Close to you

The trip that changes everything

I want to thank my cousin @DutchMeadema95 and her friend @Julia_Gooner for helping me write my first story! 

"Enjoy your stay, Miss."

"Thank you." Twenty-one-year-old Vivianne Miedema mumbles as she takes the offered keys, she grabs her bag, pausing as her stomach grumbles and turns back to the receptionist. "Sorry but is there a restaurant or bar near?"

"We have a bar right around the corner, it's known for its best burgers around town." The woman replies with a kind grin. "As soon as you exit the hotel, turn left and walk down until you see the big green doors can't miss it but if you do it's called Meado's Diner."

"Perfect, thank you." She walks to the elevators as the woman just nods her head and pushes the button to head up to the third floor, she enters her room drops her bag on the floor beside the bed and drops down with a tired groan.

She runs her hands down her face with a tired sigh, feeling the cold still deep within her bones from her five hour travel and grabs her phone to text her parents and brother that she arrived safely at her destination and to apologize for not coming home during the holidays.

She drops her phone beside her knowing they are disappointed that she didn't travel back to the Netherlands to spend the holidays with them and folds her arms behind her head looking up at the light gray ceiling.

After spending the past three years in Munich, she decided to take a career changing offer and join Arsenal in London. After her move three months prior and getting to know the team and their way of playing, she opted to explorer recommended small towns around the UK instead of going home and intensifying her feeling of being homesick.

She pushes herself up with a sigh, not wanting to drop back into the feeling of loneliness and walks out of her room after grabbing the room keys, her phone and her wallet. She walks out of the building after jogging down the stairs, following the woman's direction and stops right in front of the big green doors biting her lip as she hears loud music and laughter greeting her as soon as she pushes them open.

"Hiya stranger, take a seat I will be with you shortly." An older blonde woman greets from behind the bar, she slowly nods her head walking over to an empty table in the far corner overlooking the restaurant and drops down with a soft sigh. She looks around at the locals hearing nothing but laughter and loud voices around her, soaking up the happiness filling the room and glances aside as someone clears their throat. "Hiya my name is June, do you need a moment to look through the menu?" The woman from before asks kindly.

Viv slowly shakes her head and looks at her with a shy smile. "I heard you serve the best burgers, what would you recommend?" She asks kindly.

"Oh sweets I have a lot of recommendations." June laughs. "I think you would like a pretty woman along with a double cheese and bacon burger, from the looks of it you need to gain a bit more weight."

"I don't think my coach would like that too much." Viv chuckles easily feeling comfortable around the older woman. "But yeah I will take both, what is the pretty woman though?"

"It's lime juice, white rum, syrup blend in with frozen berries." June explains as she writes the order down. "Feel free to roam around if you want to, I will find you as soon as your order is done."

"I will probably still be here." Viv informs her with a shy grin. "But thank you." She looks around after June walked off to prepare her order and turns her head to look at the door as she hears the bell above it ding. "Damn." She breathes out on a soft exhale as a gorgeous blue eyed blonde walks in, noticing the big table right beside her jump up with big bright smiles, her eyes drop as she notices the woman suddenly stagger forward, noticing that a little boy holding her hand excitedly pulls her over to the table and smiles as she watches him jump in someone's arms with a squeak.

She looks away as the blonde suddenly turns around to look in her direction after she hugged a handsome man with short dark blonde hair, assuming it's her boyfriend and slides out her phone as she feels it buzz.

From Broertje (Little brother): En welk dorpje heb je gevonden? // And which small town did you find?

To Broertje: Whitby, iets meer als 5 uur van London vandaan. Direct aan zee en best klein, heb het gevoel dat mensen gelijk weten dat je niet van hier komt. // Whitby, it's a bit over 5 hours away from London. It's a seaside town and I feel like people immediately know you are not from here.

She looks back up after sending the message, looking over at the table as loud laughter fills the bar and smiles as she watches June walking over to hug the blonde woman. "Nannie!" She watches the little boy jump up into June's arms, biting her lip as the blonde once again turns to her and shoots her a shy smile as she just smiles brightly.

She looks back down at her phone as it buzzes, noticing an incoming message from one of the girls in their team chat and taps it.

From Gunners (Kim): Hey girls, our camp in two weeks will be in Spain so make sure to pack enough sunscreen and summer clothes. The coach will leave around eight from the Colney's, so be on time!

From Gunners (Katie): Yes Cap!

She rolls her eyes as the jokester of their team reacts straight away and looks up as she hears someone clear their throat, she places her phone down as June looks at her with a kind grin while holding her order and moves back.

"Here ya go stranger." June breaths placing the plate and tall glass in front of her. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." She murmurs shyly, she turns back to her phone as June just nods her head with a grin and quickly types out a response ignoring the bickering going on.

To Gunners: Thank you for letting us know Kim, see you all in two weeks!

She slides her phone back into her pocket after turning it on silent and takes her glass to take a sip, she eyes the burger hearing the voices around her grow louder the second the doors open again and leans back in her chair after grabbing a fry content to just eat her dinner and head back to the hotel to take a hot relaxing bath before going to bed.