Keep Cool, Stay Tough

The first two weeks in March brought about a tie against Villarreal, a loss against Bilbao, and a champions league loss against Shalke although Real Madrid still went ahead on aggregate. The broke their lull at home the week before they were due to visit camp nou against Levante with a resounding 2-0 win. Safe to say, it didn’t leave much for a heart to heart with Cristiano about Mina’s predicament.

As El Clásico weekend approached, the atmosphere on the training grounds significantly altered. I saw less and less of the players who were usually looking for any excuse to escape team practices, namely Sergio and Gareth, and any spare moment they had, they spent it inside the gym doing cardio.

Real Madrid had beat Barcelona on home turf earlier in the season, and they were going to make it a point of sending a message when they went to Camp Nou. The message was simple: the first match wasn’t a fluke. Both teams had succumbed to shocking upsets during the season; Real Madrid’s being the more woeful as they consistently got dominated by their vengeful neighbors: Atlético de Madrid.

Even Mina had yielded to the tense atmosphere and would disappear for hours at a time with a stack of notes to the gym to write and compare more notes on player’s health levels with the other PTs.

I was stressed out and frustrated too, but it had nothing do with the Clásico, I was far too confident in Barcelona snatching three points out of the game to be tensed up about the match. No, my stress factor was rising because of the abrupt cold war between Cesc and me. After sending the text, he hadn’t done much to reach out to me, and obviously it was on me to reply, I knew that, but every single time without fail I picked up the phone to text him a stupid, lame comment to indicate all was forgiven, I allowed myself to get distracted. My conversation with Mina was still on the forefront of my mind, and it just stayed there, taunting me.

I thought about calling Fernando, but say what? Hey you’re the only person that’s within driving distance that knows about Cesc, and I needed someone to talk to because I’m pretty sure that I picked a fight for absolutely no reason other than the fact that I was jealous of my naïve cousin’s delusions about her ex-boyfriend.

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

At least el Clásico was coming up; I had that to look forward to. I was going to get a head start and take a train on Wednesday, since I had spring break, while Mina, Martha, and the rest of the team would come by the weekend.

“So you haven’t mentioned anything to dad?”

Martha shook her head.

“You wanted to surprise him,” She reminded.

“I know, it’s just you have a tell when you lie, and I wanted to see if you would do the thing,” I explained with a chuckle.

“Really what’s my tell?” She asked.

I pointed at her, laughing, “You just did it! You so know what your tell is!”

“You’re crazy. Go call Mina in, it’s time for dinner and then I’ll be dropping you off at the station.”

I went to get Mina, who was repacking her clothes because she found another outfit she would rather wear, and I got a phone call from Thiago.

“So what’s up with you and Cesc?” He greeted.

“We’re annoyed with each other.”

“He’s not annoyed with you, he apologized. You’re the one that didn’t answer his text, you’re the one being difficult,” Thiago pointed out.

“And they say girls like to dissect their relationships. I didn’t answer because I haven’t had time. I haven’t really been texting anyone. Have you gotten any texts from me?” I returned as Mina kept poking me in the ribs asking who it was. I showed her my phone screen and she mouthed, ‘he’s so hot!’

I just rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, too busy helping out the enemy,” Thiago muttered, not realized I was just barely listening to him.

“You’re ridiculous, and anyway nothing they do is going to change the outcome this weekend,” I assured matter-of-factly.

“And what’s the outcome?”

“Barcelona will concede maybe one, maybe two max, but they’ll do what they need to do to walk off the pitch with max points, they’ve got this handled,” I insisted.

“I hope you’re right because you know what’ll happen, right?”

I grinned, “All will be right with the world, that’s what’s going to happen.”

“You’re going to Barcelona this weekend?”

“Tonight actually, I’m taking a train down to surprise my dad and sister. I know we haven’t talked, but I’m sure they must miss me at least a little bit.”

“Yeah, you’re a pretty miss-able person, sometimes,” Thiago conceded with a chuckle.

“So nice of you to say,” I returned with a sarcastic laugh.

“I got to go, but fix things with Cesc please, he’s calling me at really strange hours, and I’m not always alone if you know what I mean, and they don’t always believe that it’s Cesc, and things get awkward fast,” Thiago pleaded.

