Hold Me Close

let me see you sweat

"Yes, ma'am," I repeat, pairing this one with a salute. "Wait, what's wrong with my eyebrows?"

She doesn't reply, pushing my shoulder towards the building instead. I'm certain she's winding me up, but that doesn't stop me from checking how they look the minute I pass by a reflective surface (coincidentally, a very specific Cupra Formentor belonging to a very annoying Barcelona captain).

Aside from a few humorously spiky comments from Patri, Pina, and the like, the training session passes with ease. With our upcoming game against Atleti being one of the harder ones in the domestic league, we hone in on a few new combinations. I shrug when asked why the triangle of Alexia, Esmee, and I on the right-wing has a chemistry so dangerous that it is impenetrable.

Furthermore, as agreed, the cameras subtly stop recording whenever a break is called and I head over to my girlfriend for a chat. It's relatively inconspicuous, considering we talk quietly and just to the side of the gaggle of our teammates. Esmee does a favour every so often and lingers nearby, third-wheeling as an excuse to daydream as she regularly does.

"Are you coming over later?" Alexia asks one water break. Her hand grazes my elbow to get my attention, even though she knows she already has it all. "You need to give me my t-shirt back. I will have no pyjamas in Madrid if you don't."

I grin; she's walked right into this one. "That is ideal." She rolls her eyes. "Jaimie's promised to call, but aside from her rambling, I'm free. Might have to bring Esmee with me just in case she murders Oli when I'm not there." He has been shedding a lot recently, and Esmee was not pleased to find her pristine black hoodie no longer so... pristine. He must have enjoyed the (over-priced) fabric, and has continued to choose it as his bed despite her hiding it away in her bedroom.

"Bring the cat instead."

"The last time I brought Oli with me to yours, he ended up with Mapi and we were accused of neglect!"

Alexia sets her water bottle down, eyes gleaming. "It was worth it, no?" I turn away from her before she sees how red I have become.

Perhaps it is planned that the camera lenses are being wiped down, as I end up giving the crew an unobstructed view of my blush. No one seems to notice that they have stopped recording now that we have moved into a more incriminating location: the gym. Olivia takes one look at how I have angled my equipment towards the machine Alexia is using, her muscles glistening with sweat in all their glory, and signals to me that they have gotten enough footage and are going to head out.

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Jaimie calls me earlier than expected, just as we sit down for lunch in the training ground canteen. She isn't interesting to talk to, mainly regaling me with tennis stories and keeping me updated on how moving in with Leah is going. Apparently, I am being visited by our mother in Barcelona so that I am not required to make the trip to England and see her with Jaimie. She's coming in November, invited by an old friend from athletics to see me play against Real Madrid in the stadium where she won an Olympic gold. The pressure is on for both my sister and I to qualify for the Olympics now, especially seeing as Jaimie missed her chance last time because of an injury.

Better news from the older de Voss comes in the form of Dutch school holidays. I had forgotten about the October break, and am pleasantly surprised that Lize and co will be in Barcelona for a few days and will visit me when I get back from the international break. Noa has been dissuaded from donning Arsenal red, but it came at the cost of a de Voss jersey (number fourteen now) in blaugrana. No one in my family is happy about it, but tolerance is our way until the excuse of her being a baby is no longer valid.