Page 11 of Entangled With You
“Yeah, sure. Ladies first,” I reply as I rearrange my position and turn my body to face her fully. She claps her hands in excitement, she’s so fucking cute, and usually these bubbly personalities rub me the wrong way. It's too many feelings for me to process, but with her, it feels fun. Her giddiness is contagious in a good way, it makes me feel excited with anticipation about what’s to come out of her mouth. Taking a sip of champagne from the bottle we’re sharing and after shaking her body, she squares her shoulders. With a serious look, she asks, “Are you a grower or a shower?” She tries and fails miserably at containing a laugh, but we both explode in a fit of laughter at the same time.
After wiping my eyes and taking a fortifying sip of champagne, I clear my throat and ask her, “Do you really want to know? I can show you instead of telling you.”
Cattleya’s laugh dies immediately after she registers what I just said and heat replaces the mirth in her amber eyes. I know I shouldn’t have gone there, we just met, but I’ve never felt so at ease with a girl before. For sex? Absolutely, but for easy banter and deep conversations? Never. Not until now.
“I’m sorry, I went too far,” I say, giving her an out and she gives me an easy smile.
“Nah, I shouldn’t have started it. But it’s all good. It was funny.” She shrugs, and I give her a nod in agreement. The remaining questions are more toned down and by the time we both get up to stretch our legs, the sun is rising. I never want this moment to end.
I still remember how she told me that growing up in a family like hers was both a blessing and a curse; although she had everything her heart desired, she also felt the responsibility of never failing. Because if you have everything, how can you fail?
Once inside the stadium, I buy a pint of beer and a choripan and head to my seat. It’s opposite to where the Golden Warriors sit. I’m hoping to have an unobstructed view of Cattleya, but I doubt she’ll be playing today. She just joined the team a couple of days ago.
I’m sporting a Golden Warriors jersey with her name on the back “Cardona 35.” I just got it at the stadium shop. A deep sense of pride and something that can only be described as longing invades my chest. Never in my life have I felt so thrilled and excited about someone else’s achievements.
There’s a family sitting next to me, all of them wearing yellow Colombia jerseys with big smiles on their faces. A little girl is sitting next to me, and with curious eyes, she asks, “Are you a Cata fan?” I smile at her and nod my head.
“She’s pretty awesome,” I say, and the girl grins at me.
“Yeah, she used to play for our soccer team back home, but now she’s going to play for our team here so that’s even better.”
I simply smile at the girl because I can tell she’s a fan and I don’t have much to add—I completely agree. I’m happy she’s going to be playing here. When the little girl’s mom notices she’s talking with me, she turns our way and holds her daughter by her shoulders.
“I’m sorry if my daughter is bugging you. She’s a chatterbox.”
I chuckle at her description because if I remember correctly most kids are chatterboxes at around five or six, which is the age I guess the girl is. All the kids except me; I’ve always been more quiet.
“It’s not a bother, she was just telling me how much she likes Cata Cardona,” I say as I turn my back so they can see my jersey.
“Mom, can I get Cata’s jersey, too?” The mom looks at me like, look what you did and I wince. I simply take a bite of my choripan and start looking around the crowd in the opposite direction. It takes me a couple of seconds to find my friends. They’re all sporting Cata’s jerseys too, and my heart warms at the sight of Cata’s parents. They’re sitting next to Sofi and Franco, and they’re all decked out in dark blue and gold, the team’s colors. I’ve seen them only a couple of times, but they’re so kind and welcoming. I wish I were sharing this moment with everyone, but instead, I’m hiding like a thief. Because that’s what you are. A loser thief.
Instead of listening to the little voice in my head, I focus on the teams warming up on the pitch. A roar of cheers, whistling, and applause erupts in the bleachers, and I’m taken aback by the amount of people who are here to see her. Not that she doesn’t deserve it, but I never thought she was going to be such a huge deal here. The little girl next to me starts yelling, “Cata, Cata” and waving her hands uncontrollably, trying to catch Cattleya’s attention.
“Shit, I didn’t think this through.” I duck and try to find a nonexistent coin on the ground. Luckily for me, Cattleya is simply making her way to her teammates, waving her left hand while she touches the team’s logo on her jersey. I can’t take my eyes off of her. She has her hair in a tall ponytail and a couple of braids on each side of her head, her uniform hugs her delicious curves while looking comfortable. I remember how I got to trace those same curves all those years ago. You could have kept doing it, if you weren’t such an idiot. I try to ignore my intrusive thoughts and focus on Cattleya; her eyes shine bright like the sun at sunrise. She’s floating on the field, her moves are graceful but purposeful at the same time. I know this is just a warm-up, but she seems like she’s thinking a step ahead of her teammates leading the team effortlessly.
Fifteen minutes before the match is set to start, her team takes position around a makeshift podium installed in the center of the field. The team’s president starts talking, and everyone quiets down.
“It is with great joy and pride that I introduce to you our newest player, a dedicated, hardworking, and young promise of women’s soccer in South America. Cata Cardona.” The stadium erupts in cheers, and I join in—I whistle and clap as hard as I can. Even though we haven’t spoken in the last four years, I’m so proud of all she has achieved thus far. And I know this is only the beginning. This woman was born to shine.
“Buenos Aires, it feels so good to be here.” Another round of cheers explodes before she continues her speech: “First of all, I’d like to thank the entire management team for scouting me and being so diligent to reach an agreement with my former team and myself. It’s an honor to defend these colors and, to be honest, a dream come true. Growing up, every time I thought about soccer, Argentina was the first country that came to my mind and I always dreamt of how nice it would be if one day I could make it here.”
More applause fills the stadium and this time, Cattleya wipes her eyes, her beautiful smile never leaving her face. “So here I am, ready to serve this team with the best of my abilities and all my heart. I’ll give everything I am to this team. Gracias!” She does another round of waves to the crowd, but this time she decides to walk along the field, trying to greet and take as many pictures as she can with the fans. I'm entranced by her presence. It’s almost omnipotent.
I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t realize the little girl next to me was able to get Cattleya’s attention. The next thing I know, she’s stopped walking, her mouth is agape and her gaze is entangled with mine.
“Cata, do you know him? Look, he’s even wearing your jersey.” The little girl screeches in excitement having her idol in such close proximity, bringing me out of the hold Cattleya has on me.
“You came,” is all she says, before I jump out of my seat and make a hasty exit out of the stadium. I’m such a fucking loser. I had the chance to offer an olive branch to Cattleya and finally explain to her why I was such an ass all those years ago. Instead, I left like a thief. Ugh, why am I this way? What the fuck is wrong with me?
Chapter 4
Cattleya Cardona
Mom 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.