Chapter 1: So We Meet

                                    

                                          

🎶 Born To Be Yours — Kygo, Imagine Dragons 🎶
28th September 2020
"Hey!" I greeted the guy that had just sat down on the bleacher below me. I was an extrovert, so I was easily open to meeting new people and taking an initiative in doing so.
"Hello" he replied shyly as he turned around a bit, unsure of why I was being so open and nice probably. 
"You're new around here! Your brother playing?" I asked and nodded at the pitch in front of us where Man City's U21s were training.
"Um... erm... No, I'm new here, I mean... new signing. For the... err... senior team" he explained in a broken English.
"I know. You're Ruben Dias, they signed you yesterday. Just wanted to see if you were being honest or inventing something funny" I giggled and the corners of his mouth also turned upwards intriguedly.
"So who are you? Girlfriend?" he asked and nodded at the guys below us.
"God no, I'm over the U21 phase already. Fortunately. Unfortunately. I don't know yet" I chuckled and he joined in. "My brother plays. His car broke down and we're celebrating our Grandma's birthday tonight so I offered to come pick him up after my shift ended. A patient died and my boss didn't know if I could handle it so he sent me down early. Total wanker that guy if you ask me,... as if I couldn't handle it" I blabbered, oversharing about my life as usual.
He looked at me a bit confusedly and I laughed.
"I'm a med student, fourth year. Currently in my clinical placement on the oncology ward" I explained and smiled.
"Cool! You seem to like it. I mean, medicine. Not people dying" he chuckled and I laughed.
"Yeah, that's not enjoyable but a part of the job. My dad's a doctor too, so I learned that pretty early on. Even though he practices in a totally safe environment with almost no people dying ever" I chuckled.
"Really? What does he do?" he asked interestedly.
"He's the head doctor here" I replied and winked at him.
"... So hopefully I'll never meet him" he laughed.
"... at work" I replied, trying to flirt a bit. He was really good-looking and I had a soft spot for southern guys since my graduation trip to Spain a few years ago, where I met and hooked up with all sorts of hunks. He grinned, but unfortunately our conversation was cut short by my brother jogging up to us. Apparently training had come to an end.
"Hey! You're Ruben! Welcome to City! I'm James!" he introduced himself.
Ruben shook his hand and replied friendly to him.
"So not even here for 24 hours and you've already started flirting with my sister" James chuckled and I slapped the back of his head.
"Uh-" Ruben mumbled, trying to find some words, but James laughed it off.
"Don't worry, she gets that all the time. She already turned down half of my teammates" he teased me.
"Because they're younger! That would be disgusting!" I explained.
"Anyways, we have to go now. It was nice meeting you, Ruben. I hope you'll settle in well here in Manchester" I said and gave him an encouraging smile before patting his shoulder and walking past him. My brother was returning to the changing rooms and I was on my way to my car, when I heard footsteps and someone shouting "Wait!"
I turned around to see Ruben standing in front of me.
"I didn't catch your name... Or your phone number" he said and grinned. So he was just as much of a flirt as me.
"I'm Sophia, but everyone calls me Soph" I replied and extended my hand to shake his.
"That's a beautiful name" he replied with a twinkle in his eyes and I was ready to melt here and now. My mind was struggling between playing hard to get or just giving him my number. In the end, I decided to shoot my shot. Life was too short for playing games.
"Give me your phone, I'll save you my number. So you can always call me when English culture gets too overwhelming and you don't know which meals in Waitrose will taste less disgusting. Because they all look like they are past their expiration date" I chuckled. He just laughed and handed me over his iPhone in which I quickly typed in my number before saving it with my full name, making it easier for him to stalk and find me on Instagram later on.
"Here you go" I replied and grinned.
"Thanks. And... I'll definitely call you. Maybe you could show me around here a bit?" he asked.
"It's not like there's much to see in Manchester except for the Etihad and Old Trafford" I huffed.
"I could think of a few other interesting places" he replied and winked at me, making me blush. What was he talking about? My... bedroom? Delulu me was in heaven.
"Ok then... I'll see you around" I replied and smiled at him one last time before turning around and making my way over to the parking lot. After a few metres, I turned around again to see if he was still there and he was, grinning when he saw that I had spotted him. I smiled shyly and turned around for good this time, meeting James at my ugly-ass yellow Volkswagen Polo.
As I was opening my door, he swooshed past me and punched my arm.
"Yellow car!" he exclaimed before hurrying over to the passenger's side.
"Fuck off" I huffed at him as we both sat down.
"So, Ruben Dias! You're frying bigger fishes now!" he teased me.
"Oh, shut up. It was his first day in a new city, he was just being friendly" I downplayed it.
"Sure. Just text me when there's a save the date for the wedding" he chuckled and I just threw him a short sideways glare as I had to keep my eyes on the road.