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"Congratulations, Kingsley You’re the new striker on our interh school?" Kingsley asked "Or is this a side effect of prolonged celibacy?"

"You can’t say no We’ve already ordered your T-shirt"

"Definitely weirder since high school"

"The wisest thing my confessor ever told ue soccer is your definition of fun?"

"It is when you win But First Presbyterian slaughtered us last week We lost four to one"

"Aren’t Presbyterians Calvinists?" Kingsley asked Søren hated Calvinism

"Now you knohy I need you to help me destroy theet in return?"

"My gratitude?"

Kingsley stayed silent

"My eternal gratitude?" Søren upped his offer

Kingsley still said nothing

"A night with Eleanor once she’s old enough?"

Kingsley narrowed his eyes at Søren and stroked his chin while considering the offer

"You and her both? My bedroom?"

Søren paused

"If you’re clean," Søren finally said, "and if you behave, don’t get yourself killed between now and then, and if she’s asley said

"Then it’s a deal"

Kingsley took the soccer ball out of Søren’s hands

"First Presbyterian will never knohat hit thesley said Side by side they ran on to the field, and in short order, Kingsley had taken co European, Kingsley could play better than they could, and they willingly followed his direction The younger players especially were in awe For a perfect two hours Kingsley didn’t think once of his i test results, not once about Robert Dixon’s tape, not once about taking out Fuller’s church

And not once did he think of Søren as anything other than an annoyingly good player on his team

When practice ended, they walked back to the church sweaty and tired But it was a good sweaty, a good tired

"Admit it, you had fun," Søren said "Fun that didn’t involve sex, drugs, or black a district attorney"

"I don’t bribe DAs for fun That was a favor to you"

"And I appreciate it So does Eleanor, even if she doesn’t knohat you did on her behalf"

"She’ll oad Søren and succeeding