The Royal Contract

"What did you think?" Lance asked her as soon as she stopped the car, back at the pit stop.

Lance had requested that the entire race track halted its activities. All the other race cars went back to their pit stops to prepare for a trial race that he was sponsoring.

While the tracks were clear, he gave Jacky a chance to drive, with the entire race track all to herself. In this way, the likelihood that anyone would get hurt was very minimal. Meaning it would be just him and his driver, Jacky.

"It is amazing." She shrilled in excitement. Her adrenaline was on a high. She could not stop herself from bouncing from her seat. "Although I doubt that would win any race, I still feel so free driving that fast." She answered him.

She rarely drove herself back home. Most of the time, she rode with Dani.  She also either took public transport or walked on the busy street of the city. It was more convenient that way.

But when she did drive, she was limited to a certain speed since the traffic would not allow her to do more. That was unless she wanted to get arrested or end up in an accident.

"Yeah, I am glad that you enjoyed it." He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze before placing a chaste kiss on it. "I hope I scored a few points with this one."

"I think you did. It was a nice experience that I will never forget. Thanks." She appreciated the effort he was giving to make their date special. Nobody had done something like this for her before, except for the occasional flowers and dinner. The most another person did for her to win her affection was to show her that he was interested.

Maybe this time, she should set her bar higher. Maybe she did deserve to be more than dined and wined. Dani was right. She had been easy to get. That was why nobody was taking her seriously. But was she ready for a commitment if she did meet the right man for her?

"In that case, I shall think quickly of something else that will top up this experience." He jokingly said as they both walked back to the side of the track.

He guided her to a waiting area, where they both sat down to rest. He still had to do several laps in a few minutes after his crew had checked his car for necessary adjustment.

"Oh! Will you now?" She was surprised that it appeared he still had some plans to see her again.

Although she felt that they were both having a good time, she firmly believed that he was just curious about a foreign girl like her with a very unusual past. In time, he would eventually lose interest.

As of now, he was still probably fascinated with the company of a commoner like her. She wondered how long she could keep his interest in her until he found the next one that would fancy his taste.

She was not under the illusion that this would have a happy ending. Her life was no fairy tale, and this man was not her prince. But she intended to enjoy the ride while she could. It would be a nice fairy tale story to tell when she eventually had kids of her own.

"Why not? I certainly enjoyed your company. I think you deserve more." Lance moved closer to her seat and leaned down to her.

He stared into her eyes as if he was trying to read what she was thinking. Then, something in his eyes changed. It was as if he was asking for permission, to do what, she might have a bit of an idea. When his face lowered, she knew she was right. He was going to kiss her.

But she was out of luck when someone interrupted them. "Sir Lance, your car is already set. The other drivers are also gearing up." One of his crew informed him. He nodded to the man, and he left them alone again.

"I hope you don't mind if I show you what I can do this time. But you will have to watch on the sideline." He told her.

"Are you racing with them?" She suddenly felt afraid for him. She never watched anyone she knew participated in something dangerous before. As she mentioned earlier, she was never a fan of such sports. But today, something did change. She enjoyed the thrill of it but also feared what it could do to the man beside her.

"Don't worry. As I said, it is very safe." Lance assured her when he saw her worried face. "Come on. I want you to stand with my crew and watch me."

She went with him and stood with the chief of his crew. He was leading the pit crew, at the same time, coaching him during the race. After the introduction, Lance went with the pit crew to ready himself with the race. While the chief gave her a headset where he said that she could hear him, and she could also talk to him during the race.

Then a few more minutes, the race was on their way. The first few seconds were fine. She watched with fascination, as one by one, the car started moving on the tracks, picking up speed.

But as the minute came, she could hardly look anymore as one by one they started overtaking one another. She felt like they would bump into each one and threw themselves out of the tracks. Worse, one of them would explode just like what she saw in the movies.

"Hey, Jacky. I'm doing great." She heard him on the headset. "Please, don't close your eyes. I want to feel your eyes watching me. Keep them on me at all times." He kept saying, calming her down as he moved on the tracks at a tremendous speed.

She wanted to look away, but his words kept her eyes fixed on his car as it went on another lap. "Just be careful." She finally whispered on the mike.

"I will. I'll see you in a few minutes." He spoke again on the mike. Then, he was back to talking to his coach about what he planned to do. He was staying in second place for the few laps. But the last lap was just around the bend, so he needed to move now, or he would lose.

Then, the cars started moving closer to the finish line, with the current car on the lead and Lance car, neck on neck. A few more stretched, and the race would be over.

She could hardly look as the cars made their final roar, and finally, Lance won the race. She shouted at the top of her lungs when she saw that he crossed the finish line. Well, Jacky assumed that he won since he was first on the line.

But when everyone around her shouted with her, she knew she did not make a mistake. She was happier that he came back safe rather than the fact that he had won.

"What do you think? Was I a good enough driver?" He teased her as soon as he stood in front of her.

"Yeah, you did very well." She finally admitted.

She prided herself for always being in control of any situation she ended up with, but today was different as she found herself in a mix of emotions.