“Royce! Oh my God, it’s Royce!”
My face turns as I watch two younger girls swarm towards him. He holds his hand up gently and I notice they’re wearing his team hat and tee. My heart throbs deep inside my chest. He takes his time talking to them, then signs the underside of the peaks on their caps.
“We can’t wait to watch you race on Sunday,” they admit, eyes full of sparkles.
He stands and speaks to them for a while before they walk away. He waves goodbye then hovers behind me, his fingers delicately brushing the small of my back as I step into the car. I smile at him as he leans across and buckles me in, then watch as he climbs into the driver’s side and starts the car.
“Does that happen a lot?” I ask as he indicates and pulls out into the road.
“Sometimes. Depends on where we are,” he says softly and thanks the waiting car for letting him go. “I don’t mind it prior to race weekend, but I can be a little self-absorbed when I am actually working. Like, I get a bit grumpy I suppose. I don’t mean to be, but I have so much going on in my mind and I need to keep my head in the game. I try to avoid as many of the media events as I can, as well as the well-known places where the fans hang around for race week.”
“I get it.” I roll my lips as I look out the window, Melbourne slipping by as we drive towards the hotel. “Thank you again for this afternoon, I really appreciate it.” I nibble my bottom lip.
“No problem at all, I owed you.” A boyish grin tugs at my lips and his mouth twists as I fight my smile.
Back in my room,I pull my phone out and videocall Edel. She gives me a beaming smile from her sofa.
“Hey.” I fall into the pillows and let out a big sigh.
I could nap. Jet lag is kicking my ass, but I am determined to fight it off.
“How’s your day been?” she asks, sipping on her cup of tea, the soft hue of the TV dancing across her skin.
I take in her blonde hair, green eyes, infectious laugh and smile. I love every piece of her.
“Yeah, nice,” I say, a silly smile pulling at my lips and I couldn’t even stop it if I wanted to.
“Oh yeah?” Her brows raise as she looks at me through the screen.
“Yeah.” I nod.
“So, all is forgiven in the Royce Lexington world?” She giggles and I roll my eyes, softly shaking my head from side to side.
“For the time being, I suppose.” My lips twist.
She laughs.
“We had a really nice time and spent most of it speaking about me and my books. We had lunch and coffee, then he dropped me home.”
“Did you ask about him?”
“He didn’t really want to talk about it. He told me I would be living in his world soon enough or something like that, and I would see it all then.”
“Makes sense.” She nods and dips a chocolate digestive into her tea.
“Yeah, I suppose. I mean, what a way to learn about someone then seeing it through their eyes as such.”
“Exactly, and the book is going to be so epically amazing because of that.”
Anxiety twists in my gut. It must have shown on my face, too.
“Still not sure?”
“No,” I whisper.
“Athena, it is going to be amazing, I know it. I really do believe this is the one that will turn it all back around again.”
I love her optimism. I haven’t told her that if this flops, I’m out. Done. RIP Opal Bloom.
