Sour Notes • Joan Garcia

Chapter 8: Tables at Twenties

🎶 Destination Calabria - Radio Edit — Alex Gaudino, Crystal Waters 🎶

It was the usual busy night at Jacqueline but all the tables were taken care of and I was standing with Nina behind her booth, chatting about the upcoming Zara sale when Pol walked in. Nina automatically straightened up and put on her best smile.

"Hi Nina" Pol greeted her first with a wink before turning to me. "Hey donkey" he said to me and I looked at him annoyedly.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Just asking if you girls want to come clubbing later? We've got a table at Twenties" he said.
"Yeah, sure" I replied. I hadn't been clubbing for ages and rarely said no to a good party.

"Wait a minute - who's we?" I asked.
"Toni and his boys, and also Jordi and Raul" he replied and shrugged.
"Is Joan Garcia included in Toni and his boys?" I asked.
"I think so" Pol replied and grinned like an idiot.

I was about to say something but Nina jumped in.
"You already said yes" she reminded me.
"Urgh... fine. We'll stop by mine after work to change and I'll text you when we're on our way" I told Pol.
"Great, see you girls" he said and mock-saluted us as he turned around to leave.

"Since when do you have a crush on my brother?" I asked Nina when he was gone.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked.
"No! Not at all!" I replied sarcastically.
"Almost as obvious as you having one on your new goalkeeper" she chuckled.
"Definitely not" I laughed. That wasn't a crush, that was pure annoyance.

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We arrived at the club shortly after 1am and the party was already in full swing. I told the bouncer our names and he let us into the VIP area where Pol had texted me their table was.
"Your guy's so tall" Nina swooned.
"He's not my guy" I hissed before we arrived at the table.

"The wine girl! And her friend!" one of the boys shouted, pointing at us. I shot Nina an annoyed glare but she was already gone, asking Pol to pour her a drink. In the corner of my eyes I noticed Joan, dressed... better than usual. A white linen shirt, with some buttons open, a small silver chain around his neck and some nicer blue trousers.

"Something to drink, Laia? We've got champagne though it wasn't as expensive as the one you brought us that evening" Joan said as he took a few steps closer to me.
"Shame. Hope you were still proud enough to show off your flashy credit card" I replied. He just laughed and handed me a glass he had poured without me saying yes.

"To be honest, I didn't believe you'd come. Wine bars are more your... speed" he said.
"And I didn't think you'd risk Espanyol fans spotting you here. Or... don't they care about you anymore already?" I shot back. He laughed but his gaze lingered on me and I could feel the thick tension that lay between us.

A few drinks later and Joan, Pol and Nina were on the dance floor, Joan clearly not getting the memo that those two wanted to be left alone. In an act purely out of love and care for my brother and friend, I gulped down another glass of champagne before heading to the scene.

Nina was already begging with her eyes for a rescue and I nodded, signalling that I got her. I neared them and my arm slung around Joan's waist, pulling him away from those two.
"Whoa, Laia" he chuckled as I removed my hand from his body again.
"You can't read a room, can you?" I hissed.

He craned his neck and saw Pol and Nina finally undisturbed, dancing to the raggaeton beat that was thumping through the club's speakers.
"Might as well dance too" he said and took a step closer to me and I looked up at him, arching my brow. "What? Afraid to find out you'll actually enjoy being this close to me?"

His hand slid around my waist and I should have pulled away immediately. But I didn't, my body betraying my mind. I tried to be stiff, but the music and him moving to it made it impossible for me to not go along. We were in sync almost too naturally, our bodies moving in the heat of the club, along with the rhythm.

His cologne filled my nostrils and I started getting dizzy.
"You think you're irresistible, don't you?" I asked, looking up at him through my eyelashes, heavy with mascara.
Joan bent down a bit to my ear. "Not thinking, just watching you prove it" he said in a low voice. My skin prickled at his breath against my neck and I hated it.

Before I knew it, our faces got close and I put my hand on his shoulder to balance myself. Our eyes lingered longer than they should have but when the beat dropped, I quickly caught myself and took a step back. I shoved his chest lightly and made my way back to our table.

I didn't need to turn around to know he was following me back. When I arrived at the table, I grabbed a glass and poured some water in it to calm myself down, but suddenly I felt his body hovering over mine from the back.
"Careful, Navarro. You're playing with fire" he said in a low voice before joining his friends.

I huffed annoyedly and turned around, walking to the railing overlooking the dance floor. Pol and Nina were still there and I smiled to myself, they looked cute. Suddenly, there was a guy beside me and his presence wasn't like Joan's where I'd force myself away from him. No, this guy, I didn't want him to be there.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone here? Want a drink?" he slurred and put an arm around my shoulder.
"No, thank you. I'm here with friends" I told him and took a step away, but he wouldn't let go.
"Don't see them around" he chuckled. "Come with me, I'll show you some fun."
"Could you give me some space?" I snapped and grabbed his hand to remove it from me but instead, he just crept up closer.

"She said no" Joan said loudly, stepping up between me and the guy.
"Ah, look who it is. The traitor who sold his soul to Barca" the guy mocked. Joan stayed calm, towering over the dude as he clenched his jaw. "You'll never be one of them. Espanyol's shame." the guy added before spitting right at the middle of his shirt.

I gasped and automatically grabbed the back of his shirt, somewhat hiding behind Joan while two of his friends walked up to us after having noticed the scene.
"Get lost before you regret it" Joan said calmly but deadly to the guy and his friends pushed the guy away until he finally turned, cursing something to himself.

I stood there, still registering what happened. I looked up at Joan and... felt sorry for him. Maybe he deserved it, but still, I couldn't shake the image of a guy literally spitting on his shirt. Joan noticed and gave me a small smirk, that didn't quite reach his eyes though, not like it usually did.
"What? Didn't think rats had feelings?" he asked.

"I didn't-" I started, but didn't quite know what to really say.
"It's ok" he just said. "You alright?"
"Thanks for stepping in but... I had it under control" I replied and put a hand on my hip.
"Of course you did" he scoffed and got back to his friends.

Some hours later, we all stumbled out of the club. Nina leaning on Pol, me trailing behind awkwardly and Joan with his friends roaring with laughter at the back.
"Hey... uh... think you could let me crash at your place tonight? With Nina?" Pol asked as we were waiting for Ubers.
"And where does that leave me? I can't show up at Mum's and Dad's at almost 5am?" I asked.

I liked Pol and Nina together but he could have thought that through a few hours earlier than now. Of course Joan had overheard everything.
"If it's that much of a tragedy, you can crash at mine. Couch is free but don't flatter yourself" he chuckled and nudged me.
"Perfect. Problem solved" Pol grinned.

I turned around to glare at Joan and was ready to snap back, but I didn't want to cause a scene, not now.
"This is a terrible idea" I sighed as our Uber arrived.
"Most fun ones are" Joan replied as he held the door open for me.