In the spotlight

47

Sofia Christensen

"Are you sure I can go in though?" I spoke into the telephone nervously. Another loud, very tired sigh was audible from the other end.

"Yes, Sofia, for the thousandth time, you can." I could hear the voice of Giovanni with a pinch of sarcasm as I neared the huge entrance gates of the training complex.

The tall and very broad silver-painted buildings towered over me with each step I took, the complete silence and the lack of people also added to this eerie vibe. God damnit, this place is like a labyrinth already; how big can the actual stadium be?

"So I just walk up to security and tell them my name right?" I bit on the inner part of my lower lip as I spotted two very tall men standing next to the gates talking.

"I doubt you will have to tell your name. But yes, generally, I already notified them about your arrival." Mr. Vincenzo reassured me again for the very last time before I finally reached the gates.

I slowed down my steps a little before walking up to the guards; unlucky for me, they had noticed me way before I was ready myself. Both of them turned themselves to me without saying a word, making me suck in a sharp breath.

"Christensen?" The shorter and slimmer one spoke up first, right as I opened my mouth. I nodded and reached back into my bag to get my ID out just in case, but before I could unzip it, the man talked again.

"The garage is on the -2nd floor; the elevator is right on your right." He gave me the instructions while the taller one turned his back towards me and pressed the gate opener button.

"Thank you." I muttered as I entered the training complex, turning right and walking towards the elevator with my suitcase in one hand and the phone in the other.

"See? If I tell you it's done, it's done." I could hear that he had a proud smirk on his face as he said those words. It is only my first time talking with Giovanni directly, but under this one time, he proved why he has been the first manager ever to Matteo and how he made him number 1 during that time.

"Thank you, Mr. Vincenzo, for everything." A small smile crept up on my face before entering the elevator. Without him, this surprise couldn't have come to life for sure.

"Just call me Giovanni, please. Matteo is by far my favorite client; this is the least I could have done for him. Call me whenever you need anything, you know where to reach me." He said his goodbyes before we ended the call, and I finally reached the underground garage.

The huge, concrete-covered walls and pillars made it impossible to stay in the call anyway, even though the space itself was mostly empty. A few buses with the huge white logo parked here and there, and I could spot a few supercars and mostly just regular SUVs that probably belonged to the players themselves.

As soon as I could spot the very familiar black Mercedes in the distance, my heart almost skipped a beat. I can't believe this is finally happening. This is going to be my first time spending more than two days with Matteo since we got together, and the first time that I'm surprising him in his hometown as well.

Even after polishing our plan to perfection with Jamie and Giovanni, I couldn't help but stress out about the possibility of something getting in the way of our spontaneous holiday. At least mine, since my whole week is freed thanks to my incredible manager. Keeping it a secret was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done.

I parked my suitcase right next to the car and leaned against the hood, checking the time anxiously. 5 more minutes until the end of the training, then presumably 10 more for changing, maybe 15 if he is not in a hurry, and why would he be? I told him I needed to stay a few more days in Seoul before coming back to Europe, and I really hope he is not suspicious.

"Sofia?" I almost jumped away from the car as I heard my name being called. I snapped my head up towards the source of the sound where I could spot my boyfriend in all his might.

He stood right next to a concrete pillar where he was turning the corner, wearing a white training shirt and a pair of Real Madrid joggers. His brown hair a little longer, a little messier than before, his beautiful light eyes looking at me as if he couldn't believe I was really there. He looked so breathtaking, I forgot to approach him for a moment.

Without saying anything, I ran up to him with a huge smile on my face, making him drop the bag he was holding. Right before I reached him, I jumped and wrapped my arms around his neck as he caught me and felt his arms snaking around my waist tightly.

I even felt him spinning me around in the air, but I couldn't see anything as I buried my head in his neck. His laugh filled the space around us while his scent filled my senses, putting my mind at ease. At this moment I felt as if I could explode with happiness.

The joy of surprise and the overwhelming emotions filled the air around us as we shared a tight embrace somewhere under Madrid. Right now, with him standing in front of me, I couldn't care less where, because nothing else mattered except us.

"I can't believe you're really here," Matteo said, his voice filled with astonishment and happiness. He gently set me back on my feet but kept his hands on my waist, looking into my eyes as if trying to confirm that I was real.

"I missed you so much." I gently caressed his face as we distanced ourselves from each other just enough to look at each other again. Without any more hesitation, I cupped his face as we both leaned closer for a kiss.

My heart skipped several beats once our lips touched, savoring the taste and the familiar feeling of being close to each other. I felt him smile into the kiss while our lips moved in sync, and I wished that this moment would last forever.

"I missed you too, more than words can express." Matteo whispered against my lips, his arms pulling me even closer. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us lost in each other.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally broke the kiss, both of us wearing matching smiles of contentment and love.

"I can't believe you surprised me like this!" Matteo exclaimed while laughing, making me smile even wider as warmth filled my entire body. I loved hearing his laugh. "How did you manage to pull this off?" His emerald eyes glistened with curiosity and amusement.

"Let's just say I had some help from a very reliable source." I winked at him playfully, making him raise one of his eyebrows as I thought of Giovanni and his perfect job at making this surprise possible.

"However you've done it, I am just very glad that you're here." We ended up entangled in each other once again, trying to make up for all those lost moments in our past, fearing that possibility that the other could disappear if we let go.

After several minutes had passed and we were using up the oxygen around us, we separated at once, but the overwhelming emotions didn't fade. We held each other tightly, cherishing the moment, knowing that we were finally together again. The challenges of the outside world faded away, leaving only the warmth of our love and the promise of precious moments together.