How hard can it be to fall in love with a football player when you're afraid of footballs...?
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Helping out her best friend by playing the lead in that music video project for university had seemed like an easy enough feat for art student Lorelai...
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Roughly two months later, Lorelai found herself once again at »Marina's« on a lazy Thursday afternoon at the last day of July. It was hot and humid, and the ventilation system — as per usual — was overwhelmed, leaving the air inside the café stuffy and stifling.
It didn't bother the people inside, though; mostly, because the café had been closed early today. The reason for it being Lorelai's very last day on the job.
»I still can't believe you're leaving us,« Marina mourned, taking a sip from the champagne they were drinking for this special occasion.
»I still can't believe we managed to keep her this long!« Silvio retorted, a good-natured smile on his face.
Miguel nodded solemnly. »There she goes now,« he said dramatically. »The famous artist with too many commissions to spare any of her time waitressing! All grown up now.« He brushed away a non-existent tear from the corner of his eye. »We're so proud of our ›artsy princess‹!«
Everyone laughed heartily at the nickname. Lorelai rolled her eyes, pretending she didn't feel her heart clench at his words, or her cheeks heat up from the compliment. She was going to miss them all, so much.
Ever since that fateful exhibit, people had started to contact her, hiring her for the most diverse reasons — be it commissioning a portray or making a painting specifically for hanging it up in this particular place and surrounding, so it should fit the rest of the room, don't you think that would look lovely with all the colours matching up? Suffice to say, there were assignments aplenty for her, leaving Lorelai with barely a choice but to quit her job at the café.
Lorelai pinched Miguel's side playfully. »I thought I told you not to call me that!«
»No chance in hell, chica,« Jane said, grinning. »That's gonna stick around for a while.«
Ever since the media (well, the yellow side of the press anyways) had started to talk about »Loreney« once again — thanks to the public outing they had made at the exhibit —, nobody had been able to stop talking about the hidden romantic love story between the young football player and his »artsy princess«. Lorelai, of course, had immediately hated the naming — but seeing as Neymar had bluntly announced her »filthy rich« a while ago, there wasn't anything she could do about it.
Having obnoxious parents flaunting about their status in high society (some of the media had been delighted to find society lady Leticia Mendez and her husband amongst the guests) hadn't helped either.
Lorelai was pretty sure Neymar regretted agreeing to that family dinner. But she had tried to warn him, hadn't she? Well, as best as she could have, given the circumstances. And still he had said yes when her mother had asked. Sneaky woman — had waited for them to be in hearing distance of a particularly annoying yellow press journalist that had managed to get invited to the exhibit and hadn't been exactly subtle in her sneaking around her and Neymar, lurking for details on their relationship. As if the picture that Neymar had posted about the exhibit, showing him and her kissing in front of his painting (just to be sure he brought the point across), wasn't telling enough.
