Race (2 page)

“Those who I wait for end up being worth the wait,” Noah reassured, his voice still just as soft.

"I've missed you. The minute I found out that something happened to you, I couldn't bare it -" Chantelle began, wanting to speak to him alone, but then someone cut her off her sentence.

“And those who are late end up being Noah’s treasures,” Ronan added to Noah's sentence stupidly, still awestruck.

Chantelle laughed at him lightly.

“This is Ronan, my younger brother,” Noah explained.

“Hi. Pleased to meet you,” Chantelle said, shaking Ronan’s hand.

"Pleased to meet you too," Ronan rejoiced, making the most of touching her hand.

“And this is Alice, my secretary,” Noah indicated, and Chantelle and Alice shook hands. “This is my friend, Chantelle,” Noah said to Ronan and Alice, not wanting to give them too much information.

“Noah, the announcement’s about to start,” Alice told Noah, indicating the podium.

“OK. I’ll see you a bit later guys,” said Noah, leaving with Alice. Ronan and Chantelle were alone.

“Can I get you a drink?” Ronan offered, his voice a little too enthusiastic.

“Erm … soft drink,” Chantelle smiled, nodding, because she didn't drink alcohol. They began to walk.

“Now I know why Noah doesn't drink. When he sees you, he doesn’t need anything else to be addicted to,” Ronan grinned. He had certain charms he would use with the ladies. Now he'd seen Chantelle, he wouldn't stop trying to woo her until he had her.

Chantelle laughed at him half heartedly. “I think you’re over exaggerating.” Her voice was modest.

“If you look from my eyes, then you’ll realize that I’m really not,” Ronan said seriously. He tried to take things further. “Anyway, what do you think about love at first sight?”

“Hmm … it saves time,” Chantelle smiled.

“Ha ha! It saves time! That’s a good one,” Ronan answered in appreciation, chuckling. “Do you know what I like about you?” Ronan paused. “Hey, Noah never mentioned you to me. How long have you known each other?”

“Quite a while,” Chantelle admitted, blushing.

“Wow … seriously?” Ronan didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Please don’t say yes! Don't say yes!”

Chantelle continued to laugh. “Why are you asking me these things?”

Ronan paused, trying to think of something to say. “Hey, wait one minute,” Ronan told her finally, and walked away from the huge crowd, leaving Chantelle alone.

Noah and Alice came back from the crowd to join Chantelle.

“Where’s Ronan gone?” Noah asked.

“I don’t know,” Chantelle shrugged, smiling. “He went off to do something.”

“Oh.”  Noah frowned.

“You know, Noah. There’s one big difference between you and Ronan. Ronan is a lot more confident when it comes to pulling girls!”  Chantelle joked, because Ronan and her had only just met yet she was certain that he'd taken a fancy to her.

The three of them began to laugh. Then, they heard music. Guitar strumming. 

Ronan had bounded on to the stage, and began singing, girls dancing around him whilst he gazed at Chantelle. Everyone in the crowd was dancing, Chantelle with Ronan and Alice with Noah. They were all just lost in the guitar strumming around them, not caring what they were doing.

Oh yeah

I want you to work it for me like this

Oh yeah

Show me what you got

Show me when I'm here

Come here ...

Go ahead now

Yeah

It's a race of breaths,

It's a race of love and longing

It's a race of heartbeats,

My heart is racing on

It's a race of breaths,

It's a race of love and longing

It's a race of heartbeats,

my heart is racing on

Damn, you're intoxicating me

Damn

Damn

I complain to you

that restlessness is spread everywhere.

its difficult to be distant

In your love.

I complain to you

that restlessness is spread everywhere.

It's difficult to be distant

In your love.

When I'm touching your body

All my touches are driving me crazy

Leave it baby, no need to worry.

The inflammation of grief...

I've borne everyday.

whatever the situation or condition was,

I didn't tell it to nobody.

Yeah, you got that right, nobody

I want to spend my life

Below your hair.

If it's really what you want baby

You can have my life too

I complain to you

that restlessness is spread every where.

it's difficult to be distant

In your love.

i complain to you

that restlessness is spread everywhere.

it's difficult to be distant

In your love.

To meet with distance

is impossible now.

Yeah yeah, impossible

My life

is nothing without you.

I see only your dream,

I only thirst for you, doll

I'm full of desire for you

Yeah, I'm devoted

I complain to you

that restlessness is spread everywhere.

it's difficult to be distant

In your love.

it's a race of breaths,

it's a race of love and longing

it's a race of heartbeats,

my heart is racing on

I complain to you

that restlessness is spread everywhere.

its difficult to be distant

In your love.

