After leaving everything back home, I had finally arrived in Madrid.
The eight hour flight was a breeze, what with my sleeping throughout the whole ordeal. I left my family and friends back in New York City after getting offered a marketing job for Real Madrid.
I've been working at Adidas for quite some time and thanks to me, Real Madrid managed to make a deal with designer Yohji Yamamoto, for their third kit of the season.
Traveling back and forth from Japan and Spain was an endless struggle, but this deal has made my career and caught the attention of Real Madrid.
I've done internships for some MLS teams, LA Galaxy, NY Red Bulls, even worked with the Costa Rican national team for about a month or two, all this in a little over a year. I know I am the youngest person on the team; finishing college in half the time has done me well.
Today I am supposed to present myself for the first time, meet the people higher up. My flight was delayed a bit so by the time I leave the airport, the presentation for the kit is already beginning.
This was it, this was the official move and stay in Spain. I travelled back home for the weekend to collect whatever I hadn't managed to send off by ship and say goodbye to my lovely friends and family, in order to start a new life here in Spain. The only language I have to pick up is Catalan, the other six languages I know shall suffice.
I get into the car that has been waiting for me and head to the event. I change in the backseat of the car, rather rapidly might I add. As I finally make my way to the presentation, I head straight towards the bathroom, my hair and face are a mess. I make my way to the opposite side of the room and try not to distract anyone on stage or off. The only thing that makes a handful of people look my way is the sound my heels make in the quiet room. The announcer was showing the crowd a video of the team, a video in which I supervised its making.
My extensive love for football made this trip all the more easier. I grew up around football and am a profound fanatic. I honestly couldn't be happier finally getting to work with a renowned club, even though I'm a Barcelona fan, but I truly love some of the players on this team.
Once I finally make it out the door, back to the presentation, I get stopped by someone immediately.
"Katalina!" the man cheers.
I stand there not knowing what to say. Am I supposed to recognize him in the dark?
"Ancelotti, we spoke over the phone," he said and placed his right hand in front of me.
I shook his hand and greeted him, feeling a bit dumb for not recognizing the team manager.
I explain what happened to my flight and he says he already knows, he spoke to the airline, they explained it all. Apparently I was urgently needed so he rushed me over to the side of the stage. I greet Yamamoto as I follow him behind the stage and his face instantly lights up. We chat for a bit, the language barrier eventually falling greater as the little Japanese I know falls short a minute in. I rush over to Ancelotti once again as I spot him gesturing over to me. He's standing with Iker.
"Iker, this is Katalina, one of our new marketers and publicist, she's gonna be doing a lot of public relations between all the guys on the team, Adidas and all of that," Carlo explains to him.
Once he finally leaves us two alone, I get to introduce myself to him properly. We chat for a bit and I feel people's eyes on me; the strange new woman talking to the team captain.
We speak as he begins to change into the new kit for the presentation. Carlo passes by and instructs me to help him with the shirt.
"You'll get to meet the rest of the team soon," Casillas reassures me.
I nod in recognition and begin to help with his headset. When I look back to where the other players were standing, I see they made their way to the stage already.
"Don't be nervous," Iker says and pats me on my shoulder as I give him a smile.
Moments later Yamamoto comes back from the stage once again and it's time for him to leave. I had been setting up the car to take him back to his hotel. I guide him and everyone he came with back behind all the media and out from where I arrived. I thank him once again for everything he has done and he thanks me back for the opportunity. Finding a design like his was special, bringing it to a football club was all the more other worldly.
When I walk back in the announcer is asking Gareth something and I smirk at the sight of him listening to his little earphone intently to understand the question he was just asked. While the presentation goes on I meet some more of my coworkers and bosses. I can tell they're all questioning how someone so young came to the position they've been working at for years, middle aged men.
About twenty minutes later, Xabi, James, Marcelo, Gareth and Iker come back stage along with the announcer. I stand there a bit starstruck as they begin to change. I get dragged along with a new coworker of mine to go guide the media to the shop for their surprise footballer demonstration, I didn't have the chance to introduce myself to the other guys yet. It may just be simpler to meet the whole team at once.
James' POV
I can't help but stare at one of the only women in the room. I've never seen her before and that's new for me. Being the new buy in the team has led me to make sure I meet everyone in the club, the managers and publicists, the drivers of the buses and even the make up crew for events. I saw her talking to Iker before I went on stage. I was about to ask him who she was before Carlo told us all we were to meet her soon. A new addition to the team, all I've been asking for since I've gotten here. Being the new one isn't as fun as it seems. Sure I get along with the majority of the team but Kroos, Keylor and I know it's gonna take us a while to be seen as one of them.