hey lover - c.g.

9.

13/1/24 - saturday
stamford bridge, london

"HOLY SHIT, this dressing room is massive," Chandler gasped, surveying the expansive space. All around her were lockers, each adorned with the players' names and numbers elegantly engraved on plaques. Walking around, she examined the neatly laid-out jerseys, each one displaying its assigned number.

Approaching one of the benches, she couldn't help but smile upon seeing her own jersey neatly folded with 'Stones' printed on the back and the number 17 displayed beneath. Delicately picking up the jersey, she felt the soft material in her hands.

Turning around, she caught the eye of her manager, Derek, who was already looking at her. She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out her phone and holding it out to him.

"Derek, mind taking a picture?"

The French manager rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"No."

She groaned again, "Just take the picture."

"Could you please show a bit more professionalism?" Derek sighed, giving her a stern look. Rolling her eyes, she extended her phone to him.

"Derek."

Derek took the phone and waited as she took a seat on the bench, giving him a thumbs up. She smiled, waiting for the picture to be taken just before standing up again.

"Thank you," she said in a singsongy voice, scrolling through the camera roll to find a blurry picture of herself sitting. She raised her eyebrow, then looked a the older gentlemen.

"Derek, what the fuck-"

"Language," he interrupted before she could show him the blurry photo. The door to the locker room opened, revealing one of the stadium stewards.

"Hi, I'm Stephen. I'll be with you for the day."

She nodded, shaking his hand and introducing herself and Derek.

"We'll wait until the players arrive, and then we'll take you up to your seats," Stephen explained.

"Yeah, sounds good," she sighed, rubbing her hands together.

"Great. I'll be back in about twenty minutes," Stephen replied, bidding them goodbye and leaving the locker room. About five minutes later, they heard a commotion down the hall, signaling the players' first arrivals.

Chandler stood off to the side, feeling a bit awkward. As the door opened, nervousness washed over her, wondering who she would meet first. She made eye contact with Enzo, who smiled and waved before approaching her.

"I'm Enzo, nice to meet you, Chandler," he introduced, giving her a wide smile. She reciprocated, shaking his hand politely.

"Hi, nice to meet you too," she replied, familiar with Enzo from watching him during the World Cup in Qatar. They chatted briefly before Enzo headed to his locker.

Next up was Levi Colwill, a tall player who introduced himself with a smile. Chandler shook his hand, secretly acknowledging his attractiveness.

"Nice to meet you, Chandler," He spoke, his handsome smile on display.

"You too," She smiled.

"Didn't realize you were so pretty," He flirted, causing the girl to laugh. Derek eyed the defender dangerously, a scowl on his face. 

"Channy!" Raheem's familiar voice caught her attention. She gasped in excitement as he approached, and they shared a warm embrace.

"Nice to see you again," Raheem smiled, hugging her.