Safe Place; Andrey Rublev

Chapter 2 PLAYERS' PARTY

A knock in the door took me out of my thoughts as I was trying to pick something not too formal yet no too casual, thankfully it was Alina Shevchenko, a Russian girl I meet a few years ago during a practice session in Spain, and since then we've become nothing but best friends, something hard to find when you're in the move.

"Hey, I came early, sorry. You need help?", the 5'2 dirty blond said.

"Hey, no worries, come on in. Actually yes. I feel already stress, what the hell?", I felt in the verge of a crisis. At the end we ended up with the first thing we thought, a long baggy and pastel colored dress with white snikers, my hair down and very natural make up.

"Are you sure there is no problem if I go", the Russian asked as we waited for Sasha to show up.

"Of course not, he said I could bring someone, plus this is a great chance for the two, and you were going anyway", she laughed. Her ranking and more experience in the WTA were more than enough for her to not play qualifiers, seen we were child she's been projected to be the successful one, the Slam champion, and just like me, she knows how's like to be pressure to be good, therefore, no bad blood, good rivalry at the juniors and sometimes doubles partners.

text message:

German Sasha:

>Hey! I just arrive, I'm in the lobby :)

You:

                                                                                     > Hi! We're on the elevator already. See you there :)

We were silently waiting for the elevator to make it to the lobby, we stare at each other sharing encouragement. The doors opened as the ring of it let us know it was moment to get out of there. We walked a few steps before I saw 2 tall guys looking around and speaking a language only Alina and they could understand. Sasha was the first to turn around smiling at me and walking closer to us. His friend followed him.

"Hey, I know you! You're the Spanish girl with the best backhand, or that's what they say", he mocked me before I could even say hello, still made me, and our friends laugh.

"Hi! Mr. scouting qualifiers", I said still laughing, "Hi", I said looking and raising my hand to his friend.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Ladies, this is Rublev, Andryusha, Andrey. The friend I told you", he said the last part muttering and looking at me. "Andrey, this is also Alex", he said pointing at me, then a I introduced Alina.

"Hi, this is Alina, good childhood friends.", she said some hello's and the four of us proceeded to leave the hotel to a car waiting outside.

________________________________________________________

We had arrived at the place an hour ago, Alina and I were sitting at a table talking with a few friends of Alex and Andrey while we were putting all our courage together to cross the room and get even close to Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal how seem very friendly surrounded by organizers and other players.

"Поздравляю со вчерашней победой" (Congrats on yesterday's win), the blond, blue eye guy said.

I turn around with confusion, "Sorry?", he looked at me confused and embarrassed.

"Sorry, I... I thought you speak russian... I guess I got it wrong", he laughed, cheeks red and looking to the ground.

I join him with an understanding laugh, "Don't worry, Alina, my friend she's the Russian one, I'm the Spanish", I said joking.

"Yeah, no, sorry. Sasha calling you Sasha made it confusing", replied apologetic, his strong Russian accent made him sound even more nervous yet friendly. If you look at him form the distance you would've think he's ready to fight you and probably beat you up, too serious and upset, but the second he starts talking and laughing, yeah, he's not that kind. Interesting. "I just say congratulations for your match yesterday, important win", he said avoiding looking at my face.

I smiled, still trying to figure him out, "Yeah, not sure if I should be called Sasha, cuz I'm not... but Alina has called me like that too so, I'll take it", we both laugh. He seemed nice. "And thanks, very important win, yeah. I'm very excited, still can believe it."

Before I realized Andrey and I were immersed in a very interesting, full of jokes and friendly conversation, we both share some of our difficulties with the constant travel, missing home, and the struggles of not helping but to feel alone sometimes. I don't know if we were having the same life or what because I think we both were quite surprised and glad to find someone that understood, in a way, or just for that particular and precise moment, how the other was feeling.

He seemed very passionate about what he was talking, like if he was keeping all of it for himself and finally, could say it out loud. Not only was he sharing but he was very good at listening, language didn't matter, we understood one another like we could read our minds, it felt... especial, nice, I would say, if you keep on mind we just met. Even so, he was shy, to the point that he seemed cute, quiet but with a lot to say. Interesting, again.

We had created a very comfortable atmosphere, one where it wasn't needed to say anything to feel at ease, we smirk at each other once we felt satisfied with the conversation, not needing to fill any voids, just the noise of our surroundings that slowly, started to become more intense.

That same atmosphere became interrupted by Sasha, "Hey, I've been looking for you", he said looking at me leaning to the edge of the back of Andrey's chair not paying too much attention to him.

"Oh, really? I haven't moved fro...", he interrupted me.

"Come on, I thought you wanted to meet important people not him, he's not there quite yet.", that took me for surprise, I mean, that seemed rude. "Have you met Angelique Kerber?", he finished saying cheerful and with a rush, made a sign with his hand for me to stand up as he moved my chair to finally grabbing my middle back directing me to where the great German player was.

For some reason, my eyes went to Andrey who appeared to be ashamed and slightly offended, as much as I wanted to give him an encouragement look, his eyes were already too down to see me. 

Didn't see him for the rest of the night.

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Short chapter but one of my favorites so far, thanks for reading I hope your having fun and enjoying it as much as I have. Let me know what you think:)

xoxo