Inevitable

Alessia

Alessia is sad after the loss but she can’t keep herself feeling too down about it. She’s always had the ability to put the past behind her and focus on the next game. She’s driving home when Ella calls her.

‘Hiya Lessi, turn your car around, we are going for dinner.’

‘Not tonight Tooney, I just want to sit in my pjs with a cup of tea and a movie.’

‘I’m not taking no for an answer,’ Tooney replies matter of factly, ‘the team has been all over the place recently. We have to get some proper team bonding and tonight is perfect cause we all have the day off tomorrow and recovery the day after. Plus I've already spoken to Maya and she says captain's orders everyone's going.’

Alessia relents but says she’s going to go home to change first and then meet them.

30 minutes later, Alessia is pushing open the door of the restaurant in the centre of Manchester. She scans the room quickly looking for her teammates but instead her eyes fall on the blonde at the bar.

What are the chances that both teams picked the same restaurant for their post-match dinner celebrations/commiserations?

Alessia stands frozen in her spot by the door for a moment longer still watching the defender at the bar. She watches Leah deep in conversation and then sees her reach over and place her hand on the bartender's arm. She can’t hear their conversation but she does see the blonde take her phone out of her pocket clearly exchanging numbers. Leah is smiling wide.

Alessia feels her heart physically sink in her chest. Her hands start to get sweaty and her brain is on overdrive.

Who is Leah talking to? Why is she laughing with her and touching her arm? Why are they exchanging numbers? Why do I care? We are just friends and she has every right to speak to whichever pretty girl she wants to and ask for as many numbers as she feels like. Why can I feel my heartbeat?

She is mid spiral when she hears a small cough in front of her, a hostess clearly trying to get her attention.

‘I am so sorry,’ Alessia shakes herself out of her spiral, ‘what did you say?’

‘No apologies necessary Miss Russo, I was just saying that you can follow me through to the private room in the back to meet your team.’

‘Oh, thank you so much.’ She follows the hostess through the restaurant, keeping her eyes averted from the bar and the table full of Arsenal players. She is thankful none of them seem to notice her as they knock back celebratory drinks.

Once in the back room she slides down onto the seat next to Ella.

‘What's up with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?’ Tooney says immediately.

‘Hi Tooney, it's nice to see you too.’ Alessia replied sarcastically, patting her friend on the shoulder.

‘We only just saw each other so I don't need to do pleasantries now tell me what's got you white as a piece of paper.’

‘Oh nothing, the restaurant was just too busy to walk through to get to this room.’ Alessia lies through her teeth. Her mind flashes back to Leah at the bar. Leah's hand on the bartender's arm. Leah exchanging phone numbers with the bartender.

‘Uhuuu sure,’ Tooney looks at her unconvinced, ‘well let's get you a drink.’ she raises her hand and a waiter comes over, ‘she’ll have a gin and lemonade please.’

Alessia drinks as they appear in front of her losing count how many she has total. The vibe in the room is good despite the loss earlier in the day and she can feel the team getting back to how they used to be.

As the conversations happen around her, she smiles when necessary and laughs when everyone else does but she is not fully present in the conversations. Her mind is on overdrive. She has no right to feel the way she does about Leah. They are friends and that is all. She has to get over this silly crush before it ruins their friendship.
She resigns herself to just being the defender's friend.