4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cattleya Cardona

M om and Dad made sure to get me a place close to the training facilities since I told them I didn't want a car until I felt comfortable enough to drive in this massive city. I told them I could afford to pay for my apartment, but they were adamant, and I decided it wasn't worth the fight. When it comes to taking care of his family, Samuel Cardona always gets what he wants.

Seeing him at the stadium yesterday had me on edge the entire game. I'm thankful the coach didn't feel comfortable putting me in to play since I really only had one training session with the team. I know I need to earn my spot on the A team; I need to gel with my teammates, and I will only achieve that with time, watching tapes, and learning their moves—which is what I should be doing now instead of letting my mind go places it shouldn't.

After a couple of hours of trying and failing miserably at learning my teammates' moves, I decide to explore the neighborhood. I've never lived outside of Medellín before; I've been to Europe and the United States for vacation during winter but never anywhere for longer than a week or two. I'm sure living here for an entire year will be a total adjustment.

When I leave my apartment building, I'm surprised to see so many people walking around, going about their days, with no signs of distress due to the weather. Whereas me? Oh, I'm fucking freezing my sweet big ass off. I should have put more layers on. I'm looking for a bakery when my phone starts vibrating, and I smile at the name I see on the screen.

" Hermanita, buen día. (Little sister, good morning)," Sofi chirps on the other side of the line while a big smile forms on my face.

"Morning! Shouldn't you be snuggling with your husband or something?" The comment earns me a chuckle.

"I wish, but Franco went out to play Soccer Five with Marco and Juan Carlos, and I'm getting ready to go to work."

That's right. As a soccer player, I have Mondays off, but that's not true for people with regular jobs.

"Oh fun." It's all I say, and Sofi immediately catches on.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" After releasing a deep breath, I proceed to spill my guts to my sister.

"I saw him at the game." I sit on a bench at the plaza (park) two blocks from my apartment, the cold I was feeling long forgotten.

"Saw who?" Sofi asks, and I roll my eyes .

"You know who. Matías." My sister's gasp could be heard all the way to Colombia, I'm surprised she's surprised.

"I doubt it, sis. Franco invited him, and he said he already had plans."

This is not what I was expecting to hear from Sofi. I know I saw him.

"Sofi, I swear, it was him. I would recognize those eyes anywhere." And it's true, I know I haven't seen him in a while, but the pull that man has over me is different—it always has been.

"Hmm, that's strange because honestly we invited him to tag along. We haven't seen him in a while so we were looking forward to spending time with him."

I don't even think twice about what I'm going to say next, I try to sound nonchalant, but I know I'm not. "Maybe he has a girlfriend, and that's why he was busy."

Silence. My sister, who usually has something to say, is quiet. A sinking feeling sets in my gut. Maybe Sofi knew and wanted to spare me the news?

Finally, after a few excruciating minutes, my sister speaks. "I really don't think so. I'm sure Franco would have heard something. I'll ask him tonight." It feels like Sofi is saying the right words, but I'm not sure why she's trying to protect me. The truth is, Matías and I have never been together. It's just a stupid teenage crush.

"Please don't ask Franco, this feels like a novela. You're right, maybe I imagined I saw him." Sofi tries to speak but I'm quick to say my goodbyes. "Love you sis, maybe we'll catch up soon. Yeah?"

Taking a deep breath, I pocket my phone and continue my quest to find a bakery to eat my feelings. Tomorrow is a new day and I get to train with my team again. I have to focus on what's important, and right now, that's not disappointing all of the people who are counting on me.

Training in Buenos Aires is more demanding than what I'm used to—since here we train twice a day—but I tend to shine the brightest when I'm under pressure. At least that's what I keep telling myself every time the team captain looks at me with murderous eyes. I get it, I'm the newbie here, and I was introduced as the next big thing in South American soccer, but it's not my fault. I've worked my ass off to get noticed. I'm having a sip of my drink while on a water break when another of the midfielders approaches me.

"Hey Cata? I'm Stefa," she says as she gives me a pat on the back.

"Nice to meet you," I say with a smile. I know I'm here to play and earn a spot on the team, but I've never been mean, and I won't start now. I reserve my bitchy attitude for the game.

"Don't worry about Noelia," she says, and I frown, confused. "Our captain, she's testing you. Don't let her get to you, she's simply establishing who's boss."

"Alright, I can appreciate that," I say as I take another sip, feeling better and lighter now that I have a teammate giving me an in. "Thank you so much for introducing yourself, it means a lot," I say sincerely, and Stefa waves me off.

"It's not a big deal, we're teammates and I've never believed in bully tactics. You have a lot going on at the moment, the last thing you need is to worry about your teammates, too."

I give her an appreciative smile at the same time the coach blows the whistle. Break is over. It's time to show the captain and everyone else what I am made of.

