Never Let Go (Of Me) • Ferran Torres

Chapter 17: My Friend, the Dogsitter

🎶 Accidente — Las Ligas Menores 🎶

The week after the game at Camp Nou, Ferran and I had continued texting a bit back and forth, but my week was kind of crazy with working at the store and a few shoots for fashion brands that I didn't have much time for anything else other than sleeping. And he was away for the weekend anyways, to play this season's last La Liga game in Vigo, but when he returned the next day, I got a call from him.

"Hey, sorry, I have to cut this kinda short, I'm at work" I quickly mumbled into the phone. It wasn't a big deal as not much was happening and we were allowed to use our phones in general, but I wouldn't want to give off any bad impressions.
"Oh, yeah, sorry, I can call you back later though?" he asked and I smiled, biting my lip.
"No, no, it's fine, go ahead" I replied.
"Ok, long story short. I have to fly out to Japan with the team tonight and I wanted to ask if you could take Milo? I... My usual dog sitter kinda broke up with me" he asked, mumbling the last part, which made me laugh a bit.

"Sure, I'd have to take him to work with me though, but that's fine, some co-workers bring their dogs too sometimes" I replied.
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much! I'll... thank you somehow!" he quickly replied, sounding relieved.
"Don't worry, I'll have fun with him. You want to bring him around before leaving? I get off at 3pm" I replied.
"That sounds perfect, I'll swing by your place at 3.30?" he asked and that's where I started panicking. He was going to see my very un-glamorous living quarters.
"Y-yeah, fine, bye, see you" I quickly muttered and hung up. Oh shit.

3.30pm came around way too quickly and I was nervously pacing up and down the short distance between the mattress I slept on and the open kitchen. Yeah, I didn't even have a bed. The little money I had had left from last month went into buying a cupboard from Facebook marketplace in which I had stuffed, literally stuffed, all of my clothes and shoes. Whenever I opened it, half of the items would pour down onto the floor. In the beginning, I didn't have much, but since I started modelling, I was gifted some stuff here and there, and my wardrobe had increased drastically.

The bell rang and I pressed the buzzer downstairs without answering. I already heard Milo barking when the elevator opened on my floor and stepped outside my door for Ferran to see where he had to go.
"Hi" I quickly said and he smiled when he saw me.
"Hey" he replied and hugged me tightly.
"Uh... come in. I know it's not big and definitely not the place for a dog, maybe I should have told you earlier? But it'll just be for two days, right? And I'll be outside with him all day, really, don't worry, I'll make sure he gets enough outlet, really." I blurted out nervously. He looked a bit shocked when he saw the place.

"This is where you live?" he asked a bit incredulously.
"Uh... yeah... The area makes it expensive" I kind of defended myself.
"Is this even legal to rent out? You only have one window? Do you make sure you get enough daylight? Especially with being at the store all day, I..." he blabbered, now really sounding concerned.
"It's fine. It's what I can afford for now" I sighed.
"I'm so sorry, I... If there's anything I can do to help-" he started, but I cut him off.
"I have a roof over my head and groceries in my fridge. All the rest is luxury" I snapped.

"Now, where's his food and stuff?" I asked.
"Uh... here. This is for breakfast and afternoon snack, these are for lunch and these are for dinner" he explained, opening the shopping bag he had brought and showing me various cans and packets. Wow, this dog was really getting treated well. Those were all premium brands with ultra fancy protein and meat meals. "And here are some treats for when you're outside or he's been a... good boy" he added. "Um... anywhere I can set up his bed?" he asked and I sighed innerly, even this dog had a bed while I didn't.
"Just... here is fine" I replied and pointed at a free place next to my kitchen.

"Cata... Thank you so much, I... Really" he said sincerely and he was probably pitying me, judging by the way he looked at me.
"It's fine. You can bring back a nice souvenir" I chuckled.
"I will. For sure" he replied and smiled at me. "I'm quite free after I return so maybe... we could hang out more?" he asked.
"We could" I replied and with that he nodded and crouched down to say goodbye to his dog.

"Bye Milo and be good to Cata, she's very nice and daddy doesn't want to get embarrassed by you" he told him and something in me kind of fired up when he called himself daddy. Milo licked off his face and we both laughed at this.
"Goodbye Cata, be a good girl" he teased me in a voice he usually used with his dog and ruffled through my hair.
"Bye, Ferri" I replied, using his nickname for the first time out loud and something in his eyes sparkled when he heard that.

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"Ohhh, Lina, new dog?" my colleague Gigi asked me when I came in the next morning.
"No, just a friend's I'm dogsitting while he's away" I replied friendly and shot her a smile.
"Aha, friend, he... spill!" she giggled and I laughed. Sure as hell not. If you only knew.
"It's not like that. We're really just friends. At least that's what we should be, he just came out of a relationship" I replied.
"Girl, you're a snack, if he doesn't take a bite soon, someone else will!" she joked but I kind of only cringed inside. Girl, I wasn't just a bite, I was the whole damn meal.