The sun has not yet made its triumphant return to the room, and Aelita and William remain locked in the embrace of deep slumber. Their forms are entwined, a testament to the night's intimacy, with the bedsheets gently cradling their contented bodies. The room is awash in soft, muted hues of the morning, casting a tranquil ambiance.
As the morning light gradually seeps through the curtains, Aelita begins to stir. Her eyelids flutter open, greeted by the gentle rays of the new day. With a languid stretch, she luxuriates in the warmth of the bed and in the reassuring presence of her sleeping partner.
But the quiet morning serenity is soon disrupted by an enthusiastic knock at the door. Aelita's eyes widen, and she turns her gaze toward William, still blissfully lost in slumber beside her. The knock persists, growing slightly more insistent, and Aelita sighs in resignation.
She gently plants a tender kiss on William's forehead and slips from the bed, her bare feet meeting the cool floor. Then, with one last affectionate glance back at her still-sleeping lover, she walks downstairs to answer the door.
Upon opening the door, Aelita is met with the smiling face of her best friend, whose expression is a mixture of excitement and anticipation. "Morning, Lita!" Sissi exclaims, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Ready for book club brunch today?"
Aelita groans internally, having completely forgotten about their monthly book club meeting. For this particular meeting, Sissi had organized for the group of women to meet at a local cafe. "Yeah, yeah" she replies, mustering a smile. "I just need some time to get myself together, and then we can head out."
Sissi nods, stepping inside the house. "You're usually up earlier than this. What, did you have a late night or something?"
"Something like that," Aelita mutters as she makes her way to the kitchen.
"Uh-huh. Well, hurry up! We don't want to be late," Sissi calls after her, her tone teasing.
Aelita rolls her eyes, pouring herself some warm water from the faucet into three glasses. She squeezes the juice of half a lemon into each one, then adds some apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. She eyeballs cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne into each glass. She tops each one off with a pinch of black pepper.
"What the fuck is that?" Sissi asks, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"It's an anti-inflammatory drink," Aelita explains, handing Sissi a glass. "It's also supposed to help with digestion and energy and what not. Allegedly."
William trudges down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Mornin', ladies," he calls out, his voice still heavy with drowsiness.
Sissi's eyes flit in his direction as he walks into the kitchen. "Ah, now I know why you were so hard to reach last night. It was 'cause of that," gesturing her head in the direction of the shirtless young man.
"Pfft. I understand why your phone was going insane last night. It was 'cause of that," William says with his own nod in Sissi's direction.
Sissi throws her head back and cackles. "Touché!"
Aelita shakes her head and sighs. "I'm surrounded by idiots," she quips, taking a sip from her glass afterwards.
William crosses the kitchen to grab his own serving of the anti-inflammatory concoction and downs it in one fell swoop. He smiles painfully afterwards, suppressing his urge to heave it back up.
Sissi's eyebrows shoot up as she watches him—she swears she just saw a hint of nausea swipe across his features for a millisecond. She takes a tentative sniff at her glass and her nose wrinkles in disgust again. "Lita, the smell..."
"Come on, it's good for you," Aelita says encouragingly.
With a nervous gulp, Sissi brings the glass to her lips. She takes a tiny sip and swallows it. Almost immediately, she lets out a strangled wheeze. "You're kidding. How do you drink this stuff?"
"She loves it," William says with a shrug. "She drinks this every morning. You didn't know?"
"Ugh, it's so spicy!" Sissi dramatically sets the glass down on the counter and pushes it away.
"It's not that bad. You're half-Korean, Sis. Spice is your life. You're the last person who I thought would complain."
"Um, drinks are not supposed to be spicy," Sissi huffs. "What an awful way to start your day."
It's Aelita's turn to throw her head back in laughter. "You're ridiculous."
"Whatever. Are you gonna get ready to go, or what?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just give me like ten minutes," Aelita says, setting her now empty glass down.
When Aelita leaves the room, Sissi's gaze shifts to William. "You know something, Will?"
"What?"
