I Woke up Next to Lukas Podolski and Holy Crap We're Married

*Lukas POV*
I jogged onto the field, glad to see that the Real Madrid players were still in the locker room.
“Gather round!” I yelled at my teammates but when they looked at me skeptically I added, “Quickly!”
They dragged their feet towards me, all giving me murderous looks.
“You were right,” I admitted to them. I met all of their eyes so that they knew I was serious and that I had figured out what an idiot I had been. There was only one way that I could make up for my behavior to my team…help them win. “I’m sorry. I know I messed up and I want to get Reyna but first we need to get leveled.” My friends saw from the passion in my voice that what I was saying was true. “Pass me the ball, clear me a path, and let me score fast so I can catch Reyna before she leaves.”
“Shouldn’t you just go to her?” ask Bastian.
“I have to do this for you all,” I stated without room for compromise. I had to help them out or I would never forgive myself. “The quicker you pass me the ball the quicker I can leave. Anymore questions?” I could see our opponents walking back when Luca raised his hand like a school boy. “What is it?”
“Why does your cheek have a hand print?”
“Shut up and let’s play.” I wasn’t about to admit that I had literally been slapped back to reality by Sarah. Although I did see Bastian grin when he thought I wasn’t looked and knew he had guessed where it was from.
Not a minute had gone by before the football was finally at my feet. There was no room for time wasting, I dodged a defender without difficulty, my head focused on the goal ahead. I aimed for the corners of the cross bar where I knew Casillas had no chance. I kicked it and it was buried in the back of the net. Everyone was stunned: the Real Madrid players, the keeper, the crowd, and my coach. I didn’t celebrate just ran past my friends, who all gave me a smile and encouraging words.
I passed my open mouth coach and said, “Put in a sub I have to go.”
I didn’t wait for his answer or cared that no one ever just walked off the field. I had done my small part and it was now up to my friends to win because I had more important things to do and care about. The horrible clock in the locker room told me I had fifty minutes left as I grabbed my car keys, wallet, phone, and sweat pants without bothering to gather the rest of my things. I knew that Bastian would take care of it. I walked out of the stadium only to be bombarded with press about the game and once again about my personal life. I glanced in the direction of my parked car only to realize that there was no way that I could get through the crowd or drive it out without waiting hours for the paparazzi to move.
So I did something a little crazy. Locating the smallest wave of people I swiftly barreled my way through them. Once on the other side I broke out in a sprint. There was no way in hell that they could keep up, they had the filming crew and wires to trip over and besides, I was paid to outrun defenders to make a goal. Once on the main street I saw a cab and got in.
“The airport please,” I instructed the old driver as I saw the mob turn a corner. “As fast as you can.”
The driver acknowledged my instructions with a nod and began to drive towards Reyna. I prayed she hadn’t left yet as I pulled on the pants over my shorts.
“Idiot, idiot, idiot!” I mumbled at myself in the back. I just couldn’t understand why I had been much a jackass and so stupid. I guess that love really did make you blind, I hadn’t been able to see straight because of my all consuming love for her and the thought that she didn’t love me had forced me to shut down and save myself from the pain. In doing that I had almost lost the one thing I loved and treasures most in the world.
“Is the reason why I am driving fast because of that wave of lunatics behind us?” asked the driver. He glanced back at me in my seat and I saw kindness and warmth in his eyes.
“Partly,” I admitted and found myself also confiding about Reyna. “I also have to catch someone.” I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “God, she hates me now but I have to tell her I was dim-witted and an ass and the most terrible person on earth because I didn’t believe her and I’m sorry and I will make it up to her and I should have believed her…” I knew I was rambling but my heart felt so hallow from the pain I had caused Reyna. I was not the person that she should fear or be the one to hurt her or cause her to cry, I was suppose to be the person that makes her laugh and smile and hold her when she is having a bad day.
I was her husband and if she still wanted me even though I didn’t merit her I would make damn sure to act like it!
“You might want to just say you love her son,” the cab driver suggested.
“I do,” I said more to myself than him as I thought of that smile Reyna gave me when she looked in my eyes or the way her kisses touched the darkest corners of my heart.
“I think I know this young lady,” the cab replied and my head jerked up to listen to him as I bit my lip to keep from scream at him for information. “A young lady also going to the airport had long brown hair, and violet eyes.”
“That’s Reyna!” I cried. “When was this? Was she alone? How did she look? What was she—?”
“Son.” the cab held up one of his hands. “We’re here and I think you should just ask those questions to her.”
I looked out the window to see that the man must have drive like the devil was behind us to have gotten us to the airport so fast.
