Chapter 5: The Shared Menu
1174 Words
Eliana POV
The high-pressure environment of the Monaco paddock left very little room for personal routines, but over the passing days, my morning schedule had shifted into a very specific, grounding rhythm.
Before the roar of the V6 engines could fill the Monte Carlo air, I made it a point to review my technical logistics cargo manifests from a quiet, sunny table at the back of the team’s private hospitality terrace.
I sat with my laptop open on the pristine white table, my fingers tapping rapidly against the keys as I cleared a massive shipping holding clause for the incoming European tire freight.
To the catering staff and team coordinators passing my station, I was simply Ila—the focused data clerk who preferred to eat her breakfast away from the crowded media lounges.
None of them knew that the humble assistant ordering cargo crates was actually the sole heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Vance Automotive empire that quietly funded their sport.
"Good morning, Eliana," a rich, distinctly raspy British voice murmured from behind my chair, instantly cutting through the steady hum of my logistics data lines.
I looked up from my screen, a serene, radiant smile breaking across my face as my heart did a sudden, wild roll against my ribs.
Lewis stood right beside my table, completely alone without his standard wall of media handlers or PR representatives.
He wore his casual team kit, his racing cap pulled low, but the formidable, serious athlete persona completely vanished the moment his dark eyes locked onto mine.
He was carrying a small wooden tray holding a steaming mug of black coffee and a vibrant, beautifully arranged plate of fresh avocado toast, sliced tropical fruits, and a handful of mixed nuts.
"Lewis," I said softly, closing my laptop halfway to meet his gaze with a steady, independent calm that treated him like a regular human being—not a global icon. I gestured playfully to his colorful plate.
"That looks significantly more nutritious than the standard paddock breakfast of pastries and energy drinks."
"It’s strictly plant-based," Lewis smiled gently, his dark eyes crinkling deeply at the corners with a profound, sudden peace as he pulled out the empty chair opposite mine and settled his broad frame into the seat.
He set his tray down, the clean, grounding scent of warm sandalwood and fresh cotton instantly enveloping our space.
"I’ve been completely vegetarian for a few years now. When you’re pushing a car at three hundred kilometers an hour, your body needs a very clean, high-performance fuel line. It keeps my energy completely level on the track."
"A vegetarian champion," I teased softly, leaning my chin against my hand as I looked at the legendary driver across the table.
"I suppose that clause isn't standard in a typical driver's handbook."
"It’s the only way I run my engine now," Lewis chuckled low under his breath, taking a slow sip of his coffee before his expression turned intensely soft, his gaze locking onto mine with an absolute, quiet curiosity.
Hearing my full name roll over his lips in front of the passing engineers sent a sharp, beautiful current of warmth straight down my spine. He was the only person in this massive, loud paddock who refused to call me Ila.
"What about you, Eliana? What’s your fuel of choice this morning?"
I looked down at my own plate—a heavy, traditional European breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked bacon that I had barely touched.
Looking back up into his dark eyes, seeing the vibrant, healthy glow of a man who treated his body like a temple, a sudden, spontaneous wave of inspiration washed over my chest.
I didn't want to just watch his life from the pit lane lines; I wanted to understand the choices that kept him grounded.
"Honestly? I think my current fuel line is a bit outdated," I murmured with a playful arch of my eyebrow, my gaze steady and independent. I pushed my plate aside and caught the eye of a nearby catering assistant.
"Excuse me... could I please change my order to a fully plant-based avocado and fruit plate instead?"
Lewis froze slightly, his coffee mug pausing mid-air as a look of genuine, breathless surprise washed over his sharp features.
A brilliant, radiant smile completely took over his face, his dark eyes glowing with a sudden, deep-seated pride that left me entirely breathless.
"You're shifting your baseline parameters just like that?" Lewis whispered, his raspy voice dropping to a deeply private register right across the table.
He reached out, his long, tattooed fingers lightly resting on the edge of the white table, just an inch away from mine. The proximity was electric, making my pulse take a sudden leap into the fast lane.
"I’m an independent consultant, Lewis," I replied smoothly, meeting his gaze with an unshakeable calm.
"I like to test new contract clauses before I lock them into my permanent pages. If a vegetarian diet keeps the fastest driver on earth anchored, it’s certainly worth a technical review."
"Consider it a shared menu from now on, Eliana," Lewis whispered back, his voice thick with a profound, emotional warmth that anchored me completely to my chair.
For the next hour, the deafening noise of the upcoming practice sessions completely faded into the background. We sat in our quiet sanctuary on the terrace, eating our matching plant-based breakfast while talking about everything from our favorite organic markets in
Monaco to the quiet, hidden vegan cafes he had discovered during his global travels. There was no pressure, no flashing camera lenses, and no corporate agendas.
He wasn't the seven-time world title holder here, and I wasn't the secret automotive heiress. We were just a man and a woman learning to align our lines on the page, keeping each other humble with every single word.
When my data tablet suddenly chimed, signaling an urgent customs release form for the incoming team components down in the lower bays, I stood up smoothly, smoothing down my linen shirt.
Lewis stood up with me, his powerful frame stepping deep into my immediate space for one long, lingering beat. He reached down, his fingers lightly brushing against mine as he gathered his wooden tray, his dark eyes burning with a protective, lifelong promise.
"Thank you for breakfast, Eliana," Lewis murmured softly, his raspy voice rolling over my full name with an absolute, fiercely possessive tenderness.
"I’ll be looking for your red pass line behind the pit wall feed during the afternoon run."
"I'll be watching your entry speed, Lewis," I promised smoothly, my heart taking a wild, exhilarating leap into our shared future.
As I walked back down the modern glass steps of the hospitality building toward the loud cargo bays, my new plant-based breakfast settling lightly and cleanly inside me, a profound clarity settled deep behind my ribs.
At twenty-one, my independent path wasn't just passing through his paddock anymore—we were actively building the foundation of our permanent sanctuary, one shared choice at a time.
- Writer
