In the spotlight

45

Sofia Christensen

"Thank you for assembling all this." I turned my head towards Matteo as we were walking in the narrow streets leading up to my apartment. The sun has almost completely set above us in the sky, leaving only pale blue colors in the sky right before all of the street lamps turned on.

"It's the least what my girlfriend deserves." He flashed a wide smile at me while holding my hand in his right and running through his hair with his left.

My heart almost skipped a beat upon hearing him call me his girlfriend. I felt redness creeping up on my face; my embarrassment was clearly visible, which made him chuckle, but what could I do?

If you told 18-year-old Sofia that someday she was going to hear Matteo Rodriguez referring to her as "my girlfriend," she would have burst out in hysterical laughter. Yet as I turned my head towards him for the second time and our eyes met, I felt my heart flutter in my chest while redness took over my face. Everything felt so surreal.

The way my hands felt in his, as his thumb was circling on the back of my palm, aroused goosebumps everywhere on my arm. The way he hugged me whenever I was around, our bodies pressing together in this sense of safety and comfort, was a feeling I never knew existed. And his kisses...

"What are you thinking about?" Matteo's voice dragged me back to the ground. I snapped my head towards him, a shy smile stretching across my face while thinking about the right answer.

"All of this still feels... unreal." I admitted my thoughts hesitantly as we were nearing the entrance of my apartment building.

"I know it's crazy, right? I mean, dating you is not something that will ever feel real to me." His wide smile stretched from ear to ear, making me roll my eyes playfully at him. I have to admit, he had his way with words for sure.

"Trust me, this goes both ways." I scoffed joyfully as we crossed the street in front of the familiar gate. Matteo let go of my hand and wrapped his around my shoulder, pulling me a little closer before pressing his lips against my forehead.

I fished the keys out of my purse right before we stopped and pressed them against the small screen. Once the buzzing noise was heard, I pushed the door wide open so we could both step through it at the same time, but we didn't make it to the elevators.

His arm quickly wandered from my shoulders down to my waist, spinning my body towards him. I felt my back hit the wall right before his lips smashed against mine, forcing a moan to escape my lips as I melted into his touch.

I loved the way our bodies pressed against each other, feeling the heat of his arms around me. His cologne filled my senses, leaving me utterly intoxicated as our lips were moving in sync, this time letting him lead it.

My hand brushed against his upper arms before reaching his face while I grabbed a fistful of his hair with my other one, feeling a satisfied grin forming on my face upon hearing him groan. Kind of wishing we made it up to my apartment before this interlude.

"God, it's going to be so hard to get used to the fact that I can't just kiss you anytime in public." Matteo sighed as we pulled away from each other, panting. His green eyes were almost black while looking down at me, igniting well... certain feelings in me.

"Then we shouldn't leave too much." I tilted my head slightly to the left while I gently stroked his face with my thumb. A smirk formed on our faces simultaneously before leaning in for another kiss, but this time a much gentler one.

"I really wish we had more time together." A sour feeling was creeping up on me, choking me tighter and tighter with each passing minute as the end of our day together was approaching hastily. I know a few weeks didn't sound that bad considering my career, but god, what I wouldn't give for another two weeks of free time now that I just got Matteo barging into my life.

"Hey, don't be sad now." He traced his hand up to my chin, lifting my head up slightly with his fingers. "We're going to figure something out." He pressed his lips on my forehead, giving me several kisses as I closed my eyes and just enjoyed this peaceful moment. Who knows when we will get the chance to do this again?

The certainty in his voice was definitely calming, but it couldn't make my worries disappear or just fade away for a few moments. The darkest thoughts were still lingering in the back of my head, because out of all the problems we were facing, we were facing the biggest one. Distance.

Just the distance between Paris and Madrid would have been more than enough, but we were both successful media personalities, therefore travelling around all the time. We are starting off our relationship with thousands of kilometers and 7 hours of time difference.

"We have come such a long way, Sofia. I am not giving up on you now." This was it. Relief rushed through my body as I laughed softly and pressed my head against his chest, squeezing him in a tight hug. At this point I was fairly convinced that I was the luckiest girl on the planet.

"I will do everything in my power to come back as soon as possible." I sighed while I was already running through possible solutions in my head. But no matter how much I've recalculated everything, the minimum amount of time I had to spend in Seoul remained one week.

"In the meantime..." He let go of the tight hug and lifted my head up once again. Our eyes met once again, and a feeling of comfort settled over my thoughts. "We can always call. Like the good old times." We both laughed out after this sentence, before engaging in another kiss, making use of the very little time we had left together.

Walking down the narrow aisle of the airplane, I found my seat and settled in, my heart heavy with the weight of leaving Matteo behind. The plane engines roared to life, drowning out the noise of my thoughts. As the aircraft taxied down the runway, I glanced out of the window, feeling a mixture of excitement for the upcoming journey and a profound sense of longing.

The flight attendant announced that electronic devices needed to be turned off, prompting me to put away my phone. I had already sent Matteo a message before boarding, but I wished I could hold onto the connection just a little longer. The distance between us felt unbearable, the reality of our separation settling in with each passing second.

Strapped into my seat, I closed my eyes, trying to imagine Matteo's warm embrace, his comforting presence. His words echoed in my mind, promising to find a way to bridge the distance. I clung to those words, finding solace in his unwavering determination.

During the flight, I couldn't help but replay the moments we shared in my mind—his laughter, his touch, the way he looked at me. Each memory was a lifeline, grounding me in the love we shared. I longed for the next time we would be together, counting down the hours until we could hear each other's voices again.

As the plane touched down in Seoul, I turned on my phone, waiting for it to connect to the network. Messages from friends and work flooded in, but my eyes searched for one name only—Matteo. When his message finally appeared, a rush of warmth washed over me.

"Miss you more. Safe flight, my love. Call me when you land."

His words, filled with love and reassurance, made the distance between us seem a little smaller. I clung to the promise of his love, finding strength in our shared commitment to making our relationship work.

Taking a deep breath, I typed a reply, my fingers dancing over the screen with a newfound determination. "I'll call you as soon as I get settled. Take care of yourself. I miss you endlessly."

Sending the message, I felt a glimmer of hope. No matter the miles that separated us, our love would endure, resilient and unyielding. With a sense of purpose, I disembarked the plane, ready to face the challenges ahead, knowing that love would guide us back to each other.