High Stakes: Between Rivals and Lovers

When Honesty Spurs Doubt

Engfa sits in her car, fingers drumming the steering wheel as she replays the afternoon's conversation in her mind. She had just dropped Charlotte off at her apartment, and the city lights appeared as it started to get dark. The woman's revelation still ran through her mind, making her heart race faster than any competition she had ever faced.

"About Mew," Charlotte had said shyly, "we aren't really together. It's all for the campaign."

Engfa's breath catches in her throat, her mind scrambling to process the words. She had barely known Charlotte for a few days and now with this, acting on her attractions could now be a possibility. She grips the steering wheel, revs the engine, and puts the car in drive, basking in its engine's roar on her way home.

With the truth settling in, a warmth spread through her chest. Engfa grins like she did when she was a child, unable to suppress the exhilaration bubbling inside her.

The drive home had the racer smiling from ear to ear. Her thoughts and feelings ever since she'd met Charlotte now felt... appropriate to say the least. As she eases off the gas approaching her home, she felt her heart still racing. She parks the car and sits there, letting the day's events wash over her. She knows things wouldn't be simple; relationships never were. But for the first time, she feels she has a real shot at something meaningful with Charlotte.

She stares at the trinket dangling in her car. The shock on Charlotte's face when she saw the gift she'd given her days before is permanently etched on her mind. She reaches out to touch it, as if it were sacred, with such reverence and respect for the meaning behind it.

This could change everything. Engfa thinks but tries not to delve much into it. She takes a deep breath and steps out of her car, coming home once again to what she thought was an empty house. She notices instantly that her lights are on and music is blasting from the inside.

Approaching the front door, she hears the sound of laughter and the clinking of dishes. The scent of spices and cooked food wafts out as she opens the door, welcoming her into a cozy atmosphere. Aoom and Meena are preparing dinner. They must have given her a heads up but she failed to check her phone because of the day's events.

"Oy, big brother." Aoom teases Fa. "I thought you'd be home later. We're not done with the cooking yet." She's stirring a pot on the stove, her apron dusted with flour. Meena stands beside her, chopping vegetables with ease, giving her senior a nod and a welcoming smile.

"Hope it's okay we made ourselves at home, P'Fa." Meena greets her, again ever so cordial.

"Hey, this is your home, too." Engfa replies, kicking off her shoes and entering her now lively abode. The warmth of the house contrasting pleasantly with the cool night outside.

"We sent you a message but it's only on delivered," Meena says, nudging Aoom.

"Somone was busy na." Aoom then says, with some implication in her tone.

Engfa, shaking her head, takes the sunglasses off her head and reaches for her phone in her pocket. "What are you two getting at? I should probably check out the news now, huh?" The two girls giggle and continue dinner preparations while Fa heads to her room to change.

"She's all wet and see-through," Meena tells her girlfriend.

"Played in the rain." Engfa hears her and responds from her room. Aoom smacks Meena, now laughing, and continues to make their dinner.

After getting into her night clothes, Engfa emerges from her room in an oversized shirt and shorts, and sits on the kitchen island, supervising her guests' work. She scans her phone again for texts and emails, and Coach Nawat's text particularly surprises her.