Chapter 33
MONTE CARLO, MONACO
“ T here’s two weeks of break after the Monaco Grand Prix. Do you have any plans?”
Miles smiled at Indy who was sitting at the front, notes set on her lap. Seeing her in the press conference room made his chest warm.He was beyond proud of her, and he truly admired her determination and ambition. He was maybe the best in the sport, he was maybe breaking records, but if he could succeed in making her happy, it would undoubtedly be his greatest achievement.
He leaned back on the sofa he was sharing with a couple of other drivers, spreading his legs out. “Do you? ”
Chuckles reverberated around the room as she lifted a brow, amusement shining in her gaze which seemed to be saying, Are you flirting with me, Huxley?
“Let’s circle back to this later,” she said disinterestedly, like she didn’t care for him, which only made his smile widen. “How are you feeling about the weekend? There’s been some upgrades on the car.”
Placing an ankle atop his opposite knee, he brought the microphone to his mouth. “I’m actually really pumped. Monaco’s one of my favourite tracks. It’s always tricky and challenging, and the car works well on this circuit.”
“Any hopes that we could get a double podium for Imperium Racing?”
Miles glanced at Charlie who was sitting to his right. “We’re going to do everything we can to make that possible.”
Indy beamed at Charlie. “And any chance you’d let Charlie win?”
Miles shrugged. “You know what, sure. If his car is faster and the strategy works well, it might happen. It’s his home race, after all, and he has yet to claim his maiden win. I’d love nothing more than for him to win this Sunday. Maybe we should all light up some candles around Charlie’s photo to manifest.”
Laughter echoed around again, and he bumped his fist into Charlie’s, grinning at his protégé. While most teammates on the grid would see a rivalry between themselves, it wasn’t something Miles felt towards Charlie.
“There’s an idea.” Indy winked. “Thank you for your answers.”
He dipped his chin in a polite nod.
“So, Charlie,” Franklin Harlow, the head presenter, continued. “Rumour has it that you don’t know where you’re going next season. Can you tell us more about that?”
As Charlie answered, Miles kept his stare on the stunning blonde sitting across from him. He frowned as she started rubbing the skin between her thumb and forefinger, her absent gaze settled on Franklin.
He needed to find a minute to talk to her between their busy schedules.
What was going through her mind? Why wasn’t she her usual bubbly and confident self?
On Friday morning as he entered the paddock, he found Indy standing in front of his motorhome, chatting with Ava.
He hadn’t seen Indy last night because he’d come home late after going out for a team dinner. She was already sound asleep in his bed when he came back, and melted into his chest when he draped his arm around her body.
This morning, she had an early meeting, so she had left for the circuit while he was busy sipping on his coffee.
He needed to see her now or else he’d explode. He just needed her in order to breathe properly.
“Morning,” he quipped as he joined the duo. “How are my two favourite girls doing?”
“Good,” Ava answered brightly. “You have a meeting with your strategists in fifteen, and— What the hell are you wearing?”
Miles chuckled as he ran a hand across his chest. “You like it?”
Indy was softly laughing, crimson tinting her freckled cheeks. “You did not.”
“Baby, I told you I’d wear merch to the paddock. Tito, Rowan, and Charlie are about to arrive wearing the same shirt.”
The words barely left his mouth before Rowan’s silhouette caught his eye. He was sporting the Indy Bailey’s #1 Babe shirt like it was his Primavera Racing suit, grinning smugly like he always did as he entered the paddock.
“Oh my God,” Indy mumbled, hiding her smile behind her hands. “This is bat-shit crazy.”
“Nah. Just supporting my girl and showing to the world how great of a woman she is.”
Her face flushed further, and Miles stepped forward, still chuckling. With his arms wrapped around her shoulders, he pulled her in.
Indy stilled, her hands on his ribs. “What are you doing?”
“Need you in my arms,” he mumbled against her temple. “I’m always going to be your number one fan.”
He felt the tension evaporate from her body as she exhaled, looping her arms around his waist.
“Everyone’s watching us.”
“Let them.” He kissed her forehead. “Hi, Daisy.”
