I wasn’t supposed to be here tonight. That was the thought running through my head as I leaned against the bar, nursing a drink I didn’t even want. The club was loud, full of flashing lights and strangers pretending to be happier than they were. Usually, I thrived in this chaos. Tonight it just felt like static under my skin.

Then I noticed her.

She wasn’t trying to stand out. No forced laughter, no loud group of friends orbiting her. She sat at a corner table, tapping her fingers against her glass, staring off like she’d rather be anywhere else. Everyone else was here to be seen. She was here trying not to be. That was exactly why I couldn’t look away.

I told myself to stay where I was, finish the drink, leave early. But my legs betrayed me.

“Is this seat taken?” I asked, sliding into the chair opposite her before she could answer.

Her brows shot up, surprise flickering across her face. “Bold move, sitting before permission.”

I leaned back, grinning. “I like to live dangerously. Comes with the job.”

“The job?”

“Driver. Formula 1. McLaren. I'm Lando by the way.”

This time, she fought a smile, lips pressed together like she didn’t want to give me the satisfaction. “Explains the ego.”

“Explains the reflexes,” I shot back.

Her laugh was quick, unpolished—and real. It hit me harder than I expected. I didn’t know her name, didn’t know her story. But I wanted to. Which was ridiculous, considering I’d met her all of thirty seconds ago.

“You always crash strangers’ evenings like this?” she asked.

“Only when I can tell they need it.”

“And how do you know I need it?”

I leaned forward, lowering my voice. “Because you’ve been sitting here all night pretending you’re invisible. And I don’t think someone like you was meant to be invisible.”

For a moment, she froze. The music pounded around us, but she looked at me like I’d said something she hadn’t expected to hear. Her guard cracked, just slightly.

“You’re a little too smooth, you know that?” she said, regaining control.

“Smooth?” I grinned. “That’s just honesty dressed up nice.”

Her eyes narrowed, but the corner of her mouth betrayed her. “You really think that line works on everyone?”

“Not everyone,” I said. “Just you.”

Another laugh, low and unguarded. It felt like the hum of an engine before lights out—sharp, addictive, impossible to ignore.

“Okay, Lando.” She said my name like she was testing the weight of it. “You don’t even know me. Why waste your time?”

I shrugged, my gaze holding hers. “Because for once, I don’t feel like wasting mine.”

The words landed heavier than I intended, and her expression shifted—half curious, half cautious. She was weighing her options: stay or walk away.

“I’m not easy to figure out,” she warned.

I leaned closer, lowering my tone so it was just for her. “Good. I hate easy.”

Her breath caught, the faintest sound, but enough for me to know I wasn’t the only one feeling it.

I let the silence stretch, then finally spoke, steady and certain.

“Stay a little longer,” I told her, eyes locked on hers. “You don’t have to tell me anything—just let me prove I’m worth your time.”