Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Royce
Walking towards the lobby, I call my dad and he answers on the first ring.
“Everything okay?” I can hear the concerned tone in his voice.
“Yeah, fine. Do you and Ana?s have a moment?” I ask, pacing.
“For you? Always.” I smile. Chest rippling with warmth.
“Cool, can you meet me downstairs in the hotel?” I am already pressing the button for the elevator.
“Now?” I can hear him walking towards the door, the handle being pressed down.
“Please.” I say bye before cutting him off and pace the floor.
Athena’s words play over in my head, making me realise that maybe I am sabotaging myself without realising. I’m making a name for myself and not a good one.
A sigh rattles in my chest as I see my dad and his wife, Ana?s walk towards me. I still think it’s mad that they got married. It was a quick wedding at the end of last year, just as the season ended. I suppose when you know, you know.
Worry is etched over Ana?s’s face, and I give her a smooth smile.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” My dad’s fingers slip from hers before both of his hands are clasped on the top of my arms, his eyes flitting across every inch of my face.
My lips tug into a grin, my eyes set on his. “I promise, I just want some advice.”
He steps back slightly, and I can’t tell if it’s shock across his face or not.
“You? Royce… wants advice?” He chuckles.
“Yeah,” I mutter, nodding for them to follow me to the bar area. I cannot wait to be out of this hotel; I hate this limbo side of racing.
We’re seated in the corner at the back of the room, and I order coffees for the table. Dad fidgets and Ana?s hasn’t lifted her gaze from me.
“Google me,” I say to Ana?s and she looks to my dad before turning her attention back to me.
“Pardon?” She blinks a few times.
“Google me,” I repeat, dipping my head as I wait.
“Oookaaayyy then.” She flicks her gaze to my dad and he just shrugs. “Done.” She turns the screen towards me.
“What’s the first thing that comes up?” My fingers are clasped.
“Your bio.” She scrunches her nose.
“Ignore that, scroll down to the first piece.” I point at her phone.
“Royce Lexington, F1’s biggest playboy.”
“And the one after?”
“Saint Onyx’s arrogant race driver seen partying on the town.” Her lips twist.
“It’s not great, is it?” My eyes bounce between the both of them.
“I mean… not really, no. Has Nora contacted the sites to get them to remove the stories?” she asks, locking her phone and reaching for her coffee.
“What’s the point? Nothing is a lie. I am a playboy, I am arrogant… What is there to remove?”
Confusion paints across her pretty face.
“I need to clean my act up. Sleeping with any woman I see to cover up bigger issues clearly is damaging my image.”
“You’re not wrong,” my dad agrees, one leg crossed over the other.
“And I think I am only in the safe zone because I race for you.” Admitting that sends an ache through my chest.
“Maybe, maybe not. The papers will print what they want.” He shrugs and I can see Ana?s texting on her phone.
“What are you doing?” I peek over at her and she giggles, cheeks flaming red.
“Just texting Nora, you know, in case there is anything she can do.”
“I know what to do,” I say with confidence and I watch as both of their ears prick.
“What’s that?” My dad has a stupid smirk on his face, his foot swinging in the air to a beat that only he can hear.
“I am going to run it by Nora too, but I want your opinion first.”
“Okay?” they both say in unison, and I watch as Ana?s’ hand skates across her chair and links with my dad’s.
“I am going to fake date Athena.”
Their eyes widen; my dad starts coughing. I watch as he leans forward, grabbing a napkin and covering his mouth as he continues to try and catch his breath.
“Royce,” Ana?s whispers, a small smile pressing onto her lips.
“You can’t be serious,” my dad asks once he is over his moment.
“Totally.” I furrow my brow. “She is going to be with me most of the season, so now I have a fake girlfriend and can show everyone that I am committed and can still focus on my career. Nothing will change, I’ll still do me, my career being my number one priority, and she gets her research.
I hate that I am known as the paddock playboy.
” I shake my head, eyes cast down. “And yes, I know, I bring it on myself but after speaking to Athena about a few things, well, some of her words hit home and I didn’t like how it made me feel,” I admit.
Ana?s looks at me as if she gets it, totally. “I think it’s a great idea.”
“I think it’s a terrible idea.”
Her and my dad speak at the same time before they look at each other. Ana?s shrugs a shoulder up, a cute smile on her face, and my dad rolls his eyes.
“What happens if you fall out? What happens if you cross the line and make it real… then what?” Concern laces his voice.
“That won’t happen,” I say confidently.
“How do you know that? I said I wasn’t going to cross the line with Ana?s but here we are, married, sitting having a conversation with our son.”
I wince at those words.
“Stepson,” she pipes up a little louder in case any unwanted ears hear that.
My dad rolls his eyes.
“No-son.” I shudder.
“All I am saying is, with all the will in the world, all it takes is one moment…”
“I am disciplined. I have to be. I will not fall for Athena. This works out well for her, too.” I lick my lips.
“How so?” His head tilts to the side.
“I don’t know exactly, she gets to see behind the scenes a little more?” I answer with a question, but I am unsure why.
“Yeah, yeah.” Ana?s chuckles softly, grabbing her coffee and settling back in the chair.
“Look, I need to try something. I don’t want to fuck anything up for us as a team because of my image. I know I am not terrible, but I am not great either. What if sponsors pull out because they see a video of me out one night, tongue down another girl’s throat and drinking…”
My dad’s eyes widen.
