"Esteban! Estebannnnnn!!!" I hear the loud patters of knocking against my door.

"ESTABANNN!!" Hector's voice vibrates against my ears, pulling me away from my dream. I pull myself out of the bed, staggering to open the door. I only had 1 hour left before my training began at 7am. He knew better than to disturb me at my house. I wanted to cherish every moment of slumber.

"ESTEBANNN!!!" he yells, pounding louder against its surface.

"Hector! I swear this better be good!" I scream before opening the door to face him.

"I am going to KILL HER!" he fumes, pushing me aside with a stack full of magazines.

"Who?" I groaned, my voice still scratchy from my slumber. Hector had a list of people he wanted to kill, each day it was someone different.

New day, new list.

"Your beloved girlfriend Anais!"

"What did she do now?" I grumbled. Surely it couldn't be that bad.

"Your girlfriend is all over the covers of every major tabloid! Apparently she had a wild night out with friends"

"What?" I whispered, pulling a few stacks from him to observe. I frowned as I saw her picture plastered onto the center. She was with her friend Mariela and a few guys, dancing above bar tables.

"Mrs Jefe's trouble in paradise" one read.

"The famous bull whisper can't tame his most important feat; his girl???" Another one claimed.
I was angered yet turned on by her pics. She was flipping off each pap out, cursing them out like me.

"There are 5 more like it" Hector fumes, plopping to the couch in fatigue. "Oh and turn to page 4! They have a whole spread on her! Her interests, family history!" Hector recites, "Oh an the Espana Herald says apparently you'll jack off to this" he scoffed.

"No way" I fumed, it didn't sound like Anais, but I couldn't help but laugh as I read her quotes in the spread. I knew this was her way of getting back at me.

"YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY ESTEBAN???? SHE IS BRINGING YOU DOWN. Your brand your sponsors! Every thing!" Hector shouts, picking up each paper to show me.

"SHUT up hector!" I sighed, urging him to relax. He always went for the extreme in situations like this. This wasn't the first time a girl had gotten me in trouble and it wouldn't be the last.

"Esteban you were going places before you met her! That girl—"

"That girl is my girlfriend Hector" I corrected him, throwing the magazine into the wall.

"Esteban please? What do you want? How much does she want? I will do anything if you listen to me. Please... please....break up with her" he begged.

"Hector you have gone muy loco!" I laughed, opening my fridge to see what was for breakfast.

"LOOK AT THE PRESSES! Look at the magazines! SHE IS DESTROING YOUR REPUTATION!"

"SCREW MY REPUTATION HECTOR!" I yelled, marking the silence in the room.
He pulled his hair back and sank into the couch, playing with a candle that rested against the corner of my coffee table. Anais had gotten it for me at the market.

"I don't get it. El Jefe... This is everything you have been training for, everyday you've been working on getting the recognition and fame? All your life? And now, you're throwing it away for some foreign kitty!" he shouted. Immediately he realized the weight of his words and backed away. "Esteban I didnt... mean—"

"Get out hector" I muttered, throwing my loaf of bread from the fridge onto the kitchen counter.

"Come on Esteban" he groans.

"Disrespect me? Fine, but you will not disrespect Anais"

"Esteban...I meant no disrespect... ! The way I said it—-"

"You've said enough" I hinted standing to touch the door, "You still consider yourself my manager?"

"Yes Esteban. I was only saying—"

"THEN FIX THIS!!" I cut him off, opening the door, and leading him to the exit.

"Look, just...try to talk to her before she does something more" he begs. I slam the door in his face and fling the magazines to the floor!

I didn't know what to do...or who to be upset at...

-------

"No Hector she isn't here" Mariela sighs, rolling her eyes as she pulled the reciver away from her ear. I could hear his yelling from where I sat.

"We didn't go out Hector! That must have been two different girls on the cover. We actually went to mass" she lied, mocking his yelling with her fingers. I giggle softly and rolled my eyes as he continued to tell.

"Hector? I gotta go. I have another church service to go to...okay....byeeeeee" she sung slamming the door down.

"I think he popped a vessel" she teased, plopping onto the couch next to me. I pushed my palm over my head, groaning at all the trouble I had caused.

I couldn't believe my picture had been plastered over every major tabloid in Espana. I reached out to pick out to pick up one magazine and sighed. "My boobs look so good in that picture" she smiled, pulling it away from my hands.

"Mariela!"

"What! So does your butt!" she smiled, admiring the cover. Mariela and I had snuck to the local market to try and buy out the store but their was too much. I knew Esteban was probably fuming with anger about now.

"I didn't think it would get this big" I admit, throwing the magazine to the table. Mariela shrugged and stood to pour more juice into my glass.

"If he loves you, he'll get over it" she hinted, walking back to face me. She pushed the drink in my hand and smiled.

-RING-

Her landline buzzed again, probably another call from Hector. She groaned and twirled to stand, reaching behind the side table to pick it up. "HECTOR! I swear if you don't stop calling me— oh ...hi Esteban" she whispered, exchanging a worried glance with me.

"Yes...she's not here." She lies. "Yes...I'll tell her.." she nodded, "mmhhmmm mhm mhm" she hums. She pushed the receiver to my ear so I could hear. "And tell her that even though I'm mad at her... I actually furious... tell her not to listen to the tabloids or the magazines or even Hector. And tell her... I love her" he sighed. I could tell he missed me, despite all that I've done.

"Yea..I'll tell her" Mariela nods saying her goodbye and finally hanging up the phone.

"Are you sure that was Esteban? Playboy of Espana?Mariela scoffs. I nodded and stared out her window, seeing a swarm of paparazzi out her window. They hadn't left all day.

"I hate him...yet...I can't imagine my life without him" I confessed. She looked into my eyes and smiled, understanding my sentiments. "Then tell him that Anais. Tell him before it's too late" she advises, moving to wash her bowl.

I nodded, taking her advice and stood to find my outfit for tonight. It was almost time to meet the Presidente.

"You sure you don't want me to come?" Mariela asks as she finished the last of my makeup.

"No. He would probably make you wait outside which defeats the purpose. He might even black mail you!" I hinted. She nodded, understanding my concerns and helped me walk to the black taxi ordered by the president.

"Make sure you stay safe. He's a very powerful man"

I nodded and hugged her one last time before she passed me her key. "Just in case I'm deep in sleep and hungover" she winked. I giggled and turned to the driver, telling him of the address of the hotel.

——