Chapter Seven #3
They talked for hours—Dana telling stories about Jax’s early days at Ashworth (“He once tried to charm his way out of a weight fine by doing push-ups in the stewards’ office—didn’t work”), Mia sharing how she’d met Lucas (“I was supposed to fix his image, ended up fixing his heart instead”), and Aria opening up, bit by bit, about Min-Jae.
She kept it simple and honest: how they’d been together for years, how everything had ended abruptly with a single text while she was on a plane to Singapore, how the silence that followed had felt louder than any stadium crowd.
She didn’t mention the proposal or the strategy behind the public appearances.
She simply let them see her as someone who’d been left by her ex and was still figuring out how to move forward.
Dana listened, no judgment, just sharp nods and the occasional “fucking men” muttered under her breath.
Mia reached over and squeezed Aria’s hand. “You deserve someone who fights for you the way you fight for them. And if Min-Jae can’t see what he lost… that’s on him.”
Aria nodded, throat tight. “I’m starting to believe that.”
By the time they finished their drinks, Aria felt lighter. Not fixed. Not whole. But… steadier. And the three of them—laughing, trading stories, no agenda—felt like the beginning of something real. A quiet friendship blooming in the middle of the chaos.
Mia checked her phone. “Jax just texted. He’s heading back. Says he’ll meet you at your room if you want.”
Aria nodded. “I’ll go up.”
Dana raised her glass. “To podiums. And to men who finally figure out what’s worth fighting for.”
They clinked.
Dana leaned back with a wicked, filthy grin, voice dropping low.
“And hey—if you two end up having a proper celebration tonight, enjoy every second. Word around the paddock is Jax is a solid fuck—very generous, if you know what I mean. Attentive. Thorough. The kind of bloke who doesn’t stop until you’re seeing stars and begging for mercy.
So if you decide to let him show you a good time…
go hard. You’ve earned a proper shag after that shit from your ex. ”
Aria’s face went flaming red. Mia choked on her drink, laughing so hard she nearly spilled it.
Dana just shrugged, completely unrepentant. “What? I hear things. Just saying—don’t hold back if the mood strikes. Man’s got stamina for days.”
Aria covered her face with her hands, laughing through her fingers. “Oh my god, Dana.”
Dana winked. “I’m helpful. That’s all.”
Mia wiped tears from her eyes. “You’re terrible.”
“I’m realistic,” Dana corrected, raising her empty glass again. “To helpful friends. And to Jax finally getting some action that isn’t a one-night PR disaster.”
Aria stood, still flushed and grinning. “Thank you. Both of you. This… helped. A lot.”
Mia hugged her quick. “Anytime.”
Dana saluted with her empty glass. “And if he fucks it up—literally or figuratively—I’ll break his legs. Physio’s privilege.”
Aria laughed all the way to the elevator.
◆◆◆
Jax
He was waiting outside her door when she stepped off the lift—back in his team hoodie, hair damp from a quick shower, leaning against the wall like he’d been there a while.
“Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey.”
He pushed off the wall, stepped closer. “You disappeared on me.”
“Mia and Dana kidnapped me for drinks,” she said, a small smile tugging at her lips. “They’re… a lot.”
He chuckled. “Dana especially. She’s got no filter and zero shame. What’d she say this time?”
Aria’s cheeks flushed instantly, her eyes flicking away before coming back to his. She bit her lip, clearly debating whether to tell him, then gave a tiny shrug.
“She may have mentioned… that you’re apparently very generous in bed,” she said, voice dropping to a near-whisper, half-mortified, half-teasing. “Something about stamina, attentiveness, and making sure a girl sees stars. She was quite… enthusiastic.”
Jax froze for half a second, then let out a low, embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. Heat crept up his own face—rare for him.
“Christ,” he muttered. “She’s gonna get me killed one of these days.”
Aria’s smile was small, still flushed, but there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes. “She said if the mood struck tonight, I should go hard. That you’d make it worth it.”
The words hung between them—light on the surface, but the hallway suddenly felt smaller. Hotter.
Jax studied her face: the faint flush still on her cheeks, the way her gaze lingered on his mouth for a fraction longer than necessary, the tiny hitch in her breath when he stepped just a little closer.
She was teasing… but she wasn’t backing away.
He tilted his head, voice dropping low, rough around the edges. “And what do you think about that assessment?”
Aria’s lips parted, surprise flickering through her eyes before she recovered, lifting her chin just enough to meet his stare.
“I think Dana talks too much,” she said, but her voice was softer now, breathier. “And I think… we shouldn’t complicate things.”
She paused, then added quietly, “But the proposal—I still want to do it. If you’re in.”
Jax’s pulse was still hammering, but he nodded once, slow.
“I’m in,” he said, voice steady despite the heat still simmering under his skin. “All the way. Let’s make it work—for the optics, for the narrative, for both of us.”
A small breath escaped her—relief, maybe something else. She gave a tiny nod.
“Good.”
She stepped back first, breaking the charged air between them, but her eyes stayed on his—bright, uncertain, alive with the weight of what they’d just agreed to.
“Goodnight, Jax.”
“Goodnight, Aria.”
She slipped inside.
The door clicked shut.
Jax stood there, heart still racing, staring at the door.
He pressed his palm flat against the door, right where her fingers had brushed his chest moments ago.
Then he smiled—slow, private, a little stunned.
Yeah.
This was definitely going to be interesting.