“They?” I scoffed.

“I’m a young, Spanish, football player in Germany, of course it’s they!” He exclaimed.
Since when did Thiago become a ‘one night stand’ type of guy?

Dinner was make your own tacos night, and Martha busted out a bottle of wine to accompany the food. There was some light-hearted joking about the Clásico as both mother and daughter were die-hard Madristas, but of course I stuck to my guns, insisting that Barcelona would take all three points.

It was a fun way to be sent off for the rest of the week.

The train ride felt quick and painless, and I’m pretty sure I dozed off somewhere in between, because I felt like I got there in a blink of an eye. I hailed a taxi, and drove straight to my dad’s house missing my bed and bathroom as other familiar sights fell into view.

The taxi stopped in front of the house, but the lights were all off. The porch light wasn’t even on. I frowned, handed the taxi driver a couple extra euro, and asked if he could wait for me for a few minutes. He acquiesced, and I got out of the car leaving the door open behind me, and the luggage inside untouched.

“Is that really you, Senna?!” A voice called from out the darkness.

My expression opened as I recognized the girl standing in front of me.

“Carlota, hi!” I exclaimed just as loudly.

“Oh wow, how is it even possible that you look better than when you left?” She demanded, drawing me into a tight hug, “You haven’t even been gone that long! What has it been, two, three months?”
“It’s been a little over three months I think, listen do you maybe happen to know where they are?” I asked nodding towards the house.

She furrowed her eyebrows, “They didn’t tell you? How weird. They didn’t really tell us much either, except to keep an eye on the house until they got back.”

“So they’re together, my dad and sister?”

She nodded, “They were really sparse with the details, it was a little weird, but it seemed like wherever they were going, they were going together.”

“Huh,” I bit down on my lip, and rubbed my phone with my thumb wondering if I should try to call my dad.

“Come stay over,” She waved towards her house, “It’ll be just like when we were younger.”
I shook my head immediately a lie already bubbling out of my mouth, “I can’t, I’m technically here for work, I have got to get back to the hotel. I just wanted to stop in, and surprise my family, but obviously I’m the one left surprised.”

“Are you sure you can’t stay? It’ll be really fun,” She insisted.

I shook my head, mirroring her frown, “Not tonight, but I’m here until Sunday, maybe even Monday, so we’ll definitely have a chance to hang out, and I can introduce you to my cousin.”

“That sounds fantastic!”

“Totally, so I should get going, the taxi’s waiting for me, but I’ll definitely call you and we’ll make some time to catch up.”

She gave me another tight hug and walked me over to the taxi. I gave one last, forced smile, and the car drove off to the team hotel.

I didn’t call my dad. I knew I was in a mood. I was tired, thirsty, and starved. And anything I said could and would be used against me later on. I would call once I was settled in my room with some food and a little wine.

“What do you mean you’re sorry?” I snapped, “If you were really sorry, you would find me a room!”
“Please miss, don’t raise your voice, people are beginning to stare,” Elisa whispered, one blonde eyebrow pushing on the other in agitation.

I had been standing in the lobby of the team hotel for the past fifteen minutes, trying to get a room for at least the night, but apparently since el Clásico was this weekend people had been pouring in from all over to be in the stands come Sunday. And so I was left without a roof over my head because I sure as hell wasn’t spending a night with my ex-boyfriend’s sister and I didn’t even have a house key to go back there. Although, even if I did have a key, I wouldn’t want to go back there to stay in that house by myself.

“Good evening, is there a problem here?” A man, probably the hotel’s manager, came to a steady stop beside the perplexed girl.

“This young woman is trying to get into a room that will simply not be available until Friday,” She whispered urgently as she clicked on the computer screen that the manager was watching.

“Can your concierge reserve a room somewhere, anywhere for at least the night?” I was at my wit’s end.

“Everyone’s booked, miss. It’s el Clásico weekend.” He answered matter-of-factly.

“I know what weekend it is, you didn’t even check. It’s quite possible that people’s plans were cancelled, people do flake on reservations, you know,” I snapped as I shut my eyes and rubbed at the temples of my forehead.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, “Senna?”

