Ricardo stood by the cafeteria's counter, in the bustling employee dining hall. Among the clinks and trinks of cutlery and muffled conversations. Such a contrast with the vivid memory stirring inside him. He stared at the lunch menu posted above, fixated on one item printed plainly on the page: "Lucia's Special Pasta."
That name alone was enough to pull him away from the noise into another time, another place.
He vividly remembered the evening after a fierce soccer match. Ricardo panted near the sidelines. His sweat made the jersey clung to his skin. The players were drifting toward the locker rooms, their voices loud with adrenaline and cheers. Across the field, a small group of girls laughed and nudged one another, standing out in the thinning crowd.
Lucia was among them. She came because her friends had insisted. They pulled this bookworm along, barely disguised hope that she'd catch a glimpse of the players up close. She wasn't really into soccer or anything that attracts the crowd, but tonight something about being there felt different.
"I thought you said you hated this kind of thing," one of her friends teased, elbowing her lightly.
Lucia shrugged, tidying her bangs. "I do. But... it's kind of nice being outside sometimes, albeit the match was too loud."
Her eyes drifted toward the field where the players were lining up one last time. That's when she noticed him. The strikingly good looking goalkeeper. The way he moved, those confident eyes, made her catch her breath without knowing why.
A friend elbowed her again. "Go shout to him! He's looking at you, come on!"
Lucia laughed softly, shaking her head. "No way. That's just... silly."
But something about the moment held her in place. As the players began to disperse, Ricardo's gaze briefly met hers from across the field. It felt like a quiet spark in the buzzing crowds.
Moments later, Ricardo found himself scooted near where Lucia and her friends stood. His heart was tugged by a mix of curiosity and something unexplainable.
"Hey," he said, voice casual but warm. "Did you come here often?"
Lucia blinked, caught off guard. "Uhmm... hey... not really.. friends kinda kidnapped me."
"Well, glad they did," he replied, a silly grin surfacing unintentionally.
Their conversation stretched into a few shy moments that time. Lit by the fading light and the soft murmur of the dispersing crowd. Neither wanted the night to end. Reluctantly they parted ways.
In the days that followed, Ricardo found himself keep thinking about that chance meeting more than he expected. At the diner near the training field, he would catch glimpses of Lucia. Sometimes seated with her friends, laughing animatedly.
One afternoon, Ricardo saw her leaving the diner. He acted on impulse, calling out, "Lucia!"
She turned. Surprise flashed in her eyes before a smile spread across her face.
"Hey, uh... Ricardo, right? Didn't expect to see you here."
"Thought I'd grab a coffee. Want to join me?"
She hesitated, but eventually agreed.
Their conversations grew longer. Filled with light flirts mixed with honest questions. He learned about her love of quiet moments despite her friends' push for social life, and her fiddling with her bangs when she get nervous. Likewise, She saw past his confident exterior to the man who guarded not just the goal but his own heart. She knew he had several bad rumors around him back then, but it didn't bother her.
One evening, after another match, Ricardo walked her home.
"I like how you see the world," she said softly, fiddling with her loose strand of hair.
"And I like how you smile, even when you don't think anyone is watching."
Their laughter mingled in the cool air, and in a quiet moment, Ricardo reached out, brushing his fingers lightly along her arm. She didn't pull away.
That touch was a promise. Unspoken but understood.
Over time, their meetings became the rhythm of their lives. Shared coffee, stolen glances, and whispered dreams. Intimacy grew slowly. They were no longer just two passing souls, but a pair entangled together. A bond neither rushed nor forced, but allowed to grow naturally, steadily, and real.
Many weeks after their first encounter, Ricardo and the group of his and Lucia's friends enjoyed their outing at the town's summer fair. Laughter and music heard all around, but Ricardo's attention was fixed solely on Lucia. She moved ease and grace through the crowd. Her crisp laughter mingling with the sounds of the celebrations. Tonight her presence felt different. She emanated a strong pull that made Ricardo's heart jump frantically.
As the group settled near the Ferris wheel, Ricardo seized the moment when the others drifted to nearby stalls. He turned to Lucia.
"You know," he said with a husky voice, locking eyes with her, "I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now."
Lucia looked surprised but full of anticipation, her cheeks flushed instinctively. "Oh? And what's that?"
Ricardo stepped a little closer. "That every time we're together, it feels like... I'm missing something I didn't know I was missing."
She raised her eyebrows playfully, gazing into his. "Pray tell, then..."
He smiled seductively. "Lucia, can I be honest? I can't stop thinking about you. About how your skin feels. Soft and inviting. How your touch lingers in my mind long after you've gone. And those moments... your breath.. your.."
Her breath caught, the air between them thickening with desire. She bit her lower lip, eyes gleaming. "Ricardo... this... I don't.."
His hand reached out, fingers curling around hers, pulling her gently but firmly closer. "Let me show you."