The Battle Of The Heart

Chapter 2: Dinner Date

"You look niiiiiice," Lewis said chuckling and making a show of looking me up and down. I laughed.

That was the thing about Lewis. He had the knack of making me feel comfortable in a second. He felt more like one of my crazy cousins back home than a four-time world champion.

"Thanks. Mariam helped me get ready," I beamed as I let him in.

He gave each of us a warm hug and said, "Yeah? I might have to get you on my glam team, Mariam!"

"I'd be honored but you don't need me. I mean, look at you!" Mariam gushed.

"Ahhh, don't make me blush," Lewis laughed. "So what are your plans for tonight?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be hanging out at the hotel bar, making new friends all night."

"What? Now I feel bad for leaving you alone!"

"Mariam is never alone for too long," I quipped in. "She has a talent for attracting crowds like a magnet."

It's true. Mariam is the most extroverted person I knew. Along with her makeup skills, her social skills were admirable. She moved to London from Devonshire a year ago and was already doing the faces of Little Mix, Ellie Goulding and Jessie J. As she would often say, not bad for a country girl.

"I see! So you're going to be on the prowl tonight!" Lewis grinned. "As long as you don't fraternize with the Ferrari guys, we're good! Nah I'm joking. Have fun. And come find us if you get bored."

"I won't," Mariam mouthed with a massive smile and her thumbs up, as soon as Lewis turned his back.

Dinner was great. We were driven to this cozy restaurant and Yas Marina looked even more beautiful at night. As laid back as he seemed, Lewis was painstakingly diligent about his diet, workout regimen and sleep routine. He had a team of experts whose sole purpose was to ensure he was as physically and mentally fit as possible. We were opposites in this aspect. I wolfed down my shrimp burger with extra mayo while he talked of his off season plans over vegan pasta. He was a perfect gentleman. He held doors open, gently moved hair off my face whenever appropriate, held my hand a respectable number of times and kissed me goodnight after walking me to my hotel room. This was the second time we'd kiss and he was as gentle as I remembered from two weeks ago.

After dinner, we had gone back to his suite where I watched him play 00's R&B tunes on his guitar. He was remarkably good. I could see why he was so popular with the women. When he started playing So Sick by Ne-Yo, we both stood up and broke out in song as if our lives depended on it. Finally, he put the guitar down and we laughed like two school kids who had just played the funniest prank ever. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so happy. When we eventually settled down, he reached over to where I was and pecked me on my forehead. I looked in his eyes and knew what was coming next.

"It's quite late," I mumbled. "What time do you have to go to bed?"

"Eleven."

We both turned to look at the clock on the wall. 22:46.

"I should go. I don't want to mess up the routine of a champion."

He gave me a tiny smile.

"Alright. I'll walk you to your room."

I called Mariam as soon as Lewis left me but got no answer. She was probably busy climbing up the social ladder of the rich and famous. I changed into my Game of Thrones pyjamas and crept into bed, unable to stop smiling. I fell asleep that night, dreaming of a life as a Formula 1 WAG to Lewis Hamilton.

I woke up next morning, not knowing that I would never feel this way about Lewis again.