HYGTG !      by KissLeclerc
May 22, 2024    #    "Nice To Meet You."

"SOLANA!" Arthur called out, causing the girl in question to glance up from her phone and greet him with a wide smile and welcoming hug. She had been waiting for him. "Nice of you to finally show up." The girl laughed at his tardiness.

The duo had always been close, especially since Solana and Charles grew up inseparably. Arthur would tag along from time to time which eventually caused a bond to form between him and the tennis player.

"Ready?" She questioned since they had early brunch reservations at a familiar cafe nearby before FP3 and Qualis.

But at this rate, it was a possibility that they'd be missing FP3.

Hopefully not..

"I was late for a reason—I ran into a friend." Arthur explained. "Haven't seen him in a while so I may have invited him to our brun—"

"You're lying." Her brow furrowed in confusion, before speaking softly. "Arthur, you know I how i feel about minute changes—"

"Come on, I think you'll like him," He assured, cutting her off.

"Arturo!" The duo was suddenly interrupted by a latin accent, causing the two to turn on their heel to reveal a tall and lean, tanned skin man.

"Manny!" The Leclerc brother exclaimed, waving the
man over with an inviting arm for the him to join them.

"Solana, this is Manuel, Manuel, this is Solana." Arthur quickly introduced them. The tennis player looking him up and down as she processed how he looked so familiar.

"Wait—" Sol shook her head to get her thoughts in order. "Like Manuel Mendiola?" She nearly laughed in awe, bringing him in for a proper European greeting as she air kissed his cheek with a small side hug.

"Correct!"

A renowned footballer for Barça.

"And you're the Valerio tennis player?" He placed his hand in hers, bringing it up for a kind gesture as he kissed her knuckle.

"Yes! That is me." Sol nodded, nearly blushing st his gesture before glancing at Arthur who was enjoying their interaction.

"Been wanting to introduce you two actually!" The Leclerc boy cut in. "He's single, by the way." He winked at Sol as he proudly pat Manny on the chest.

"Like you."

Solana's eyes widened, and she shot him a look, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Arthur!" She quietly hissed with a small smile of embarrassment, trying to keep her tone light but clearly mortified.

"What?" Arthur grinned innocently, shrugging as if he hadn't just thrown her under the bus.

"It's nice to meet you." Manny smiled, "Arthur's been talking a lot about you."

"Oh, really?" She glanced at the brunette.

"All good things, don't worry." The spaniard raised his arms in  playful defense. "My wingman here is just working overtime," He joked, his voice smooth and playful.

And with that, she blushed.

"I—" Sol unfortunately stuttered. "We should get going!" She said in a hurry. "Plus, I need to expand our reservation now." Her composure was slightly deteriorating but as she pulled her phone out and began walking, she calmed down.

Manny followed behind her, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his jeans, a small amused smirk still playing on his lips. Arthur trailed just a step behind, clearly reveling in Solana's flustered state.

As Sol focused on her phone, attempting to adjust their reservation, Manny leaned, his voice low enough that only she could hear. "Nervous, Valerio?"

Her fingers faltered for a moment on the screen, and she glanced up at him with wide eyes. "Huh? No, of course not," She lied, her tone rushed and unconvincing.

Manny chuckled, his deep, warm laugh sending a wave of heat through her. "Okay, good. I'd hate to think I was causing a distraction."

Arthur, catching wind of their exchange, chimed in with a laugh of his own, putting his arm around Manny. "Oh, trust me, mate. She's been distracted since you walked up."

"Arthur!" Sol hissed again, shooting him a withering look.

"Relax. It's not a bad thing," Manny teased, his dark eyes glinting with playful mischief. "But if it helps, I'm pretty distracted, too."

Solana froze mid-step before continuing her walk, her mouth opening slightly before speaking. "By...?"

"You," Manny said smoothly, his gaze steady as it met hers. "It's not every day you meet someone who manages to make an impression before you've even said a word." His words came out like butter... too .. dang... smooth.

As they continued to walk down the street toward the café, Solana slowed her pace, her hands nervously fidgeting with the strap of her bag. She glanced over at Arthur, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" She said quiet enough for only Arthur to hear.

He grinned, leaning in slightly like he was revealing a big secret. "What? I'm just trying to help you out! I was sure you'd like him."

Solana huffed, her cheeks turning a shade of bright pink. "And I'm very sure he likes me."

Arthur couldn't hold back a laugh, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, I know. That's exactly why I invited him to come hang out with us. You're welcome, by the way."

Solana stopped in her tracks, eyes widening. "You—Wha? Arthur!!! Are you crazy?"

Arthur shrugged with a grin that practically screamed "guilty." "I'm a master matchmaker. You're welcome, again." He said again, expecting a thank you before pausing. "Besides, I think there is chemistry. You two can flirt all you want at the table. I'll be minding my business."

"Who's flirting?" Sol protested, her cheeks burning.

"You two, obviously," Arthur quipped, nudging her shoulder.

Manny caught up easily, falling into step beside her as he heard the last bits of the conversation. "I'll make it easier on you—I'll do most of the work."

She shot him a side-eye, her lips twitching despite herself. "You're a bit confident."

"Maybe," He said with a grin. "But only because I think you might be worth it."

Solana quickly turned her gaze forward, her heart racing as they approached the café. Arthur opened the door for the two of them, his grin still annoyingly smug.

For once, Sol found herself unsure of how this brunch would go—but one thing was certain, it wouldn't be boring.

As they settled into their table at the café, Solana kept her head down, fiddling with the menu as Arthur and Manny dove into a lighthearted conversation. The latter's charm and ease were hard to ignore—though Sol was determined to try.

