‹ Prequel: Everything I'm Not
Love's Requiem
Illumination
The next morning, Niko and Luka were up early way before I had even woken up to do some pre match training, and warm ups. I woke up around 9am, to find a small piece of paper on the pillow next to me.
Training until 11, I’ll be back in time to go out for breakfast.
Niko
Well I guess it wasn’t that bad, I thought to myself as I pulled out clothes to wear to the match, and laid them out on the bed before I headed to shower. After I did my hair in low pigtails, and put some light make up on I quickly got dressed seeing as it was already 10:30. Of course in honor of today I was wearing my Croatia jersey, with a long sleeve white shirt underneath, and black jeans and boots so I wouldn’t totally freeze while I was shouting all match. I was in the middle or replying to emails from Jack, Jesse, Kara, and Michi when Niko came back.
“I could smell you from the elevator.” I joked as he came in and dropped his duffle on the floor.
“I missed you too.” He said shooting me a smile as he headed in to the shower after giving me a kiss.
“I’ll re pack your bag for you.” I shouted through the door to him.
I took out the sneakers he had and replaced them with his cleats and uniform, as well as his team coat. A little while later, he came out showered and changed in to his other team get up that they usually have to wear when going to a match.
“Feed me!” I whined, making him laugh as he pinned me down where I was sitting on the bed. “You smell good for a change.” I added, with a smirk.
“Now if only I could say the same for you.” He joked, as I kissed him slowly, he kissed me back and soon breakfast didn’t seem to be our first priority any more.
“Where were you two, I didn’t see you at breakfast?” Luka asked as I followed them and we headed to the huge bus they had to get on to go to the stadium. I partly was still confused on how the heck I was supposed to be getting there.
“We decided to get breakfast at a café.” I lied, as I noticed Niko smile as we walked.
“I see.”
“So how am I getting to the stadium?” I asked, “Do I get directions or take a bus, what do I do? Taxi?” I went on trying to think of ways.
“You’re going in that car over there with the other wives and girlfriends.”
“I love how I’m being lumped in to this category.” I told them bitterly.
“We can’t sneak you on the bus Isabella.” Luka laughed.
“And not only that, that car is taking you to the entrance where you’ll get your pass in.” Niko explained.
“I will be on the pitch though like in the normal seats right? I don’t want any special treatment.” I told him.
“I know, I know which is why I made sure you’re going to be in a good spot.” He assured me as we reached the bus.
“Okay,” I sighed, “Will I get to see you before you play?” I asked him.
“Probably not, try and get along with the others, for me?” He asked.
“No promises.” I told him, as he let out a chuckle,
“Good enough for me.” He went on as I saw a few of the other players saying good-bye to their significant others.
“If you lose, I’m sorry Luka I’m going to have to murder you and then flee to Monaco to live under a fake name.”
“And what about me?” Niko asked while the two of them laughed and I hugged Luka.
“Probably sell all your underwear.” I told him, making them laugh even more.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Luka said still laughing as he let go of me and headed on to the bus
to let me say bye to Niko.
“You’re going to do fine today.” I told him as I went on my toes to give him a kiss.
“Thank you,” He smiled down at me, as he hugged me really tight before he had to let go and get on the bus.
“Are you Isabella?” A woman with short brown hair said walking up to me.
“Yes?” I said cautiously, which caused her to laugh a bit.
“Don’t worry you’re not in trouble.” She chuckled, “I’m Anica, Robert’s wife.” She said extending her hand out.
I thought for a second and then realized she was one of the center player’s wives.
“Right!” I exclaimed feeling stupid, “Nice to meet you.” I added.
“Well we better get to the car or we won’t make it there on time.” She said as she led the way.
We small talked for the ride there, a few of the other wives or girlfriends lived up to the total stereotype of a pro athletes’ girlfriend, always checking their hair and make up not really wanting to socialize with anyone not like them. However a few were also really friendly, and kind. Once we arrived at the stadium, we had to check in and were shown to a section in the upper deck, that was reserved, not a bad view either.
“So Isabella,” Anica began after we sat down.
“Please, call me Bella.” I asked her.
“Bella, how did you meet Niko?” She asked, I assumed she thought I was his girlfriend, then
again it did seem that way.
“I met Niko when we were kids, I had just moved in with my Grandparents in Zagreb from Zadar because my parents left for America, and we had met at a play ground and then we also went to pre-school together.” I laughed.
“How come you’ve never been to any games before?”
