Page 64 of Red Queen
Now it’s different. Now we get along—kind of—and we share some banter, but that’s it. Our job is easier as well, like this, without the constant arguments. Teo’s reputation is rising again,and apparently, Enzo has some news about Mona’s case, and we’ll hear about it next week when we fly to Monza for the race.
The summer break went by too quickly, just like it always did when we were in school. Good times always go faster, and this was an exceptionally good summer. Yachts, luxury, vacations, and all that for pretending to be in love with a man. I could get used to it, to be honest.
“A big round of applause for the newlywed couple, Mr. and Mrs. Blake!” the best man shouts into the microphone, pulling me out of my thoughts. “And now, we’d like to invite you, guests, please join them for a dance.”
Pretty please kill me. A slow song starts to play, and guests from around us make their way to the dance floor, swaying to the music. I’m not prepared for close proximity with Teo in this mind-blowingly sexy suit. Please God, make him stay put in his even sexier ass.
“Would you like to dance, bruja?” I shiver when I feel him lean close to my ear, his breath tickling my skin. Well, it seems like my prayers have gone unanswered.
I hesitantly nod, taking his hand and letting him lead me to the dance floor. When we reach a free spot, an elderly couple smiles at us, but it’s not helping ease my nervousness. I feel like this will be a new level of intimacy, and even after we’ve slept together, this is new. And new scares me.
He holds our arms up, then slides his other arm around my waist, the movement making me shiver. He pulls me closer, and I lean my head on his shoulder as we start swaying to the slow tune of the music.
I feel a light kiss being planted on the top of my head and immediately smile into his shoulder. Maybe it’s not so bad after all. He continues to keep me close, occasionally rubbing my back.
I could seriously laugh at myself. I have no problem keeping him on his toes, continuing to argue with him while he’s thrusting inside me, but I’m nervous while we’re dancing and he’s holding me close. Get yourself together, Rosalia.
The song suddenly changes, turning into a more active one. Teo loosens his hold on my waist, then, as I stop to look up at him, he just smirks and grabs my wrist to spin me around.
I start laughing because I didn’t expect that, and when I’m at arm’s length, he spins me back to him. He catches me and pulls me close again, the smile fading from my face, turning into a blush from his intense stare.
Our faces are inches away, his eyes constantly flicking back and forth between my eyes and lips. I slide my hand from his arm to his neck, waiting for the moment he gives in and kisses me.
“Rosa.” He pauses, now stopping at my eyes, searching for my consent. I nod, and with a quick movement, he bends me backward, holding me close to him by my waist. If I didn't know he’s strong, I’d be afraid I’d fall, but I know I’m in good hands. “Can I kiss you?”
I blush even more, my smile returning. “Yes.”
And with that, he leans in, capturing my lips in the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had.
42
ROSA
Whew. The last few weeks were pure chaos. Mateo finally got his plaster off right after the wedding in Mallorca, so he got to training right away to be able to go back racing as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t race at Moscardi’s home race.
His wrist seems to be in really good shape now. He survived the free practices in Singapore and qualified for fifth place. It’s not perfect, and he reported a couple times that it hurt, but we're hopeful he can do the race as well.
We arrived at the hotel on Wednesday, and I’ve been amazed since then. I spent a little time after dinner on the balcony, and I even brought my breakfast up to eat it there, so I can continue to enjoy the stunning view. Teo was already fast asleep last night and left before I woke up, since he’s working extra hard to be ready for this weekend.
Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned the best part about our hotel room. That’s right, there’s only one bed. A king-sized one, so it’s comfortable, but it still feels too close.
And as if it’s not enough pressure that it’s his first race since the incident, it’s also his birthday on Sunday. He didn’t wantto tell me when it was, but I got a little help from Enzo after I begged him for exactly eight whole minutes to tell me.
I even talked to Teo’s mom, but she told me that Teo was never a fan of his birthday because something happened with his dad on Teo’s 6th birthday, and she respects that he doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
I’m not trying to make him angry, so I only bought a small thing for him. It’s not much, but I hope he’ll appreciate it. Back then, when he was telling me a story about his dad, he mentioned that when he was little, he loved to draw, because that was the only thing that kept him distracted when his dad was in a bad mood and was arguing with his mom.
So I thought it would be nice to take him to a Splatter Paint Zone. I know it’s not drawing, so I bought a notebook and a gift card to an online supply store as well. I can only imagine how stressed he is and will be, now that he’s back racing.
He left five races out in a three-month time span, so I’ll manifest he can work down the 17-point gap and reclaim first place in the driver’s championship.
The private investigator Teo’s team hired somehow found Mona, and he cleared Teo’s name. As it turned out, Mona did actually publish inside information, but Mateo had nothing to do with it. She got the documents from a Moscardi engineer, who got paid for it quite well.
Mona only said she got them from Mateo because she hates him. She thinks Teo should’ve stayed at his old team and not made her favorite driver retire. As if it’s his fault that he’s younger and has more potential than a four-time world champion who lost his prime years ago.
So now, they’re suing Mona for besmirching his name and claiming false information to be true. He couldn’t have come out of this situation better. Moscardi released a statement thatMateo is cleared and that they fired the engineer, so now everything’s back to normal. Kind of.
I’m happy for him, but I also can’t help but wonder if it means I’m no longer needed now. They hired me to help clear his name, and it's done. I wouldn’t want to get fired. We’re starting to…grow closer. Maybe we’ll be able to call each other friends, even.