My eyes flashed open, but I didn’t turn around. My brain refused to believe what my ears just heard.

This couldn’t be happening.

“Pinch me,” I hissed.

“What?” She tilted her head and gave me a strange look.

I took a breath as the manager addressed Cristiano.

“Apologies, for the disturbance sir, is there anything you need?”

“Yes, actually, please take a cot up to my room,” Cristiano chimed in.

I wasn’t looking at him, but I could already hear the smirk melting over his words like sticky honey.

“You don’t have to,” I muttered as I glanced up at him.

“Yeah I do,” He laughed, “I really do, but it’s alright, I honestly don’t mind at all, and you’re welcome.”

I turned back to the person manning the desk, “If there could also be a fresh pot of coffee too, that’d be great.”

The manager handed me a keycard, and had one of the bellboys take my bag upstairs. Cristiano nodded towards the direction of his room, and just like that we were off.

“What are you doing here? Is everyone here?”

I broke the quiet bubble first. I was too agitated to just simmer in silence.

He shook his head, “I prefer doing interviews outside of Madrid before the game. I know it’s a strange request, but PR was nice enough to send me out a few days early.”

“What, you don’t trust yourself to not be a brat if you lose?”

He cocked his eyebrow, “That’s not exactly how I would put it.”

I didn’t reply even though I had about a half dozen crude remarks raring to go, but since he was actually doing me a favor, I kept my mouth shut. We were in the elevator when it was his turn to break the quiet bubble.

“I thought you had family here.”

I laughed, it sounded like a psychotic dog bark, “I thought I did too.”

Cristiano didn’t press the topic. I was grateful. The quiet bubble floated around us until we arrived inside the hotel room.

Okay, the room was ridiculously spacious.

“Why is it so huge?”

“I need my space, and anyway, come Friday Karim was going to bunk with me, but I wasn’t going to have them move the king-sized bed, and so he would be on a cot.”

“On a cot?” I repeated.

He nodded, cackling, “Okay, but can you picture his face?”

I laughed before I could stop myself, “You’re mean.”

“I know.”

The coffee came in along with a cot a few minutes later.

“I can have them switch out the king-size for two doubles tonight, I mean it’ll ruin my prank, but if you’re going to be here till Friday…” He trailed off.

“I’ll be out of your hair by tomorrow,” I promised, “I’ll go back to Madrid and just come back with Mina and the rest of the crew. I’m dreading that awkward conversation, but any other option is just more awkward,” I’m pretty sure I was talking to myself towards the end.

“You’ve been looking forward to this for awhile, haven’t you?”

I nodded, “What’s your point?”

“I’ll have them bring in two twin beds tonight, don’t make things more awkward than it needs to be,” He advised, already reaching for the hotel phone.

I stopped him, “It is absolutely imperative that you do that prank on Karim, and I have got to bear witness to it. The cot stays.”

“You’re mean,” He returned, laughing.

“I know.” I grinned, chucking my pajamas on the cot so I didn’t have to search my bag like a madman later.

“Oh you’re not staying on the cot.”

“Yes, I am,” I argued, “You did your part. You’re good, you passed the chivalry test.”

He rolled his eyes, muttering something in Portuguese that I couldn’t figure out, but my pajamas continued to mark my spot as I poured myself a cup of coffee and glanced down at my phone which was now running low on battery.

“So you want room service, or go out?” Cristiano’s voice pulled me out of my thought bubble before I could decide whether or not to call now.

“I know a great place that’s open till sunrise. Let me just freshen up, and we can go if you’d like,” I suggested.

He shrugged, “This is your hometown.”

“And don’t worry, the place is super private, I used to go there with my ex.”

“You mean the footballer.”

“Yes.”

“So he’s from Barcelona.”

“I used to go there with him, that’s all you’re getting out of me tonight.”

“We’ve got some important business to discuss tonight,” I reminded.

“I’m not an easy person to convince,” He assured as he threw on a black, velvet jacket over a tight
white shirt he had paired with dark blue jeans.

“I’m not the person that you can dissuade easily,” I countered, slipping into my black sling backs.

“It’s going to be long night if that’s the case,” He gave a once over and smiled as if giving his approval.

I nodded, and just like that we were out the door for a night together in Barcelona.