Good times with good people are rare.
And this was what Isabelle Alexandra Young had in mind when she and her two friends packed their suitcases for what was supposed to just be a fun, care-free, 12-day-no-curr tour to Spain. Unaware of what awaited her there, Alex just wanted the free trip so she can see the sunny city, have some time off from work, and have a little fun with the girls. But now, six days after she first set foot to the beautiful Madrid, her trip was quickly proving to be more than just good times. It was turning out to be an unexpected adventure, give or take a few things, that she had no idea would change just about everything.
And one of these few things, was meeting Sergio Ramos. After she and the Sevillan-born defender unexpectedly met about four days ago, the two had developed an attraction in dangerously high levels neither of them could deny. The whole thing happened fast, like a forwarded film, skipping all the unimportant, insignificant parts, and playing just the ones that made sense to them, the ones that made them happy.
However, when Sergio Ramos expressed her feelings to the unsuspecting Alex, she realized there was that one part that she wanted to skip, but couldn’t. The credits at the last part, the near ending of their sweet little tale.
Oh, but relationship with Sergio was difficult to define. They were together, but at the same time, not really. They couldn’t do without seeing or talking to each other since the day they met, but they had to hide it, and deny it.
Sergio himself couldn’t explain what had gotten into him. It could just be the holiday spirit and the intense sadness of being alone for too long has finally hit home, could be that he was in that time in his life when he really needed someone and she came along in the perfect moment. Sergio didn’t know, really, what made him bite on the chance to be with Alex, despite of knowing it had no guarantees, and he was subjecting himself to happiness that was only temporary.
For whether she liked it or not, Alex was leaving soon. She was going home.
See, she was supposed to spend four days with Sergio. She was supposed to sleep over his place until the 23rd of December. Unfortunately, a short conversation by the lit up Christmas tree the night before led her to leave his home nine hours earlier than scheduled.
She no longer slept over for another night. She didn’t know what to think of the whole situation.
He wants me for Christmas. She must have repeated the words in her head twenty times. She was quiet for the most part of the ride home, but in her mind it was on loop one sentence after the next. Sergio wants an “us” for Christmas.
It was a sweet thought, but also a painful one to realize. Because for Alex, it was like wanting something she couldn’t have, them trying for things that could never be.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” she gave Sergio a soft kiss on the lips before getting out the vehicle. And before shutting the passenger door closed, she turned to him once more. The frown on his face told her he was not very happy about her decision to not stay one more night like they agreed on, however, she pretended not to notice.
“See you at the party, okay?” she said to him. But Sergio’s eyes remained glued on the windshield, obviously avoiding Alex’s gaze.
His hands on the steering wheel, Sergio quietly, under his breath just uttered, “Yeah, okay.”
It concluded the evening for the two. A little different compared to the past few they’d had, but for sure, their short goodnight would be one that would keep them both awake until the wee hours of the morning. Sergio wouldn’t be able to sleep thinking of Alex, and Alex would be counting sheep in between her thoughts of Sergio. And it would be daylight once more when they wake up restlessly after a sleepless night, their thoughts both still focused on each other.
*****
Day 7
The next morning, Alex was awakened by her friends’ arrival back to Madrid.
“How was Malaga?” She asked Marissa, before she even got her other foot into the door. “Was it fun without me?”
“Oh shut up.” Emma responded, continuing to unpack her luggage from the short trip. “You tell. Did YOU have fun without US?”
Alex rolled her eyes, but didn’t answer the question. Emma’s words seemed to suggest she knew something, but Alex kept on pretending there was nothing to hide.
“Not as fun.” she said, and then continued on telling the girls that she had decided to attend the Christmas Party that Gonzalo Higuain invited her to. And although it was a party she wasn’t really excited to be at, she spent the rest of the morning deciding on what to wear for the evening, anyway. She was told it was a casual party, nothing fancy, but then she knew what kind of girls these men dated, and Alex wanted to be at par.
And at least Sergio would be proud when he sees her, even if it was discreetly going to be just between the two of them.
Alex didn’t really have plans of doing any shopping while in Madrid, but as the situation called for it, she decided she’d treat herself a Christmas present and go ahead with buying a few nice things, anyway. By four in the afternoon, she had already made a trip to the local mall, and back. Rushing and running a little bit out of time, she got herself a new pair of nude pumps and a nice fitting red dress in under two hours.
Once she got everything she needed, add and subtract a few accessories to match her outfit, Alex cabbed her way back to the hotel. With quite a heavy traffic in the city, it was nearly five when she made it back to the room.
