During the next forty minutes, I listened attentively to the happiness that radiated from the brunette, the stories and anecdotes of the trip, how great everything felt with her, ending on a slightly darker note.

"The downside to these incredible getaways is that, as soon as they arrive, I know it means going back to starting the countdown until the next one, being apart again."

"It must be very hard to focus on enjoying it, always knowing it's a countdown until you're separated again," I said, tilting my mouth at Jana's comment. "How are you dealing with it?"

"I think we're managing the being present part well. Calls, messages, gifts, visits... In a way, it's nice to think that as soon as your girlfriend has a day off, she's booking a ticket to see you, even if it means spending half that time on a plane."

"That's really sweet, Jana," I smiled sadly. "I'm genuinely happy for you."

I couldn't deny that her situation reminded me of that potential future I had considered with Alexia. I couldn't be with her as her psychologist, but if I stopped being it and looked for a job with another team, perhaps if enough time passed, then everything would be fine. I would maintain my license, Alexia wouldn't be questioned by anyone, and we could relieve ourselves of the pressure of secrecy. But I had never been cut out for that kind of relationship, and offering Alexia such a long separation right after we started whatever this was was too crazy.

Jana seemed to notice my change in mood.

"It's complicated. It hurts sometimes," she connected her eyes with mine and leaned over the table, getting even more of my attention. She smiled at me tenderly. "But for the right person, it's worth it."

I nodded gratefully. Jana was really empathetic, she knew how to soothe and connect with others like no one else. She probably would have been a much better psychologist than me, but some people are just born with too many talents to pursue them all.

"It almost feels like you're giving me the session instead," I laughed, trying to hide the fact that the conversation had really affected me, although it was clear that Jana had already noticed.

"In a way, I had to repay you for me blabbering on about how smitten I am for almost an hour," she downplayed it. "Do you want to see the photos?" she asked excitedly, trying to pull me out of the murky mental state I had ended up in.

"Sure," I smiled at Jana, who eagerly began searching through the photos on her phone from her trip to Paris. Once she found one she liked, as could be seen in her eyes—narrowed and brightened—she handed me the phone with tenderness, as if she was afraid the phone's movement might hurt the girl on the screen. "Wow!" I exclaimed. "This girl is so beautiful."

Jana burst into laughter.

"You'd never seen Jill before?"

I shook my head eagerly.

"I assure you, if I'd ever seen her, I'd remember," I took hold of Jana's hand again, bringing the phone closer to me. "She's gorgeous."

"Mía!" the brunette playfully complained. "I didn't know you liked girls."

"Well, I have eyes in my head," I replied with a chuckle.

"Maybe I can get you the number of a Dutch girl," she teased, making me laugh, and I handed her the phone back after looking at a few more photos. "Hey, one more thing," I looked up to find a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You've been here for a few months now..."

"Uh-huh."

"And now that I know you like girls..." I raised an eyebrow. "Have you set your sights on anyone around here?"

My eyes widened.

"What? No, of course not," I vigorously shook my head. "They're patients. That's not possible."

Jana's little smirk didn't waver in the slightest.

"You're blushing," she laughed openly.

"Jana! It's already six o'clock," I said, picking up a couple of papers scattered on the table. "The session is over."

She got up animatedly, encouraged by the playful interaction we had and the juicy tidbit she had discovered. She gracefully pushed her hair aside and took a couple of steps toward the door.

"Just so you know, with that statement, you just confirmed to me that not only have you taken an interest in someone, but it's also not someone from the coaching staff," she winked at me cheekily. "It's a player." She opened the door and peeked out before saying anything else. "Your name has been circulating in the locker room... This is going to be explosive. Let the Hunger Games begin."

Without allowing me to respond, Jana disappeared from the office. I sighed and began reorganizing some papers. Then, my phone rang.

Ale

In an hour, at the north hallway. It's important.

I blinked several times after reading the message. Could it be related to what Joan had asked me? It felt strange to think that there could be something dark between the blonde and the club. FC Barcelona was her whole life, and there was no further discussion. What the heck was happening?

