Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SONG: SUNROOF BY NICKY YOURE, DAZY

Happy, happy birthday to KimJeonJungMinParkA this chapter is only for youuu!! Hope you had an amazing day. Consider this as my birthday present for you. xoxo

Sapphie didn't need even a minute to think. As soon as the question left his lips, Kylian watched her face light up like the streetlights along the Canal Saint Martin. It turned out it wasn't much of a hypothetical scenario for her. She was always working on something and almost always having her brothers test everything. Sapphie whipped out her phone and showed him pictures and video clips of what she'd achieved so far. A post-apocalyptic/science fiction, sandbox game. Almost like Grand Theft Auto, only that the world would have ended.

As Sapphie continued going through the details of the game's storyline, it was like she forgot she was human and that she needed to breathe. It wasn't until the server took away their empty plates and replaced them with their desserts that she suddenly stopped talking.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she suddenly paused and covered her mouth with her eyes wide open.

Kylian sat up, "For what?"

"I just realised I'm practically monopolising the conversation. I didn't even ask you about your day. How was your match?"

"See, now I feel like I'm back at the post-match interview again." He shook his head.

"Really?"

"Don't get me wrong. I love football, you know this. But I also have to exist outside of it. I was really enjoying our talk the way it was going." he cupped his chin in his hand and rested his elbow on the table.

"It also enthuses me when I see someone else get excited by something they dream about." He added.

"Okay, fair enough, no football then... for now. But I do really want to give you the spotlight. How about... you tell me something no one knows about you."

"No one?"

"Yeah. Okay, maybe something only a few people know."

"Hmm, okay let's see." He started playing with the stubble on the underside of his chin.

"Contrary to popular belief, I can drive. I just don't have a license to."

Sapphie gaped at him.

"Are you serious?" She asked.

"Dead serious?"

"What? I thought—I thought from the moment you left for Claire Fontaine you didn't have time for anything besides school and training."

"I didn't. But I learnt a little using Ney's car. This one time I visited him in São Paulo during the summer off season. It was during my first year at PSG."

"Was it a stick?"

"Of course." He nodded.

"This is amazing," she said, "and how are your skills right now?"

"Rusty, if I'm honest," he laughed with a shrug. "I haven't had the time to practice recently."

"If we were home, we would have gotten out of here and taken Clio for a ride so I can see just how bad you are."

"I'm not bad, besides the paparazzi would be on us faster than I could press the accelerator to the floor of your car."

"No one would know," she stirred her coffee a little before taking a sip, "I know places." She wiggled her brows and winked, causing Kylian to laugh out loud.

After he'd regained his composure, he only looked at her, a small smile playing on his lips as he regarded her for a few seconds before saying anything.

"Okay, I might actually take you up on that someday." He nodded.

Sapphie shifted in her seat and tried to ignore the way her heart did a little flip. It was good to know there might be another date.

"Great!" She curled a braid behind her ear and starred down at her cup as if suddenly its contents looked interesting. When she finally looked up at him again, she shook her head and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing.

"What?" Asked Kylian.

"Nothing," she shrugged, taking another sip of her beverage.

"Come on, tell me." He asked. The look she had in her eyes had him practically sitting on the edge of his seat.

He watched her have a debate with herself for a little while before she gave in with a little sigh.

"Okay, I was just thinking that it's funny how of al the girls in the world, I'm sitting here... with you."

He found it cute that the entire time she spoke, she could barely hold his gaze for long before looking elsewhere. Though her eyes sparkled with excitement, he could see the uncertainty that was making her more nervous by the second. He wanted to reassure her, to better convey his feeling for her by reaching out and taking her hand in his. But he wasn't sure how she'd react to that.

"Talk of all the girls," he scoffed, "I'm the lucky one here Sapphie."

She gave him the look that said, really?

"Trust me," he sat forward again, folding his arms and using them to lean on the table. "You're one of the very few girls I've met who aren't after the money or the glory of being associated with 'the Kylian Mbappé'."

She lifted her chin and asked, "How do you know I'm not after any of those things?"

"Trust me when I say I know," he told himself to grow a pair, forced himself to uncurl his arms and reach out for her hand. Relief coursed through him like a hypnotic sedative when she allowed him to caress the back of her hand. "But the question is, if this gets serious. Will you be able to cope with the pressure?"

That... was a good question, actually. She had thought about a few times after their first kiss, just not really like that. She'd seen the way people could be ruthless to whomever was dating their favourite celebrity. That took her back in time, to when people like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez went public with their relationship. Sapphie remembered all the death threats and nasty comments she saw Justin's fans posted online concerning Selena.

"Sapphie?" He squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry if I scared you. That wasn't my intention."

"No, no. You didn't scare me." She squeezed his hand back and smiled. "Your question just had me thinking. I mean, it's intimidating, I won't lie. But it really is something to think about before diving in head first, you know."

"Yeah, but it won't be enough to make you leave this whole thing. Will it?" She smiled and looked into his eyes, and she knew that he truly was worried she'd change her mind about continuing to date him. Instinctively, her other hand reached out and sandwich his hand in between hers.

"Don't worry." She beamed, which put him at ease. "If I can handle working with Pierre every day. I'm sure I'm prepared for anything."

"Good." He nodded. His face splitting into a bright smile, "I'm really glad you said yes to this date, too."

Her heart flipped again. "Me too. I'm having a really pleasant time."

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since that Christmas party. I'm so happy to be here... with you." He shrugged and scratched the back of his neck while looking at their joint hands as he said this. She blushed, not able to take her eyes off of him.

"Like you said, ever since Claire Fontaine, it was always football for me. I threw myself into it so much that it's what I breathed, ate, and slept. I always took my career seriously because it's what I am passionate about. Besides my family, it's the most important thing in my life, which is why relationships aren't a priority. Of course, I've dated a few times in the past, but even then, football was always at the top."

Then he looked at her with a warm smile. "I'd always expected to focus on football and maybe establish a romance later in life, much later than now. That was until I started getting to know this amazing girl who's making me question that decision. But with my schedule, I'm awfully uncertain as to when we can do this again, but I'd like to try if you're up to it."

"Since I practically work with you, I understand. We don't have to rush anything, if you can't make it, we could always reschedule whenever is convenient for both of us. I'm willing to try too."

"Me neither. This was better than I'd imagined." She nodded in complete agreement.

The night ended soon enough, and they both knew they had found something they wanted to explore further. By the time they left the restaurant, it was closing time. He walked her to her room and bid her goodnight with a kiss, a light brush of the lips that had butterflies swirling in her tummy.

"We'll see each other tomorrow, then?" The way he said it so gently, she could sense that he really was looking forward to their next meeting, and so was she.

"Definitely." She grinned, feeling content and eager for their next date.

The warmth of his smile lingered as she watched him leave. Making her feel a flutter of joy in her heart yet again.