Caught in a Bad Romance
IX.
He nodded and took a taste of my desert, making me smirk. We headed to a different club that night, and for once Luka didn’t beg everyone to keep an eye on me as we entered. I spent the night drinking and still learning even more about Iker and him about me. Him and I got along greatly and immediately became good friends. After that night, the norm for me became going to my brother’s games with Iker and whenever Spain played I’d either go by myself or with Niko if he weren’t in training. Iker and I would spend almost every waking minute with each other and I won’t lie, I found myself more and more attracted to him. He was the type of guy that seemed far too good to be true. Towards the final week of the Euro cup things were getting close Croatia had to beat Holland, to make it to the finals, while Spain had to beat Portugal to go against either Holland or Croatia.
My brother’s teammates were constantly teasing me telling Luka and myself how they were going to use me as a diversion if they had to play Spain or Portugal. The Friday before the last week, I was out to dinner with Iker after him and I had gone shopping when I got a phone call from a friend back in New York.
“Eugene?” I said answering my phone confused as to why he of all people was calling me.
“Lena my love, where are you?” His thick Ukrainian accent came through on the line.
“Ironically you’re home town.” I laughed. “How are you?”
“Even better now, I am in Kiev!” He exclaimed.
“What are you doing in Kiev?”
“Seeing as I could either be playing shows or visiting my family the better question is what
you’re doing in Kiev?”
“Or why you’re even asking when something tells me someone already told you I was here”
“No one told me, I saw you on TV when I was watching one of the games you and some guy.”
“Oh Jesus.” I sighed, and then realized how rude I was being. “I’m out right now to dinner, can I call you back when I get back to my hotel?”
“Better yet I’ll come see you tonight, what hotel are you staying at?” He asked.
“That palace one?” I said unsure.
“I know which one, I’ll see you later.” He said hanging up.
“Everything okay?” Iker asked me as I shook my head.
“Everything’s fine, a friend of mine is in town.” I explained as he nodded and we went back
to our previous conversation. That night Eugene stopped by and him and I headed to the bar on the roof to do what we did best, drink and talk music.
“So how are you liking my hometown?” Eugene laughed as we sat next to each other on the couch in the lounge.
“It’s been fun, I miss New York though.”
“I hear you.” He nodded, “So who is this guy I see you with on the TV and tonight?”
“Iker? He’s a Spanish player we’re just friends.” I told him shaking my head.
“You sure that’s all you are?”
“He’s amazing,” I sighed, “You could learn a thing or two from him.” I told him.
“So what’s the hold up?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “I feel like he’s in to me but it’s almost a month and he hasn’t
made a move. He’s even spent the night in my room nothing.”
“So what are you doing up here with me? Call him get him up here, look how romantic it is here.” He said motioning around us to the stars and the low-lit candles everywhere.
“He might be sleeping.”
“So tell him, you had a bad dream and need to go for walk.”
“You’re good at this.” I smirked pulling out my phone.
“It’s what I know,” He shrugged as we went back to my room. “Oh before I forget, tomorrow night I have a show, you your brother and whoever else better be there.” He told me as I got off the elevator on my floor.
“Of course, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I told him as I darted for my room as I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.
I quickly changed out of my clothes from that day and in to the less revealing set of pajamas I had packed just in time for there to be a soft tap on my door. I grabbed my hoodie that was on the back of a chair while I slid on my black flip-flops and headed outside.
“Shouldn’t we be going back in to your room?” Iker asked confused he was in a pair of gym shorts and a wrinkled tee shirt.
“I don’t want to take a chance waking them up.” I lied as we walked down the hall.
“So what happened?” He asked me, as we headed for the elevator and went up to the roof.
“I had another war dream,” I lied, well in all actuality if I had been sleeping I probably would have because the past three days straight I’d been having them.
“It’s okay,” He hushed me pulling me in to his arms and rocking me back and forth lightly.
Once we got to the deserted roof lounge we sat at the same couch I was sitting with Eugene on not too long ago.
“Did your friend stop by?” He asked me was I started up at the sky.
“Yeah, he’s playing a show tomorrow night if you’d like to go.” I told him.
“Sure, I just have to take care of something tomorrow night around 7 if anything I’ll meet you at the show.” He told me as I rested my head on him.