"I'm onto you."
William freezes. "Onto me? What are you talking about?"
"I know you're up to something," Sissi whispers. "And I think I know what that something is."
"What do you mean?" William asks warily, his heart rate picking up.
"Like, planning a certain... surprise for Aelita," Sissi whispers, her eyes narrowing. "One that involves a ring and your knee on the ground."
William's eyes widen. "How did you—"
"I'm her best friend, William. I know her better than anyone. Your girlfriend is a much more open book than you think she is, whether she wants to admit it or not," Sissi interrupts. "So, spill. When are you going to pop the question?"
"I, uh..." William stammers, his cheeks flushing. "I'm not telling you that."
"Can I at least see the ring?"
William sighs. "I don't have it on me right now. It's back hidden in my dorm, but I can show you a picture."
"Deal," Sissi says, her expression eager.
William pulls out his phone and shows her a photo of the engagement ring.
"Wow," Sissi breathes, her eyes wide. "That's gorgeous."
William's blush deepens. "Thanks," he says.
"So, when are you going to do it?"
"Still not telling you that."
"Come on, Will. Give me a hint."
"No."
"Please?"
"Nope."
"Pretty please?"
"Not a chance."
"Fine," Sissi pouts. "I'll figure it out eventually."
"I'm sure you won't," William says, a smirk on his lips.
Aelita walks into the room then. "What are you guys talking about?" she asks curiously.
"Nothing," William and Sissi say in unison.
Aelita's eyebrows shoot up. "Doesn't sound like nothing to me. You two are never this in sync. That's not nothing."
Sissi and William steal a quick glance at one another.
"Uh," Sissi starts, "William was just telling me some gossip about someone on the team."
"Oh yeah? Who?"
"Um... Bastien, actually," William blurts out without thinking. "I was just telling Sissi that he and Maeve are basically official now."
"Oh. Good for them!" Aelita turns her attention to Sissi. "Ready to go?"
"Yup!" Sissi grabs her purse off the counter and makes a beeline for the front door.
As the two girls walk out of the house, William looses a heavy sigh. "Phew. Close call."
Aelita and Sissi arrive at the cafe and are greeted by the rest of their book club friends.
"Hey, ladies! Glad you could finally make it," a girl named Nina says half-sarcastically, her expression cheerful nonetheless.
Sissi chuckles. "This one took her sweet time getting ready when I went to go pick her up."
Aelita shrugs. "Long night last night. Sorry we're late."
Nina exchanges a knowing look with Maeve, who is sitting across from her.
The group settles in and orders their food and drinks.
As they wait, Aelita turns to Maeve. "Hey, congrats, by the way."
"For what?" Maeve asks, her brows furrowed.
"On you and Bastien finally becoming official."
"Where the fuck did you hear that?"
"From Will, of course."
Maeve sighs. "So much for keeping things lowkey, Bastien," she mutters to herself. "Anyway, speaking of William, how was his birthday? What'd you do?"
Aelita stills. "His... birthday?"
"Yeah. His birthday, earlier this week on Tuesday," Maeve says, an eyebrow raised. "Did you forget?"
"Uh... I can't really forget something I didn't know about in the first place."
Maeve blinks in surprise. " Huh?"
"I'm just now realizing that this man has never told me when his birthday is. I'm going to kill him later."
Sissi snickers at this but says nothing, watching the exchange as mirth dances in her eyes.
"Anyway," Aelita continues, "I guess you could say that I was the present."
Sissi chokes on her water. Maeve locks eyes with Sissi, recalling what they overheard during Sissi's birthday party.
Sissi, still coughing up bits of her drink, says to Aelita, "Spill the tea!"
Aelita smirks. "Nope. Not right now, anyway. I'll tell you later. Both of you," she says with a pointed look at Maeve.
The group's food and drinks arrive, and the conversation shifts to the book they're currently discussing.
"Okay, but did anyone else find the main character to be super annoying?" Nina asks.
"Yes," the rest of the group responds in unison.
