For The Love of The Game

“Please, eat something, don’t be so nervous.” Cris passed the basket of breadsticks in front of me along with the little plate that held butter and grabbed my hands in one of his, stopping me from wringing them on the table. I pulled them back out of his grasp, placing them in my lap, still wringing them. He let out a light chuckle and a sigh. “Come on Karm, we don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to tonight, just tell me what’s bothering you, and please, stop wringing your hands, you’re making me worry!” I let out a small smile as he smirked towards me. I reached on the table and took a breadstick in my hand, breaking it in half and grabbing the knife to spread a bit of butter on it. I didn’t know where to start, and as I was thinking about it and looking at Cristiano, sitting so perfectly across the table from me in the little private booth at the back of a little restaurant, I remembered why I was mad at Fernando in the first place.

“Tonto, he thinks I don’t care for him.” I mumbled as I took a bite of the bread.

“What? Who? Fernando?” Cristiano looked at me confused as I huffed.

“Why am I even talking to you about this? You’re the reason I’m having problems!” I spoke more to myself rather than Cristiano, but he still gave me a sympathetic look.

“Sorry Karmen.” Was all he could say. We were silent for what seemed like 10 minutes until a waitress came up to the table to take our orders. Cris looked at me as I shook my head and turned to the waitress.

“Could I just get more bread please?” She nodded and smiled, turning back to Cris who ordered one of their pasta dishes. As she walked away I gave him an odd look, knowing that he never ate pasta unless he was starving. He shrugged and answered my glance.

“I haven’t eaten all day, I was too nervous about the match this morning and seeing you again…” He trailed off as he looked down at his hands that were fiddling with the napkin in front of him.

“I’m sorry Cris.” He looked up at me from his hands with a confused expression.

“For what?” I shrugged as I took a bite of my bread.

“Just…how everything turned out.” He nodded in understanding as the waitress brought out his pasta. As she walked away I leaned into the table to whisper. “He saw the bruises.” Cristiano put his fork down, looking up at me from his food. I quickly leaned back into my seat and gave a small smile as I sighed, looking anywhere but Cris’s face. I waved my hand in the air to get the waitresses attention as I fanned myself with my other hand. “It feels hot in here, are you hot? Do you think they have tequila here? I could really use some tequila. Waitress?”

+++

“He’s so stupid Cris! Like, I don’t even understand him sometimes, you know, the way he acts. Acaba de reacciona exageradamente y me trastorna. I just feel so confused as to why he’s acting like this!” (He just overreacts and it upsets me.) I grabbed the brick wall next to me as my eyes focused in and out on the sidewalk ahead of me. I felt Cris’s grip on my waist as he steadied me with his hands.

“I have no idea what that last sentence you said means. Come on querida, your hotel isn’t that far from here, let’s get you back.” I animatedly shook my head no as I moved my hands off the wall.

“NO! ¡No me gusta! He’s in my room and I don’t want to go back!” I pulled away from him and wrapped my arms around myself, my head getting a bit dizzy from my sudden movements. Cristiano huffed as he pulled his phone out. “What are you doing?”

“Calling Sergio.” My eyes bugged out as I ran towards Cris, attempting to pull his phone out of his hands.

“Wait, no, don’t! ¡Parada! ¡Parada!” Cris pushed my hands away as he held the phone to his ear. He said hello and my shoulders slumped. “Mierda.”

“Who is this? I need to speak to Sergio.” I smacked my forehead as realization hit me, only causing my head to spin more.

“Sergio is not going to be able to talk, he’s drunk! Is it a guy that picked up the phone? It’s probably Geri, remember Gerard…Piqué…Piqué, that’s his last name.” Cristiano looked at me as if I were crazy. How I functioned when inebriated was beyond me. Ronaldo hung up after a brief conversation and pulled me towards the café down the street. “Where are we going?” I smiled as I tried to hop around in my heels, laughing every time the clicking from my heels hit the concrete. He rolled his eyes and kept walking.

“Karmen, I need you to sober up please." I crossed my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him, taking a seat on the bench outside of the café that we had stopped at.