Salma entered, closing the door behind her. My last appointment of the day, and it felt like the slowest session I had ever had. Not because I didn't have much rapport with Salma, but because my mind was preoccupied with what Alexia needed to tell me. I practically rushed the footballer out of the office when the time was up, fortunately, it hadn't been too emotionally demanding of a session that day.

I shut down the computer, collected the rest of my things, slung my bag over my shoulder, and locked the door. I climbed the stairs two at a time and covered the distance between the stairs and the north hallway.

Alexia wasn't there. I looked from side to side, frowning. I was a few minutes late; she should already be here. The hallway was dimly lit, some of the less important lights had already turned off, but a few administrators or various staff members were still hurrying from one office to another.

I took my phone out of my pocket, intending to call Alexia, just as a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into the storage room.

"Boo!" she exclaimed before her lips crashed onto mine, pressing my body between hers and the wall. I couldn't help but moan, partly from surprise and partly from the sensation that was beginning to engulf me as I felt her warmth against my skin. I dug my nails into her sweatshirt.

"... I thought you wanted to talk about something important," I managed to say with difficulty.

"As long as you stay here, I can talk to you about quantum physics if you want," she pronounced, her breath brushing against the damp skin of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

"In the storage room?" Alexia's eyes, darkened by excitement, glanced at me for a second, then nodded once before attacking my mouth again. "Sexy," I said in the middle of the kiss, earning a grin from the blonde.

I grabbed the edge of her sweatshirt and pulled it until it came off. Without waiting for more than a second, during which her tongue distracted me again, I did the same with her T-shirt. Then, I took hold of Alexia's body, turning her around and causing her back to collide with my chest.

I trailed my lips from her shoulder to her ear. Alexia let out a moan and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me even closer to her.

"Jana told me something interesting today, you know?"

Alexia tried to respond affirmatively, opening her eyes intermittently as my hand slipped into her sport pants and her nails dug even deeper into me.

"What... yes?" she sighed, starting to feel the pleasure.

"What's that about people talking about me?" I growled against her neck. Alexia spread her legs wider, granting me more access to her, and leaned her body against mine.

"Mhh..." she murmured, closing her eyes. "There might be a couple of fangirls."

"You must be handling it well," I probed, knowing that the situation wasn't likely to sit well with the blonde.

"Not at all," she replied, turning around and taking control this time, taking a step closer to me and pushing me against the wall. She kissed me with fervor, tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck and directing the movements of my mouth as if operating a puppet. "But then again, the one locked in here with you," her tongue traveled down my neck, making me gasp, "the one who touches you," her hands traced the contours of my waist and hips, "the one who tastes you," she crouched down, unbuttoning my pants, "the one who satisfies you," she spoke against my sex, completely under her control, "that's only me."

I bit the back of my hand as Alexia dipped between my legs, trying to prevent any sound from escaping, especially when I could hear a few of the remaining staff members passing by the door, their hurried footsteps making the situation even more exhilarating.

The climax came. It was inevitable that a trail of voice would escape my small barrier, despite the resistance of my right hand. Alexia stifled a laugh, quickly moving to cover my mouth with hers. I closed my eyes, surrendering to the sensation.

"Seems like it was good."

I grabbed her wrist with mine and withdrew it carefully, letting her palm leave a trace all over the surface of my body that she managed to touch on her way down. Next, I put two fingers into my mouth, under the watchful hazel eyes of the blonde. Then, I slid my hand into her underwear, trying not to touch anything except her, keeping them thoroughly wet. Alexia moaned as she felt the contact, circling her arms around my neck and kissing me.

The kiss lasted long enough for Alexia's legs to buckle under the circles my hand was tracing on her body. Her breath, masking the moans that I had heard so many times before with sighs, grew heavier with each passing moment.

"I have a question for you," I said against her lips. She kissed me, using my mouth to release a moan that went unheard, meant only for me. Doing it just for me. "What's going on with the contract?"

Her eyes flew open, her body separated from mine, and my hand left the footballer's center involuntarily.

"How do you know that?"