“I don’t drink during season, you know that, but they could post it during season and then, well, it can look so different. I don’t want to mess this up. I go out because I am bored out of my mind during the breaks… with Athena, well, I can help with her book, she can help my boredom.”
“This sounds like a romance book.” Ana?s sighs, hand pressed to her chest and my dad tuts. Her eyes slice to him and he smiles. “Babes, what has he got to lose?”
“Everything,” my dad admits.
“No, he hasn’t,” she counters and I face palm myself.
“Look, you’re welcome to your views, of course you are, but I am going to do this for me. It feels like the right thing to do.”
“You better go clear it with Nora.” Ana?s winks at me and my dad just shakes his head from side to side. “And Athena.”
“Of course,” I dip my head before looking at my dad. “Trust me.” My words escape softly and he inhales heavily.
“I do not want any drama, Royce.”
I hold my hands up in defence. “There will be none. Nora will make sure everything is done correctly.” I nod.
“What if Nora doesn’t agree?” Ana?s asks.
“Then I’ll do it anyway.” I laugh and push up from my seat, moving across and leaning down to give Ana?s a kiss on the cheek, then pat my dad on the shoulder.
Knocking on Nora’s door, she calls out before swinging it open. Her cheeks are flushed, her short dark hair slightly messy.
“Have I interrupted something?” I smirk, looking past her.
She shoves on my chest, pushing me further into the hallway. Glancing over her shoulder, she sneaks out then closes the door softly behind her as she stands in front of me.
“You’re dressed in a dressing gown… I am assuming that’s a yes.” She swats me and I laugh. “Ow, what was that for?”
“It’s not a big deal… don’t make it a big deal.”
“Not saying a word.” My brows knit as I look down at her. “Who’s in the room, Nora?”
She nibbles on her bottom lip. “It doesn’t matter, it’s just sex, that’s all.”
“Then tell me.”
“No.” Her cheeks flame and I laugh louder.
Nora is like a sister to me; I’ve always got on well with her. We have our moments, of course we do, but we get on ninety percent of the time.
“What do you want?” She changes the course of the conversation.
“I have an idea.”
“How long is this going to take?” She crosses her arms over her chest, her foot tapping impatiently.
“I want to fake date.”
Her eyes widen. “Royce, buddy.” She laughs nervously. “I love you, but no, no thank you.”
“Oh.” I chuckle. “No, I don’t mean you. I mean, the idea—I want to fake date. Keep me in line, make me be a good boy… no pressing issues for you to deal with. You can keep doing…” I pause, looking at the closed door. “Whomever you’re doing.”
She slaps me in the chest which only makes me laugh harder.
“No, seriously.” I rub the sting. “I want to clean my image up, and well, I put two and two together.”
“And got ten?”
“Ha, ha.” I roll my eyes. “Such an idiot.”
She smirks.
“Look, I have nowhere to be, I can take as looong as I need to have this conversation.”
“Fine, I’ll stop. Wrap it up.” She swirls her finger.
“I hope he is wrapping it up.” I point at her door.
“Oh, my God.” She brings her hands to her face, the tips of her ears turning pink.
“Okay, I want to fake date Athena.” The words roll off the tongue with ease, and I watch as she slowly peels her hands away from her face, eyes locking on mine.
“You want to what now?” Her voice slips a note higher.
“I just think it makes sense,” I say, lifting a shoulder to my ear. “She is going to be with me all the time, following me like a little stalker.”
“Shouldn’t say that.” She shakes her head, lips turning down in a disapproving manner.
“I want to clean my act up… have you Googled me?” I ask and she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip. “Exactly, that is why.”
She sighs.
“It’s nothing more than what it is. Fake. Nothing will change between me and her, she’ll still follow me around, I’ll be a good boy. When I am bored, I can hang with her instead of seeking out some fuck buddy.”
“You have such a way with words.” She inhales heavily, looking down the hallway. “You’re going to make one lucky lady very happy one day.”
“What do you say?” I ask, choosing to ignore the last part of her sentence.
“You promise you won’t fuck this up and cause me more work?”
“Pinkie promise.”
“You promise you’ll show up to all media and press events without rolling your eyes and sulking?”
I go to speak but slam my mouth shut and nod.
“You promise to behave at all times and when asked to do something for social media you will conform?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Then yes, fine, I’ll get the paperwork drawn up.”
“Paperwork?”
“Yes, Royce. Contracts, NDAs… I can’t run the risk of not doing this properly, you know, just in case.”
“I see.” I run my hand around the back of my neck.
“I’ll set a meeting for this evening, maybe me you and Athena—”
“And your fuck buddy.”
“Piss off.” She shakes her head and begins to push the handle down. “I’ll send you the reservation. I think we need to stay out of the hotel and get this across the line before you go public.”
I give her a look and she sighs.
“As much as this is fake, everyone is going to believe it is real. You’ve spent the last few months banging on about not wanting a relationship to mess up your plans for WDC… and well, here we are.”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to be in a relationship.” I frown.
“I’ll see you later, Royce.”
With that, she closes the door and I am left standing outside. I need to speak to Athena, and suddenly, I’m worried because I have no idea how she is going to take this.