The Golden Boy and The Girl Next Door (A Kylian Mbappé Fanfiction)

Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER SONG: KING KONG BY MHD

Happy, happy birthday to ndippy I wish you many more years! Girrrrl we are getting old. Hope you enjoy this day. I dedicated this chapter to you, so don't be coming to me looking for a present or dinner plans. I'm broke.

"Nothing, I was just curious."

"Yeah, right, a guy doesn't just ask if a girl is single. Either you're asking for yourself or for someone else. So, which is it?"

Renée raised a brow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. When he said nothing, she tipped her head to the side as if to say 'I'm waiting'.

Kylian cursed himself. He'd forgotten how persistent Renée could be when she wanted something. Even during therapy sessions. When you want to go an extra mile, she pushed you to go four. She was all or nothing, a 'take no prisoners' kind of person.

He couldn't look her in the eye. It didn't help that his face started warming either, and he thank God for the fake manicured beard covering half his face. It was one thing admitting his feelings to his friends and another to Renée.

"Nothing's going on." He shrugged, "it's just that whenever I see her, she's always so busy and tired and I'm trying to understand what kind of person she's like outside work."

"Uh-hm." Renée smiled at him knowingly. Before she could say anything else, someone suddenly paused the music.

Kylian couldn't have been more glad for the person started addressing the crowd right then.

"Come on, it's starting. And you, my friend, are going to want to be in the front row."

"Why, what's starting?" he asked. But yet again, Renée simply grabbed his hand and expertly weaved through the mass of bodies with him in tow. Once they made it to the front row, where everyone had made an enormous circle around an older man with a microphone in his hand, addressing the crowd. Clapping excitedly, Renée leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"She doesn't normally take part in these at the Christmas party, but she mentioned something about a bet?" She grinned at him knowingly.

"I'm still confused. I thought coming here was about the bet." Kylian frowned.

"You'll see." She beamed, "and for the record, no Sapphie's not in a relationship right now. But there's this guy. I know she's interested, but if he is as smart as I think, he will make the first move."

Then she winked at him.

Kylian couldn't help but grin like a lunatic. An older lady holding a microphone made a couple more of announcements. Too ecstatic over what Renee had said, he caught little except that it had to do with things like the money they'd raised throughout the year and the things they'd accomplished with the community's help. After the official announcements were out of the way, it was time for the actual party to begin. The crowd liked the sound of that. Even more so when the man announced there would open the dance floor with a performance from one of the community centre's dance groups. When the lights dropped and the DJ put on an upbeat Afro song, Kylian could hardly believe his eyes. For a moment, Kylian froze when he saw Sapphie come out with the rest of the crew.

Now that he saw the entire dancing crew, her costume made that much more sense. The concept behind the routine seemed to be like Santa's elves were on break and turning the toy factory into a big dance party.

That was her surprise. The bet...

After the realisation dawned on him and the initial shock had worn off, he probably was her loudest cheer leader. When she gazed across the room, it was as if she'd heard him over everyone else, because she looked at him.