“I don’t need Fernandooooo. He’s being a big baby right now, why doesn’t he believe me? He thinks I still like you…” Cristiano sighed, kneeling in front of me and placing his finger under my chin to tilt my head up so our eyes would meet.

“I think you do still like me…maybe not as much as you used to, but I think you still have feelings for me, even if you won’t admit it. Do you Karmen? I need to know.”

“I will alwa-“ I was stopped mid sentence when a car came to a screeching halt and the passenger door of the car swung open, revealing a distraught Addy, straightening her skirt and walking towards me with a deadly glare, the height she had gained from her tall heels making me feel intimidated.

“I’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for you! ¡Chica loca! ¿Cuánto dónde ha sido usted y bebió usted?” (Crazy girl! Where have you been and how much did you drink?) She grabbed my wrist, standing me up as Cristiano had moved out of the way, standing by the edge of the bench as Addy took a sniff towards me, drawing back in disgust at the scent of tequila that rolled off of me like a wave. “Ay dios.” She mumbled under her breath, pulling me to the car. Cristiano cleared his throat, his left hand in his pocket as his right covered his mouth for effect. Addison turned to him, her eyes narrowing as she continued to push me into the back seat of the car where I greeted Geri in the driver’s seat. “Gracias Cristiano…I guess.” With that she turned and buckled my seat belt, getting back in her own seat in the front, shutting the door as Geri sped off. It was quiet the first few minutes; the only sound that could be heard was Geri shifting gears and Addy grinding her teeth in anger. I cleared my throat, scared to talk, but one thing running through my mind.

“Who is watching Sergio?” Geri looked at me through the rearview mirror, Addy turning around quickly in her seat with a mach look on her face.

“Who’s watching Sergio? WHO’S WATCHING SERGIO?! That’s all you’re worried about?!?! He’s fine! Iker is watching him and Fernando, who is the one that tipped us off about your runaway adventure, by the by. He said you left in an angry fit and wouldn’t answer him when he called you to come back. Was it that bad that you couldn’t even come to pull one of us away to help you?”

“You were busy with Sergio.” I mumbled as I looked down at my hands. Addison sighed and turned back around in her seat. Geri rested his hand on her thigh, rubbing it in a soothing manner as he looked back at me through the rearview. I looked at him as he winked, letting me know he’d calm her down. The rest of the ride to the hotel was silent along with the elevator ride up to our floor. I slowly walked towards my room when I felt a tug on my arm, turning to find Geri pulling at my arm. He nodded his head down the hall, where I found Addy already walking ahead a few feet, heading towards the room she shared with Geri, where, no doubt, Fernando and Sergio were waiting with Iker. I slowly trailed behind Geri’s 6foot3 stature and stopped when the door came into view.

“Venga Karmen.” Gerard whispered. I slowly nodded and walked in behind him to find Iker talking to Addy while Sergio was asleep on the bed, Fernando standing in the corner by the television, messing with his hair nervously. Gerard cleared his throat and walked towards Addison and Iker. This caught Nando’s attention and he turned to me, a smile quickly growing on his face as he placed his hands together in a praying manner and looked up at the ceiling, mumbling words to himself as he ran over, grabbing my face between his hands and kissing my lips feverishly, yet gentle at the same time, as if I was a fragile doll that he was scared he’d drop.

“Nena I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean anything I said, it was stupid, and I was just upset, and…have you been drinking?” He licked his lips, dropping his hands from his face and letting his fingers trail over his lips. His right hand reached for the back of my neck, pulling me close again for another kiss, this time, his tongue exploring my mouth only to have him pull away just as suddenly, letting his lips linger over mine, mere centimeters apart. I could still feel his breath on my lips as a little smirk grew on his lips. “Tequila…eso es tu favorito…cuando tu es confusa.” (That’s your favorite…when you’re confused.) He sighed, his hand that was on my neck now running down the side of my face brushing my hair behind my ear as I bit my bottom lip. “What are you confused about?”

“Nosotros. I just want to be with you and only you, why don’t you understand that. I don’t want Cristiano, I just want you.” (Us.) I spoke softly, Fernando taking me into his arms as soon as I finished my sentence.

“Sólo nosotros. No duda más.” (Just us. No more doubt.)

“No duda más.” (No more doubt.)