Illicit Affairs

Chapter 19

Ryan's POV

Meet me at our suite when you're done with media. I have a surprise for you

I grinned reading the text message as I left the media center. Knowing Mia, her surprise was one hundred percent sexual. Probably some scandalous getup that tried to pass itself off as lingerie or maybe it had something to do with some "toys" that she had been teasing for weeks. Regardless, I was ready for a surprise.

Mia had the presidential suite at a luxury hotel on the Las Vegas strip. She also had the adjoining room booked. It was where she and her grandfather usually stayed for race weekends here, and true to her promise, she had not canceled one of the reservations due to Mr. Hendrick's absence. It was our little secret.

In my haste to make it to my rental car, and paying more attention to my phone, I ran smack into someone. Not just anyone though. A tall blonde woman dressed in distressed skinny jeans and an Alex Bowman t-shirt. It had been weeks since I had last seen her and admittedly, I almost didn't recognize her without the Monster Energy uniform. Strange considering I had spent nearly three years with her.

"I'm so sorry Lindsey. I wasn't paying attention. My fault." I hastily apologized.

"I wasn't watching where I was going either. It's all good Ryan." She replied, and I couldn't help but notice she looked a bit sad and quite distracted.

"You're not working this weekend?" I asked. It did seem strange that she was not decked out in Monster colors, considering how big Monster was in Las Vegas. They usually had all of their top spokesmodels...brand ambassadors on hand.

"I'm no longer with Monster." Lindsey answered, and I couldn't help my curiosity.

"Why? What happened? You loved your job." I asked. I knew that for a fact. I had at one time asked her if she had considered leaving the company back when I thought she and I had a future together and was thinking about settling down. It had always rubbed me a bit the wrong way to have my girlfriend parading around like a piece of meat, although I could never tell her that in those exact words. However, she had adamantly refused, citing that her job was helping to fund her education, which she had wanted to do all on her own. Once her education was complete, then she would leave the company.

"The bitch is what happened." Lindsey spat out the words, and now my curiosity was even more piqued. She must have noted the confusion on my face because she went on.

"Mia Davenport. Alex's boss. She signed him to a new sponsor contract for an energy drink company that had some ridiculous no fraternization clause in it. Bottom line, Alex could not associate with me as long as I was in uniform, which pretty much killed our weekends, so I quit." Lindsey explained, her words clipped in anger.

"But...what about your tuition?...you loved your job." I was honestly speechless. I was also now wondering if Mia had ulterior motives.

"Maybe I love Alex more." She darted her eyes away almost in embarrassment, and a few weeks ago, those words may have stung, however they didn't. I just wanted her to be happy, even if it was with Alex the fucking hack Bowman. "Alex offered to help me out with my tuition until I find something else. I hated asking for help because I really look like a gold digger now." She muttered.

"No one ever thought of you as a gold digger Linds." I said, although I know that wasn't true. I know what everyone says on social media. She was viewed as a trophy girlfriend. One who was only after me for my money and fame. But Lindsey worked hard for herself. She never used me for my bank account, despite what others thought.

"This is all Mia's fault. She did this on purpose. She deliberately tried to drive a wedge between Alex and me. She thought I would choose my job over him." Lindsey's words were clipped once again at the mention of Mia.