The Paddock Pact

Chapter 2: The Duty of Care

POV: Anya

I stayed.

We found a table near the far end of the bar. I ordered sparkling water and Mateo ordered another drink right away.

For the hour I mostly just sat there and listened to him.

I quickly realized that Mateo talks with his hands a lot. When he got excited he started speaking fast and his Chilean accent came through his English. Mateo constantly used jokes to cover up how he actually felt.

Every time I tried to ask something about his bad races or the media Mateo just made a sharp joke flashed that bright smile of his and drank another shot.

Mateo was really good at changing the topic I am not going to lie.. Because I was watching him closely I could not miss how his leg was constantly shaking under the table.. How his hands were nervously tearing a paper napkin into tiny pieces.. And his smile? It never reached his eyes.

"You analyze everything don't you?" Mateo asked at one point. He leaned his chin on his hand. Looked at me with glassy eyes.

"I just notice things " I said softly. "Like the fact that you are trying hard to pretend today did not happen."

Mateo opened his mouth to make another joke. Stopped. The smirk just disappeared from his face. He let out a heavy sigh and drank again.

By midnight the alcohol totally won. He even started mixing English and fast Spanish mumbling words that barely made sense.

When Mateo finally tried to stand up his legs literally gave out. He had to grab the bar counter with both hands just to stay on his feet.

The bartender looked at me. Shook his head. "Drivers are staying at the Majestic. Two blocks away. Do you want me to call security or something?"

I looked at Mateo. He was staring at his hands blindly searching his pockets until he pulled out a black hotel card with a gold logo.

"See?" He mumbled with a grin. "Got the key. I am fine."

He was not fine all.

"Come on " I said, stepping in and grabbing Mateos arm. "Let’s get you to your room."

Holy s**t, he was heavy.

The moment Mateo put his arm over my shoulder I almost folded in half. On TV he looked pretty lean. In reality it felt like trying to carry a sack of wet concrete. My heels were sinking into the pavement with every step.

The two blocks to the Majestic were a disaster. Mateo suddenly stopped right in front of a glass shop window stared at his reflection and tried to fix his chaotic curls.

"Anya look " he whispered, dead serious pointing at his hair. "It’s aerodynamic. It gives me speed."

"Sure it does. Now move your ass we’re blocking the sidewalk " I muttered, practically dragging Mateo forward.

He let out this ridiculous high-pitched giggle that sounded like a five-year-old who just pulled a prank. And later Mateo tripped over a completely flat curb nearly taking us both down into a flower bed.

"Whoa! The road has grip tonight " he mumbled into my neck burring his face right there for a second before letting out another stupid snicker.

I was sweating really bad. Mateo was muttering broken Spanish songs completely out of tune. Despite all the swaying and drunk laughing his hand was clutching my jacket so hard his knuckles turned white like he was terrified I would let go.

Somehow I managed to haul Mateo through the hotel side entrance into the elevator and straight to his room. The room smelled like him except the booze.

The second we walked in his legs completely turned to jelly. Mateo collapsed face down onto the bed like a felled tree letting out a muffled groan into the duvet.

I dropped my bag on a chair catching my breath. I walked over his sneakers and tugged them off his feet. Then I brought a glass of water from the minibar and set it on the nightstand.

"Mateo. Sit up and drink this " I said, shaking Mateos shoulder.

He groaned, rolling onto his back. "Yes ma'am..." he mumbled, his eyes barely open.

His hands were shaking much he spilled half the glass over his linen shirt but he managed to swallow the rest. Five seconds after setting the glass down his eyelids fluttered shut and Mateo started snoring

I stood next to the bed looking down at him.

What if he threw up in his sleep? What if he had alcohol poisoning? The logical part of my brain just would not let me walk out the door and leave him alone like that.

So feeling completely exhausted I took off my shoes. Climbed onto the other side of the big mattress. I stayed fully dressed in my dress not even touching the blanket leaving a distance between Mateo and me.

I stared at the ceiling listening to his quiet breathing.

What am I even doing? How did I end up in Mateos hotel room on a Saturday night?

It was quiet, for a hours. But 2 AM the sheets rustled.

Mateo turned around in his sleep. And before I could even move or react his long heavy arm reached across the bed grabbed my waist and pulled me against his warm chest.

I froze. I could not even breathe for a second.

Mateo was super warm. His face was buried right in the crook of my neck. He let out a contented sigh wrapping around me like a human blanket. I tried to shift a little bit but Mateos grip was surprisingly tight. Like he was holding onto a lifeline in a dream.

My heart was beating like crazy. Hearing his steady breathing slowly made me feel calm too. I was so tired that after a minutes I just blacked out.