Moving fast, she went on to take a shower. She blow-dried her hair real quick, then dabbed very light make-up on. She used the time in between to send Sergio short messages, asking him what time he will be at the shindig, and telling him of her plans to leave the party with him discreetly. Sadly, it seemed he was busy preparing, too. It was a while before Alex got his replies to her texts, and when he did, he kept his messages short.
But Alex decided she wouldn’t be bothered by it, given that he was wearing a frown on his face when he dropped her off the hotel the previous night. Sergio obviously had issues with her keeping mum about the whole “I want you for Christmas” drama they were having, and he made it pretty clear he was upset that he couldn’t get a straight answer out of Alex.
She, on the other hand, kept quiet. But it didn’t mean the whole thing didn’t upset her or saddened her, either.
Just as Alex was giving her look one last check in the mirror, her phone rang.
“You ready?”
Higuain was right on time when he called to tell her he was now at her hotel’s lobby. He wasn’t late, and wasn’t too early. Perfect timing, as a matter of fact, something that caused Alex to groan to herself, her way of whining and complaining. She remembered when Sergio told her that Gonzalo would appear like the perfect man, the perfect date, but he wouldn’t be like this if he didn’t think he had a chance with her.
“Alex, I’m here now.”
Another message told Alex to hurry up. Thus, grabbed her purse, slipped into her nude heels, said goodbye to her friends, and headed down to meet her date.
*****
“Thank you. You look rather dashing yourself.” She commented, referring to the striker’s ensemble. He just told her she looked absolutely “hot” for the fifteenth time since they got to the car, and she was beginning to feel a little creeped out by the way his eyes roamed her figure whenever he momentarily glanced at her, at every chance he got.
And by “every chance”, she meant every goddamn chance.
It was strange, and Alex felt weird about the whole ride to the venue. Gonzalo was no way near like this when they first had that contest date, she recalled, when he kept his glances minimal, he didn’t even dare hold her hand, he spoke casually, and he seemed harmless. But tonight, the Argentine Striker had attempted to hold her hand whilst he drove at least twice, touched her earlobes and stroke it with his fingers teasingly about three times. First, when he said her earrings were as pretty as she was. Second, when he said her hair was beautiful. And third, when he said SHE was beautiful.
And hot.
Again.
Trying to keep her cool, Alex just beamed a big smile every time so awkward it was almost a grin. “Thanks.” She’d only say, whilst thinking that if Sergio was around, he would have slammed Higuain’s face into the dashboard just about as many times as he’d attempted to hit on her.
Alex knew how easily Ramos got jealous. And times like these, she thought, she kinda missed it.
Unfortunately, it was only her and Gonzalo in the car now. Thus, she had to endure his company for another thirty minutes, the time it took for the Argentine footballer to drive them to the party venue.
It was only when he slowed the vehicle down and rolled the car to the side of the road to park did she feel relieved and eager to get out of the passenger seat. At least now they’d be around other people, she thought to herself, and hopefully he’d stop what he was doing, or at least tone it down.
Sadly, Alex was wrong.
Higuain took her hand and together, they walked into the venue, some reserved function room in a high end club. Huge, fancy, and with all the colorful lights, it looked like fun.
But not for her.
“I’m so damn lucky.” Higuain leaned over to her ear, to make sure she heard him despite of the loud club music. He started moving along with the house music’s drum beat even before they got themselves into the dance floor. “All these girls got nothing on you.”
Although it was dark, the pin lights enabled Alex to see Gonzalo run his eyes through her face, admiring every eyelash. Then she watched as his eyes move downward as if to check out the rest of her.
It made her incredibly uncomfortable, really. Thus, she just flashed a fake smile, then pulled her eyes off him to look around, pretending to be checking out the place and all the fun around them.
However, a few seconds into it, she felt Gonzalo press against her. His hand slid smoothly around her waist, while his other hand held her hip.
Then, Gonzalo Higuain started to dance.
Dammit. Where the fuck are you, Sergio!? she thought to herself, hoping for her kinda-boyfriend to show up and rescue her from the awkwardness of the moment.
But the more Alex hoped for it to stop, the more it didn’t. And worst, it continued all throughout the evening. Soon, Higuain quit the dance floor and they sat for a few moments, where he would have his hands touching hair, or stroking her arm with his fingertips, or he’d lean over to her to smell her neck and whisper to her that she was hot.
Luckily for Gonzalo, Alex’s head was floating somewhere else that night, she wasn’t a hundred per cent focused on him at all. Her thoughts were with Sergio, and the fact that she still hadn’t seen signs of him since the party started.
