Racing Devil

Chapter 5 (100%)

It poured down again the next morning. Niksa woke up later than usual, having hit the snooze button. She didn't think anybody was up, and she was surprised to see the man who had been drunk out of his mind last night shuffling around the house. Once he turned to spot her, Myles slumped on the edge of a bar stool, sighing with relief.

"Nicky. Thank god. Do you have any aspirin?" he said and moved to rest his head on the bar.

"Sorry, I don't have any. Shouldn't you go back to bed if you have a hangover?"

He groaned, sounding disappointed, his face still buried in his arms in despair.

"I don't think the resort will just dispense medicines to the guests, but I can check."

Niksa walked behind the counter where the telephone set was. She dialed an internal number and asked for some hangover cures. The staff only relented when they realised she was the one calling.

Myles, having overheard the conversation, looked up in surprise. What she did for him alone almost dispelled the morning headaches. He felt even more guilty for what he had done yesterday.

"I ordered some chicken boiled rice for you. No fried garlic. The smell shouldn't be too strong."

"Nicky."

"Yes? Would you like a cup of tea?"

She turned around, about to open a case of assorted tea leaves, but the man on the other side of the bar grabbed her wrist.

"God damn it, Nicky. I really didn't mean to be an asshole yesterday," he blurted out, inadvertently clutching her wrist. His own heart tightened up similarly.

Niksa smiled gently. She didn't want an apology from him, nor did she want him to feel bad. She just wanted him to go back to being his usual playful self. That would be enough.

"Black tea with lemon, then."

Myles let her go, confused by her friendly yet aloof smile. He couldn't really describe why he felt a little hurt by that. He never even had to question anyone's feelings. Everybody around him had been very open about their wants and needs. He just didn't want to accept that she was only being nice to him because it was her job to be so.

'You were being yourself around her, and she seemed close with you.'

Henry's words echoed in his mind. He realised in that moment that it was what he needed. To hell with being friends, to hell with duties, to hell with everything!

Either it was because of the lemon-infused tea, or the fact that he had decided to let his pride go, his head felt lighter. After finishing his bowl of rice and the soluble tablets, he felt well enough to be cordial with her.

"I will thank you for all this by sending you to the resort's spa."

She lifted her eyebrows, before an amused smile appeared on her face. She tried to bring back the same old sense of familiarity by quipping,

"On your tab?"

"Of course. You have no idea how much I make a year."

As a driver, Myles earned as much as 30 million dollars a year. Brand deals worth around the same amount not included. He didn't see why modesty would be an option.

When her employer offered, who was she to refuse? Niksa visited the resort's spa later in the morning and picked out the aromatherapy massage for deep relaxation.

Although she had been joking with him before, hoping to ease the tension, she hadn't really expected Myles to cover her personal expenses out of pocket. By the cutoff date, this would just be another list on the invoices.