hassled often. Maybe for autographs. But the fans…the Madridistas? They’re…what was that saying you taught me?” He looks at Vera.
“As crazy as an outhouse rat,” she says.
“Sí,” Mateo says with a grave expression. “Crazier than an outhouse rat.”
“Sounds a lot like Man U,” I tell him. “Stewart couldn’t go anywhere without someone yelling at him over something.” The moment Stewart’s name leaves my lips, I immediately feel awkward. Like it’s a word I should have erased from my vocabulary, like it means something more than just my ex-husband’s name. It’s a word that still hurts.
Mateo seems to pick up on whatever vibe I’m giving off because he nods slightly, a sympathetic look shining in his eyes. “Luckily, there are some spots where we’re given some privacy,” he says. “And I don’t happen to go out all that often as it is.”
“Which means I often have to go out by myself,” Vera says.
Mateo smirks at her. “By going out, do you mean watching Netflix by yourself?”
“Well, maybe Thalia and I will paint the town red whenever you feel like staying in.”
Mateo glances at me, raising an eyebrow. “Please don’t let my wife talk you into anything. She knows how important you are to the team.” He sits back in his chair, taking a sip of his drink while resting his hand on Vera’s knee.
“I also know how important it is to rest,” Vera says adamantly. “You always talk about how rest is as important as the work. I mean, hello, the whole country is built around siesta.”
“Siesta and rest is one thing,” Mateo says. “Going out with you is something else entirely. I’m barely man enough to survive it myself.” He smiles at me. “But, since we are about to go into the new season, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying ourselves for tonight.”
“Are you this strict with the players?” I ask him. I hate to keep bringing Stewart into my mind but I can’t help with the comparisons. Stewart was pretty relaxed with the team, which may have been his downfall on more than one occasion. A few times players showed up either drunk or with hangovers and the whole team suffered.
“I have to be,” he says. “I’m involved in every aspect of their lives. Even if I didn’t need to be, the boss would make it so. Jose believes in control, even though the players are free to do whatever they want. They aren’t slaves. But if it were up to Jose…”
“So what exactly do you know about them?” I ask.
“Their sleeping patterns. They are supposed to log their sleep details into an app every morning, though half of them forget. Their diet. What they did in their spare time.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re asking them about their sex lives,” Vera says with a scowl.
“No,” Mateo says hesitantly. “But they also know that, uh, if there has been…more…fucking than normal, it could aggravate an injury.”
I’m trying not to laugh at the way he said “fucking,” but yeah, this is way more intense than my last job was. I guess if it creates champions for the most part, then it works.
“Poor guys,” Vera comments, munching on an olive from her drink. “They’re all young and in the prime of their lives, with all this fame and money to burn, and my husband has to make them cut down on all the fucking.”
“I didn’t say that,” Mateo says. “I just mean…”
“So what do the players do on a Saturday night, since we normally don’t have matches on Sunday anyway?” I ask him.
“They’re at home. Most of them live close to Valdebebas. They’re with family. Wives, kids.”
“I feel so silly,” I admit. “I feel like I should know all of this by now. Like I should know every player and who they are, you know? Like, deeply.”
“Oh. Cut yourself a slab,” Mateo says.
“A slab?” Vera asks with her brows raised.
“Yes,” Mateo says testily. “Cut yourself a slab. Like a slab of ham. Give yourself a break. Eat the ham.”
Vera stares at him for a moment with wide eyes until she breaks into a grin. “I don’t know if it’s the dirty martini, but, baby, you just made a lot of sense.”
I can’t help but laugh at his version of cut yourself some slack. “Okay, yes. I will eat the ham.”
After that, I change the topic away from work and to how Vera and Mateo met. It turns out they met when Mateo went to learn English at a business camp of sorts and