The Things That You Do

07: I Guess You Will

Holding his boots in his hand, Lionel padded across the changing room, making his way towards his locker. It had been a good training session, with the team in high spirits as a result of their good run of form, training seemed more light-hearted than normal, and Lionel was pleased that things were going so well for the team, even if he was sure that they could still improve. He was pleased that they seemed to be succeeding. Setting his boots down on the floor, he opened his locker before he reached inside, quickly collecting his phone which sat on the shelf.

Taking a seat on the bench, he unlocked his phone before he frowned, his eyes caught on the latest message from Alexa. It had been a sudden invitation, the text that he had sent to Alexa that morning asking if she wanted to join him for dinner had been last minute, but still he was a little surprised by her response. He hadn’t quite expected that she would tell him that she had other plans. Frowning, he typed a quick a reply asking what she was up to, before he moved to place the phone back into his locker.

“What are you frowning about?”

Lionel, who’d moved to pull out his shirt, jumped at the sound of Luis’s voice before he shook his head. “It’s nothing” he quipped.

“You sure about that?” the Uruguayan countered.

Lionel tilted his head, looking up at Luis. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he posed.

Luis shrugged. “You’ve been a little distracted recently” he noted “Are you sure that there’s nothing bothering you?” he asked.

Lionel stared at him briefly before he let out a small sigh, shaking his head gently. “Alexa” he muttered.

Luis, who’d moved to sit down beside him, lifted an eyebrow. “What about Alexa?” he posed “The last I heard, you two were still avoiding one another” he added.

Lionel shook his head. “We’ve been spending some time together recently” he explained “It’s only been a few times, a couple of awkward dinners, but I still don’t really understand what went on between us and it’s making things more awkward than they needed to be. I want to spend time with her, you know how close we were, but there’s always this...this thing between us” he added.

Luis glanced at his friend for a second before he quietly shook his head, his hand gently patting Lionel’s shoulder. He knew that something had changed between Lionel and Alexa, over the past few months, the blonde woman’s presence had been less and less notable around Lionel, and whilst the reason for it seemed obvious to Luis, he knew that it wasn’t his place to point it out. The last thing he wanted to do was make things harder on Alexa by saying something out of turn. “I am sure that she’ll talk when she’s ready” he mused reassuringly.

Lionel snorted. “You think?” he noted sarcastically.

Luis shrugged. “She’s your friend, Leo” he noted “And if she wants to talk, she will. You’ve just got to let it happen. The more you push for it, the more she won’t do it. If anyone should know that, it’s you” he added before he offered him another pat on the shoulder, musing something about needing to take a shower.

Lionel watched the other man away for a second before the sound of his phone caught his ear, causing him to collect it from his locker, his stomach twitching a little at Alexa’s reply which told him that she was out with Andres. Shaking his head, he typed a quick reply, before he moved to get changed, hoping that the moment that Alexa wanted to talk to him about what had happened between them arrived sooner rather than later.

~#~
“Are you sure that you don’t have anywhere else to be?”

Alexa, who was typing a quick reply to Lionel’s text message, looked up at the sound of Andres’s voice before she quirked a small smile, shaking her head. “I don’t” she noted “Why, are you trying to get rid of me?” she posed playfully. It had been a good few hours, after she had arrived at the café, she and Andres had quickly settled into comfortable conversation, and it pleased Alexa, even if she had been slightly distracted by Lionel’s texting. She had had a good time with Andres.

Andres, who’d moved to place another cookie down onto the table, grinned at her boyishly. “Of course not” he noted “But you seem a little distracted by your phone. Is everything OK?” he posed.

Alexa nodded. “It’s just a friend of mine” she noted, stuffing the phone back into her pocket “He invited me to dinner, but I said no” she added.

Andres lifted an eyebrow. “He?” he posed, his voice part curious, part teasing.

“Is that jealousy I hear?” Alexa teased, a bright smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

Andres snorted playfully. “Of course not” he noted.

“Sure” Alexa quipped sarcastically, playing along.

Andres rolled his eyes lightheartedly before he rested back into his seat, pushing the frames of his glasses back up his nose. “So” he noted “If you’re not going to have dinner with your friend, does that mean you’re free?” he asked, his voice softening slightly. He knew that it was a little forwards, as far as he knew, Alexa might not have seen their meet-up as a date, but he wanted to take the chance, even if it did end with Alexa telling him that she wasn’t quite interested in him the way that he was interested in her. He wanted to at least ask.

Alexa, who’d been eating the cookie that he had thoughtfully bought for her, blinked. “Huh?” she spluttered with a mouthful of food.

Andres laughed. “I asked if you were free for dinner” he noted “I mean, I know we’ve already spent a few hours together, but I’d like to see more of you. I’m enjoying myself, Alexa” he confessed shyly.

Alexa blushed. “I’m enjoying myself too” she admitted.

Andres offered her a light smile before he reached his hand across the table, gently squeezing hers. “So, dinner?” he posed.

Alexa knotted their fingers together before she nodded. “It sounds good” she noted “But I’d like to go home first to get changed. If I give you my address, can you pick me up at seven?” she asked timidly.

Andres playfully feigned thought for a moment before he quirked another smile. “I think I could probably manage that” he quipped.

Alexa rolled her eyes gently before she moved to stand up. “I guess I will see you later” she mused.

Andres breathed out a laugh. “I guess you will” he quipped “But, I do have something else, before you go” he added.

Alexa quirked an eyebrow before Andres pushed himself up to his feet, stepping towards her slightly before he leant forwards, briefly brushing his lips over hers. “I’ll see you later, Alexa” he quipped boyishly before he made his way towards the exit, offering her another playful grin over his shoulder. Alexa blinked a couple of times, surprised by the kiss, before she shook her head, smiling to herself.
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Thanks to Twisted;;Symphony for the comment :)