"Right? I was so glad when she finally got her shit together and stopped being so wishy-washy," Nina continues.
"Agreed," Aelita says. "I was waiting for her to get her shit together the whole time."
"Same," Maeve chimes in.
"I'm just glad the author didn't drag it out any longer," another girl adds.
The group continues their lively discussion, their plates and cups emptying as the late morning hours tick by.
When it is time to leave, Sissi, Aelita, and Maeve hang back a bit behind the rest of the group.
"Okay, Lita. Spill," Sissi demands.
Aelita laughs. "Alright, alright. So, Will and I had a rather… eventful night just before his birthday."
"I'm listening," Maeve says, her expression eager.
"Something you probably don't know about him is that he's a glutton for punishment. Especially if he loses a big game. He spends hours upon hours of his free time in the gym trying to make up for the loss, usually avoiding me in the process. I got sick of it and... late that night I got myself gussied up in my cutest athleisure, teased the hell out of him from across the empty gym, and made him so crazy that he fucked me against the wall in a shower stall."
Sissi blinks.
Maeve whistles. "Sheesh. Didn't know you had that in you, Aelita."
"Really? I heard that you and Sissi got quite the earful during the camping trip."
Maeve throws her head back in laughter. "Wait, you know about that?"
"You can thank Sissi," Aelita quips.
Both girls turn to a very quiet Sissi.
"Hello?" Maeve asks, waving a hand in front of her friend's face.
"I'm sorry, but did you just say that Will fucked you against the wall in a shower stall?" Sissi finally says.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I'm trying to imagine it and it's... not working."
"Why not?"
"Because it's Will. He seems so... vanilla. Besides the whole camping trip thing, and apparently the fact that you've fucked in a car."
"Vanilla? Really?" Aelita chuckles. "Remember when I told you he's completely different behind closed doors?"
"You weren't kidding. Jesus Christ, Aelita. You're set for life."
"I sure am."
Star Striker William Dunbar: Europe's Hottest Transfer Target
By Luc Martel
The world of football has been abuzz with excitement and anticipation as the young prodigy, William Dunbar, continues to capture the hearts of fans and the attention of top-tier football clubs. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Kadic Academy standout and star striker for FC Versailles 78 had the incredible opportunity to participate in a trial run with the illustrious Paris Saint-Germain, and the results have sent shockwaves through the football world.
The trial run, as reported by inside sources at PSG, went swimmingly. Invited personally by a PSG scouting agent, Dunbar displayed his prowess and skill on the training pitch with astonishing finesse. His speed, agility, and goal-scoring ability were on full display, leaving the coaching staff and fellow players awestruck. It was not long before talks of a potential signing began to gain traction, with PSG reportedly considering adding this young talent to their roster.
But PSG isn't the only club with its eyes on William. The word on the streets is that William Dunbar's electric performances have piqued the interest of some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Scouts from top-tier teams across the European football landscape, including those from the Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A, and beyond, have been closely following his career.
As the news of PSG's interest in William reverberates through the footballing world, speculation runs rife about where this young striker's future lies. Will he remain at FC Versailles 78 and continue to shine as their star striker? Or is he destined for the glittering lights of one of Europe's elite clubs?
Stay tuned for more updates as the football world eagerly awaits his next move.
"Goddammit." William sets his phone down a little too hard on the coffee table, just as Aelita walks in through the front door. He puts his head in his hands and sighs heavily. "Fucking hell."
Aelita, seeing her boyfriend hunched over, walks into the room trepidatiously. "Will? Everything okay?"
William looks up, his expression irritated. "I just read the latest article about myself."
"Oh," Aelita says, her tone sympathetic. "I'm guessing it wasn't a good one."
"It was a great one. That's the problem."
"I'm... not following."
"Just once, I want to do something in my life that doesn't get printed in the papers without my permission. Just once."
"I'm sorry, Will. I know this is frustrating for you."
"It's not just frustrating, Lita. It's fucking infuriating. I feel like I have no privacy anymore. Every move I make, every decision I make, is being scrutinized and analyzed and dissected by the entire goddamn world."
