Infinity Times Infinity (Book One)

Prologue

A/N: This story was written 2017/2018. Although it's getting a massive rewrite, I am not changing the time frame.

Mikaela's POV

I am in that odd state of colliding emotions where I'm excited, anxious and terrified all at the same time. Frankly, I should be happy that I can feel anything at all. It's been such a long time since I've felt any emotion other than indifference once the shock and grief passed. I just wish it wasn't so much all at once. I'm well aware of the five stages of grief. I got through the denial and anger. The bargaining stage passed rather quickly before the depression set in and after a while I finally reached acceptance. I never counted on the numbness and indifference though. It was like I had just stopped caring about everything going on in life. Maybe I was still in a different part of the depression phase. I don't really know. But now... Maybe I was finally healing. At least healing enough to want to save my career.

Which leads me to why I am currently in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina at the NASCAR headquarters. I'm sitting in the office of NASCAR president Steve Phelps, along with Bob and John, two executives from my record label who had taken me under their wing and showed me nothing but kindness, compassion and the utmost patience.

Maybe I could finally stop letting them down.

We were a little early for our scheduled meeting, so to kill time while everyone else is making idle chit chat, I was absentmindedly checking my social media, needing something to distract me from the meeting that was about to take place.

My thoughts wandered again to the reason for us being here.

In short, my debut album was recently released, and to say the response to it was lackluster, would be an understatement.

It wasn't entirely my fault.

The album turned out way more country pop than I would have liked. None of the songs were mine. I have not been able to write since Jason died. The songs they had selected for me, I just did not feel them.

But that's not saying much because I haven't felt much of anything these days. I just go through the motions. Get through each day. One foot in front of the other. Fake it till you make it. Willing myself to show any kind of emotion.

After the numbers and reviews came in, it was way worse than anyone had expected so the label executives decided I needed a push (or maybe a shove) if I wanted to kickstart my career and not fade away into nothingness and obscurity. I needed to get my head in the game. Now.

My label was also looking to branch out to more areas of interest, and had sort of taken a page from a rival label. A rival label that was also sponsoring a NASCAR race. We were going to do better than that.

Bob and John put their heads together and came up with a plan to try and target the desired demographic and decided to reach out to NASCAR.

It was well known that NASCAR ratings were declining, largely due to a number of veteran drivers retiring and an influx of new drivers coming in known as the "young guns."

NASCAR was also trying to appeal to a younger audience, that same desired demographic.

They had planned a series of media promotions and fan interactions centering around various race tracks, as well as a music video featuring myself and one of the young guns.

I had one song on my album that had a bit of a "nascar vibe" to it. Yet another pop country song about young lovers living fast, loving hard and making names for themselves. That's what sells records I guess.

The pitch was presented to NASCAR president Steve Phelps, who loved the idea.

I had not watched a NASCAR race in years. My dad watched, but I had lost interest a long time ago and had no idea who anyone was anymore. I guess I was about to get a crash course (pun intended).

The driver chosen to partner with me was a young driver named Ryan Blaney.

I didn't know anything about him other than what I found on google and social media. He was young, around my age. Very talented, very media savvy, popular and very cute.

As numb as I had been feeling, I didn't want to tank my career, especially before it even really started, so I went into my fake it till you make it mode, never expecting to feel anything other that the typical indifference for this project.

Then, Ryan Blaney walked through the door.

I was not prepared for my first glimpse of him. I had seen pictures of him, and knew he was cute, but holy shit!!! The pictures did not do him justice in the least.

From the chestnut waves tickling the back of his neck, to the ocean blue eyes and movie star smile.

Wearing jeans and a button down shirt. He looked a bit shy and quiet, but damn this guy was gorgeous.

I actually felt something else. Something unexpected. Something I had not felt in a very long time....attraction.

Ryan's POV

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I heard about this media promotion I would be doing with Mikaela Hunter.

NASCAR had often come to me to help promote the sport, probably because I rarely said no.

I wasn't entirely sure about this, but agreed anyway.

To be honest, I didn't know who Mikaela Hunter was.

I didn't really watch American Idol that season and I didn't follow too many female country singers.

I decided to do a little research on her and what I found nearly made me change my mind. There were many that said she was difficult to work with. Complaints that she acted as if she would rather be anywhere else. I really didn't have time to babysit a spoiled diva. Then I dug a little deeper and learned that during her time on American Idol, her fiancé, who had been serving in the United States Army, was killed in action. I had no idea about the tragedy, but perhaps that was the reason she had been deemed as difficult. She was probably still grieving.

I made up my mind to give her a chance.

Walking into Steve Phelps office nearly knocked me to my knees. I had seen pictures and knew she was pretty, but I didn't expect her to be the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. Long dark hair fell in loose waves down to the middle of her back. She looked up from under ridiculously long, dark eyelashes. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of  green. Then she smiled at me. A smile that would melt hearts. From what I could see of the rest of her, a body that could stop traffic.

Probably not the best idea to become physically attracted to someone who was grieving, but I couldn't control my body's reaction.

I was screwed.