Mr. Gray

by Hazel Parker

  “See?” Gray said to Mark. “I told you it’s a bad idea, but you just keep arguing about it. Even if it would help my reputation, it just wouldn’t—”

  “You’ll be paid,” Mark blurted out. “It’s all part of keeping his image intact, and of course you’ll be paid for your time.”

  My back stiffened. “I’m not some call girl—”

  “She’s not some paid service—” Gray said at the same time.

  Mark held up a hand. “She isn’t. She’s a friend who’s helping out a friend. In turn, you, Gray, will be helping her out.”

  The way he phrased it had me relaxing and realizing he didn’t mean it the way I thought. My mind processed it before I could stop myself, wondering if it was even feasible. I mean, if it was just pointless in the long run, wouldn’t it mean I’d be scamming Gray in the end for his money?

  Because he was the only one who could answer that truthfully, I turned to him. “Will it really help your reputation?”

  Mark looked like he wanted to answer but smartly kept quiet. Gray stared at me, considering and reluctant at the same time.

  “It might,” he finally said. “It will definitely keep Steve off my ass if he thinks it’s serious.”

  “And you need to actually layoff the ladies Gray,” Mark warned. “A cheating scandal would destroy you.”

  He’s right. Could Gray do it? I knew I should say no. That was the proper thing to do, really, so as not to complicate things between us. But I’d never been known for doing the proper thing and if I am being honest I kind of want to do this. I held out my hand. Gray stared at it incredulously—then, at me.

  “If this gets in the tabloids, which it will, your ex…”

  “He doesn’t read the news nor watch television,” I confirmed. “Plus he has never been interested in a single sport in his life. I’m in, as long as we keep this professional and it doesn’t mess with our friendship. And I don’t want anything sordid or lecherous in public. Hell no.”

  Mark snorted, then clamped his mouth shut again. He leaned over in anticipation, still not saying a thing. Gray stared at my hand again, his expression conflicted. I thought he would turn me down, stubborn man that he was.

  Instead, he surprised me by shaking my hand.

  “We really should stop making deals after this one,” he grumbled.

  I murmured my agreement.

  Mark beamed, obviously pleased.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  GRAY

  There was something to be said about practicing all the time, and it really just amounted to this: You’d better win all those damn trophies with all the hours you’re putting into this practice thing.

  I didn’t believe that one bit.

  You won because of timing, perseverance and talent all rolled into one, along with a healthy amount of good luck. Practice didn’t make it alone, something that newbies didn’t seem to comprehend yet. I remembered one newbie practicing every single day all day, but the fact that he barely had any talent or instinct when it came to the track and how to outmaneuver another driver meant he couldn’t win a single race at all.

  But yes, practice was also needed, especially when done right. It was also something I enjoyed doing, which was why I often found myself in the race track doing so. Not only was the feeling of being in a fast car such an adrenaline rush, but it also made me feel worry-free and enhanced any chance of winning I ever had.

  It also allowed me to practice some new moves, some of which were too risky to try first at the race. I tried some of those moves now, keeping my frustration in check as none paid off. All I ended up doing was skidding my tires, which I had to clean up again and again as I gave the rest of the crew the day off.

  I wasn’t the only one practicing. I spotted Doug come in and decided to take a break, watching as he entered the garage where I slowly drove the car towards. He spotted me right off and came over, waving once and waiting while I got out and took off my helmet.

  “I heard you’ve been monopolizing the local race track these days,” he began, eyeing my wheels, “So I decided to give you some competition.”

  I smirked, then shrugged. “I’m actually done. Go right ahead and monopolize it next. Did you just come back from Texas?”

  I knew Doug originally lived in Texas, but he had a place here that he rented out. I didn’t know much about his personal life except that he was close to his family and had no committed relationship either, based on how he often talked about them—and did not talk about them—in interviews.

  “Yeah,” he replied. “Been resting up. You should try it sometime.

  “I get enough already.”

  “The media doesn’t seem to think so.”

  “The media is full of bullshit,” I said.

  Doug chuckled. He looked like he was about to say something else, but something caught his attention before he could. I watched as his eyes lit up.

  “Wouldn’t you know it?” he murmured. “Hey, Jules!”

  I turned around and watched as none other than Scott, our other racing competitor, approached us with his visibly pregnant wife. I remembered being up close to her only once or twice before and thinking she was one heck of a catch—a bit on the boyish side when it came to dressing, but obviously easy to get along with. I did remember Doug flirting with her before when Scott and Julie weren’t a thing yet, but all that seemed in the past now as Doug looked at her with nothing but affection.

  Julie gave me a friendly look, though we hadn’t really interacted much. Scott gave us both a nod.

  “A little crowded here, isn’t it?” he asked, though his tone held no heat. In fact, his whole aura looked like he’d just had the best vacation of his life.

  “Crowded is fun,” I said. “Glad to see you back. There’s no real competition around anymore.”

  “Hey,” Doug protested. “I heard that. I’m winning this year. Come on, Jules, let’s chat while these two bicker and compete for second place.”

  Scott rolled his eyes and watched as Doug held Julie’s elbow and they both walked away. They started chatting it up right off, a testament to how close they actually were. Scott turned back to me.