“Well I live in New York now, and I also travel a lot with my job.”
We talked more and I learned how Anica was a model and how her and her husband also had children, and to my relief she was in to the game just like I was, because once it started we switched over to cheering and discussing the moves.
Two hours later, and they had won. It was a close game and Anica and I were still talking about it all the way back to the hotel.
“So now what happens?” I asked her as we reached the hotel and I noticed the huge bus was nowhere in sight.
“They’ll be doing press now at the stadium for another hour or two, which usually leaves us to get ready and go out to celebrate.”
“By ourselves?” I asked confused.
“With them once they get back,” She chuckled. “New at this huh?”
“The last game of theirs I ever went to was the under 21 Dinamo league.” I explained.
“Really, really new at this.” She smiled, “What room are you and Niko in?”
“718.”
“Okay, I’ll give you a call later on when we’re about to leave usually we’ll all meet up in the lobby and go out.”
“Okay,” I nodded, as we piled in to the elevator and my phone began to ring. “Hello?”
“So I see Lover boy won.” I heard Jack’s voice.
“Yup, did you watch it or just look it up online?”
“It’s no fun to watch without you here.”
“You’re too kind.”
“How was it?” He asked as I nodded to Anica as I walked off on my floor.
“Amazing! The game was so good, they all played so well.”
“And where were you?”
“I was with the wives and girlfriends.”
“So it’s official my Bella is now a Wag.”
“I am not a wag! I am a friend!” I exclaimed.
“Whatever you say, so how did that turn out?”
“Well a few were your typical my shit doesn’t stink, I’m hotter than the sun, everyone is
beneath me because that’s my man on the field type. However, I got along great with a few of the nicer, older wives.”
“Finally, you actually can get along with other women excluding your friend and Kara.”
“Yup.” I said proudly as I walked in to the room and plopped down on the bed kicking off my
boots and taking off my jacket.
I sat and talked with Jack for an hour until I realized I had to probably start to get ready.
“Stay out of trouble.” Jack told me seriously.
“Shouldn’t I be telling you that?”
“I’m spending my day at the mall, and then probably seeing a movie. You’re about to go get your party on in mother Russia. Who really is able to get in to more shenanigans you or me”
“Still you.” I laughed.
“Fuck you too!” He exclaimed laughing, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, email me bitch.” He said before he hung up.
Training until 11, I’ll be back in time to go out for breakfast.
Niko
Well I guess it wasn’t that bad, I thought to myself as I pulled out clothes to wear to the match, and laid them out on the bed before I headed to shower. After I did my hair in low pigtails, and put some light make up on I quickly got dressed seeing as it was already 10:30. Of course in honor of today I was wearing my Croatia jersey, with a long sleeve white shirt underneath, and black jeans and boots so I wouldn’t totally freeze while I was shouting all match. I was in the middle or replying to emails from Jack, Jesse, Kara, and Michi when Niko came back.
“I could smell you from the elevator.” I joked as he came in and dropped his duffle on the floor.
“I missed you too.” He said shooting me a smile as he headed in to the shower after giving me a kiss.
“I’ll re pack your bag for you.” I shouted through the door to him.
I took out the sneakers he had and replaced them with his cleats and uniform, as well as his team coat. A little while later, he came out showered and changed in to his other team get up that they usually have to wear when going to a match.
“Feed me!” I whined, making him laugh as he pinned me down where I was sitting on the bed. “You smell good for a change.” I added, with a smirk.
“Now if only I could say the same for you.” He joked, as I kissed him slowly, he kissed me back and soon breakfast didn’t seem to be our first priority any more.
“Where were you two, I didn’t see you at breakfast?” Luka asked as I followed them and we headed to the huge bus they had to get on to go to the stadium. I partly was still confused on how the heck I was supposed to be getting there.
“We decided to get breakfast at a café.” I lied, as I noticed Niko smile as we walked.
“I see.”
“So how am I getting to the stadium?” I asked, “Do I get directions or take a bus, what do I do? Taxi?” I went on trying to think of ways.
“You’re going in that car over there with the other wives and girlfriends.”
“I love how I’m being lumped in to this category.” I told them bitterly.
“We can’t sneak you on the bus Isabella.” Luka laughed.
“And not only that, that car is taking you to the entrance where you’ll get your pass in.” Niko explained.
“I will be on the pitch though like in the normal seats right? I don’t want any special treatment.” I told him.