I complain to you

that restlessness is spread everywhere.

its difficult to be distant

In your love.

By the time it was finished, everyone was clapping and cheering, breathless.

CHAPTER SIX

THE CONFESSION

Ronan and Noah were sitting together in the deserted celebration ground. It was now late night, the stars twinkling in the sky with the full moon shining, and Ronan was blind drunk and laughing loudly. He was still downing more alcohol from a huge glass bottle.

“That was fun, yeah bro?” Ronan slurred.

“Yeah, sure it was,” Noah agreed, not really caring because he wasn't the type of person that craved for attention.

“It was the best,” Ronan confirmed, his voice still a drawl. “So, Noah … alcohol makes you do things you don’t want to, huh?”

“That’s true.” Noah nodded.

“It causes lots of medical problems, and can make you feel dizzy or faint.”

“That’s true too.” Noah was unsure where Ronan was heading in this conversation.

"It makes you feel out of character, and makes you do things you'll regret." Ronan stood up on his feet, putting his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It also …” Ronan began, but then almost fell over from being unable to walk properly as he was so drunk. Noah caught his brother, his face anxious.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Noah asked.

“Yeah, it’s fine bro,” Ronan replied, and then suddenly, everything came in a rush. “But that Chantelle … She’s beautiful, she’s nice, she’s … oh.” He moaned into the darkness.

Noah’s heart missed a beat. How could it be true? Was his brother falling for his long-term girlfriend, who he loved, with all his life? And what if Chantelle liked Ronan back? They'd only just met and Ronan was all ready obsessed.

Noah stared at his brother, half hoping that he'd laugh it off and say that it was just a joke, but he didn't.

“She’s … amazing,” Ronan said finally. After staring at the huge bottle of alcohol that he was holding in his hands, Ronan let it slide out of his grip and smash on to the floor, the drink splattering on to the grass and the pieces of glass flying everywhere. “I don’t have any need for alcohol, Noah. All I need is Chantelle.”

A word did not escape from Noah’s lips; he was rendered speechless.

“Let me just tell you one thing,” Ronan finished. “If Chantelle comes into my life, I will leave alcohol forever. Forever. And that’s a promise.”

Noah’s eyes went wide. It was unnatural that Ronan was going to make such a sacrifice. So many thoughts rushed into Noah’s mind, as he watched his brother walk away into the darkness.

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE SIGNATURE

“Good morning!” Alice said cheerfully to Noah the next day. Today, she was wearing a pink top with black polka dots on it, with a long floaty pink skirt to match.

"Good morning!" Noah replied to her, taking a seat. "Anything urgent?" he asked.

"Yes," Alice smiled. "Today in the racing department, we need to submit some documents. I need your signature."

"Oh, OK," Noah shrugged, taking the file from her and signing the bottom of the papers, barely glancing at the content.

"Look before you do anything," Alice reminded him.

Noah stared at her absent mindedly. "You look good today!" he said, thinking that she wanted him to comment on her appearance.

"I was talking about the documents," Alice laughed, flattered that she'd got such a compliment.

"Then, you can look at them," Noah grinned as he finished signing the papers, passing the files back to her and getting up from his chair.

"Anything else?" he asked, as Alice put his beautiful black Versace jacket on him.

"Yes, actually. Yesterday, we got a reminder phone call from the bank manager. He said that there's still six repayments we need to make on the stud farm's mortgage."

"OK, I'll tell you what you can do. Contact any Cape Town estate agent. My property's there. Sell it and clear all of the bank repayments." Noah sighed long and hard. Even though he was wealthy, he was finding it hard to keep up with the payments of the stud farm.

"Okay."

"As soon as possible," Noah reminded her.

Then, the house assistant ran into the room, holding a cup of alcohol on a tray to give to Ronan. His name was Leonardo: he had a dark complexion and was incredibly fat, with a short height, giving him the resemblance of a penguin. "Good morning, madam!" Leonardo called, his voice jolly.

"Good morning!" Alice replied sweetly.

"Leonardo, take that alcohol back to the kitchen. Instead, bring some water with some aspirin dissolved in it," Noah said sternly, because he had had just about enough of Ronan's alcohol addiction.

"But Sir, Ronan always has this drink in the mornings," Leonardo said innocently.

"Leonardo!" Noah repeated, annoyed.

"OK, right, sir," Leonardo replied, with his head bowed down low, his smile fading.

"Alice, you carry on with whatever it is you need ding. I'll see you later on today," Noah told Alice. Alice nodded and walked off to go to the office and do some paperwork.

Ronan was sat in his bed with his head in his hands, tired as he'd just woken up. He looked up from his hands when he saw his older brother walk into the room.