Chapter 2

"Happy Birthday Veronica… make a wish." All the female physiotherapists were gathered to celebrate Veronica's birthday, the youngest physio ever to be on a Grand Slam tournament. She blew the candles and looked outside, the door was open and she could see a player standing there, talking to a staff member on the corridor.
"Ohhh look at that ass! Now that is a Happy Birthday!" Veronica pointed and everyone giggled.
"Too bad you already have an eye on another player, huh?"
"Yup, but if I can't get Feliciano from one way, I guess I'll have to get closer to his friends. And that Rafael doesn't look bad at all…" she said in low voice to Caroline, the closest person to her.
"Nica, take my advice, don't mess with the players. They can screw you."
"How do you know that?! Ohhh you went out with a player? Who was he? Tell me!"
"You don't know what you're saying… you've been warned, don't come crying then."
"In life to move forward you need to take some steps back and that's what I'm doing. My decision is made… Rafael will be the bridge between me and Feliciano, he just doesn't have to know it."
Caroline shook her head and ordered everyone to go back to their work. Veronica kept staring at Rafael and thinking deeply how to get close to him and consecutively Feliciano, her old crush.

The train left at 5pm. Harmony knew when she would arrive in London it would be night already and she wouldn't have the opportunity to look for Rafa, since she had never been in the city, she had no idea what to do. Sitting on that train, she began to think that that wasn't the smartest idea. She was sure Aurélie would go crazy because she had run away and stole her money. She left a note on Sandrine's bed explaining her reasons, but even so… Harmony was worried.
"Arghh now it's too late to regret…" she said to herself.
When she arrived in London she felt completely lost like when she was a little girl and let go of her dad's hand. That afternoon would be forever in her mind. The fear, the loneliness… the same feeling of that day when her father was gone because she insisted on going to the beach and catch some waves, ignoring the "Caution!" sign. Now in London, it was the same. She had no one to take care of her, no one to give her a hug when she was feeling lost. A tear was rolling down her face when she took a taxi.
"Could you please take me somewhere cheap?"
"Somewhere cheap, miss?"
"Hmm yeah you know? A motel? I've just arrived here, I have no idea where to go…"
"Okay miss."
He drove her to the nearest motel. When she got there, the guy at the main hall looked dirty. The whole motel looked weird, but she just wanted to spend one night there, so she didn't care.
"Sorry, no free rooms! You can go away!" the guy told her.
"Huh? Oh, you're going to let me spend me the night on the streets?"
"Hmm for 150€ you can stay!"
"WTF? That's too much for this s***!
He turned his back and started doing something else. Harmony was about to leave when an idea popped into her mind.
"If it works in movies, it's worth trying." She muttered. "Hey!" she screamed, the motel owner turned to her and she lifted her t-shirt showing hmm everything. Some minutes later she had the best room in the motel, with a great view and at a very nice prize.
She took a shower and went to bed. While lying she thought of Rafa and grabbed her cell. He had no idea she was in London. He would have a big surprise. She smiled and decided to make him pay for his early text.
"Hey baby. Guess what?" she sent him.

Rafa was almost sleeping when his cell beeped. He stretched his arm and got it. With one eye opened he read it.
"Hey baby. Guess what?"
Rafael laughed. She knew how to play that game.