Chapter 8: Bahrain

                                    

                                          
Casey was excited for the upcoming day's events.
                          
A week had passed since the Malaysian Grand Prix and the team had been frantic ever since with only one week separating it from the Bahrain Grand Prix.
                          
It was the Tuesday after the Bahrain Grand Prix and management had planned a special event for the team as a reward for their hard work.
                          
Unfortunately, Sebastian had retired half way through the race due to a gearbox failure, and Daniel had only managed to scrape an 8th place with an intermittent software problem.
                          
Apart from learning from their faults, it was a race the team had all decided to forget.
                          
Today, they were being thrown a party of their own. It was going to be held on the roof of the exceptionally beautiful hotel they were all staying in. There would be music, a barbecue and a pool. Casey was more than ready to relax and enjoy a day off.
                          
What are we supposed to wear?... she tapped into her phone, sending the message in a group conversation with Gemma and Isla.
                          
Gemma responded almost instantly, "Swimsuit under a t-shirt and shorts will do."
                          
Evan stomped around the corner in his swimming trunks and looked over at Casey expectantly. She looked up at him and chuckled, "You look fine, stop scowling."
                          
"They barely even fit me anymore!" he whined.
                          
"Just be thankful you don't have to wear a bikini in front of a million guys you work with today. Now that is something to complain about," she groaned.
                          
His features broke out into an evil grin, "True, that would be awful."
                          
She sighed in resignation and crouched next to her suitcase, rifling around for her swimwear. Once she found it, she shooed him from the room and put it on, eagerly covering up further with a loose t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts.
                          
---
                          
Half an hour later, Casey sat on the edge of a lounge chair between Evan and Jacob. The three of them were balancing paper plates on their knees and delightedly devouring a variety of barbecued delights. The atmosphere was perfect; the sun was beating down on them from above and melting their icy drinks, upbeat music was playing from a set of speakers on the corner of the rooftop, people were floating on inflatable rafts and donuts on the pool and everyone around them were laughing and smiling. Perfect.
                          
Casey was becoming more and more amused by the behaviour of Evan and Jacob. She was very attached to Evan, but now, Jacob was quickly become closer to her too. Though they always seemed to be on opposite sides of her in almost any situation. It was as though she was being used as a shield so that neither boy would suspect the other, even though the situation now seemed blatantly obvious to her.
                          
They finished their meals and set the plates aside.
                          
Jacob flopped backwards on the lounger and she followed suit, resting the back of her head on his extended arm. He curled his hand around to reach a lock of her hair and began twirling it through his fingers as they lay there, staring at the sky above.
                          
Evan was standing quietly beside them, gazing at the occupants of the pool quietly.
                          
"Shall we go in?" he asked after a moment, clapping his hands together.
                          
"Ev, are you trying to kill us all? We just ate," Casey murmured sleepily. The warm sun and a full stomach always made her drowsy.
                          
"That is a total myth and you should know better," Evan scolded, "Jake?"
                          
The sleepy brunette let out a small grunt, "Oh alright, if you insist."
                          
He plucked his arm out from beneath Casey and sat up, stretching his arms up above him. Casey watched Evan sneak a glance at the Jacob gun show and sniggered to herself. Once Jacob had stood up and walked towards the pool with Evan, she readjusted herself on the lounger and stretched out happily, quickly falling into a light sleep.