19 First to be Invited (1/2)

As agreed upon, Kurtis was there before the sun rose. He smiled when he saw Lyra in a pretty sun dress and politely asked her to change, much to her embarrassment. Preferably jeans and some shirt he said, not wanting her to attract too much attention on the circuit where mostly men worked and where there wasn't much to look at but cars and other guys.

Telling her that made her face flush even redder as she had to ask him to stop with the details so she could run up and change. Successfully teasing his future sister-in-law so early in the morning definitely already made Kurtis's day as he leaned back on his seat.

In minutes, Lyra came back down in a gray T-shirt and blue jeans. Her hair was tied up in a nice long ponytail—just the way Kurtis found attractive on any girl. Even in such plain clothes, she looked stunning from top to bottom. 'Too bad Angela doesn't dress like that ever so often,' he thought to himself before starting morning greetings all over again.

They drove about two hours out before he stopped at a place where a helicopter was waiting. Lyra couldn't believe that Kurtis was just going to leave his few hundred grand car out in the middle of nowhere to fly in the helicopter. But that was exactly what he did.

Kurtis easily hoisted himself up the flying machine before extending his hand for Lyra's. She climbed on with relative ease and was instructed to put on her seatbelt as the pilot flew off.

”First time on a helicopter!” Lyra yelled over the loud noise of the rotor as she peered over the edge, legs shaking with excitement.

Her company grabbed onto her before she leaned too outwards, but she knew she wasn't going to fall. She just wanted to get more of the air that felt so naturally clean. It reminded her of the air on the island.

”It's so nice up here!” she beamed and Kurtis was delighted. It almost seemed too good of a deal to be able to see such a smile from a simple helicopter ride.

His previous girlfriends all liked it too, but something in the way Lyra took the experience was very different. Unlike them, she acted as if this was an opportunity that she may only have one chance of taking. She really seemed to be in the moment.

In that sense, she was much more present than Angela ever was. He really hoped his fiancé could one day learn that from her sister.

When they reached the destination, the staff all seemed to be shocked by his unannounced arrival, but more than overjoyed to welcome him.

The staff overlooking the track conditions pulled up the special two-seater race car they had on hand and thew Kurtis the keys. The head guy exchanged a few words with him before patting him on the back.

”Good?” the engineer asked from the window as Kurtis got settled in. The racer lifted a thumbs up and his friend took cue and escorted Lyra out.

Lyra sat down, buckled her seatbelt, and looked forward, not once looking at Kurtis until he held out a racing helmet for her. She took it with the same sunny expression and wore it.

”Alright you're set,” the mechanic stated before tapping the window sill. ”Enjoy the ride!” he said before giving Lyra a wink.

The girl waved to the man before the car was off. It was a slow start at the normal 30mph, warming up the car. But when that part was done, one hundred miles was nothing. Then came two hundred that sent Lyra laughing hysterically. And when three hundred came around, she shut up and almost fainted.

That sent Kurtis laughing. It was probably one of the shorter runs he ever did, but it was definitely one of the most fun in a long while. He knelt down on the other side by the passenger seat to wait for Lyra to adjust. She did eventually and even asked to go again.

”Next time,” Kurtis answered. ”I need a break,” he said, pointing to his right leg before letting a slight look of pain appear on his handsome face.

The two ended up enjoying lunch together before Kurtis offered a tour of the place, even encouraging her to go for a test spin with him as instructor. Lyra declined once but full heartedly accepted when he only started to ask a second time.

'Too easy to read,' he thought before getting in the car with the energetic girl. He watched her slowly get used to the car and get excited when it sped up. She didn't pass 100mph because everything was still foreign and much more complicated than a normal car, but it was good enough. She was satisfied and kept talking about it even half an hour after she got out. Kurtis only smiled more and more, leading to the guys talking.

”Kurt doesn't usually bring gals on the track,” another racer who just joined the staff gathered in the private viewing facility commented.

”More like he never did,” the head honcho corrected.

The guys gathered in the room all smirked.

”Let's bet—hundred bucks he gonna tie the knot with this one.”

They temporarily halted their gambling as the star walked in with the pretty lady and led her to the back where the helicopter was parked. The pilot was still eating and Kurtis wasn't in a rush so ended up waiting with Lyra.

”How was it?” he asked, still grinning.

”INCREDIBLE,” she spelled out, almost. But it couldn't be more obvious that she loved it.

”But you were only going at 80…” Kurtis teased.