"Interesting, right?!"
Glenn's shout from the other side of the car drew Sharon's attention back. Turning her head, she was met with a smile that carried a teasing touch of amusement. That brought back to her mind her reluctance when she had heard about the party at first, then she threw that memory away.
Not minding the teasing, she smiled back and opened her mouth, but someone spoke before she could, his voice louder than before all of a sudden, louder and wilder:
"Aaaannnnd~ daaamnnn~~! He failed to cross the chasm of half a meter and recover the first place he has defended for the greater half of the race! What a shame! What a pity! He was almost there! But now we have a winner who has left him behind by zero. point. three. second, and he! wins! the! bet!!! Let's all give him the honor he deserves while not forgetting the Mustang GT that made him run as if he was on fireeee!!!"
"Wow!!!"
The exhilarated shout that followed in response to the call came almost like a reflex. It suppressed any other sound, whether the blasts from the loudspeakers or the rumbles from the booming engines. With the pure excitement it was carrying, it hit Sharon's exposed skin like a wave of untamed volcanic heat, deafening even her thoughts.
The blonde snapped her head to the giant screen, but didn't see the intense race she had caught a glimpse of when looking around earlier. She only caught a replay of the two rockets on the track crossing the finish line amidst an intense, almost unforgiving, confrontation that failed to change anything, unfortunately for the pilot of the muscle sports car that came second.
Watching only the end, especially as a replay, a trace of pity flickered through Sharon's blue eyes. She had missed the climax of the race. She had failed to catch the many moments of sparks flying and wills and skills clashing.
Glenn took in Sharon's expression with an unsurprised smile, then introduced while signalling toward the stage:
"That is Lance Lotter!"
Glenn's shout pulled Sharon back from her thoughts. Her gaze flitted back to the redhead before going to the blond on the stage beside the giant screen.
Alex Lenner's best friend. That label could be said to be useless, but it could also be said to carry some weight, maybe even more than some. Whatever the case, the man in question looked to be on fire, with a bright smile that made it a bit difficult for Sharon to put him under the same scummy label she had expected she would all apply playboys.
Rich heir or not, the way he was now, shining bright with raw energy and an excitement whose purity was driving up the heat of the crowd made him appear different from what she had been expecting. That brought back to her mind her night with Alex Lenner himself, and the impression she had gotten from him, also different from her previous thoughts. He had seemed less of the scummy bastard than she had thought of him at first, even though that didn't make him any less unlikable.
Suppressing the thoughts of that night, Sharon let out a light breath and turned back to the cars slowing down on the live feed that had taken back its place after the playback. After letting the previous blinding speed bleed away, they swerved onto a sidepath, and that was when Sharon noticed their surroundings which looked different from where she was.
Moreover, instead of a crowd, there were only a few people looking like technical personnel dotting the side track in the video. It was no wonder there was no booming noise from the engines of the two cars. She was at the starting line, but contrary to what she had thought, this was not the finish line.
Blinking with curiosity, Sharon thought for a moment, looked around, then understood. And it was because she understood that a strange feeling came to settle in her chest.
On this side was a gathering of not just a hundred or more people, but also dozens, maybe even more than a hundred powerful and modified sports and luxurious cars of all kinds, creating something like a fair that was all about speed, excitement, and showing off. So…
The finish line of the race could only be elsewhere. It was a reasonable arrangement to avoid the possibility of a catastrophic accident that would endanger the crowd. But it was that reasonability that brought about the surprise in Sharon's heart, along with the swirling fog of confusion. It was because the arrangement felt too… responsible. Right, that was the word. It was completely unlike her impression of what a party organized by reckless second generation heirs and their idle friends and associates should have been like. It was just too different from her impression, so much so that, at that moment, the excitement roused in her by the gathering of all kinds of cars built for raw speed and comfortable handling calmed down a little.
"Don't feel too excited yet! You will get to play later!"
While Sharon was lost in thought, Glenn came over to pull her by the hand, bringing her attention back from the race, the track, and the crowd.
Pushing her confusion down, Sharon smiled, and shouted over the noise:
"Where are you taking me?!"
While leading the way like a fish in the water, Glenn shouted back:
"I will introduce you to some people, but first, we must get our drinks!"
Sharon recalled the true reason of their presence, or at least the official reason, bringing a touch of amusement to her smile:
"Okay!"
Wading through the heat of human bodies and mechanical vehicles, they soon reached the bottom of the bleachers. The place had been transformed, the wall now sporting shelves full of bottles, while a bar was installed right in front to be the center of a constellation of tables holding foods and snacks.
While Sharon looked around, Glenn called the bartender and soon pushed a glass toward the blonde:
"Here! Don't be shy!"
Sharon looked at the colorful drink that seemed to be breathing. Raising her eyebrows, she glanced at Glenn's smiling face, then took a tentative sip.
"Hm?!"