Become A Football Legend

The door was slammed shut before João could complete his sentence.

"Haaa... I can't even get a full sentence in. They're in love, huh? .. I just hope they don't break up, and if they do, I hope it's not too messy.

Arghh! I'm getting a headache just thinking about it."

As Lukas closed the door, he walked down the hallway to a room two doors over, on the opposite side of where his room was.

He stood in front of the door for a brief moment, ran his hand through his hair, and blew air into his palm to check for bad breath.

"Yeah, I'm good to go," he thought as he raised his hand to knock.

The door swung open just before Lukas could knock, and there she was — Joanna with a bright smile, looking at him with loving eyes.

She'd slipped into a soft, silky nightdress — a pale blush color that seemed to catch the light with every small movement. The fabric flowed gently over her frame, stopping just above her knees, the thin straps resting lightly on her shoulders. A touch of lace lined the neckline, not bold, just enough to add a quiet elegance.

It wasn't revealing, but there was something about the way it moved with her — graceful, effortless — that made it impossible not to notice. The faint rustle of the fabric followed her as she walked across the room, her hair falling loosely around her face. She looked comfortable, yet there was an undeniable charm in the simple beauty of it, the kind that made him forget whatever he'd been about to say.

"Are you gonna stand there staring, or are you gonna come in?" Joanna asked, turning around to walk back into the room after what had been almost a minute of Lukas looking at her with his mouth slightly open.

"Yeah... Huh?.. Yeah... I'm coming in," Lukas stumbled over his words as he got caught, walked in, and closed the door behind him.

"You can't blame me, you look so...."

"Sexy?"

" 'Delicious,' that's the word I'd use," he responded as he hooked his hands around her waist from behind and kissed her on the neck.

"How's your finger feeling?" Joanna asked as she took Lukas's left hand from her waist and rubbed it gently.

"They don't hurt a lot. It was just a dislocation."

"Yeah? Here, have this. It'll make it not hurt anymore," she said as she kissed the fingers again and again.

"That is working a little too well, babe."

"Is... That... So?" she asked, giving his hand a kiss after every word.

"Babe... Babe... Wait a second," Lukas said as he hurriedly pulled his hand from her grip. "This is dangerous. The pain isn't going away, it's just transferring somewhere else. And that could be even more dangerous and painful for me."

"Where's it transferring? I could help reduce the pain there too."

"Huh? Do you know what you're talking about?"

"I'm older than you, Luke, of course I know what I'm talking about. What? You don't want me to? You don't want me anymore?" she asked as she turned around to look at Lukas, her facial expression changing to disappointment.

"Of course not, babe! That's not true. It's just... It's just that I'm very tired right now."

"Is that so... Then why did you come then? You could have gone to bed! Hmph!" she said, puffing as she turned back around, facing away from Lukas and folding her arms.

"I'm sorry, Jo. I wanted to cuddle with you. It'll help me sleep a lot better," Lukas replied as he wrapped his hands around her waist again. "Let's just go to bed tonight, okay?"

"Okay... Fine. I know it was a very tiring game," Joanna finally conceded, smiling as the two shuffled over to the bed.

"Did my brother know you were meeting me?" she asked as she lay on the bed, placing her head on Lukas's chest.

" Wow. Your hair smells amazing, babe. What scent is that? Coco butter?"

"Yeah, you like it?"

"No, I love it," Lukas responded as he sniffed her hair.

"Noted. I'll use it more often. You haven't answered my question, by the way."

"Oh... Yeah... Sorry... I didn't say it outright, but I'm sure he guessed it immediately."

"Then won't it be a problem if you spend the night?"

"What's he gonna do? Beat me?"

"That's definitely not improbable. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, of course I do. But we're not doing anything bad here, though. It's not like he doesn't know we're dating."

"Well... Not for lack of trying," she muttered.

"What was that? I didn't quite get you."

"It's nothing, you're right. He has to come to terms with it at some point, I guess."

"Yeah, besides, I'm not that easy to beat. So don't worry about your brother beating me up and go to sleep," Lukas said as he gently stroked her head which was resting on his chest.

"Yeah, you too. Have a good night. I love you."

"I love you too."

"I guess I'm not gonna be getting much rest tonight."

[*Don't be weird about it and go to sleep.*]

"I'm not being weird. She's just so cute."

[*'He says after turning down her advances.' If you can't sleep 'cause she's lying on you, why did you turn her down then?*]

"C'mon, don't act like you don't know why. Although I agree there's nothing wrong with dating her... But it's still kinda weird thinking about taking it that far now. At least until after her next birthday."

[*Well, like I always say, I don't really understand the dynamics of your human relationships. Do as you see fit. But for now, you need to sleep. Don't forget the meeting tomorrow.*]

"You're right. I'm gonna try and sleep... Tomorrow, huh? I'm already looking forward to it," Lukas thought as he gently kissed and stroked Joanna's hair before drifting asleep.

* * *

The private suite at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof was quiet and businesslike. A polished wood table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by comfortable chairs and a sideboard with bottled water, coffee, and a small plate of pastries. The windows looked out toward the city, but the heavy curtains were partly drawn to keep the focus inside.

Lukas arrived with his father, Javi, and his agent, Marco. He wore a navy blazer over a crisp white shirt, charcoal trousers, and clean white sneakers — smart enough for a business meeting but still casual. Javi chose a dark grey suit with an open-collar shirt, while Marco went for a black suit with a slim tie, carrying a leather folder under his arm.

The Puma team was already there.

Markus, the senior executive, stood as they entered. He wore a charcoal suit with a white shirt, no tie, and a silver watch.

Davide, the scout who first spotted and recommended Lukas to the company, had on a light-grey jacket over a black turtleneck, looking slightly less formal.

Lena, head of football marketing operations, was dressed in a cream blouse tucked into black tailored pants, her tablet resting on the table.

Markus stretched out his hand towards Lukas. "Mr. Brandt, it's nice to meet you. I'm Markus Keller, Vice President of Global Sports Marketing at Puma. I oversee our athlete partnerships, and I'm excited to discuss how we can work together."

"Hello, Mr. Keller. Thanks for coming all the way here. I'm excited for our discussion too. By the way, this," he pointed at Javi beside him, "is Mr. Brandt, my father. Just call me Lukas."

"Hahaha... Is that so? Lukas it is then," Markus said before turning to Javi, then Marco, greeting them one by one while Lukas and his group did the same with the other two Puma representatives.

After quick handshakes and greetings, everyone took their seats. Markus started the conversation, thanking Lukas for making time and explaining that they wanted to outline Puma's plans and hear Lukas's thoughts. Coffee was poured, notebooks were opened, and the meeting settled into a steady, professional rhythm.

Lena was the one who gave the presentation on Puma's plans for the partnership, outlining how Lukas could become one of the brand's new football ambassadors, and possibly their foremost ambassador.

She spoke about their commitment to supporting young players, the global campaigns they were preparing, and the opportunities for personal branding and exposure that a partnership would bring.

There were mentions of performance bonuses, custom gear, and the chance to develop a signature look in future collections, but the emphasis was on a long-term relationship and the flexibility to grow with Lukas's career.

Lukas, Javi, and Marco listened attentively as they flipped through every page of the presentation—a copy had been given to each of them.

"Not bad, they seem to really want him. But these are all things he can get from Nike and Adidas," Marco thought as he got to the end of the presentation.

Markus, sitting at the other end of the table, looked keenly at Lukas, who was still flipping through the slides, and then Javi, who was doing the same. Finally, his eyes landed on Marco, who seemed to be in deep thought, and immediately his eyebrow furrowed.