  “Congrats on the Spain win,” he said.

  “Thanks.”

  “You know what’s in the tabloids?”

  “My women escapades?”

  Scott scoffed. “Oh, those are already too common. But this one…there was a picture caught of Kinnick watching.”

  Oh, that. I did see the pictures, which were somewhat blurry. I nodded in acknowledgment. “I saw him. We talked for a bit.”

  “How is he?” he asked.

  Because I wasn’t sure how close James and Scott were and it wasn’t my place to reveal the truth, I settled for another nod. “He’s okay, considering.”

  We chatted some more before Scott declared it was time for him to get back to practice so he could defeat me. I chuckled and waved at him, watching as Julie went to the bleachers to watch. Doug got ready, too, then looked up when someone else arrived.

  This time, that arrival was for me. I eyed Kate in surprise as she approached us, looking very casual in a plain white shirt, sneakers, and short denim shorts. Then I eyed Doug, who was staring at her curiously and appreciatively until she was standing in front of me.

  “Hey,” I greeted. “What are you doing here?”

  “Since I watched an actual race, I wanted to see how practice would feel like,” she said.

  “And you were bored at home,” I guessed.

  “And I was bored at home,” she confirmed.

  We grinned at each other. Then she turned to Doug and held out a hand. “Hi. I’m Kate.”

  “Doug, ma’am,” Doug said, giving Kate a warm smile. There was some interest there as he looked at the two of us. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  We didn’t contest the word finally, already having an idea where it came from. While the race car drivers weren’t ex
actly gossipers, there was no avoiding our circle hearing about what happened to everyone based on word of mouth. We didn’t clarify, though I became aware that Kate drew closer until our arms were touching.

  “It’s great to meet you, too,” she said just as warmly. “I’ll have to admit that I haven’t really been watching this sport until recently, so I can’t really ‘fangirl’ over you as all the other women are doing.”

  That made Doug laugh. Kate blinked, obviously mesmerized at this part of his charm. We all talked for a bit more before Doug finally said it was time for him to practice and left us in the garage.

  “You’ve been taken in by the Doug charm, haven’t you?” I asked in amusement as I watched Kate watching the man’s behind.

  Kate shook her head, smiling wryly. “Who wouldn’t be, honestly?” Her gaze turned to the side, and I watched as it grew wary. “Don’t look now, but there’s some reporters over the other side of the fence. I think they might have witnessed Doug flirting with me.”

  I shrugged. “So what?”

  “So I’m not doing a very good job with our deal,” she said. “Let me remedy that.”

  Kate remedied it by sidling even closer and pulling out a handkerchief. She stared into my eyes solemnly, then patted my forehead with the handkerchief. Her mouth was twisted as if trying to hold back a laugh.

  “This is your remedy?” I asked incredulously.

  “You just wait,” she muttered. Someone passed by that we didn’t know. “Sweetie, you really ought to get more rest and not overexert yourself. You know I still need that…energy at home.”

  I stifled a snort. She kept wiping my forehead, then my neck, though there really wasn’t even any sweat. She leaned forward and placed her mouth near my ear, almost as if to whisper.

  Another someone passed by, this time a woman—from the looks of it, a bunny. She eyed us curiously, particularly Kate. When it looked like the woman was about to approach us, Kate entwined her fingers with mine and proceeded to kiss my neck. It was so surprising that I almost jerked back, but I managed to avoid doing so at the last second. Kate then proceeded to give me a gentle kiss on the cheek, then made a move to back off.

  My hand shot forward and grabbed her waist, pulling her back in. She gave me a look of surprise, her mouth opening slightly. This up close, I realized just how pink her lips were without even a trace of lipstick. Her coffee eyes bored into mine, and I found some questions in them before they cleared and she simply followed.

  I leaned down and kissed her at the corner of her lips, just above her jawline. She froze but then relaxed, and I let my mouth stay there for a while, not really moving. She smelled pretty, like a combination of honey and cream, and something in me wanted to lap her up.

  Something else in me reacted, an instinct deep and primal that familiar stirring of attraction for her. My hand tightened around her waist, surprised at the heat starting to simmer inside me. It was low, but it was there.

  It never happened with any other female before.

  Kate, for her part, looked unaffected other than the surprise earlier. She responded to the kiss by melting against me, acting like she liked it. I placed my mouth near her ear, trying to control my own reaction and trying not to think too hard about it.

  “Oh don’t you worry. I have lots of energy left for later.”

  Kate buried her head in my chest, then pinched me on the side. No one noticed the pinch, but those watching us definitely noticed the former intimate move. I could sense a commotion with the media outside the fence, and I knew they had high-tech cameras that could seamlessly zoom in on us. The woman who tried to approach us? Her mouth dropped, staring at the scene in shock, before shaking her head and walking away.

  Definitely a success, then.

  We acted our part for a few more minutes before deeming it enough for the day. Kate finally backed off, giving me air from her warmth. But she gave me one last kiss, this time on the ear before patting my back playfully. My belly heated up again.

