014. | OH, IT'S ON!

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014. | OH, IT'S ON!
— AFTER HOURS, LANDO NORRIS

Emery leaned against the wall of Royal's stall, feeling utterly consumed by her own thoughts. With a bright pink pitchfork in her hands, waiting to be used to clean up the horse's stall, she found herself unable to concentrate.

Despite the boots on her feet sinking deep into the pile of horseshit, her mind refused to stay present. It was as if Charles had taken up residence in her thoughts, refusing to be evicted.

Even during her recent riding lesson with Flo, Charles had continued to invade her mind. Thirty minutes ago, as Flo had given Emery and Royal another round of instruction, his presence lingered, distracting her from the task at hand.

Try as she might, Emery couldn't shake the thoughts of their evening together and the subsequent morning. Charles had left an indelible mark on her consciousness, making it impossible for her to focus on anything else.

Even as Flo yelled at her to "get her head out of her ass" and to "fucking focus" during the training session, Emery's mind remained in a whirlwind of thoughts and memories.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Quinn, Emery's best friend, asked with a playful grin as she stepped into the stall, blocking most of the incoming sunlight with her presence.

"Tyfus zooi!" (Fucking shit!) Emery practically yelled in shock when she finally noticed Quinn, her hand instinctively clutching her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

The sudden scare caught her off guard, and she let out a nervous laugh, relieved that it was just Quinn.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Emery switched to English, her voice laced with both surprise and amusement. "Never do that again," she added, her smile betraying her initial shock.

"Why not?" Quinn asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's funny, seeing you react like that," she reasoned, clearly enjoying the playful banter between them.

Emery scoffed, momentarily flustered but quickly regaining her composure. She resumed her work, intentionally ignoring Quinn's previous question, her mind still grappling with the thoughts that had preoccupied her.

After Hours, 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐒. Where stories live. Discover now