“I know, I know which is why I made sure you’re going to be in a good spot.” He assured me as we reached the bus.
“Okay,” I sighed, “Will I get to see you before you play?” I asked him.
“Probably not, try and get along with the others, for me?” He asked.
“No promises.” I told him, as he let out a chuckle,
“Good enough for me.” He went on as I saw a few of the other players saying good-bye to their significant others.
“If you lose, I’m sorry Luka I’m going to have to murder you and then flee to Monaco to live under a fake name.”
“And what about me?” Niko asked while the two of them laughed and I hugged Luka.
“Probably sell all your underwear.” I told him, making them laugh even more.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Luka said still laughing as he let go of me and headed on to the bus
to let me say bye to Niko.
“You’re going to do fine today.” I told him as I went on my toes to give him a kiss.
“Thank you,” He smiled down at me, as he hugged me really tight before he had to let go and get on the bus.
“Are you Isabella?” A woman with short brown hair said walking up to me.
“Yes?” I said cautiously, which caused her to laugh a bit.
“Don’t worry you’re not in trouble.” She chuckled, “I’m Anica, Robert’s wife.” She said extending her hand out.
I thought for a second and then realized she was one of the center player’s wives.
“Right!” I exclaimed feeling stupid, “Nice to meet you.” I added.
“Well we better get to the car or we won’t make it there on time.” She said as she led the way.
We small talked for the ride there, a few of the other wives or girlfriends lived up to the total stereotype of a pro athletes’ girlfriend, always checking their hair and make up not really wanting to socialize with anyone not like them. However a few were also really friendly, and kind. Once we arrived at the stadium, we had to check in and were shown to a section in the upper deck, that was reserved, not a bad view either.
“So Isabella,” Anica began after we sat down.
“Please, call me Bella.” I asked her.
“Bella, how did you meet Niko?” She asked, I assumed she thought I was his girlfriend, then
again it did seem that way.
“I met Niko when we were kids, I had just moved in with my Grandparents in Zagreb from Zadar because my parents left for America, and we had met at a play ground and then we also went to pre-school together.” I laughed.
“How come you’ve never been to any games before?”
“Well I live in New York now, and I also travel a lot with my job.”
We talked more and I learned how Anica was a model and how her and her husband also had children, and to my relief she was in to the game just like I was, because once it started we switched over to cheering and discussing the moves.
Two hours later, and they had won. It was a close game and Anica and I were still talking about it all the way back to the hotel.
“So now what happens?” I asked her as we reached the hotel and I noticed the huge bus was nowhere in sight.
“They’ll be doing press now at the stadium for another hour or two, which usually leaves us to get ready and go out to celebrate.”
“By ourselves?” I asked confused.
“With them once they get back,” She chuckled. “New at this huh?”
“The last game of theirs I ever went to was the under 21 Dinamo league.” I explained.
“Really, really new at this.” She smiled, “What room are you and Niko in?”
“718.”
“Okay, I’ll give you a call later on when we’re about to leave usually we’ll all meet up in the lobby and go out.”
“Okay,” I nodded, as we piled in to the elevator and my phone began to ring. “Hello?”
“So I see Lover boy won.” I heard Jack’s voice.
“Yup, did you watch it or just look it up online?”
“It’s no fun to watch without you here.”
“You’re too kind.”
“How was it?” He asked as I nodded to Anica as I walked off on my floor.
“Amazing! The game was so good, they all played so well.”
“And where were you?”
“I was with the wives and girlfriends.”
“So it’s official my Bella is now a Wag.”
“I am not a wag! I am a friend!” I exclaimed.
“Whatever you say, so how did that turn out?”
“Well a few were your typical my shit doesn’t stink, I’m hotter than the sun, everyone is
beneath me because that’s my man on the field type. However, I got along great with a few of the nicer, older wives.”
“Finally, you actually can get along with other women excluding your friend and Kara.”
“Yup.” I said proudly as I walked in to the room and plopped down on the bed kicking off my
boots and taking off my jacket.
I sat and talked with Jack for an hour until I realized I had to probably start to get ready.
“Stay out of trouble.” Jack told me seriously.
“Shouldn’t I be telling you that?”
“I’m spending my day at the mall, and then probably seeing a movie. You’re about to go get your party on in mother Russia. Who really is able to get in to more shenanigans you or me”
“Still you.” I laughed.
“Fuck you too!” He exclaimed laughing, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, email me bitch.” He said before he hung up.