Aelita sits down next to William and puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know. It's not right. But you're not alone in this, Will. Don't forget that you can lean on me when you need to."
"I know. Thank you, Princess. I'm just mad, you know. All this notoriety makes me feel like I can't live my life," William complains. "I love this game, Aelita. I love being under the lights, I love the feel of running on turf or a well-kept pitch, I love the sounds of the stadium. But sometimes I just wish that it would all just stay there."
Aelita nods in understanding. "I get it. But Will, you're an amazing player. And you deserve all the success and recognition that comes with it. You've worked so hard for this. Don't let the media and the pressure get to you."
William sighs. "I know. I'm trying not to. But it's hard."
"I know it is. But you're strong, Will. You can handle it."
"I hope so."
"I know so."
William leans over and kisses Aelita on the cheek. "Thank you, Lita. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Probably lose your shit," she teases.
"Probably," he agrees, chuckling.
"Speaking of..." Aelita starts. "I should be losing my shit on you right now."
William looks at her quizzically. "What do you mean? What did I do now?"
"William. How long have we been together?"
"It'll be a year in a few days. Why?"
"Wow, so you can remember important dates. I'm impressed," Aelita quips.
"I am so confused right now. Shouldn't you be happy that I know our anniversary?" William responds cautiously.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I am. But what day was it this past Tuesday?"
"November 7th," he states slowly. "Lita, what are you getting at?"
"Yeah. November 7th. Which, I learned from Maeve earlier today, is your birthday! How could you not tell me your birthday? We've been together for nearly a year and I had no idea when your birthday was!"
"Oh. Shit. I'm sorry, Lita. I didn't even realize it. I've been so busy with soccer and school and everything that it just slipped my mind."
"Will, it's your birthday. It's a pretty big deal. I would've liked to have known. And also found out from you, not your best friend's girlfriend."
"Honestly, it's just a day to me," William shrugs. "If you really want to, we can celebrate, but I'd rather not."
"Why, though?" Aelita asks.
"You've seen my mother's penchant for overzealous celebrations," William deadpans. "All my life she's thrown what normal people would see as a festival. Every single year. It was like two hundred people, Lita! Every. Single. Year."
"Wow. Uh... Yeah, I can see how that would be overwhelming."
"So ever since I started college, I decided that I'm over it. I don't even answer my phone on my birthday because I know my mom is just going to blow out my eardrums for two hours straight."
"Understandable." Aelita shakes her head and smiles. "You're lucky I love you or else I'd actually be mad about this."
"I am. I really am."
The couple laughs for a second before William's eyes widen. "Shit. I just realized something!"
Aelita jumps at his sudden attitude change. "What?!"
"It's about the article and the implications of it," he says as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "I had this extravagant night planned out for our anniversary and now it's all probably going to be ruined by cameras flashing incessantly and microphones being shoved in my face. How do Hollywood actors do it?"
Her face falls as she listens to his complaints. "You had plans?"
"Yeah. I was gonna surprise you with dinner and an Orchestre de Paris concert. I guess I'll just give the reservation details and tickets to my parents..." William says, downtrodden.
Aelita tries to comfort him. "You don't have to do that, Will. We can still go."
"I just want to be out of the public's eye for a little bit," he says flatly. Especially noting what I have planned for her next month, he thinks. Suddenly his eyes light up. "How about this: let's have dinner in tonight. We can celebrate both my birthday and our one-year. How about Chinese takeout for a change?"
"I actually really like that idea."
William puts in the order and the two cuddle up on the couch and watch SVU reruns to pass the time while they wait.
"Hey, Will?"
"Yeah, Princess?"
"I'm really proud of you. You've come so far in the last year. I can't believe it's been a year already."
"And what a year it's been. I'm proud of you, too. You've come pretty far yourself," He says as he pulls her closer and kisses her deeply. "Happy anniversary, Aelita."
"Happy belated birthday, Will," she says giggling.