“More?” Gonzalo grabbed the half full bottle of Patron from the table they were seated in, and poured all the remaining contents into her shot glass. She chugged it down, her eyes focused on the entrance door, eager to see Ramos walk in. Alex was distracted with the thought that he might not show up tonight. In fact, she didn’t even notice when Gonzalo’s moved himself closer to her, putting his arm around her waist.
Then, he leaned over to her.
“You okay, babe?” Pipita breathed the words out into her ear. “You having fun?”
She nodded without a smile, just so he’d stop. And with a drink in her hand, she sipped as she looked away.
Alex was slowly reaching the max of her temper, but she tried her best to keep her calm. She didn’t like at all the way Gonzalo was coming on to her, what with all the touching and the whispering and the whole brushing-his-body-parts-against-her thing he had going. In fact, she thought of just leaving at one point, to literally walk out on Higuain without word, but then she really wanted to see Sergio, and she planned on leaving the party with him.
But sadly, another hour passed and still, no signs of Ramos. At this point, she sent several text messages to him discreetly, hiding beneath the table so Gonzalo wouldn’t notice, but her efforts got her nothing. Sergio didn’t text her back. Alex was becoming more agitated and anxious by the minute, bringing her to dial his number once, keeping a close eye on the screen if he ever picked up, but still, to no avail.
“Who you callin?”
She quickly hid her phone behind her when Higuain bent over as if to take a look. He noticed Alex started getting busy with something else and thought he was getting her bored. Thus, he thought he’d regain her attention by moving his hand further up her thigh, his fingertips slightly reaching just under the hem of her skirt before, squeezing a bit of the flesh a few inches above her knee.
The move took Alex by surprise. She didn’t know but she felt kind of harassed. Thus, she grabbed his hand and pushed it away.
“I need to use the bathroom.” She said before abruptly standing up. She held the hem of her dress and pulled it down, making sure he didn’t see her booty when she got up from the table.
“Be back quick, okay, sexy?” Higuain winked, a silly, naughty smile on his face. Alex didn’t even turn to acknowledge. Instead, she muttered a short “fuck you and your damn hands.” under her breath as she walked away.
As soon as she got to the ladies’ room and found out it was empty, she locked the door. But Alex was not the type that locked herself in rooms to fume her feelings out, and she didn’t really feel like using the toilet. She just wanted time away from Gonzalo and his wandering hands.
Miraculously, no one knocked on the door the entire five minutes she took the powder room all to herself. It seemed none of the ladies that night wanted to leave the club floor filled with the fine pieces of football ass.
Except for her.
I’m staying five more minutes. If I still don’t see Sergio, I’m outta here, she decided. Thus, after putting back her makeup into her teeny tiny little purse, Alex walked to the door to go back to her miserable date.
She opened it rather carelessly, the door. And as she took one step outside, she saw what she was looking for. Alex was instantly both relieved and surprised to sight on Sergio leaning by the wall opposite the ladies’ room. His hands inside his pockets, looking every bit as dashing.
“Hey, babe.”
A smile instantly formed on Alex’s face. Despite the dimmed light outside the ladies’ room, she couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked tonight.
“Finally.” She uttered, as she took the few steps that brought her to stand face to face before him. She allowed Sergio to hold her in the waist, his hands feeling her slender figure, while she rested her own palms on his firm chest.
“I’m sorry about last night.” He said to her, with apologetic eyes. “I can’t with you being upset with me, baby, I’m sorry I acted like that.”
“You don’t have to apologize, babe, I—-“
“No, no, it was selfish.” he uttered, “I’m sorry.”
“Fine. If it will make you stop feeling bad, then all is forgiven.” she whispered, rubbing her palm gently over his chest. “And I’m sorry, too.”
She could smell the sharp but manly scent of his D&G Light Blue. And gazing at him amidst the dimmed lights didn’t make him less attractive to her. It was difficult to remain upset, even if she tried.
“I been looking for you the whole night, though,” She said, gazing at his face and its every contour. “Where you been?”
“Been watching you the whole night.” It was evident as Sergio’s facial expression shifted to another one of those irate looks, like he was just reminded of something so annoying he had to bite on his teeth. “He’s damn lucky I finally caught you alone. You know I was this close to coming over to your table, God, I just couldn’t take the sight of him all over you like that anymore.”
“I hated it.” She said, playing with his shirt’s collar. “So can we leave now?”
“Not yet, baby. I gotta make a proper exit. There’s not too many people here tonight, if you leave and I leave, they’re gonna notice we’re both gone without word. And it’s too early to be calling it a night.”