The blue of her eyes was his favourite shade of azure. He smiled down at her, feeling a blush creep up his neck.
“Hi, stud,” she whispered.
“You two are adorable.” Ava snapped a photo of them, her smile shifting into a serious scowl when she pointed her finger at Miles. “Don’t be late.”
“I won’t, Mum.”
Indy and Ava exchanged a look before the latter walked away.
“So, what’s up with you?” Miles ended up asking when he started walking by Indy’s side through the paddock. He was aware of the horde of photographers aiming their cameras at them, but he didn’t care. Let them believe all they want. The world already knew that he had a soft spot for her, and her only.
“Nothing,” she answered, too quickly for his liking. “Why?” She peered up at him, then sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s just a big weekend, and I’m nervous for you.”
They stopped in front of the building she was supposed to go in. “You’re sweet. But are you really okay? Are we okay? I didn’t fuck it up, right?”
“We’re perfect.” Her fingers found his, entwining, fitting like puzzle pieces. The adoration glinting around her pupils made relief seep through his veins. “I’ll see you later? I’m having dinner over at Tito’s tonight. Would you like to join us? Rowan and Ava are going to be here. You can ask Charlie to come. I might ask if A?da’s available.”
“Is it really a good idea to have them in the same room?”
Indy rolled her eyes. “They need to rekindle their flame, okay?”
“Fine,” he chuckled. “We’ll be there.”
“Good.”
“Before you go.” He pulled something out of his pocket and slipped it in her palm. When she looked down, she gasped at the sight of the necklace made of white gold, glinting under the beaming sun, the pendant dotted with small diamonds.
“Is this your initial for me to wear on a chain around my neck?”
“Yes.” He pulled his own pendant out of his shirt. “I’m wearing yours.”
Indy’s laugh fed his soul, but he didn’t miss the sheer adoration shining around her pupils when he finished securing the piece of jewellery around her neck.
“Thank you.”
She took a step to round him, but he caught her elbow, pulling her in to leave a soft, lingering kiss on her mouth. She smiled, and just like that, he felt his heartbeat speed up.
He hummed against her lips. She was an addiction. A drug—the good kind that didn’t require a cure. “Have a good day.”
“You too, Golden Boy.”
As he watched Indy step inside, greeting Carmen and some of her colleagues who were glancing between her and Miles with shocked expressions, he couldn’t help but think there was something she wasn’t telling him.
“This car is shit in quali,” he complained to AJ after running his lap.
Miles had easily made it to Q3, but he couldn’t manage to make the fastest lap. His car wasn’t reactive in corners, and well, Monaco was one of the tightest tracks on the calendar.
His gloved fingers hit the clutch behind the steering wheel, propelling him one gear forward. Driving through the tunnel at over two hundred kilometres per hour was his favourite thing about the circuit. This, and the iconic hairpin.
“Two minutes before the end of Q3,” AJ announced. “Let’s do one last lap. Give it your all.”
In Monaco, the qualifying was more important than the race itself because his result would determine his starting position for the Grand Prix. This track was known for being nearly impossible to overtake on, so that was why Miles needed to be on pole.
His surroundings were a blur as he passed the starting line at full throttle, his gaze focused on the route ahead. Even though he knew the track’s shape by heart, roaring off these very streets always made frissons roll down his spine.
The precision, the millimetric accuracy he needed to apply on this circuit wasn’t a challenge for him. If anything, having a precise and controlled driving style was one of his strengths. The way he was in charge of his car. The way he knew when to push the vehicle to its limits. The way he could race through the circuit at full speed without so much as breaching the track limits.
Miles’ breath was heavy as he passed the hairpin before accelerating again. He flew through the second sector at lightning speed, and soon enough, he was crossing the finish line.
“Great job,” AJ praised.
“Tell me we have it,” Miles asked, panting. The feeling inside his gut was already telling him that he, in fact, had not secured pole position.
It took a few beats for AJ to respond as Miles drove slowly towards the pit lane’s entrance. “You’re P3.” Which was fine, because the race engineer continued cheerily, “And Charlie’s on pole.”