18 Couldn'st Feel Any Safer

Since that day, things fell back to normal—to a certain degree.

In the mornings, Lyra found herself still glued to the shop even though there was a full staff on duty taking care of things. Business was thriving with Mother's Day around the corner and a few other reasons thanks to the strict Mr. Wellington who required dinner business meetings nearly every day of the week.

Kurtis was easygoing as a person, but as a businessman, he was demanding. Luckily, with Rose and Lyra doing their homework, the meetings usually went smoothly after the first few times. In fact, they learned the drill rather quickly and actual business talks ended within the first twenty minutes. The rest of the time was just whatever happened to be brought up.

"Mate, your mum called me today," Rose said, widening her eyes as if implying something. She dug out a magazine from her giant coat pocket. "I got this from Louis, but I'm pretty sure she saw it."

Lyra's curious eyes wandered to the cover. She knew Kurtis was pretty popular, but didn't know he graced the cover of a magazine recently. But before she could read the headlines, he retracted the magazine and handed it back to his cousin.

"She asked me, 'Why is Kurtis on the cover for this and not for some actual modeling?' Told me to talk some sense into ya," Rose said, breaking into a snort laugh with Kurtis like siblings rejoicing in successfully annoying a mother.

"Ain't got the time."

"But cuz, you got the fans AND the looks." Even Rose found her cousin unworldly handsome. "Don't you agree?"

Lyra looked from her friend to Kurtis then back to her friend.

"You two are cousins?"

"Yep. See the resemblance?" The pretty girl flipped her short hair to one side and moved her head side to side as if she was doing a photoshoot.

Having the two sit across from her, it wasn't that hard to notice that Rose did share his handsome features. She had a tall nose, full lips, charismatic eyes, and an overall beautiful face. Lyra always thought Rose, though more on the masculine side, very charming. They looked like models walking alongside each other.

"Oh come on! We look nothing alike!" Kurtis said, hooking his arm around Rose who was playing around and putting on Kurtis's famous expressions.

This was how the rest of the dinners usually went. Kurtis and Rose making Lyra laugh. And after they ended, Rose would be off to XYZ, always inviting Lyra along but getting turned down. Knowing this routine, Mr. Wellington prepared his cousin a separate driver while he went home with Lyra.

When the two were in the car, it wasn't hard to find something to fill the silence. Ever since the wedding fitting, things just seemed to ease up.

"Is it that hard to believe we're cousins?" Kurtis asked, a smile on his face seeing Lyra's still shocked expression that carried on from dinner to now.

"I thought you guys seemed closer than normal friends, but didn't expect you to be cousins…I mean, she must be a Wellington too then?"

Kurtis shook his head. "She's my maternal cousin, illegitimate child. Moved out by herself at fifteen but my mother made me look after her so we're close."

Lyra nodded. "I feel bad if you're making her help at the shop…"

"Not at all. Rose likes it," he said, continuing to drive. "Any other questions?"

Kurtis seemed to be in a good mood so the girl in the passenger seat went for it.

"Can we limit our meetings to weekdays only?" she blurted out, much to the humor of the driver.

"They begin to bore you?"

"No, not really. But I don't think I have enough outfits for all days of the week to accompany you to such fancy places all the time," she said, her face getting a little red. "We could maybe go somewhere simpler…"

The man next to her let out hearty laugh. This girl was really just too cute.

"You're really the complete opposite of your sister, huh?" he asked, but when he didn't get an answer, he saw his fiancé's twin look out the window deep in thought.

Lyra was staring at the full moon and appreciating its beauty in the comfort of the car as she leaned her head down on her arm. She looked a bit sad from his angle and didn't seem to notice when they missed the turn to head back home.

When they headed for the freeway, Kurtis stepped on the pedal, passing all the other cars in front of them. Lyra's eyes grew big as she sat straight again, hanging on tight.

"Where are we going?" she asked, holding onto her seatbelt, sounding scared but simultaneously excited.

"Do we need to have a place to go?" he shouted over the radio and the wind howling outside.

So Lyra hung tight as Kurtis handled the wheel with ease. He was well above the speed limit and Lyra had to point it out before he agreed to slow down.

"You don't like going fast?" he asked, heeding her words and no longer passing other cars.

"You might get a ticket."

He let out another laugh. "I was betting you'd say something about safety."

"Mr. NASCAR driver, you looked so relaxed hitting 120 that I couldn't feel any safer," she responded.

Kurtis's face lit up. "That's nothing. If you like speed, I'd be more than happy to show you on the track. You'll love the feeling and the sound," he said like a child who just found a friend that might like the same thing. "You can sky dive, cliff jump, dive with sharks, and there's still nothing really like it when you press the pedal knowing that you're making the most of it." His eyes were still on the road, but his smile was from ear to ear. He smiled a lot, but this smile was special.

Lyra could really tell he loved racing. And when you're talking to a man about what he likes, there's a whole new side to him that you can discover. He always looked charismatic and confident, but right now he looked alive. Racing is in his blood.

"One time," she said, holding up one finger. "I went over a hundred and got pulled over. My insurance went up. Never did it again."

"You're coming to the track with me tomorrow," he said in disbelief while shaking his head. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

That sounded great, but Lyra was afraid to ask any further, not wanting to sound rude or overly concerned. By now, Kurtis could pick up on her expressions. She'd furrow her brow a little and pretend to look at something when in reality, she's itching to say something.

He was already pulling up to the street of her home which happened to be right above the flower boutique.

"I'll be here tomorrow 6AM sharp. Shouldn't be too early for a florist right?" He flashed his brilliant smile that sent Lyra weak in the knees.

[Don't go Lyra. You shouldn't be spending time with Kurtis outside of business. Don't go.]

But Lyra had always wanted to see a race and go on a racetrack. Now she's been offered a chance to sit in a real race car driven by a professional racer. That was above and beyond her bucket list. So without further contemplation, she agreed.

He waved a quick goodbye before revving the engine and driving off into the night. Lyra was pretty sure he wasn't headed straight for home. And neither was she.

Rose said she would buy the items for tomorrow's orders, but she usually forgets after coming home from the club. So to be safe, Lyra decided to pick them up herself at the nearest convenience store.

When she first worked in the shop, it was scary going out alone after dark even though it was a safe neighborhood. But over the years, she got used to it and had done so multiple times. This time was no exception.

But little did she suspect there to be someone following closely behind that night, hiding in the shadows of the dimly-lit street, quietly watching her—again.