“Thank you Mr…”
“It’s just George,” the man responded with a kind smile as he turned around to face me. “Forget the money and go get her.”
*Reyna POV*
I handed my boarding ticket to the flight attendant as I stepped onto the plane. She gave me a fake smile and waved her hand to indicate where seat 20A was located.
“Thank you,” I replied glad she didn’t know who I was. I had been getting quite a few stares and had people point at me at the airport today and was just happy that soon I would be going back to a country that loved baseball and American football, not football or the gossip around the players. Back in Chicago I would be a regular woman not the rejected WAG of Lukas Podolski.
“Do you mind if we switch seats?” asked Teresa as we made our way down the narrow aisle.
“You can have it,” I said, knowing how much she loved to look out the window. As much as I enjoyed doing the same thing I wasn’t in the mood today to dwell on Germany and watch it and the man I love disappear from view. Stop it! I screamed at myself. No thinking of Lukas!
We found our seats and placed our bags in the overhead compartment before sitting down. Putting my seat belt on I only hoped that the person that was going to sit in the seat to my right wasn’t going to be a pain in the ass. I had kept my purse with me so took out the basic plot that Jack wanted for his next movie. I still couldn’t believe that I was going to write it but I was going to make damn sure it won a freakin’ Oscar! I was trying to come up with a few lines of dialogue; however, Teresa’s fidgeting in her seat was distracting me.
“If you have to go to the bathroom you might want to go now because we are taking off in a half hour.” I looked to my friend to see that she appeared almost ill.
“I don’t have to pee,” she said in a small voice, looking down at her lap.
“Are you sick? There’s a bag for vomiting.”
“I am sick but not that kind of sick.” Teresa lifted her head and I saw sorrow in her eyes. “I have a confession.”
“Okay.” I had no idea what she could be telling me that was eating her up inside. Come to think of it, she had given me many of those looks in the past month only I had been too caught up in my own misery to care.
“You’re going to hate me but I truly did it for our own good and I never imagined it would end like this! You have to believe me when I say I am so terribly sorry and I am the worst friend in the world but I thought he was the one—!”
I took hold on of one of her shoulders to interrupt her. “What are you talking about?”
“I wasn’t drunk!” she screamed and a few heads turned our way as I tried to calm my hysterical friend.
“Okay, I’m sorry about that.” Why was she so upset about this fact? “We can get some drinks if you—.”
“No listen,” Teresa cut me off. “I lied when you asked me the day you woke up married next to Lukas about being too drunk at the marriage to stop you. I was sober.”
My mouth dropped open in bewilderment and forgot to breathe as her statement sunk in. She looked worriedly into my face but I couldn’t say anything. Since we had been friends for years she understood the silent question in my eye.
“That night you were so devastated over Matt and drinking so much that I wanted to watch over you. I didn’t drink to protect you. But then you slipped away from me and when I found you in the arms of Lukas there was just something in your eyes.” Teresa paused in her tale to gather words for this emotion I supposedly had that foolish night. “The drink had just let out the free you and I saw pure happiness in you with Lukas. I didn’t know Lukas at the time but there was kindness in him and he watched you with such love. When you both decided to get married I let you because I knew you would never do something as impulsive sober and I thought it was fate that you should be together.” She finished her story with an apology but I still hadn’t gotten back my talking skills.
I really didn’t know what to say. I was so mad at her I couldn’t form words for all the pain I had gone through because she had let me make a mistake in marrying Lukas. On the other hand I was grateful that thanks to her I had been loved and had a real family for once in my life. Teresa had made it possible for me to have the best days at the side of the man of my dreams. How could she have meddled in my life?! But then I was grateful she had.
“It’s fine,” was my lame response. “I am just putting it behind me.”
“I’m so sorry Reyna,” Teresa repeated twirling her bond hair in nervousness.
“Let’s talk about something else.”
*Lukas POV*
Thanks to Sarah who had texted me Reyna’s flight plan I knew exactly where to go when I entered the airport. I ran to towards the ticket counter of American Airlines to find a huge line.
“Damn it!” I swore looking over the heads of at least thirty people in front of me. I was never going to make it.
The man in front of me looked behind at my swearing with a frown that morphed into a look of surprise and delight, “You’re Lukas Podolski!”
“Yes I am,” I answered distractedly.
“Shouldn’t you be playing in the Champions League Final?” asked another man in front of me because of the outburst from the first man.
“I need to get on this flight,” I replied checking my watch for what felt like the hundredth time. Twenty-five minutes till Reyna was gone.
“But why?” asked a tall woman curiously.
I didn’t know why but I answered honestly to my fans, pouring out my heart like a love sick puppy. “Because if I don’t I will lose the woman I love forever.”
