— Hija, tienes que ver, nunca he visto una mujer tan fina y educada como ésta. — "Daughter, you have to see, I have never seen a woman as fine and educated as her." I roll my eyes as I hear my mother once again talk about Joan's niece.
My mother has apparently never seen a woman as beautiful as this and is in a state of shock, my sister Alba and I are even a little offended that a stranger has won my mother's heart like that.
— I bet Alexia and I are prettier. — Alba says as she finishes applying mascara to her eyelashes.
Unfortunately I have to disagree with Alba, there is no way she or I can be more beautiful than Isabel.
— Nah, she looked like a damn angel with her blonde hair and pale skin. — My response is quick and automatic, which is a complete mistake, after that I'm sure my sister won't leave me alone.
— Ale Ale, hermanita... — Alba murmurs excitedly, my mother tries to hide it but I know she is holding back her laughter.
The three of us were getting ready for dinner at Alba's favorite restaurant, but the preparation was interrupted when I blurted out what I thought about the businesswoman's appearance.
— Now, I am really curious. To receive such a specific compliment from you, she must be a goddess. — My sister doesn't mind seeing me embarrassed, so she keeps making jokes and comments. Alba took my cell phone, which was closer and unlocked it.
—Damn, she's absolutely beautiful, Jesus, I didn't even know someone could look like that in real life. — Alba searches for the woman's name on Instagram and stalks her, on my account.
— Don't like any photo or see any of her stories, I don't follow her.
— Now you do, I started following right now. — My sister ran away when I tried to take the cell phone from her hand.
My mother laughs as I complain about Alba's shamelessness and audacity.
—I will change my password. — After a lot of struggling, I managed to grab the cell phone from her hand.
— Okay, I'll find out anyway. — I roll my eyes at my sister as the three of us walk to the car.
— Mom?! Look what Alba is doing! — my frustration only increases when my mother laughs when she hears my complaint.
— Don't involve me in this, Ale.
I roll my eyes as they both laugh and turn on the car ignition, heading to the restaurant.
During the beginning of dinner, we talked about everything and plans for the night of my fourtieth game for FC Barcelona.
— It won't kill you if you go out to celebrate one day, for God's sake. —Alba rolls her eyes, answering me when I said that we will only go out if we win the game.
I was about to respond when my mother interrupted me.
— Chicas, look who just walked in. — my mother looked at me and Alba with wide eyes.
A warm sensation ran down my spine, I turned my head towards the door. My gaze collided with Isabel Laporta and was stuck there. She had another woman by her side and smiled when our eyes met.
My heart slowed as fire coursed through my entire body.
Being aware of that woman's beauty doesn't automatically make me not surprised every time I see her.
I always knew how to contain myself and never let it show when I was interested in someone, but with this woman... She brings out the biggest gay panic in me.
— What a wonderful coincidence, Ale! — My sister says winking at me after seeing how blushing I am.
— I told you her style is amazing. — My mother says, sharing a look with Alba.
The businesswoman wore an elegant long skirt, a cropped top and a white blazer. Her hair was tied up, her asymmetrical face was on display. A perfect model of a powerful, confident woman.
— Oh, she's coming here, mom, don't be embarrassing, please. — My sister's voice breaks me out of my trance.
— Alexia, Eli, great to see you here. And I don't think we've met before, but you must be Alba Putellas? It's a pleasure to meet you all here. — Isabel smiles as she extends her hand to the three of us. My mom and sister are having their fangirl moment.
My sister, who is very well educated and charismatic, has already started a conversation. Isabel Laporta also introduced us to the woman on her left, Cláudia Perez, her friend and assistant.
— What a great coincidence, Are you busy or will you meet someone here? — After everyone was properly presented, my mother said this sentence, already knowing where this was going, a strange dance began in my stomach. — We can have dinner together if you two want.
— I'm sure she has a lot of things to do, mam...
— That sounds great, Eli. Claudia and I will love it. — I can't breathe properly. I can't even think straight. I kept my eyes on my plate as I ate, especially since Isabel was sitting right in front of me.
— Que maravilla. — my sister doesn't hide how excited she is about this interaction unfolding.
— I was happy to see that a woman was participating in Ale's negotiation, in this world bosses are always middle-aged men. — My mother told Isabel, another who can't hide her excitement while interacting with the woman. — It definitely made the meeting more comfortable for both of us, didn't it Ale?
I swallowed hard when Isabel's gaze warms my face. I made a hmm noise to hide my shortness of breath.
Her eyes are dark, something I thought was impossible. Her eyes were the most perfect ocean color I've ever seen. It was the first thing that caught my attention about her, the clarity of her eyes.
However, now when she looks at me, the blue of her eyes subtly darkens, indicating a change in her mood or expression. I can't identify what it is, but to be honest, it's captivating.
— My job at Barcelona is temporary, it would be difficult for me to keep two jobs, but I'm happy to help while I'm working there. — The waiter had already taken their order.
— Oh, do you do anything else besides working with Joan? — Alba asks from my side, genuinely curious.
— Your uncle mentioned something about jewelry brands after the meeting, isn't that right? — My mother adds.
— Yes, the brand was my mother's idea, but she never managed to make her dream come true, so I adopted this dream and idea for myself and managed to make it happen.
— Impressive. — Mom looks at me and glances dazzled at Isabel.
— We'd love to know more about it, then remember to pass on the name to Alexia, after all, you're going to work together now, right? —My mom says and I must have heard wrong, because I don't know where the information that Sara and I were going to work together came from.
Without thinking, I look away from the plate and look at her. Isabel's blue eyes are already on me as she shoves her food fork into her mouth.
— Isabel will be the member of the board responsible for monitoring the training and infrastructure of the women's team. The president wants the players to receive the best possible conditions, Isa will be responsible for ensuring that everything is in order and that the players are satisfied. And since you are the captain, you are expected to work together. — Claudia explains it to me quietly, surprising me, I barely heard her voice the entire dinner.
She must have noticed the confused look on my face, someone should have already explained about Isabel's work at the meeting and I probably didn't listen, as I was too busy staring at Sara herself.
— Ah, thank you very much for explaining. — I try to be polite the way everyone expects me to be.
— You're welcome, I really admire your work, congratulations on winning the World Cup. You deserved it. — Claudia, like Isabel, was a very educated woman. Isabel must have heard because she frowned. Unlike my interactions with Isabel, my interactions with Cláudia don't make me as nervous.
Before I could thank Cláudia, a voice with a French accent interrupts me.
— Claudia is a big fan of yours, Alexia. It won't be a problem if you take a photo with her afterwards, right? — Her request was simple, I'm already used to taking photos and I have no problem with that, but something in the blonde's tone made me step back and raise an eyebrow.
It's as if she was warning me. I don't know where this change in attitude came from, but I pretended I didn't notice and responded normally.
— There will be no problem, now I hope to see you in the stands at our next game at Johan. — I hear Cláudia's voice cheer up next to me, but I keep my eyes fixed on the woman in front of me as I make the invitation.
— We will definitely be there.
English is not my first language.
I hope you understand.
The story is purely fiction, the player's personality is invented. Please do not associate the personality of the players mentioned in the fanfic with reality.
Thank you and I hope you like it.