Try Me || Erling Haaland

Chapter Twenty Three

I watched her out of the corner of my left eye. She had sat on the same side of the table as Imogen, facing me, but she was a few people down the row, but that was still way too close for my liking. 

A few seconds after she had sat down, her familiar strong scent hit my nostrils. She always wore the same strong men's aftershave, Eros by Versace. I would recognise that scent in a heartbeat. 

The first time we met, the first thing I noticed about her was her scent, it was intoxicating. 

I was in a crowded pub after a Monday evening training session and all I could smell was her suffocating scent. It was drawing me towards her subconsciously, making my heart pound heavily in my chest, as I took deep breaths. 

That day, I had smelt her before I saw her. She had been making her way around the football team, whilst I had no idea who she even was. But I felt as though I couldn't get enough of it, the scent filling my nostrils with every breath. 

And right now, I was feeling the exact same feelings as I did in that first moment, the smell transporting me back to the first time we had met. 

I could hear snippets of what the girls were saying to her when she joined the table next to us, sitting with the football girls. 

She had played for the university football team for a total of 4 years, she had taken a year out after 3 years of playing, returning for a 4th year last year, that's when I had initially met her.

Some of the girls had left the team, having graduated university and moved on to professional teams, but there were still a lot of girls who played currently for the team who she knew. 

"You joining us for another season?" I heard one of the girls ask. I fucking hope not I thought to myself. 

"We need another number 10!" One shouted. No you don't.

When someone joined a sports club, you were always welcome back, no matter how long ago you'd left university. Especially with football and rugby, we were practically conjoined twins, we knew almost every member of each others team, past and present. 

We still had girls coming to the socials who had left the team 5 years ago on occasion. 

Her best friends were also a year younger than her, so still on the football team, and I got the feeling that meant that I'd be seeing her more often than I'd like to on a Wednesday night. 

I bit the inside of my cheek in annoyance, she knew I was still playing for the rugby team because I still had a year until I graduated and she had the audacity to walk in and smile at me. 

I was snapped out of my thoughts by my team cheering, I looked up to see our team clapping, chanting Imogen's name. I rolled my eyes as I looked at her, preparing myself for what she was about to do. 

"Immy! Immy! Immy!" They chanted, banging their fists against the wooden table. 

She chanted along with our team as she lifted her long pint glass up in the air, attempting to tip it into her open mouth from a height. 

I covered my mouth with my hand as I barked out a laugh, watching as the red drink missed her mouth completely, covering her face and spilling all over her bright blonde, curly hair. 

"I'm drowning!" She screamed in panic, still tipping the drink, spitting the drink out of her face. She'd forgotten that she was the one tipping the pint, not somebody else. 

"You are something else," I said through laughs. 

Mia grabbed hold of my shoulder in an attempt to calm herself down, a silent laugh coming from her, she couldn't breath from laughing so much. Tears brimmed my eyes as I looked at Imogen, my nose crinkling as I laughed. 

I heard a familiar loud laugh come from the left of me but I didn't break my attention away from Imogen, even if my heart did drop even further down my chest, which I didn't think was possible. 

I needed a distraction to get me through the rest of this day. As if on cue, my phone lit up on the table. 

@ErlingHaaland replied to your story: Let's not have a repeat of Wednesday 😉

I rolled my eyes before smirking, typing to respond to his message. I don't think he'd ever let me live that night down. 

@Lottieee: A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do for some chicken nuggets 🤷🏼‍♀️

I pressed on his story after responding, seeing that he posted an image from when he must have scored in today's game. I typed a response. 

@Lottieee: Good to see you're practicing for our game

I chuckled to myself as I sent the message, I watched as the message quickly changed to 'seen'. 

@ErlingHaaland: Don't make me laugh, Lottie

He used my name, he must have been serious. I bit my bottom lip in amusement, locking my phone. The second half of the game commenced, I looked up from my phone and sat watching the game, cheering as England scored a try within the first 5 minutes. 

♡

As I stood at the bar, I felt someone nudge into the side of me. I turned my head lazily to the right, expecting to see Mia or Imogen, but almost shat myself when I saw Millie stood next to me instead. 

"Avoiding me?" She questioned, with a smirk. Her piercing green eyes gazed into mine as a silent challenge, but I didn't back down. I think she'd forgotten that I didn't crumble against her, like the rest of the girls did. I gazed back at her just as intently. 

"And why would I do that?" I asked, responding with a smirk of my own. I watched as her tongue licked her top lip, a silent chuckle leaving her mouth. 

"I don't know, you tell me," She challenged me, leaning both of her elbows on top of the bar, copying my stance. I bit the inside of my cheek in annoyance. 

"I'm the one that ended things, remember," I reminded her, raising my eyebrows as I looked at her. She pursed her lips, shaking her head. 

"I wondered how long it would be before you said that," She chuckled, looking at me still, her eyes narrowing slightly. I knew that would hit a nerve. 

"Well now you know," I said bluntly, dropping my smile completely as I broke the gaze. The bartender placed my drink in front of me, I stood up tall and picked up the pint, taking a sip before leaving her stood leaning on the bar behind me. 

"Childish," I heard her chuckle under her breath as I walked away. I smirked to myself, I knew that I had annoyed her and that made me beyond happy. 

I turned my head around as I walked away, looking back at her. 

"Always, babe." I gave her a seductive smile before turning my gaze away from her and back to the table which I was walking back to. 

I felt her gaze stay on me as I walked across the room, sitting back in my seat next to Mia at the table. I quickly smiled and got involved in the conversation which was currently going on in between the girls, ignoring her presence entirely. 

♡