As I'm walking toward the locker room, the captain falls into step with me and hangs her arm on my shoulders. "Good job today, Cata. Keep it up." I nod my head at her, trying not to show my emotions but the truth is, I'll be able to sleep a little bit better tonight knowing slowly but surely I'm being accepted by the team.

It's Friday night, and I'm on cloud nine after hearing the roster of the starting eleven. We have an away game in Rosario, so we'll be going tomorrow for our Sunday match. Stefa mentioned that the team is going out for dinner tonight after training. I tend not to drink or stay up late during the season, but here in Argentina they eat at ten in the evening, so I figured I'd join them.

"Hey Cata, you made it." Stefa is the first one to greet me as I make my way to an empty seat toward the end of the long table. Only half of the team is here, which is surprising given that everyone was excited at the thought of dinner tonight. There are several pitchers of water on the table, so I pour myself a glass before perusing the men.

"What do you guys recommend here? I'm starving," I say as I start looking at the main dishes. Everything sounds delicious: pasta, surf and turf, salmon.

"Oh, we only get appetizers to share," Stefa says. I look at her, waiting for her to elaborate, but she doesn't say anything else. It's Noelia, the captain, who speaks up.

"It's the only thing we can afford." My shocked expression earns me a chuckle. "Don't be so surprised, rich girl. We don't make the same amount of money as the men's team." I let the name-calling pass this time, in lieu of talking further about what's important at the moment.

"Well, I know that. Back home, the women's team also made way less than the men's team. But why do you come here if you can't afford it? I'd rather go to another place where I can eat more," I say, and everyone laughs. The tension that was rising around the table dissipates. "What? Were you guys expecting me to be a total brat and look down on you?" I say, a smirk on my face.

"Something like that," Noelia replies and it gives me the perfect opening to clear up things once and for all.

"I know there's been a lot of talk about my deal with the team and whether or not I deserve to be here at all. The truth is, even though I come from a privileged family, if I didn't have the talent to back me up, all the money in the world would not have given me the stats I have. I work hard, I try to be a good teammate, and I work toward a common goal instead of looking for personal gain. So if we, as a team, are going to have a shot at leaving our mark this season, all I ask of you is to not listen to the noise outside and focus your effort and talent on building something great. Together." I finish my little speech—which went deeper than I intended—but when I look at the girls' faces, they all seem stunned. Instead of focusing on the fact that I might have gone too far and overstepped, I take a long sip of my water.

"Holy fuck, I need to look out, or you're going to go for my spot next," Noelia says, and we all explode in laughter. I make a mess of myself spraying the water I was drinking all over me.

"Good job, doofus," Stefa says, and I laugh harder. Releasing all the tension I was holding.

"Okay, okay. Enough shop talk. What I really want to know is if you left a broken heart back in Colombia," Emma asks next, and I turn a deep shade of red. I can feel the heat rising from my chest to my face.

"Ohhhhhh, ohhhhh. Look at her. Spill, parcerita," Noelia chirps and the entire table erupts in a fit of "spill, spill, spill." I use my hands to signal for them to calm down and after some more water, I tell them a very curated story.

"So you guys know I'm only twenty-two. Right? I've never been in a relationship, but I've gone out on dates," I say as all eyes are on me. "What?"

"I say this with love, believe me. But you don't want to spend your youth working hard with no fun. When you're thirty-five and it's time to retire and you have no one waiting for you at home, then what?" I look at Noelia, who's the one with the wise words. I'm not sure how to answer. I don't want to tell them about Matías, and how every guy I've dated before doesn't compare to him. Even though I try, no one has been able to make me feel anything compared to what I felt those nights with him.

"I mean, you don't have to get married and have kids. That's not what I mean, everyone's idea of happiness is different. All I'm saying is don't close yourself to experience life." Noelia squeezes my hand for good measure. When I look at her eyes, I can see it. She means it. I smile at her, trying to come up with something to say when Stefa speaks up.

"You should try OfficialCherub."

I shake my head at that name. "Never heard of it."

"Yeah, it's a local app. It's pretty discrete. You can say as much or as little about yourself in there. Instead of just matching you with someone for a hookup, you can start with a coffee date or go straight to test the goods." The girls all make kissing noises, and I start laughing uncontrollably.

"Let's enjoy tonight. Food is on me, order away." Everyone cheers, and that's what we do: we order the entire menu, eat, chat, and have a great time. When it's time to leave, I pay, and when I start looking for my phone, I see Stefa holding it. She has a wicked grin on her face, which should make me suspicious and scared, but for some reason, I trust her.

After grabbing my phone, I make my way outside to get an Uber and head home to pack. The excitement I'm feeling about playing my first game as a Golden Warrior is everything I need right now. Men will come later… if I'm meant to have a man in my life.