  “See you later at home,” she said. “You’d better cook something awesome for me because I decided not to charge you for anything. I’m doing this as your friend.”

  She winked cheerfully. Then she was sauntering off, her butt holding an extra sway. For some reason, my gaze was stuck there up until she disappeared inside the main building leading to the entrance and exit.

  I blinked. Then I shook my head, feeling dazed all of a sudden like that day at the beach in Spain.

  What the hell was happening? I need to stay in the friend zone.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  KATE

  The decision not to accept the money Mark offered to play Gray’s so-called girlfriend was a semi-difficult one for me. But in the end, I knew it was for the best, considering I didn’t want to feel any guilt at all for gaining money over something any normal friend should have done—not that whatever we were playing at was normal, but still, it was a favor for a friend. I did my best to hold my end of the bargain during my free time, then used up my remaining ones to watch Chuck and his antics and keep hunting for a job.

  Two good things came out of the last two, the first one being me finally being able to train Chuck to stop peeing on the balcony glass—something he was fond of doing—and the second one in the form of a response to an online position I applied for: an article-writing position for a website. I was asked to have a trial month in the meantime, but that was all the opening I needed. I was pretty confident when it came to my writing skills and was happy to prove so and get hired permanently. I knew I was thinking ahead of myself, but I wanted to plan things out that way.

  Gray kept getting busier, though he never failed to spend dinner with me at home. We eased into our friendship at home, talking about more intimate stuff and always getting updated on how our day went. I never really had a close male friend before, and I doubted Gray had any female friends, so it was a refreshing change for both of us and something we actually looked forward to.

  Of course, there was also the pretending, which we also eased into—or at least tried to. It was awkward at worst and hilarious at best as the media pretty much went crazy for it. They believed it so much that even Gray’s car owner was pleased, telling him he’d done a good job of finally settling.

  One of the duties of my job as a girlfriend was to accompany Gray to social functions, and that was where I found myself on this particular day—on Gray’s arm as we walked inside a rich car enthusiast’s party for all race car drivers. That didn’t mean only race car drivers were invited, as there were also plenty of businessmen and such. Gray and I had usually kept our interaction at a minimal, with few to no people around other than some press tailing us, so this had to be my first time appearing with him in a larger, more public crowd.

  It made me nervous. In fact, it made me so nervous that I had to calm myself with a glass of champagne before we left the house, though it did nothing much the moment we got there. The enthusiast was an older woman I never met or even seen but was apparently a widow and a huge fan of car racing. Based on how big her mansion was and how luxurious everything looked, it was easy to see she was filthy rich and had all the money to spend, creating a grand party where waiters walked around everywhere with food and wine, and a huge party room to the side that was stocked with all kinds of drinks, music, and food unimaginable.

  I didn’t spot Doug, who was the only friend I had in this particular world—well, other than Mark. I did spot Mark talking to a female in another room before spotting us and nodding in our direction. Then there were strangers facing me, and Gray did his best to introduce me to everyone. I, in turn, did my best to follow the names and to stay extra close to Gray, leaving no room for doubts on what exactly our relationship was.

  Despite that, there were plenty of women who didn’t seem convinced and made it a point to approach us, ignore me, and put all their attention towards the man beside me.

  “Hey, Gray.” A brunette sidled up on
his other end, followed by a blonde. They side-eyed me for a second before smiling up at him in fascination. “We were wondering if you have room in your passenger seat and wanna go for a ride later?” She purred.

  There came the car comment again, which made me think just how boring it must be to do it in the car all the time. But hey, to each his own. Not wanting to appear like some obsessive girlfriend, I simply stared at them and didn’t interrupt, watching if Gray would actually flirt back. To his credit, he never did, simply wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer deliberately. Then he would politely reject their offer and say he hoped to see them around, then he would steer me in another direction until we were accosted again.

  When it happened a fourth time, I had to roll my eyes. “Seriously. I don’t know what’s so special about you,” I whispered in his ear. “It’s like you’re some Greek god.”

  “Maybe I am.”

  I shot him a look. “No, you’re not. You’re an arrogant jerk who can be pretty sweet sometimes.”

  Actually, he was pretty sweet all the time, but no need to mention that. In response, Gray pulled me even closer until I was practically skin-to-skin with him, something that never happened before and had surprise spreading inside me—along with something else that turned surprise to shock.

  Tingles.

  I frowned, barely able to concentrate as he placed his mouth near my ear again. He whispered in a warm breath. “Is that why you’re dating me?”

  Right. Pretend. I pushed off the tingles and flashed him a dazzling smile, trying to act as normal as possible. “I’m dating you for your hotness and wealth rolled in one.”

  He chuckled, in my ear and a shiver ran through me. Again, I shook it off and led him to the buffet table, where we eyed the arranged food with hungry eyes before getting a plate and filling it up.

  The owner approached us eventually, a very beautiful woman who looked like she was in her early thirties. She had a slightly British accent and a polished look, wearing elegance like a molded dress. She and Gray weren’t particularly close, but she told him how much she loved his races and wanted to see more of him winning soon. Gray turned on the charm, and I listened to them in awe as they discussed technical terms that I could no longer follow.