Her mind, however, refused to cooperate.

She couldn't stop thinking about how much she maybe needed this—something to distract her, someone to break the endless cycle of longing and heartbreak she'd been caught in for too long.

To distract her mind from thinking about Charles.

Perhaps this was good.

Keeping herself distracted this weekend.

To finally get her mind off her once best friend, her confidant, and the person she thought might one day see her the way she saw him.

But he never had.

So maybe this brunch, this easy banter with Manny, was exactly what she needed. A chance to step away from the shadow of what could never be.

Yeah... maybe Arthur was onto something.

And besides, Manuel Mendiola was desired by many.

Plus, he's gorgeous.

She glanced up as Manny leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table and catching her gaze. "You're a bit quiet over there. Am I boring you already?" His tone was teasing, but there was genuine curiosity in his expression.

"Not at all," She said quickly with a smile. "Just thinking."

"About me?" He asked with a wink, his playful grin widening when she rolled her eyes, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

"That was a corny one, mate." Arthur teased.

"About the menu," She countered with a small giggle, holding the laminated page up as a shield to hide her blush.

Arthur snorted into his water. "She's deflecting. That's a good sign." Receiving a tiny side eye from Solana as she lowered the menu.

"Is it?" Manny tilted his head, studying her with that same teasing glint in his dark eyes. "Good to know."

Solana sighed nervously, a faltering smile plastered on her face as she set the menu down and gave Arthur a look. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," Arthur said with a grin. "You deserve this, Sol. A little fun. Maybe even more than fun."

Her gaze softened, even as she shook her head at him. She knew what he meant. Arthur had seen her at her lowest, and he too, knew about her longing and unfortunate desire for his brother.

Of course he knew, and of course he couldn't forget.

It took him ages to get over her.

Because he himself, had a crush on her of his own.

And after the news that she only had eyes for his brother, he happily and easily moved on...

But, if only it were that easy for her.

Solana tried to keep her cool. Manny's flirting wasn't making it easy, and her usual cooled composure was slipping. She took a breath and stared at her menu, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in her chest.

Manny leaned in closer, his elbow resting on the table, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he studied her. "Well, you do seem a little quieter than I thought you'd be."

"Just not usually the talkative type," Solana replied truthfully, keeping her voice steady as she smiled politely.

"Not even a little bit? I've seen you on the tennis court—seems like you can handle some noise."

"Yeah, well, that's different," She muttered, still avoiding his gaze. She wasn't sure why, but there was something about Manny's attention that made her heart rush.

She glanced up from the menu again, looking at Arthur who had a devious smirk.

He really was enjoying this.

This was just his plan all along anyway.

Get his good friend with a deserving girl.

Manny's voice dropped to a teasing whisper that only she could hear. "Hm, speaking of tennis, shouldn't you be in France for the French Open?"

Solana's fingers gripped her menu tighter, her mind flickering back to the disappointment of her little injury. She forced a smile and met his gaze.

"Well, I should be, but I'm actually on an injury leave." She said calmly. "I hurt my ankle last month in Stuttgart, but I'm grateful to even be here despite the circumstances."

Manny's expression softened slightly, his grin turning into something more genuine. "That's too bad. But, I'm also glad you could be here."

Solana laughed softly, a bit of the tension easing. "Yeah, it's nice to be home for a change," She said, looking around at the familiar streets outside the café. "I get to actually enjoy the Grand Prix without worrying about practices or tournaments. I take it as a win."

"Seems nice," Manny said, his voice still low and casual. He clearly wasn't done with his playful approach. "And I'll bet I'm a good enough company for you while I'm here too."

Her lips quirked, caught off guard by his bold confidence once again. "Think you can keep my attention?" She teased, her tone light but challenging.

Manny smirked, sitting back in his chair with a relaxed air that made him even more frustratingly charming. "I don't think I can keep your attention. I know I can."

Solana rolled her eyes, but the faintest smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Bold."

Leaning forward again, his smile playful but with an edge of something more serious behind it. "Yeah, but let's not pretend you're not intrigued. You wouldn't be blushing if you weren't."

Her cheeks flushed despite her best efforts to remain composed. She quickly looked down at her menu, pretending to read it but not really processing anything.

Arthur, sensing that Manny had successfully rattled Solana, laughed loudly. "Manuel my friend, you're killing her."

Manny gave Arthur an exaggerated shrug, his smile never fading. "Just making sure she knows how it feels to be wanted."

Solana let out a small huff, shaking her head, but it was clear that Manny was pushing her out of her comfort zone—and she wasn't entirely opposed to it.

For once, she wasn't thinking about tennis or the aching feeling of wanting someone she couldn't have. She was enjoying the chance to flirt, to feel seen for more than just a friend or her career, and to finally be free of the constant grind that had drained her for too long.

She glanced back up at Manny, her eyes meeting his with a playful glint of her own. "You think you're the first to try this on me?" She grinned, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

"No," Manny answered quickly, his tone smooth and confident.

"But I think I'm the first one who'll make you enjoy it."

vera's voice! 💌
seven months later... WE BACK HO.....
AND HELLLOOO MANNY MENDIOLA.
a completely made up barça player. Okay.

guys please bare with me, i'm gonna cook
so hard and finish this book. THIS YEAR.
ASAP.

so glad to be back YAAAAAAAA , perhaps
u might've did a reread bc i had to do a reread
bc i forgot everything that's happened so far.

anyways. yeah. we love manuel. thank u.
who is charles!!!!! BOOO!!!!

love vera...
hello belle! hello elena!!! WE BACK.