“Fine.” she uttered behind her almost closed lips. “So I’ll go back to the table and tell him I’m gonna go ahead?”
“Yeah. But before that,” Sergio took her hand, “Come with me to the back?”
“The back? What are we gonna —-“
“Just for a few minutes.” he said. “Come on.”
Before Alex could reply, Sergio had pulled her with him, leading the way.
The two walked hand in hand to the club’s back exit. It brought them to a narrow, dark alley that led to a what looked like an unlit parking lot. There were no lights, no people, just parked cars, and the shallow music that played in the background coming from the club.
“Where are we going?” she asked, but Sergio didn’t say anything. He just kept going, walking in between parked cars as if looking for the right one.
“Sergio how much space do you need to talk, baby? Seriously.” she commented. And once more, the defender said nothing.
Alex began to worry that Gonzalo would start looking for her. But as she was about to tell him that they should probably head back inside, Sergio swiftly slid his arms around her waist very smoothly, and gently pulled her close.
The move caught her by surprise. “Sergio, if someone sees us and tells him…”
“So? They can tell him, he ain’t gonna do shit.” He uttered, his nose touching the tip of hers. “He can do no shit to me.”
“Okay, fine, I get that. But wha—-“
“Come on, babe, I been watching you in that dress for hours.” he uttered, in a whimpering tone, while his hand went under her skirt, stroking her thigh with his palms, before moving to grab a handful of her ass and squeeze it. “This fuckin hard-on’s starting to hurt.”
Upon realizing what he was getting at, she kind of pushed him a little.
“Wha—-here!?” She exclaimed, “Are you serious!? I thought we couldn’t even leave together cause we’re trying to be careful? We’re gonna get caught, Sergio, I swear we’re gonna—-“
Unfortunately, the strong defender didn’t budge. He only held her even closer, tighter.
“No we won’t. And so what?” he shrugged, as though there was nothing to be scared or ashamed about. “If he’s to find out that way and trouble comes, imma be ready for it. I’m not gonna go lookin’ for it, but imma be ready for it.”
He slowly moved a foot forward, causing Alex to move one of hers to take a step back. Then, he gently leaned her over and against the body of a black sedan. “Besides, if he sees us himself and he has to know that way, then fine cause he also has to know he got no right to do this, right, baby?”
Once her back touched the car, she felt him press himself against her. Her dress was flimsy, and although his denim jeans weren’t, she could feel his member rub against her. Turned out Sergio wasn’t lying about the hard-on, after all.
“Now come on, Alex.” he teasingly whispered. “Hush me down, will you, baby?”
As she felt him take control, she couldn’t help but realize how crazy that Sergio could talk her into just about anything. It was amazing how easily he could get her hypnotized unlike anyone else. It wasn’t taking advantage, not to her. It was simply his charms, which she happened to fall very quickly for.
And thus, Alex said nothing to him anymore after that. Without a care whether her date was inside wondering where she’d gone or why she suddenly went missing, or the idea that they could get caught getting it on at the parking space at the back of the club, she let her inhibitions dissolve into the air. There was no fighting it, she knew. There was no way she was going to ask him to stop now.
And so, under the starless sky, in that dark corner where they stood in between the parked cars, Alex’s gaze never left his when she put her arms around Sergio’s neck. Slowly, she pulled his head over to hers, and as she closed her eyes, she let the defender part her lips with his tongue, while his hand travelled in between her thighs before going further up, allowing him to touch her where she needed him most.
To be continued…
Isabelle Alexandra Young, twenty five. A marketing graduate, now employed by an advertising firm in the US. Fun, cheerful, pretty, and unexplainably single. But Alex, as most call her, is not bothered. She believes she still has a lot ahead of her, all the time in the world to find Mr. Right, and she will meet him in due time.
However, her friends don’t think so.
Meanwhile in Madrid, news of a special Christmas contest was globally released through the world wide web. It’s something that was never done before, not even for charity. Thus, girls from all over the world wanted to take part. Matter of fact, Alex’s friends wanted to take part, too. Worried about her being the last single woman in her age group at work, they thought this was the perfect timing. If Alex was planning to remain forever alone, then it was best to put her future into their own hands. And so, agreeing that it would be fun, they try their luck at the little game. They thought that if Alex gets picked and wins, she’d be thankful. If she doesn’t, she won’t know anyway.
Unfortunately for them, December the 10th was Alex’s lucky day. And for her, “Win a Date with Gonzalo Higuain” was their worst gift, ever.