Chapter 18 I want to see you

In the following week, Grace had no close contact with Caesar. Firstly, Caesar began to spin like a top, and every word and action of him, the driver, and the entire Pit Crew would be recorded from all angles by Netflix for the production of the annual F1 documentary series, "Drive to Survive."
And soon, it was time for the practice race on Friday.
Caesar closely monitored the status of the two drivers in the team. Charlie was in great form this year, . Bbeing a well-known racing star since he was young, and he was quickly absorbedacknowledged by the Ferrari team after entering F1. Last year, he ranked high in the drivers' standings, and this year, he had a chance to enter the top three.
Seth, on the other hand, was an experienced driver, having been in F1 racing for many years and often achieving victory through stability.
For the first race of the year, they needed a good start.
During the practice day, both of them drove several laps on the circuit. The new car featured a brand-new power system, and after testing the car, both of them praised its improved performance.
Grace overheard everyone talking about this in the evening and couldn't help but smile, starting to look forward to the qualifying race the next day.
The qualifying race was incredibly important in every race. The drivers didn't need to compete with others on the circuit, but rather set their fastest lap time, which would determine their ranking when combined with everyone else's.
The ranking would then determine the starting order for the main race on Sunday.
In narrow tracks, the final ranking after the main race might not change much from the qualifying race since overtaking was not an easy task.
After the Saturday qualifying race, Seth was ranked third, and Charlie was ranked fifth. Although their positions were not particularly high, they were not too far behind, an overall decent performance.
Soon, it was Sunday's the main race on Sunday. The team staff were all wearing Ferrari's red work uniforms. Grace, along with her colleagues who didn't need to be present at the venue, watched the live broadcast of the race in the hotel restaurant.
Across from Ferrari's pit stop, stood the team's control panel, where Caesar was in a white shirt, wearing red headphones, with the two drivers' car engineers, aerodynamics engineers, and engine engineers sitting beside him.
Everything was ready.
At precisely 3 PM in Melbourne, the race began.
In the hotel restaurant, everyone watched with bated breath.
The five red lights illuminated one by one, and then extinguished together.
The cars raced forward simultaneously.
Seth had a poor start and quickly dropped a position, but Charlie held onto his position and stayed close behind the car ahead.
This was the first time Grace watched a race with her colleagues from the team. Although she occasionally felt the thrill of racing when watching at home before, it was nothing compared to being in the midst of the team's excitement at the venue.
Excitinged, but without much emotional fluctuations, as she did not have a particularly supported team.
But at this moment, she was certain that she hoped those two red cars with the Ferrari logo could leave all the others behind.
In the restaurant, cheers and sighs could be heard intermittently, but for the most part, everyone was anxiously holding their breath, watching intently.
Each overtaking, each falling behind, each pit stops and tire change by the drivers grabbed hold of everyone's heartbeats tightly.
A total of fifty-eight laps, an hour and a half later, Charlie raced past the checkered flag in third place.
Deafening applause and cheers filled the restaurant.
Soon after, Seth finished the race in fifth place.
In the first race of the season, both drivers earned substantial points, and Charlie even made it onto the podium.
This was as good of a start as it could get.
On the control console at the circuit, Caesar's face finally revealed a hint of a smile, and he turned to the person next to him to start a conversation. The live broadcast captured all of this.
Everyone in the restaurant began to make their way to the circuit, waiting to take photos together after the award ceremony and interviews were over.
On Sunday night, Caesar rented a local bar to celebrate today's victory.
Everyone was thrilled, especially with the presence of the star driver, and the bar was almost packed to capacity.
The music was deafening, and Grace had to lean in close to Dan in the booth to hear him speaking.
Dan: said, "In the fourth lap, Seth's car suddenly lost grip, and he nearly flipped over."
"Wow, you couldn't tell at all from the live broadcast." Dan: continued, "Next time, you should come to the pit; you'll see more interesting things."
Grace was excited:, "But I don't have a pass."
Dan: smiled, "Don't worry,. I can get one for you!"
An unabashed smile appeared on Grace's face as she leaned closer to Dan and loudly exclaimed in his ear, "Thank you!"
Caesar once again failed to catch what his assistant was saying.
