Ryan's POV

Meet me at our suite when you're done with media. I have a surprise for you

I grinned reading the text message as I left the media center. Knowing Mia, her surprise was one hundred percent sexual. Probably some scandalous getup that tried to pass itself off as lingerie or maybe it had something to do with some "toys" that she had been teasing for weeks. Regardless, I was ready for a surprise.

Mia had the presidential suite at a luxury hotel on the Las Vegas strip. She also had the adjoining room booked. It was where she and her grandfather usually stayed for race weekends here, and true to her promise, she had not canceled one of the reservations due to Mr. Hendrick's absence. It was our little secret.

In my haste to make it to my rental car, and paying more attention to my phone, I ran smack into someone. Not just anyone though. A tall blonde woman dressed in distressed skinny jeans and an Alex Bowman t-shirt. It had been weeks since I had last seen her and admittedly, I almost didn't recognize her without the Monster Energy uniform. Strange considering I had spent nearly three years with her.

"I'm so sorry Lindsey. I wasn't paying attention. My fault." I hastily apologized.

"I wasn't watching where I was going either. It's all good Ryan." She replied, and I couldn't help but notice she looked a bit sad and quite distracted.

"You're not working this weekend?" I asked. It did seem strange that she was not decked out in Monster colors, considering how big Monster was in Las Vegas. They usually had all of their top spokesmodels...brand ambassadors on hand.

"I'm no longer with Monster." Lindsey answered, and I couldn't help my curiosity.

"Why? What happened? You loved your job." I asked. I knew that for a fact. I had at one time asked her if she had considered leaving the company back when I thought she and I had a future together and was thinking about settling down. It had always rubbed me a bit the wrong way to have my girlfriend parading around like a piece of meat, although I could never tell her that in those exact words. However, she had adamantly refused, citing that her job was helping to fund her education, which she had wanted to do all on her own. Once her education was complete, then she would leave the company.

"The bitch is what happened." Lindsey spat out the words, and now my curiosity was even more piqued. She must have noted the confusion on my face because she went on.

"Mia Davenport. Alex's boss. She signed him to a new sponsor contract for an energy drink company that had some ridiculous no fraternization clause in it. Bottom line, Alex could not associate with me as long as I was in uniform, which pretty much killed our weekends, so I quit." Lindsey explained, her words clipped in anger.

"But...what about your tuition?...you loved your job." I was honestly speechless. I was also now wondering if Mia had ulterior motives.

"Maybe I love Alex more." She darted her eyes away almost in embarrassment, and a few weeks ago, those words may have stung, however they didn't. I just wanted her to be happy, even if it was with Alex the fucking hack Bowman. "Alex offered to help me out with my tuition until I find something else. I hated asking for help because I really look like a gold digger now." She muttered.

"No one ever thought of you as a gold digger Linds." I said, although I know that wasn't true. I know what everyone says on social media. She was viewed as a trophy girlfriend. One who was only after me for my money and fame. But Lindsey worked hard for herself. She never used me for my bank account, despite what others thought.

"This is all Mia's fault. She did this on purpose. She deliberately tried to drive a wedge between Alex and me. She thought I would choose my job over him." Lindsey's words were clipped once again at the mention of Mia.

"Why would she do that?" I asked, as now I was invested in this story.

"Because she was screwing Alex for months around the time he and I got together and she wants him back. I told you she's vindictive and she was trying to drive a wedge between us and I'm not playing her stupid, petty little game. I really didn't want to leave Monster but I felt like I had no choice. She also screwed around with his contract and placed all of these restrictions just to be a bitch." She said angrily.

"I'm really sorry Linds." I said trying to sound consoling, but on the inside, I was fuming. Everything Lindsey had said was starting to make sense. Why would Lindsey lie about any of this? It's not like she knows about Mia and me, so she has nothing to gain. Mia was not over Alex like she claimed and I couldn't help but feel like I had been played.

"Maybe you can help Ry. I know Chase is close to Mia. Maybe you could talk to him and see if maybe he can reason with her...get her to renegotiate that contract clause or something. I don't know but I'm desperate." She pleaded.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do. No promises though." I replied, anxious to talk to Mia myself and find out just what she had been up to. It sounded like she was being petty and vindictive. Like the person I thought she had been before I really got to know her. Now I was wondering if I ever really knew her at all.

                                      ********

"It's about time you got here. I was about to start without you." Mia giggled, her hands already untying the knot on her short satin robe as soon as I let myself into her suite. I was almost too angry to even notice the skimpy black lace lingerie she had just revealed to me. Almost.

"Did you parade around in that getup for Alex?" I said the first thing that came to my mind as I wanted to see her reaction to his name.

Her eyes narrowed to slits as she retied the sash and glared at me. "What the fuck is your problem Ryan? Why are you even bringing up Alex?"

"My problem is you are still hung up on him and not only are you stringing me along for whatever reason but you are using your position at Hendrick Motorsports for your personal gain. That is highly unethical, not to mention petty and vindictive." I snapped.

"I told you before Ryan that I do not have feelings for Alex and what I do at my company is strictly business. It's not any of your concern."

"I don't believe you. Why else would you try and drive a wedge between him and Lindsey?" I demanded.

I watched her expression change from one of confusion to one of alarm, almost like a deer caught in the headlights and for once, Mia was rendered speechless.

"Your plan didn't work because Lindsey left Monster. That may not seem like that big a deal for you because you have no idea what it's like to have to actually work for something. Little known fact is Lindsey was working hard to get her PhD to work with special needs children. Her niece who has autism inspired her and her job with Monster was helping to fund her education. But Lindsey is now in a tough spot because she chose love. Something else you seem to know nothing about." I spit out the last words.

"I didn't know. I can explain Ryan. Just hear me out." She pleaded with me, and I could've sworn I saw her eyes tear up. It's just a ploy. Mia doesn't cry. She's just trying to play me some more.

"Fine. Let's hear it." I crossed my arms over my chest awaiting her explanation. This better be good, I thought to myself.

She took a deep breath and paused for a moment before speaking.

"I wanted so badly to get back at them for what they did to us. I went back and forth on it so many times, second guessing myself. I might have started out a little vindictive I will admit, but at the end of the day there was nothing I could do regardless, it was a clause in the contract. Yes, I could have fought it more, but Alex needed the money, he was getting low on sponsorship money and I did what I had to do to save his team and his job. Not every driver has the amount of fans that you do. The reputation or exposure. I can try and take out the clause if that would make this better, tell me what I need to do to fix this and I'll do it.

"You still admitted it was personal Mia. You showed me that you were the person I thought you were in the beginning....selfish and vindictive. I thought I had seen a different side of you but now I'm not so sure. Don't do me any favors. We're done." I snapped, turning my back to her, my hand on the door.

"Ryan, please don't go. I can fix it. I'm going to fix it. Not because you called me out on it, but because it's right thing to do."

I was tempted to give in as thoughts of our "prom" and other nights spent together flashed through my mind. But I'm not going to. I'm not in any way sure that I can trust her. I felt like such a fool in thinking that she was different.

"It's over Mia." I said softly then walked out of the door.