“You’re getting back together with Reyna right?!” squealed a young lady to the right.
I nodded and a feminine voice said, “How romantic.”
“Skip in front of me,” said a sweet elderly lady.
“Cut me!”
“You have to find Reyna so take my spot!”
“Cut in front quickly before it’s too late!”
By the kindness of the people I miraculously found myself in the front of the line. My heart felt like it would burst at the kindness of the world and that I was going to find Reyna.
“I’d like a ticket on the flight 125 to Dallas,” I told the man once at the counter. Reyna was going to take a connecting flight to Chicago when she arrived at Dallas.
“I’m sorry sir but…You’re Lukas Podolski!” he cried joyfully as he pointed at me. It was getting tiring having people tell me who I was like I didn’t know. It was wasting time for me to get to Reyna.
“Yes, now can you please give me a ticket.” I took out my wallet and tapped it impatiently on the counter as the employee typed away on his computer.
“I’m sorry sir but it is boarding as we speak and I just sold that last ticket to that couple,” he gestured to the right. I jogged to the middle aged husband and wife, leaving the ticket agent behind.
“I will give you whatever you want for your ticket,” I said stepping in front of their shocked faces.
“Pardon?” said the man giving me a look like I was a criminal who had come to steal their bags.
“I will give you whatever you want for the ticket to the flight to Dallas,” I repeated trying not to snap at the cranky man.
“Are you on drugs?” the man lifted his eyebrow as he gripped his wife’s arm.
“No, I need that ticket to catch the woman I love before she leaves.” I was having a hard time keeping myself from shaking the man in aggravation. “Please.”
“I don’t think so buddy—.”
“Shh, Hans! It’s Lukas Podolski!” cried his little wife.
“I don’t care who he is, we are going on this vacation—.”
“It’s Reyna right? You are finally getting back together.” I should be mad that everyone knew my business but at the moment it was working in my favor so I dismissed my anger.
“Yes Ma’am.”
“How romantic!” she placed a hand over her heart.
“Doris let’s just go,” said her husband pulling her arm but she wouldn’t budge.
“Give him the ticket.”
“What?” her husband and I both focused our attention on her. Her husband was mad at the statement but I was glad.
“Give the ticket to Lukas we can catch a later flight.”
“But Doris…”
“No buts! This is love we’re talking about and we are going to help this man!” Hans reluctantly handed the ticket to me while I showered them with thanks and broke into a dead run.
*Reyna POV*
“Flight attendants prepare for take off,” the pilot said over the intercom as the last of the passengers arrived. I was so focused on the work in my laps that I jumped a little in surprise when someone sat next to me.
“Hello,” said a voice near my ear. I looked up to come face to face with a man. He was a stranger but handsome and from the dazzling smile he gave me he knew it.
“Hi,” I responded already guessing that this was going to be a long flight.
“I’m Peter.” He held out his hand to shake mine and he grasped it a little longer than necessary.
“Reyna.”
“Lovely name for a beautiful woman,” he winked at me. The man practically oozed charm but I wasn’t falling for it. Even if the man had silky black hair, a strong angular face, and deep brown eyes I wasn’t interested. He couldn’t compare with Lukas. I was pretty sure that no one ever would.
“Guess I’m going to be alone forever,” I couldn’t stop from saying out loud.
“What did you say?” Peter leaned closer to me and his cologne almost made me choke.
“I asked what you did?” I listened vaguely to what he was talking about as I concentrated on the liberating feeling of taking off.
*Lukas POV*
I let out a stream of curses that made even the toughest looking guys around look at me wearily.
I had missed the plane.
I looked out of the window to see that the plane carrying the woman I loved fly away without me. Not knowing what else to do and needing to tell her my feelings I took out my phone and dialed Reyna’s number.
When I heard the beep to record a message I began, “Reyna it’s Lukas. I know that I am the last person in the world that you want to hear from but I wanted to tell you how sorry I am and that I should have believed you.” I told her that my fears of losing her to Matt had driven me crazy and had led to me trying to protect my pride. “The truth is that I love you more than anything in the world. I have no poem or song or a romantic way to say what I feel in my heart but that I love you.” I paced across the floor, wanting her to feel the depth of love I had for her. “Please call me when you get this. I will wait for your word.” I couldn’t help adding another, “I love you”, before hanging up.
Strolling over to the chairs I collapsed into one. Putting my elbows on my knees and bending over so that my head was in my hands I tried to think of something else beside the hours of waiting ahead for me as I waited for her call back…if she even would.
