🎶 Hard out Here — Lily Allen 🎶
Just two days after my birthday, was Fer's 23rd birthday and his parents had come to Barcelona to celebrate as a family. A day later, he was throwing a party at Pedri's house as most of the Barca boys then had returned from international duties. I had accepted the invite because he had come to my birthday and I thought it would be rude to decline. Plus, I could need some alcohol with everything that went on after Pedri crashing at my place and the general mix of emotions he was causing in me.
But first, Pedri and I were filming some content for the new Residncy app that afternoon, a new application where fans could live chat with their favourite footballers. I picked him up at his house and we drove together to the villa these guys had rented for the day. During the ride, I briefed him about what to say or rather avoid, but we weren't given much breathing space. The app was all about footballers being open and honest, so we hadn't been allowed to give any off topics, which kind of made me nervous.
When we arrived, Pedri was quickly surrounded by hair & make-up artists and I greeted the hosts, a guy and a girl. I studied her attentively, she dressed like most girls her age nowadays and I felt a bit self-conscious when I saw my simple knee-length sheath dress paired with a blazer and block heel flats in a mirror. Shit, I was really old. There wasn't much for me to do, but I had brought my laptop on which I replied to e-mails while the guys started filming content. They had even brought some croquetas to eat and make Pedri happy but after a bombastic, deadly glare from me, he put down the second one he had been about to take.
"Are you single?" the guy now asked as they were answering fan's questions and I raised my eyebrows but remained concentrated on my computer screen.
"Yes" he simply replied and chuckled a bit. I looked up at the scene and saw this girl trying to get his attention so badly. At some point she even tried to tap on Pedri's hand and he immediately pulled it away, scratching his head instead - he looked somewhat uncomfortable. Anger spread out inside me, but it wasn't just that - could it be... jealousy? No, I was just angry that she was making him feel uncomfortable.
When the three of them stood up to go outside and shoot some TikToks (whatever that was for, I didn't understand that app, but I was probably too old for dancing in front of a phone camera all alone), I managed to pull away the girl for a second.
"Please stop with your flirting attempts. In case you haven't noticed, you're making him uncomfortable" I told her, trying to sound as nice as possible. However, she just laughed at me.
"I've got to work now, gir- woman..." she chuckled. "Oh, and... you better put your blazer back on, I can see the cellulite on your arm" she whispered before going outside, leaving me standing there completely dumbfounded. I had no cellulite! My arms were in shape, as was my body in general thanks to the two times a week I did Pilates. Did I really look that old? My head was fuming and there was steam coming out of my ears as I walked outside too.
Pedri didn't even notice, he just stood there chatting and laughing with the Residncy people and I just hoped that we would be done here soon. I was close to just driving away and telling him to get a taxi back... or ask that stupid girl for a ride - it wasn't surely the only one she wanted to give him. But I kept my emotions in check and stayed professional. These kids looked so dumb shooting these videos and I rolled my eyes more than fifty times for sure.
After another hour or so, we were done, and I walked ahead to the villa's entrance, waiting impatiently for Pedri to do the rounds and say goodbye. He finally arrived with the guy that interviewed him and this one extended his hand to me.
"It was nice to meet you Miss Vasquez" he said friendly, but I wasn't having it.
"It's Mrs. And please hire more competent people the next time or we'll cut ties with the Residncy. I never want to see that girl again" I told him, turned around and walked to my car.
Poor Pedri didn't know what was going on as we both sat down and I threw my bag and phone onto his lap.
"What happened?" he asked, slightly amused.
"Why are you laughing?!" I shouted and now he couldn't contain his laughter.
"Oh, shut up. You know exactly why I said that, that girl was clearly making you uncomfortable, I could see it" I told him.
"Yeah, but... in the end she flirted with me" he replied and grinned stupidly.
"Oh, so you liked it?" I now asked sarcastically.
"Yes, Isa, imagine! Men like it when pretty girls flirt with them!" he answered.
"Oh, so that's what you call pretty, nice to know" I said and grabbed my steering wheel even tighter.
"Are you... jealous?" he asked, leaning closer to me as we were at a red light and his face was just a few inches from mine.
"No." I replied sternly, but internally I was screaming YES.
"Mhm... I invited her to Fer's party tonight by the way" he told me.
"You did WHAT?" I shouted.
"Yeah, there'll surely be some guys looking for a hook-up there..." he replied.
"Oh, guys like you?" I now asked sarcastically again.
"Mhm, don't know yet, let's see how my mood is later" he chuckled, knowing that he was winding me up. I hit the brakes abruptly and parked in the next driveway I could find.
"Pedri, I'm fucking 27 and have two kids. I don't play these stupid teenage games anymore. Stop it with this behaviour or you're walking home alone" I warned him.
"My God, Isa. Yes, you're 27, there's Grandmas having more fun than you! Why are you so worked up all of a sudden? You know how I felt back in Tenerife and you ended it without an explanation and now, two and a half months later you're surprised that I actually enjoy when a girl gives me some attention?" he asked, sounding a bit desperate.
"Yeah? Then show up on her doorstep the next time you're crying about 'a part of you dying'" I quoted him, and with that, silence came over us.
The drive to his place was only ten minutes long now and they were driven without a word being spoken. He got out of my car without a "Bye" and I reversed out of his driveway as quickly as possible.
