The conflict between team mates Leah Williamson and Hailey Webster is taking over the media. To make peace with each other, they are forced to fake date each other for the sake of Arsenal's image.
There's only one problem... they hate each other
Waiting for Leah to return from the pitch is actually living hell. Standing in front of the mirror in her room, I adjust the short dress I'm wearing, looking at how it wraps around my body before I zip it up.
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I wonder if this looks good enough. Should I perhaps change?
Looking over at the pile of dresses on top of my suitcase, I decide against changing again. Instead I pace around the room, then return back to the mirror, double checking my make up. One of my hands goes through the ends of my curled hair, trying to make it more presentable.
I have no reason to be nervous. This isn't even my first date evr.
I usually don't put this much effort into how I look, but for some reason, I want to look my best in front of the paparazzi.
Like that's the only reason...
Reaching for my make up bag on the nightstand, I put on some lipstick as a final touch when I see Leah's figure appear behind me in the mirror.
"You're back" I say while closing the cap of the lipstick, Leah still standing by the door.
"You're dressed already?"
I watch her through the mirror, my back still turned on her as her eyes travel my body. Feeling her gaze on me, I hold my breath.
I wish I knew what she was thinking.
Leah being awfully quiet now looks away.
"Is this... okay?" I ask, pointing at my outfit.
"What?" Leah asks.
"My outfit?"
She starts walking slowly towards me, positioning her body right behind me, her eyes never leaving me. Leah puts her hands up, reaching for my hair and throwing it over my shoulder as she takes the small zipper of my dress in her hands. Delicately, she pulls it up, zipping it while taking her sweet time. Once its all the way up, her hands find their way on my waist, slightly pulling me against her with her face lying on top of my shoulder.
"Its..." she inhales and exhales before continuing, "you look perfect"
I feel the blood rush into my cheeks and I watch as the colour red slowly paints my face.
"Thank you" I murmur and feel Leah squeeze my waist lightly before pulling away.
"I'm sorry I made you wait" she says while taking her hoodie off and throwing it on the bed, "I'll get ready quickly and then we can leave"
I nod and watch her head into the bathroom. While Leah is getting ready, I clean up the mess I've made in her room, shoving all of my clothes back into my suitcase. Not being used to sharing a room with another person I've let my things lie everywhere around the room, but Leah doesn't seem to mind.
She wont have to put up with it for long anyway, after the game this weekend we'll go back to London and everything will go back to normal.
I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and I check the messages ive received. Ignoring the emails from my manager and a few texts from my mum, I immediately clock on the latest one from my head coach.
JONAS
Call me when you are free to talk.
I sigh and press the phone icon, waiting impatiently for Jonas to pick up his phone as I wonder what he wants to discuss this time.
"Hello?" I say once he's on the other side.
"Hailey, hey. We didn't get the chance to talk today in the office but I wanted to talk to you about your date" he gets straight to the point.
"I'm already dressed and ready" I say, taking a seat on the couch, we'll be heading out soon"
"Good! Everything is arranged from our part, now its all your job to smile in front of the cameras" I hear Jonas chuckle from the phone.
"Right. What if its not believable enough?" I pinch the bridge of my nose, already feeling the pressure of whats about to happen.
'Then you make it believable enough" Jonas says with a firm voice, "hold Leah's hand, behave like a couple that's in love, I know you got this"
"And what if they still see through it?"
"Then you fake it till you make it" Jonas clears his throat, "we cant afford any mistakes, not when we're this close to getting back on track"
I cant believe he's making me do this.
"Hailey? Do you understand?" he asks and I nod slowly even though he cant see me.
"I understand"
*** ***
Leah's POV
Sitting inside the car, I watch Hailey's eyes light up when I hand her the bouquet of red roses that I had left on the back seat.
I didn't tell her, but the reason I was late wasn't because I got held up in my meeting, but because it took me some time to figure out what flowers to buy her. The florist thought that buying her more than one bouquet for the first date would be too much, but then again, I wouldn't know. I've never put this much effort in with any other girl.
She thanks me and the smile on her face makes me wonder why I didn't think of buying flowers sooner. If that's all it takes for her to smile at me, then I will do it over and over again.
I start driving shortly after, headed to a restaurant in the city. Am I'm focused on the road, I cant help but throw frequent glances at Hailey, not being able to keep my eyes on the road. Her golden hair dances over her face with the wind from the open window as the late afternoon sun is starting to sink.
She is absolutely breathtaking.
"Why are you giggling?" I ask when I hear her giggle, "is there something on my face?"
"No, you just... have a very funny way of driving" she says and I furrow my eyebrows, pretending to be offended.
"Whats so funny about my driving?"
"You look like an old grandma" she says making a chuckle.
"This grandma" I point to myself "is the captain that won the Euro's"
"That's only because I wasn't playing" she says "If I were, I would definitely have stolen that armband" she says jokingly.
"You definitely would have" I murmur, because its true. She's one of the best players out there and without realising it, I've learned so much from her.
"No but seriously, the way you drive with both of your hands on the wheel-"
"I can drive perfectly with one had" I say taking my right hand off od the wheel and placing it on top of her bare thigh. I feel her tense under my touch and I smirk in satisfaction.
I love how shy she gets when I get too close to her. Its so different from the usual bold and feisty Hailey that I know.
Surprisingly, she doesn't remove my hand so I keep it there the entire drive.
