Chapter 11 Drift

• "Yep." He nodded solemnly.
• And then Olivia let out a laugh.
• "Why are you laughing?"
• "I thought it was something worse, but it turns out you're just looking for a job. You could have just called me."
• Thomas blinked. "So you're gonna help?"
• "Of course. Can you drive?"
• "Yep." He learned how to drive when he was in the military. In terms of skill, he was about on par with any professional racer. He was the driver every time they were out on missions, and all the dangerous situations he escaped from polished his skills.
• She tossed her car key to him. "You're my driver now, and just in time too because I need to see someone."
• She then got up. If it weren't for his visit, she would have been negotiating with Mr. Munich. Now that she had settled his problem and got herself a driver, she had to settle work as soon as possible.
• Thomas was surprised to see the logo on the key. He thought, Wow, she's really rich. It's a BMW, and she tosses the key around like it's nothing.
• "Well, don't just stand there."
• "Um…" Thomas scratched his head. "You haven't told me how much you're paying me. I need a job that pays me slightly higher." I can't take care of Chloe and her family otherwise. Her father's treatment costs a lot. Gotta talk to her about this upfront.
• Olivia thumped her chest. "Eleven hundred every month. How does that sound?"
• "Eleven hundred?" Thomas' eyes shone. Most of Irieson's white collars were only paid that much as well. That's a big company for you. Generous.
• Thomas had no idea that his salary was beyond the normal range. The only reason Olivia paid him that much was because of her gratitude for him. "Um, there's something else too…"
• Olivia looked at the time. "Okay, what is it?"
• "I have a sister. She used to go to college, but she dropped out because of financial issues. Can you give her a job too? It doesn't have to pay too much. Just an easy job is enough."
• "Sure. The secretary department needs an administrative secretary. She can start tomorrow. Seven hundred dollars a month."
• She headed to the entrance, but then she realized Thomas still wasn't coming. "Don't tell me you have some other problems."
• "Um…" He scratched his head awkwardly. "Can you lend me twenty-eight hundred? Deduct it from my pay. My sister and I need to rent a house, but we don't have enough money."
• "Man…" Olivia heaved a sigh. "Can you finish everything in one go? Anything else you need? Just tell me."
• Thomas shook his head. "No. That's all."
• "I'll get the money for you once I'm done with work."
• "Sure." A weight was lifted off his shoulders, and Thomas looked relieved. He then left the conference room and asked, "Well, let's go, Miss Pearson. Aren't you in a hurry?"
• She rolled her eyes. It's your fault. You might have another request I don't know about.
• As Thomas predicted, Olivia's ride was a red BMW Z4. Even in a metropolis like Irieson, a Z4 was still rare. He drove slowly at first to test the car and memorize the route.
• Olivia was starting to get exasperated. "Can you really drive? Feels as slow as a tractor."
• He glanced at her. "Of course, I can. I can do anything."
• "Then speed up. I'm in a hurry."
• "I don't wanna scare you. You might deduct my pay."
• "You think you can scare me?" She scoffed. "Not to brag, but nobody's driving can scare me."
• She wasn't lying, since she was the one doing all the scaring. Olivia wasn't called the destroyer of cars for nothing. She would turn left while signaling right, and that was the least of her atrocities.
• Thomas shrugged it off. "I think we should go slow. For safety's sake."
• "You're going too slow! Twenty miles an hour? I can run faster than you drive. Are you a newbie? I don't have time for you to train yourself up. If you keep driving at this speed, I might have to deduct your pay."
• Thomas started getting solemn after hearing that. I can't let her deduct my pay. Fine. I was going to stay humble, but you asked for it, so don't say I didn't warn you. "Buckle up. We're going for a ride."
• "Sorry?"
• Before she could do anything, Thomas floored the accelerator. The Z4 roared, and it sped up to 120 miles an hour.
• "Aaahhh!!!" Olivia felt a great momentum pinning her against the car seat, and she couldn't move.
• Thomas kept his hands on the steering wheel. Everything outside was a blur. All she could feel was the trees zooming backward, and the other cars on the road felt like obstacles for Thomas to pass through.
• But that was just the start. The speedometer kept rising. A hundred and thirty. A hundred and forty. A hundred and fifty. Thomas brought out all the performance Z4 had to offer and zipped down the road like a flash of crimson lightning.
• "What the f*ck are you doing?"
• "Slow the f*ck down, *sshole. This isn't a racecourse."
• "What are you, Lightning McQueen?"
• The pedestrians and drivers kept cursing the Z4.
• Olivia looked as pale as a ghost. She held the armrest, her eyes staring ahead at the road. And then she remembered something. There's a ninety-degree bend ahead!
• "There's a bend ahead!" she reminded him.
• "Okay." He narrowed his eyes calmly. It felt like he didn't even hear her.
• "There's a bend! There's a bend!" Olivia felt like she was going to go mad. I'm too young to die!
• Thomas steered the car left and tapped on the brakes with his right foot. At the same time, he pulled the handbrake up and performed a drift.