~ Outside The Speedway ~ (Lightning McQueen x OC)

Chapter 40

I cursed in my head so much that Gordan Ramsey would back away from me.

Don't give me that look, Sally. Not now, not ever.

Don't look at me like I just took your prized possession away from you.

As if she could read my mind, my sister looked away and kept talking with the person next to her; a handsome man with curly black hair, a crisp navy suit, and dimples that could make a girl faint.

I was more of a freckles kind of girl. Which of course the idiot behind me just had to be blessed with.

I wonder if he's just a figment of my imagination. Or maybe I'm having an extremely elaborate dream while I'm still passed out from before the race and when I wake up he's the same douchebag ass that he's always been. No one's as perfect as he is; it's not physically possible.

Actually scratch that. He's not perfect. No one is. But he's perfect in an imperfect kind of way.

Ugh. I may be angry and disappointed in him, but my mind has no filter.

I start moving forward again, truly ignoring the stares and responding to a few polite 'hello's' as I walk by. I notice many people looking in my direction every now and then, but Lightning's words ring in my head.

Don't focus on them.

At one point I glanced behind me to check if Lightning was somewhere, secretly stalking me, but he was in fact at a table to the side, exchanging a tight hug with a shorter, bald man in a bright yellow vest (construction, architecture, or roofing maybe?)

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the slightest bit disappointed that he wasn't still with me. But I won't hold it against him since he hasn't seen his middle school friends in a long time.

I keep walking, finally making it toward the dessert table, and breathe in; phase one - say hello and don't freak the fuck out - is complete.

"Hey there."

Ah, never mind.

I turned and was met with the face of the man from earlier; the same one that Sally was speaking to after she gave me the dirty look from across the gym.

He was much more handsome up close.

Beautiful dark green eyes, ones that strike you suddenly where you could never look away. And that smile, one that blows a crowd away, along with the dimples.

The man extended his arm for a handshake, casually holding his drink in the other hand. "Miguel Miles. I go by Miles, though. You must be Sally's younger sister?" He seemed unsure of the assumption, so I nodded and shook his waiting arm. "Yes, yes I am, Olivia Embers. How do you know each other?"

"We were..," Miguel paused, not knowing what to label their past relationship. "...good friends through junior high and high school." His voice was smooth and heavily accented. I could melt if not for the cold stare I got from Sally as I glanced to the side. She was walking briskly towards us.

Fantastic.

My sister had a way of dramatic entrances.

This one was a quick strut, a few waves to her right, and a big smile as she approached Miguel and me. She came to my side, with beaming eyes and hugged my shoulder whispering a quick hello.

"Olivia! I see you've met Miles." She smiled sweetly towards him, and introduced me seconds later, "Miles, my sister, Olivia. Olivia, Miles."

Miles gave me a smile and gave me a once over with an unsure glance. "You're...number 75, right? I watched your amazing performance on TV a few weeks back. They scheduled a tie-breaker race in Miami if I'm not mistaken."

I blushed slightly from the compliment. "Thank you, and yes, they did. It's scheduled for August 12th at three."

"I'll try and make it. I haven't seen such a race in person yet." He tipped his glass of sparkling water towards me.

I gave him a curious look. "They're pretty popular around here, why not?"

"I have been traveling back and forth from Columbia to Chile to Detroit in Michigan for an agriculture corporation I co-own."

I pulled back with a surprised smile and said, "That's amazing! Do you trade crops, or is that more federal government business?"

He looked across the room and back at me with a genuine spark in his eyes. He started explaining all the supervision he withheld, and the crops they traded along with genetically engineered fruits that his scientists were experimenting on. I could tell Miles really enjoyed what he did, and I was happy for him, even if we just met.

We would have kept the conversation going if not for the clearing of a throat on my left.

Oh fuck.

I forgot about Sally for a solid ten minutes there; truthfully I thought she left, but it seems I was very wrong.

I genuinely felt bad. She was excited about this whole reunion and I can tell she was upset that I was taking the spotlight away. I immediately pretended to check my phone as if I felt it vibrate, and made up a quick excuse to leave to another corner of the gym. Taking a quick glance at Sally, she was eyeing her shoes on the floor.

Miles looked disappointed for a mere seconds before returning to his million-dollar smile and dimples. "I enjoyed talking Olivia. I hope to see you more tonight?" He took my hand a placed a quick kiss on my knuckles. Heat spread through my body, circling back into my cheeks and neck.

"Definitely."

I excused myself and left with a plastic cup of water and ice, switching through numerous apps on my phone to look like I was actually doing something important. When I looked back at my sister and Miles, they were deep in a new conversation, but I could tell Miles' eyes weren't shining as bright now.

I didn't feel too good bout leaving him, but I should care for others before myself, therefore placing my sister's wants and needs before my own.

I'm scared it'll slowly destroy me if I did.

"The things I would do if you looked at me like that."

I turned quickly, searching behind me for the person behind the voice. It displeased me that I couldn't recognize it, but maybe because his voice was octaves lower than what it usually was. Which burned straight to my core.

Lightning was leaning against the wall, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his own drink. The side of his face was turned toward me, his jawline sharp and lips curved into a smirk. The dim lights and moving strobes and suggestive music in the background gave me very much nightclub vibes, and he was in the center of it all. In the forty-five minutes, I haven't looked at him, I had already forgotten how hot he looks.

And it bothered me that the idiot doesn't even try.

*** *** *** ***

Hi!

I'm so sorry I've been incredibly inactive the past few months; if you read my message on my page, then you know why, if not it explains that I needed a break to not only gain motivation to keep writing but focus more on school, especially because I started a school sport for the first time in my life. I had been writing this chapter here and there, and some other things privately so I don't lose my touch, but not more than a few sentences in a week.

Now that I have a week-long spring break, I decided to try and write a little more, but I may go M.I.A. again until summer break. I promise this story will be completed eventually, I just don't have an exact date.

Thank you for all the support in the meantime, I really appreciate it. We're at 5.1K views and 455 votes, and I could not be more grateful. It means so much. Thank you.

I love you guys, and I hope you have a great day/night!

- Liviii <3