A Bet That Changed Us ︱Pablo Gavi

4:Lunch

Isabella's Pov

The next morning, I woke up with a mix of excitement and nerves. I told myself it was silly to be nervous and it was just lunch, nothing special. But as I got ready for the day, I couldn't shake the feeling that this meet up with Pablo could be the start of something I hadn't planned for. I had come to the club for work, to prove myself as a professional, to make my dreams come true and I was determined to stay focused on that goal. But there was something about Pablo that made me curious, even if I didn't want to admit it.

At training, I kept my head down, focusing on my tasks and trying not to think too much about the lunch we had later. Pablo was around, of course, but I avoided making much eye contact. It wasn't that I was uncomfortable around him, I was just trying to keep things professional. He was an athlete, and I was here to do a job. Well, that's what I kept telling myself.

As training ended, I quickly went home, I took a quick shower and changed into something more casual. As I drove towards the café just 10 minutes from my apartment, I felt a flutter of anticipation in my stomach. I wasn't sure what to expect from this meeting. Pablo was attractive, that much was clear, but I told myself that this was just a friendly lunch between colleagues.

When I arrived, Pablo was already there, sitting at a table near the window. He looked relaxed, dressed in a simple  black t-shirt and jeans, when he saw me, he waved with a warm smile.

"Hey," he greeted as I approached the table. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Of course," I replied, taking a seat across from him. "It's nice to get a break after a long day."

He nodded, signaling for the waiter. "Yeah, training's been intense lately. But I guess that's the norm around here."

"Definitely," I agreed. "But that's what makes it exciting, right?"

Gavi smiled, leaning back in his chair. "So, Isabella, tell me—how did you end up here? I mean, Barcelona is a pretty big deal."

I took a sip of the water the waiter had brought and I was thinking about how to answer. It was a question I'd been asked a lot lately, and the answer was always the same: hard work and a bit of luck. But there was more to it than that.

"I've always wanted to work in the medical field," I began. "Ever since I was a kid, my dream was to help people out, I was fascinated by how the body works, especially when it comes to athletes. And Barcelona... well, it's been my favorite team for as long as I can remember. So when the opportunity came up, I knew I had to try."

Gavi listened intently, nodding along as I spoke. "That's impressive," he said. "Not a lot of people get to do what they love, especially at a place like this."

I smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "I feel really lucky to be here. But enough about me, how about you? What's it like being one of the youngest players on the team?"

He laughed, a sound that was warm and genuine. "It's a lot of pressure, but it's also a dream come true. I mean, playing for Barcelona is something I never thought would happen so soon. But I love it, the challenge, the competition."

As we talked, I found myself relaxing more and more. Pablo was easy to talk to, and despite his status as one of Barca's rising stars, he seemed down to earth. It was refreshing, and before I knew it, we were chatting like old friends. The conversation flowed effortlessly, and I found myself laughing at his stories and sharing more about my own experiences. 

But in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder what this was all about. Was he just being friendly, or was there something more? I pushed the thought aside, reminding myself that I was here to work, not to get caught up in anything else.

Meanwhile, back at the training grounds, Pedri, Balde, Ansu, Fermin, Pablo Torree were hanging out in the locker room, talking about the bet. They knew Pablo was meeting Isabella for coffee, and they were eager to see how things would go.

"You think he's actually going to pull this off?" Balde asked, leaning against his locker with a grin.

Pedri shrugged, he looked amused. "Gavi's got charm, I'll give him that. But Isabella's isn't like the others. She's focused, serious. It's going to take more than just a smile and lunch to win her over."

"Maybe that's why he's so interested," Fermin chimed in. "It's not often someone comes along who doesn't fall for the fame."

"Yeah," Pedri agreed. "But he better be careful. If she finds out about the bet, it's over."

The room fell silent for a moment as the reality of the situation sank in. It had started as a funny joke, a harmless challenge to see if Gavi could use his charm to win over the new young, hot physio. But now that it was actually happening, the stakes felt higher. If Isabella found out, not only would Gavi lose the bet, but he could also ruin any chance of a real connection with her.

As Pablo and I finished our meals, I couldn't help but feel a sense of ease that I hadn't expected. He was charming, yes, but he was very easy to talk to. I reminded myself that this was just a friendly lunch between colleagues, but as we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this.