In the competition
The secretary looked at Clara, it was her chance to undermine Grecia.
“Yes! Miss, I’m not sure if I’ll get into trouble for this, but yes, that woman always comes to look for the boss and takes him away with her,” she said.
So the two women continued their conversation. Clara saw Camila as a great ally against Grecia. She helped her and would keep her informed about Mateo. They agreed to meet at lunchtime.
Meanwhile, Teodoro Miller wished to see Grecia again. He had attended the concert the night before and had planned to sneak into her dressing room to find her. However, when he arrived, she was accompanied by the annoying Mateo Licciardi. So he chose to leave, knowing he would find another opportunity to let her know he was willing to do anything for her.
On Friday afternoon, Mateo picked up Grecia. He waited in the car for her to come out, and when she did, she looked beautiful. She was wearing a short black dress with long sleeves that left her shoulders bare. Stylish black ankle boots completed the outfit. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and dark sunglasses gave her an enigmatic appearance. Mateo got out of the car to help her with her luggage.
“Ciao bella,” he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.
“Hello, handsome.”
Grecia smiled, something he liked. However, that smile reminded him much more of Ava. They got into the car and headed to the airport, where Mateo’s private jet was already ready. Ima and Akiro were already there.
“Hello,” Ava greeted politely.
“Hello, Miss De Luca. I don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to formally introduce ourselves. I’m Akiro Tadoshi, and this is my wife, Ima,” he said.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss De Luca,” Ima greeted with a smile.Content is © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
“Grecia, just Grecia, please.”
Shortly after, they boarded the jet. Ava still felt a bit nervous about flying; it would be the second time since she had regained her sight. An advantage was that she could now appreciate the landscape.
The jet was impressive, a German design. Mateo gave her a brief tour, and the interior surprised her. It had wooden, white, and black tones. Rather than the interior of a jet, it resembled a luxurious house. An oval-shaped lounge was in front of a large built-in screen on the wall. There was a small bar to the side, and near the windows were individual leather seats. It was equipped with a large kitchen, and at the end of the plane was the bedroom, which was spacious and modern. A large bed was in the center, and the bathroom had a steam sauna. “Quite extravagant,” Ava thought. “How many women has Mateo brought to this place?”
She left the room and sat in one of the individual seats by the window, marveling at the scenery. Mateo brought her a cocktail and sat across from her. They traveled in silence, with him watching her and her lost in her thoughts.
The journey took several hours, and when they landed, Max was already waiting to take them to the hotel. “As always, this man teleporting around,” Ava thought about Max and smiled.
“Is something wrong?” Mateo didn’t like the way Ava was looking at Max, perhaps he was overreacting, but he couldn’t help it.
“No, I just remembered something.”
Mateo took her hand to get into the van. Ava avoided starting a conversation with Akiro and Ima; she didn’t want them to recognize her.
Shortly after, they arrived at the hotel where all the competition participants would be staying for the event the next day. Ava’s room was next to Mateo’s, while Akiro and Ima stayed on the same floor.
Later, Mateo went out onto the balcony, where Ava was. He noticed that she was carefully observing everything. He hopped over the small railing that separated their rooms, took her by the waist, and gave her a long kiss. It felt so good to be with her.
Few things can provide that sense of tranquility like being with the person you love. That’s how she felt, but she wasn’t sure if he felt the same way.
Mateo began to explain how the competition would work and what it was about. That night, the drivers had to retire early to rest because they would need all their skill and concentration. A small mistake could be fatal since they would be driving at high speeds, and there would be several drivers from different nationalities.
“The circuit measures 5. 796 kilometers, and to complete a Grand Prix, you need to do 53 laps, totaling 306. 72 kilometers. The track has 11 curves, and you can race at speeds of up to 330 kilometers per hour.
We will have three sessions of free practice, each lasting an hour. Two of them will be tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, in the afternoon, we’ll have the qualifying session divided into three sessions to form the starting grid for the big race.
The competition will last for approximately two hours, but it could go up to four hours depending on red flags. I hope there won’t be a need to suspend the race due to accidents.”
Ava became worried when she heard this. It was a very high speed. She almost asked him not to do it, but she stopped herself. She understood that this was him and that was his essence. Adrenaline was a part of his life, and she knew it, whether she liked it or not, she accepted it.
They went down to dinner with their friends, and at the restaurant, they met the other drivers. One of the guys kept looking over in their direction. He was tall, muscular, and very good-looking, which didn’t sit well with Akiro and Mateo, who noticed his interest.
Ava got up for a moment to go to the bathroom, and as she passed by where the guy was, he approached her and greeted her cheerfully, introducing himself.
“Hi there, darling. My name is Javi. What’s yours?”
“Grecia,” she replied, not wanting to be impolite. After all, the guy was just introducing himself.
“I see you’re with Licciardi and Tadoshi. I’ll be competing against them for the championship on the circuit.”
“That’s great! I wish all the competitors good luck.”
“My car is marked with the number eight, so cheer for me, beautiful.”
Ava was intrigued by the guy’s cheerful way of speaking, and his accent amused her. She was about to reply when she felt an arm around her waist – it was Mateo.
“Is everything okay, love?” he asked, trying not to show his jealousy.
“No, I’m just chatting with Javi; he’s one of the competitors,” Ava replied. “Javi? Since when did Ava know that guy’s name?” Mateo wondered.
“I think I’ve seen you in previous competitions,” Mateo recognized the guy.
“That’s right, Licciardi. Javi Ríos, nice to meet you.”
“It’ll be a pleasure to compete against you,” Mateo said with a smile.
They said goodbye to Javi, and Ava continued her way to the bathroom, while Mateo returned to the table. Akiro and Ima had observed the scene.
“Seeing is believing, the great Mateo Licciardi showed jealousy,” Akiro couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re mistaken, fratello. It’s just a precaution; we don’t know his intentions,” Mateo replied.
“I see, we’ll add precaution,” Ima said while laughing.
Mateo and Grecia were a couple who attracted a lot of attention. She was stunningly beautiful, and he was a true Adonis – the perfect couple, some thought when they saw them without any ulterior motives. However, there were also those who wanted to catch their attention.
They retired to their rooms early to let the guys rest. The next morning, Mateo had breakfast with Ava very early in his room. Qualifying would be at noon, and he needed to prepare. After breakfast, he kissed her goodbye.
The same happened the following day. The girls stayed at the hotel; they didn’t want to distract the guys. However, they would be present on the day of the competition.
They had breakfast in the room again, and Mateo had to contain himself when he was close to her. He had immense desires to caress her body, but he didn’t want her to think he only wanted her for that. Before leaving for the circuit, he approached her and gave her a tender kiss.
“My car is number 10; wish me luck,” he smiled and winked playfully. Ava melted at his gesture.
Later, Ava met up with Ima in the lobby. Max would take them to the location of the competition, and they would support the guys throughout. A brunette woman caught Ava’s attention, and she was sure it was Clara. She pointed her out to Ima, but when they turned to look, she was gone.
At the circuit, one by one, they announced the guys. It was Javi’s turn, and before getting into his car, he ran in front of Ava and handed her a flower. She felt embarrassed; she knew Mateo wouldn’t like that.
Mateo was introduced before Akiro, and Ava was very nervous, as was the other guy. Before getting into his car, Mateo ran towards where she was and gave her a passionate kiss. The attention of the people at that moment was on Ava.
“Would any other guy do the same?” they wondered as they watched him.
Akiro was also introduced, and like Mateo, he approached Ima and planted a kiss on her. Although it was unusual for them to display affection due to their culture, Ima was surprised by his behavior.