Snapshot of a Story

“Please let me explain, I know I’m not a great person but I know I’m not half as bad as she made me sound!” Sergio said as he pulled into my driveway.

Though I was exhausted, I decided to give Sergio benefit of the doubt, probably because I knew people made things up about celebrities all the time. “You have two minutes.”

He took a second to seemingly organize his thoughts and how he wanted to present his side of the story. “I met her out at some party a few years ago, and naturally we were both attracted to each other. We just sort of messed around for a few months, then she got super attached and wanted to actually be my girlfriend and I knew that wouldn’t end up well. So I cut everything off with her cause it all freaked me out and she was acting weird and crazy, and I thought she left me alone. Then maybe a month later she turns up at my house claiming I got her pregnant, and the media and everything found out and it ended up that she wasn’t pregnant at all. So she finally left my life, or so I thought, and I was left with the repercussions of her stupid actions. And now she’s back to continue to ruin my life.”

I wasn’t sure whether this truly was the whole story or if he had embellished it at all. Regardless I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay mad at Sergio for long, so I decided to go ahead and let it go. “Okay, Sergio. It’s fine. I don’t wanna talk about it anymore. I’ll talk to you later.” With that I got out of the car and went up the steps to my front door without giving him a kiss or hug goodbye, which he didn’t argue - which was probably the smarter thing to do.

The next morning I opened my door to head out to my car for work and nearly stepped on a vase of flowers on my front rug. It was a gorgeous arrangement of Gazanias and carnations, and the tag read - I knew these are your favorite flowers, and I hope you like them. Please grant me the honor of attending dinner at Gerard’s house tonight with a few of the other players and their wives/girlfriends? - Sergio

I smiled and sighed, knowing there would be no way for me to refuse going. Though I had absolutely no idea what to wear. I shrugged it off and decided to worry about it when I got home, even calling Sergio on the way home to check.

“What am I supposed to wear?” I asked for seemingly the millionth time during the phone call. Sergio kept getting distracted by something on his end or saying he couldn’t remember what I had.

“How about I just get to your house early and I’ll pick something out for you?” Sergio offered.

Though I knew he wouldn’t take it seriously at first, that was probably the best option, since he’d actually gone to one of these dinners before. He agreed to be at my house at five, leaving us an hour and a half for me to be ready and us get there.

True to his word, Sergio showed up right at five, and wasted no time in picking out my outfit, aside from a kiss when I opened the door. He also handed me a single rose, which I added to my bouquet from earlier. “How did you know Gazanias are my favorite flower?” I asked, following him upstairs.

He turned his head slightly towards me, just enough to smirk and shrug. “I have my sources. Now, where in the hell is your room?” He didn’t even wait for my reply before opening the door to my guest room, and, seeing that it wasn’t the room he was looking for, closed it immediately. He did this with all the doors until he reached the very last door on the left, having ignored my attempts to shorten the trip by telling him. I sat on the bed as he waded through my closet, occasionally muttering about how disorganized women’s closets apparently always are. Finally, he emerged with a high neck black dress with a triangle cutout on the front and an open back.

I nodded in agreement and turned towards the bathroom to put it on, but was stopped by Sergio. “And what do you think you’re doing?” I raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“You don’t need to be embarrassed with me, I’ve already seen you in your bra and underwear before,” he reminded me, falling back onto my bed.

Though I was certainly no supermodel, I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of, so I shrugged and slowly pulled off my shorts and tshirt before stepping into the dress and snapping the closure at the neck myself before spinning back around to face him. I could tell he didn’t entirely expect me to actually be so willing to change as he’d hoped, as he was dead silent until I prompted him. “Are you going to pick me out shoes or am I going barefoot?”

It was his turn to smirk as he picked up some nude heels from the floor right by the bed. “Have a little more faith in me, please.”

I smiled, “You never know.” I picked out some gold multi-faceted stud earrings to go with the small diamond studs in my second piercings and the gold ring I always wore before following him back downstairs. I had been smart earlier when I’d gone ahead and packed my favorite Kate Spade black clutch with my favorite chap stick and some mascara, and I grabbed it as we headed out, stuffing my phone inside it as well.

Exactly thirty eight minutes later we pulled onto a rock driveway, and Sergio punched in the access code, causing the iron gates to slowly open inwards. I looked all around the car in amazement at the trees forming an arbor overhead and at the beautiful Mediterranean style house coming into view. I almost would’ve been totally content to just sit outside and stare at the house and the yard for the next few hours, but Sergio had other ideas. “Ready?”

I nodded and started to get out of the car, grabbing my clutch from the floor. By the time I had turned to get out, Sergio was already opening my door, and complimenting how I looked. I blushed and thanked him before nervously walking to the front door. I had no idea why I was nervous, I had met celebrities all the time. Maybe it was the knowledge that I’d be meeting one of my favorite musicians since I was young, Shakira. My answer to this question was given when the woman in question opened the door.

“Hola! You must be Piper, I’m Shakira! Sergio, you didn’t tell me she was this gorgeous! You are so selfish sometimes, honestly! Come in, come in! Gerard is in the living room with Fernando and Olalla, if you’d like to join them while I finish cooking,” Shakira said, closing the door behind us and ushering us further inside the house.

Sergio made himself right at home, heading straight back, excited for me to become closer to two of his best friends. When they finally appeared into our view, Sergio greeted Gerard and Fernando as though he hadn’t seen them in years, rather than the reality that they’d been apart for a few hours. “Hola Piper!” Gerard greeted me with a hug and a kiss on both cheeks, as did Fernando, though he was more formal and not quite as relaxed as his teammate.

Olalla and I quickly decided to go help Shakira in the kitchen as she finished everything up, leaving the boys to have their “man discussions”, as they called them. Within twenty minutes I was talking with the two girls as though we’d been friends forever, making me think that maybe, just maybe, I might actually fit in with this lifestyle.