England hadn't won a series against Australia for over a decade and the pressure was really mounting.

Chris urged him to stay for another round when a group of them got up to go. Matt tried to decline. "I've already had several too many. We've got this dinner later."

"I know. Just have a coke."

Matt ordered a soft drink and sat down by Chris. "Something on your mind."

"Not on mine, possibly there should be on yours. What date's this kid arriving?"

"The doctors say the twenty-first of August, but it may not arrive exactly on that day." Matt had been doing his homework. Or rather Miggy had been giving him lectures.

"You absolutely sure about that?"

Now it was Matt's turn to look puzzled. "They seem to be fairly confident about the dates, I don't know how they work it out."

Chris drained his own pint. "You may have done Engineering, not Maths or Biology, but it might be time to get out your calculator. And have a look at your calendar last year. Nine months, remember."

"What are you on about?"

Chris suddenly looked weary. Concerned, and weary. Matt felt guilty because he knew Chris had his own issues but all the support in their friendship had been one way recently.

"It really isn't my business and I'm not a medic. Just consider checking all the dates."

* * *

Matt wasn't entirely sure what Chris was getting at. He thought that Chris must be saying the doctors were mistaken, perhaps that it would fall right at the start of the Ashes series which would be a bit more of a hassle in terms of taking time off.