*Reyna POV*
After a long and boring ten hour journey next to a chatty and flirtatious Peter to Dallas and then the four hour flight up to O’Hare, I was dead tired as we walked off the plane and headed to the baggage claim. We located the conveyer belt without any trouble and stood next to it as we waited for the bags to start coming.
“I can’t wait to sleep on my own bed tonight!” exclaimed Teresa as she held her hands over her head and stretched like a cat. “And speak English and eat disgusting American junk food!”
“Me either,” I said as well with a smile at my friend. It was nice to be back in America but I also felt a little uncomfortable, having gotten so use to Germany and its customs. Taking out my cell I turned it on after having it off throughout the two flights to see that I had a message. Without bothering to look at the ID I clicked the button to play it and held it up to my ear. I almost dropped the phone when I heard Lukas’s voice. My breath started to come heavily as I listened to his words, the words I had wanted to come from those lips of his which had moved so seductively over mine when we kissed. I let his voice and words envelope me in a safe cocoon but then anger at him returned. He had to tell me this now!? When I was halfway around the world and I couldn’t look in his eyes to see the truth or hit him for all the pain he had inflicted on my heart or kiss him passionately! The nerve of the man!
I hung up the phone and furiously stuffed it in my pocket not knowing if I wanted to call him back at all, “Men!”
“What did you say?” asked Teresa as she hulled her suitcase onto a cart.
“You won’t believe who called me!” I spotted my baggage as soon as the words left my mouth so couldn’t tell her the name. Reaching out I was about to wrap my hand around the handle when it was lifted off onto the ground next to me by a pair of strong, lean hands. I froze because I knew those fingers. They had tilted my head to look at its owner, caressed burning trails down my body, and been tangled in my brown hair. I glanced up to lock gazes with a pair of blue eyes that had me drowning in no time.
“Lukas,” I whispered. He looked as tired as I felt, hair sticking up everywhere, wearing sweats and his jersey like he had run off the field in the middle of a game, and bags under his eyes. I had never seen a more welcoming sight. “What are you doing here?”
“I am so sorry.” I wanted to melt into him when he moved to stand inches from me but I wanted to scream when he didn’t touch me. “I ran off the field in the middle of my game and I have no idea who won. I had a huge adventure at the airport getting a ticket on your flight to catch you. Then I arrived late and I left you that message. I lied when I told you that I would wait until you had called me which I guess is another thing I should apologize for along with so many other things. I took the earliest direct flight here and arrived three hours ago and I have been waiting for you to get here but none of it matters!” Lukas sighed and he lifted his hand as if he wanted to cup my cheek but then dropped his hand. “I hurt you probably more than your mother and Matt ever did and I am so sorry. I should have trusted you the way you trust me. I deserve that you never talk to me again but I need you to know how sorry I am and that I love you.”
“You came to the airport to stop me?” I asked softly looking straight ahead at his broad chest.
“Yes,” he replied his hands clenched so tightly at his sides that the knuckles were white. I had a feeling it was from restraining himself from reaching out to me. “So now I am here without a place to stay, nothing but the clothes on my back, in a foreign land, and hoping that my wife won’t divorce me and give us a second chance.”
I lifted my head to look in his eyes and saw that he was speaking from the heart. I pulled my arm back with the intent to slap him but he caught my hand in his large, warm one.
“Sorry,” Lukas grimaced. “You have every right to hit me it was a reflex. I already say that gleam in your eyes today and couldn’t help trying to save myself.” His thumb unconsciously ran along my palm before he let it go. “Go ahead I won’t stop you.”
He stood up straighter in front of me and looked off into the distance but when my blow didn’t come he glazed down quizzically at me. “I want a kiss from my husband.”
My words took a long time for Lukas to register and then his eyes went wide, “You forgive me?”
“Are you going to kiss me anytime soon?” I sighed dramatically and the next second I was crushed against Lukas and was feeling light headed when he gave me a kiss so tender and loving that my toes curled. I opened my mouth to deepen the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck to bring him closer to me as I let my tongue slip into his mouth. He growled in the back of his throat and I felt his heart beat erotically against mine. When the kiss turned more passionate I kneed him where I knew it would hurt. Lukas broke the kiss and doubled over with a groan.
“Now we are even my love,” I smiled sweetly at him. He shrugged, accepting my little outburst. When he was recovered I leaned over to kiss him again but he held up his hands.
“Wait, I am only just getting my breath back and I know how you kiss so give me another minute.” I chuckled and grabbed his jersey to pull him in for another kiss. I let all my love for him be spoken by the joining of your mouths, my heart whole once more.
“We have to catch up for all those days apart,” I reminded him as we broke apart and he wrapped his hands around my waist and laid his forehead against mine.
“We have all the rest of our life Reyna.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”