“We’re down to the last week.” I pointed out. “I don’t think I would have made it with out hanging out with you.” I told him, as I felt him rub his hand up and down my arm.
“We had fun,” He nodded as I looked up at him.
He locked eyes with me, and slowly it seemed like he was inching towards my face as I felt both our hearts beat faster. I closed my eyes as I felt his warm breath on my lips.
My brother’s teammates were constantly teasing me telling Luka and myself how they were going to use me as a diversion if they had to play Spain or Portugal. The Friday before the last week, I was out to dinner with Iker after him and I had gone shopping when I got a phone call from a friend back in New York.
“Eugene?” I said answering my phone confused as to why he of all people was calling me.
“Lena my love, where are you?” His thick Ukrainian accent came through on the line.
“Ironically you’re home town.” I laughed. “How are you?”
“Even better now, I am in Kiev!” He exclaimed.
“What are you doing in Kiev?”
“Seeing as I could either be playing shows or visiting my family the better question is what
you’re doing in Kiev?”
“Or why you’re even asking when something tells me someone already told you I was here”
“No one told me, I saw you on TV when I was watching one of the games you and some guy.”
“Oh Jesus.” I sighed, and then realized how rude I was being. “I’m out right now to dinner, can I call you back when I get back to my hotel?”
“Better yet I’ll come see you tonight, what hotel are you staying at?” He asked.
“That palace one?” I said unsure.
“I know which one, I’ll see you later.” He said hanging up.
“Everything okay?” Iker asked me as I shook my head.
“Everything’s fine, a friend of mine is in town.” I explained as he nodded and we went back
to our previous conversation. That night Eugene stopped by and him and I headed to the bar on the roof to do what we did best, drink and talk music.
“So how are you liking my hometown?” Eugene laughed as we sat next to each other on the couch in the lounge.
“It’s been fun, I miss New York though.”
“I hear you.” He nodded, “So who is this guy I see you with on the TV and tonight?”
“Iker? He’s a Spanish player we’re just friends.” I told him shaking my head.
“You sure that’s all you are?”
“He’s amazing,” I sighed, “You could learn a thing or two from him.” I told him.
“So what’s the hold up?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “I feel like he’s in to me but it’s almost a month and he hasn’t
made a move. He’s even spent the night in my room nothing.”
“So what are you doing up here with me? Call him get him up here, look how romantic it is here.” He said motioning around us to the stars and the low-lit candles everywhere.
“He might be sleeping.”
“So tell him, you had a bad dream and need to go for walk.”
“You’re good at this.” I smirked pulling out my phone.
“It’s what I know,” He shrugged as we went back to my room. “Oh before I forget, tomorrow night I have a show, you your brother and whoever else better be there.” He told me as I got off the elevator on my floor.
“Of course, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I told him as I darted for my room as I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.
I quickly changed out of my clothes from that day and in to the less revealing set of pajamas I had packed just in time for there to be a soft tap on my door. I grabbed my hoodie that was on the back of a chair while I slid on my black flip-flops and headed outside.
“Shouldn’t we be going back in to your room?” Iker asked confused he was in a pair of gym shorts and a wrinkled tee shirt.
“I don’t want to take a chance waking them up.” I lied as we walked down the hall.
“So what happened?” He asked me, as we headed for the elevator and went up to the roof.
“I had another war dream,” I lied, well in all actuality if I had been sleeping I probably would have because the past three days straight I’d been having them.
“It’s okay,” He hushed me pulling me in to his arms and rocking me back and forth lightly.
Once we got to the deserted roof lounge we sat at the same couch I was sitting with Eugene on not too long ago.
“Did your friend stop by?” He asked me was I started up at the sky.
“Yeah, he’s playing a show tomorrow night if you’d like to go.” I told him.
“Sure, I just have to take care of something tomorrow night around 7 if anything I’ll meet you at the show.” He told me as I rested my head on him.
“We’re down to the last week.” I pointed out. “I don’t think I would have made it with out hanging out with you.” I told him, as I felt him rub his hand up and down my arm.
“We had fun,” He nodded as I looked up at him.
He locked eyes with me, and slowly it seemed like he was inching towards my face as I felt both our hearts beat faster. I closed my eyes as I felt his warm breath on my lips.