"Sorry," Caesar gestured towards the speakers next to the bar, "it's too loudnoisy here."
The assistant raised theirhis voice again,: "The car is now parked in the underground garage and can be used at any time. Also, the bill for the bar has been communicated and will be sent tomorrow."
Caesar's thoughts were no longer here at the moment, so he simply said, "Thank you."
The assistant then left the bar counter without lingering any longer.
Caesar's desire for conversation was not strong.
At the beginning, many people came over to drink and chat, and Caesar also participated for a while. However, soon enough, Caesar withdrewleft from the center of the conversations and sat alone on the side.
People gradually dispersed to other places to continue their revelry, and Charlie was the last person to leave.
Caesar put down the glass in his hand; he didn't drink alcohol and only ordered a non-alcoholic ginger beer.
But upon tasting it, he realized it was too sweet.
Or perhaps, his mind was no longer present in this place.
From this position at the bar counter, all he needed to do was turn his body slightly to see...
In the distance, Dan and a group of people were sitting in a booth. Of course, his Grace was also there.
His Grace.
Caesar repeated this word in his mind.
The joy of winning the game filled his brain in an instant. However, as this joyful emotion subsided with the tension he had been feeling lately, Caesar's frustration and uneasiness reached itstheir peak at this moment. He hadn't spoken to Grace in a whole week.
The accumulation of desire was not achieved overnight. At first, when they first started communicating, he only needed conversations and emotions on the internet to satisfy his needs. Then, she opened the video. Once he saw it, he couldn't stop. After that, he could talk to her face to face at any time in the office.
She was always a bit nervous, but slowly, she let her guard down and talked to Grace, which brought a sense of tranquility to Caesar's heart. Finally, it was at her home. Everything about her was within arm's reach, with her legs spread apart, welcoming his arrival. That feeling, definitely unforgettable.
Desire easily accumulated layer by layer, with greed acting as an inseparable adhesive. No regrets, no reduction. It was no longer possible to be satisfied with just chatting on the phone.
In the lively bar, the lighting was not bright. But Caesar could tell that she was happy with everyone. She was wearing a white tight short-sleeved shirt, with a low neckline, and denim shorts on the bottom. Simple, yet still beautiful.
The bar was filled with various friends brought by colleagues from the racing team, and there were many people who came to flirt with Grace. Much more than Caesar had expected.
Was the air conditioning not working in this bar, otherwise, how could he feel like he was burning up?
The only relief was that Grace didn't try multiple drinks tonight. She only ordered a low-alcohol cocktail and sipped it slowly. Grace left the bar at ten o'clock in the evening. The bar was located downstairs from the hotel, so she didn't need an escort. Caesar walked out of the bar with her when she left the booth.
Grace walked happily to the hotel lobby and took out her room card to swipe into the elevator. The thick carpet in the hallway absorbed the sound of her slightly cheerful footsteps. As soon as Grace entered the room, she happily rolled on the bed. Her phone had run out of battery and was turned off, so she plugged it in and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The next two days were free for them to do as they pleased, and they would soon fly to the next city for another race. Therefore, Grace was in a relaxed mood.
She took a long and comfortable bath, then blow dried her hair until it was about 80% dry. Naked, she walked out of the bathroom and instinctively looked at her phone. There was a message from her ownermaster. Grace pondered, remembering that she had promised to contact her ownermaster as soon as the competition ended. The ownermaster must have seen the schedule of the competition and knew that today's competition had ended. Grace couldn't wait to reply the message.
C: Grace, long time no see.
Grace picked up the phone and raised the corners of his mouth high without restraint.
Grace: long time no see, master. I miss you so much.
C: how was the result of the game?
Grace: good, a third and a fifth, better than expected.
C: you are very happy.
Grace: yes, master, Grace is very happy.
C: what's the next time?
Grace: I have two days of free time, so I may go out for a stroll. Does the master want to make a video call with me?
C: no.
Grace's heart sank slightly.
C: I have a question. I didn't ask you at first, but now I need to know the answer.
Grace: excuse me, master.
Grace reined in and looked at the screen solemnly.
C: Grace, do you accept offline training?
Grace's heart stopped at this moment. The news of C came in again.
"I want to see you, Grace."