Chapter Seventeen

~Aina~

She and Leo had grown closer over the past months, especially as she graduated, and adjusted into working in the Foundation with him.

She became the official spokesperson when he was predisposed, and was unable to do fundraising and such. She also went to work getting the word about the organization out on the internet, getting a website created, as well as an official Facebook and Twitter group together for the sake of attracting attention and support.

She stepped out of the airport, slipping on her sunglasses as she headed toward her apartment.

She hailed a taxi, and texted her brother to let him and the others know she was going to be there after and that her phone was on if they needed anything. She then thanked the driver, and alighted the steps to get to her floor. She shrugged off her suit jacket immediately upon closing the door, kicking off her heels seconds later. Scooping up all discarded items, she headed back to her room. She let the skirt drop too, quickly jumping into a pair of jeans. She then opened her closet, gazing at the selection of jerseys she had to choose from. She decided to go with her brother’s for the sake of not wanting to take forever to decide, and slipped it over her head.

After quickly checking to make sure she was presentable, she jogged back outside, and got in her car. She waited, her thumbs tapping the steering wheel, before Olivia burst out, also wearing her brother’s jersey.

She slipped into the passenger seat and buckled before Aina turned the key, firing up the engine, and pulling out into traffic. “Welcome back to Barcelona. How was America?” the chef asked, settling into her seat. “It was pretty neat, but I still prefer here much more,” she answered, adjusting the mirror slightly as she stopped at a signal. “Yeah, I don’t miss the actual country that much, just my family,” Olivia nodded.

Once at the stadium they headed to their seats, and waited for the game to start.

Barça ended up winning 3-0 against Sporting Gijón, starting off the season well. They met the players at the normal celebration spot, Olivia’s restaurant.

She spotted Leo off to the side, looking upset, and wandered over to him. “What’s wrong?” she questioned, sitting next to him. “I know it’s selfish, but I really wanted to score tonight,” he admitted. She laughed, and ruffled his hair, “I’m sure you’ll score next game.” “But what if I keep missing like I did tonight?” he worried aloud. She sighed, and patted his knee, “How about this – if you score a goal next game, you get a prize.”

He arched a brow, “A prize? What sort of prize?” “I don’t know…whatever you want, I suppose,” she shrugged.

~Gerard~

The flight to Getafe seemed to take forever, mostly because he was occupied with a singular thought. Soon it would be a year since he and Olivia had been dating.

While the time hadn’t been without trials, it had been the best relationship he’d ever been in. It was more than just a physical attraction; there was something deeply emotional between them. He couldn’t always discern what it was, but he knew parts.
Such as her willingness to accept him for who he was, and not try and change her – he didn’t have to feel like he was being scolded like a child with her. She loved his personality, and he felt comfortable with her at all times. Other relationships hadn’t been that way at all. She had also been there for him entirely during his brief encounters with injury too. He relied on her much more than he cared to admit.

He thought long and hard about how to celebrate their anniversary. He knew milestones such as one year were important, but he had no idea what could possibly be good enough to celebrate it.

Normally they celebrated things at her restaurant, but he didn’t want her to cook for her own anniversary.

Groaning, he grabbed his carryon bag as the plane landed, and
stood with the rest of his teammates. They shuffled off the plane, and onto the bus to head toward the stadium to prepare for the game.

~Leo~

The celebration at Olivia’s restaurant was in full swing. He held his can of beer listlessly as he searched the crowd for the person he wanted to see. He finally spotted her swatting Geri on the arm, scolding him for something. He grinned, and waited for her to spot
him as well.

Finally their eyes met, and he saw her start over.

“Congrats on scoring,” she grinned, “and in the last ten minutes too!” He smiled, “I wanted my prize,” he shrugged. She laughed, “I can barely hear you.” She pulled him along, and outside into the fresh night air. Birds sang around them in the darkness, several bugs making noise as well. The sounds of the party inside seeped out, a dull roar in the background as they walked further away.

She then stopped, and turned to him. “Alright, what do you want?” she questioned curiously, “and remember, within reason. I’m not giving you my car, or apartment.”

He chuckled, “I wasn’t going to ask for those.”

He bit his lip nervously. He knew exactly what he wanted, but he wasn’t sure how to ask her. Silence fell on them as he continued to think long and hard about what he wanted, or rather, how to tell her. She arched a brow at the prolonged silence. “Do you need more time to think about it?” she questioned.

He shook his head. “Bueno, qué quieres?” she asked brightly. He gulped, observing her features closely. He sighed, decided it was worth the risk. “Quiero un beso.”

~Olivia~

Olivia was in the back making the desert when the doors opened, and a flustered Aina walked in. She paced several times in front of the door before collapsing in one of the chairs scattered around.

“Qué pasa?” Liv exclaimed, confused by her friend’s sudden appearance and behavior.

“I made this deal with Leo…if he scored in the game against Getafe, I would give him a prize,” the other female said. “What did he want? Your car? First born child? Not your apartment!” Liv exclaimed, setting down the bowl of chocolate to sit next to Aina.

The other female scoffed, “Still melodramatic, I see.”

“Ok, maybe not the apartment or car…” the chef conceded. Aina rolled her eyes, “Because the baby was what he was after – right.” “Lo siento, but what did he want?” Olivia asked, curious. Aina looked down at her lap, chewing nervously on her lip. “You have to promise not to tell Geri, alright?” “Rosy shall hear nothing from me,” the other replied, holding out her pinkie. They shook on it, and the Catalan female sighed deeply.

“He wanted a kiss.”

Olivia let out a loud squeal, “Did you give him one?” A nod.
“Where? On the lips? Cheek? Forehead?” she immediately asked. “On his foot – no, of course a proper one, en los labos,” the other said sarcastically.

“And did you?”

Another nod. The two females gazed at each other, each trying to figure out what the other was thinking. “Did you like it?” the chef asked at last. A third nod. “And then what did you do?” “Your boyfriend burst out of the door, drunkenly laughing, and I went and brought him back inside before coming back here.” “And so why are you back here?” Liv asked, knowing she wasn’t the best when it came to relationship advice.

“I just…am I putting myself in the position to get hurt again? I don’t know if Geri will like this, especially since they’re on the same squad, and I just…I don’t know if I can go through that again…” she confessed brokenly.

Olivia pulled her friend into a hug. “Ultimately it has to be your decision, amiga. But I will support you in whatever choice you make. But do listen to this – Leo is not Cesc. Don’t compare two men who are nothing alike. I can’t tell you whether you should get into a relationship with Leo, but don’t think it will turn out like it did before, just because they’re both footballers. They have different faults, and I think we both know Leo would never, ever hurt anyone.”

Aina nodded, and stood. “Where are you going?” Liv questioned. The other female gesturing toward the back door, “I just need time alone to think.”

The chef watched as her friend wandered outside, and hoped everything would work out for the best.