Anyone but you (Fermín López)

Chapter 25

But before Fermín left for the Euros, he had to be Victoria's plus one at her cousin's wedding.

"Can you wear a suit everyday?"

Fermín laughed seeing Victoria's face. "I think you need to date a banker or something similar to get to see a man in a suit everyday".

"Or you could wear this for me".

Victoria was wearing a nice olive green dress. A few braids adorned her now short hair and she just put some mascara and tinted lipbalm on as makeup, knowing how hot it was going to be that day. She hated feeling too much makeup on her face when it was hot.

Thankfully the ceremony was short and the reception was held outside. When the bride showed up again, all the women ran to meet her. Victoria included.

"I didn't get the bouquet but picked up a flower that fell from it from the floor. What does that mean?", she asked when she sat back down at her table. Fermín took the flower from her hands and put it in her hair.

"That Fermín shouldn't get any ideas", said Oscar.

"You were only two years older than me when you proposed to mum".

"Different times".

"You're not that old, dad".

"I feel like I've aged ten years in the last two, though".

After weeks looking after her diet, Victoria was almost back to normal. But still...she had to say no to some of the food they were given at the reception.

"How can you eat that?", she asked Fermín, who had eaten his portion of mussels and was about to also eat hers.

"It's delicious. You should try it before you say it's not good".

"You sound like my mum".

"Why are you complimenting Fermín, honey?", joked her mum.

"He wants me to try those disgusting things".

"We don't call the food on the table disgusting, Vicky. It's not polite", pointed out her mum and Victoria rolled her eyes. "And he's right. You should try things out. You used to be the pickiest eater as a kid. It was horrible".

Victoria pouted and looked at Fermín with an annoyed look. He was smirking and annoying her more. "Can I have a bite to try those...things?"

"Since you asked so nicely".

He picked up some of the mussels' meat with his fork and lifted it to Victoria's mouth so she could eat it.

"Well", said Victoria after swallowing the food. "I can officially confirm that was disgusting".

Everyone laughed and they carried on eating until it was time for the cake. That was definitely not disgusting.

"Should we go dance?"

Fermín nodded and got up from his chair to lead Victoria to the dancefloor where couples were accompanying the happy married couple.

Even if he didn't know more than 4 people there, Victoria knew many of the guests. That was her family. And a few asked to dance with her once she finished her dance with Fermín.

Fermín also got offers to dance with women he didn't know and rejected them, telling them he couldn't overdo it before the Euros. So he went back to the table

"What's the frown for, Fermín?", asked Victoria's mum.

"It's just stupid...".

"Tell us".

"Well, I know Victoria has been with other guys before meeting me...".

"Oscar's eye is twitching", chuckled Xavi.

"Sorry. I meant that obviously a lot of guys would have been interested in her, not just me. She's so beautiful but...the guy she's dancing with now...he just told me about how he always wanted to be her boyfriend and wasn't going to stop trying because of me. He made it sound like a joke but I didn't find it funny. And she seems so comfortable with him...".

"Honey, that's her cousin. He's gay and always takes jokes too far but we're used to it".

"Oh...".

"But it's cute you were jealous", told him Xavi's wife.

"I wasn't...".

But they all could see the blush on his face.

Victoria ended up dancing with so many people she lost count. The kids were big fans of her silly dance moves and copied her.

Fermín was so happy seeing her like that. But he wasn't the only one. When he turned to look back at the rest of the table, he saw her parents looking at Victoria and smiling.

"Should we dance too?", asked Oscar's wife to her husband. "It's been a while...".

"Let's show them how it's done".

It was then that Victoria got back to the table, exhausted from all the dancing.

"I thought you had forgotten about me".

"Never", she told Fermín, sitting on his lap instead of her chair. He kept his arms around her waist while they both looked at the dancefloor.

"Today was nice".

"Yeah, it was. I'll think about today a lot while you're away".

"You're coming to Germany with me", he reminded her.

"But I won't see you super often. I'll be practising the German Gundo taught me instead".

"I hope he didn't teach you how to flirt with any German boys...".

"No, he taught me how to say my boyfriend is the best football player in the world".

"Say I'm the second best instead. I don't want people thinking you're dating Messi".

The reception went on for a little longer and then it was time to go home. Fermín took off his tie immediately and Victoria took off her shoes.

"I can't walk to the car without shoes on", she said and Fermín bent down to lift her in his arms, as if she was the bride.

"You are enjoying this too much, Vicky", he told her, noticing her giggling.

"Yes, I am".