ˋ°•*⁀➷In Mijas, Spain, Carlos Martinez and Viola Lopez were childhood rivals, always at each other's throats-whether it was over grades, sports, or just who could outdo the other. Their competitive fire was unmatched, but after graduation, their pat...
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Viola Lopez stood in the cramped, dimly lit bathroom of a quaint café in Mijas, her foot tapping anxiously against the tiled floor. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her usually composed demeanor unraveling as she fumbled with her phone, dialing her best friend Valentina Garcia's number for the fifth time in two minutes. Her glossy black hair, usually in perfect waves, was now tousled as she ran her fingers through it in frustration.
"What the hell, Val?" Viola shrieked into the phone the moment Valentina picked up, her voice echoing slightly in the tiny bathroom. Her frustration reverberated through the line, her words tumbling out in a rapid-fire pace.
Valentina's voice came through, calm and a little too amused for Viola's liking. "Vio, calm down, what's wrong?"
Viola wasn't in the mood for calm. "You actually set me up with Jason Todd on a blind date! Jason fucking Todd, Val?!" She could feel her cheeks heating up in irritation as she paced the small space.
From the other side of the line, she could hear a snigger, unmistakably belonging to Mateo Torres, Valentina's fiancé. "Oh, shut up, Mateo," Viola snapped, her irritation momentarily redirected.
Mateo's laugh boomed through the phone, his deep voice full of mirth. "Hey, Vi, don't be too hard on Val. You said he looked hot, didn't you?"
Viola rolled her eyes so hard she was sure they would get stuck in the back of her head. "Hotness does not equal niceness, Mateo! I thought I was meeting Valentina here, not getting blindsided by some wannabe actor with an ego the size of Madrid!"
Valentina, trying to suppress her laughter, finally intervened. "Okay, okay, I admit, maybe I should have warned you. But come on, Vi, why is he not nice? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Viola echoed, incredulous. "First of all, I wasn't expecting to be on a date. I was expecting a coffee with my best friend! And secondly, he's the absolute worst. The guy has done nothing but brag about himself for the past thirty minutes. He's like a human infomercial, only less interesting. I swear, if he talks about his 'amazing' acting career one more time, I'll drown myself in this bathroom sink."
Valentina's laughter filled the line again, unhelpfully unsympathetic. "I didn't know he was that bad, Vi. But if you really want out, I can call you in five minutes and give you an excuse to leave."
Viola let out a long sigh of relief, feeling the tension start to drain from her shoulders. "Thank you, Val. You have no idea how close I am to jumping out of the nearest window."
"Just go back out there, and I'll call you in a bit. It'll be fine," Valentina said reassuringly, though Viola could still hear the humor in her voice.
"Fine," Viola muttered, ending the call. She gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror, smoothing down her hair and straightening her mini skirt. With one last deep breath, she pushed open the door and re-entered the café.
