Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Athena
My heart is in my throat. I have Edel on video call. It’s five thirty am back home and we’re all holding our breaths as Royce crosses the line on lap fifty, still holding onto third. Ana?s stands next to me, her shoulder bumping into mine, her nails in her mouth.
“God, I feel sick,” I mutter as I watch the screen, headphones on.
“Same.” Her voice is soft. “So much can still happen.”
“Really?” I tear my eyes from the television and focus on her, seeing the worry etched into her face.
“Yup, this is the thing with Formula One, it’s anyone’s race, in a way.” She gives me a glance, one of her hands pressed against her headphone.
I swallow. “We have to think positive.” I nibble on my bottom lip.
“He’s got this,” Edel’s voice floats through the speaker and just as her words trail off, we hear a commotion.
“Fuck.” Ana?s rushes to the pit wall, and I have no idea what is going on.
The crew rush to the pits and my heart is racing.
“What is it?” I ask Nora.
“Cowan has gone into the barrier,” she says.
Right on cue, the camera pans to his car. It’s wrecked. My breath is caught in the back of my throat until I see him climb out of the car and the garage claps, relief waving through all of us.
“Safety car.” Ana?s runs in, but she seems happy about it.
“Is this good?” I find myself asking.
“It will work in our favour as all cars have to stay where they are. Reduced speed, no overtaking etc.” She waves her hand.
“So, this is how it could finish?”
“Yes, if the safety car stays out for the next…” She clocks the screen. “Six laps.”
“Oh, God.” Nerves prickle at the base of my neck. “Is Cowan okay?” I furrow my brow and Nora nods.
“Yeah, he is on his way back to the garage.” Her smile is gentle; her eyes fixated on the screen.
“That’s good.”
“It is.” Her head bobs and Ana?s settles back between me and Nora.
Edel is silent as we all watch with anxiety dancing in our tummies. I swear the next four laps drag until we hear that the safety car is coming in and racing will resume.
Ana?s’s hands are either side of her face, fingers locked over the top of her red hair. Nora has bitten every nail, and the crew are standing in the pit lane.
“He needs to get a good pull away or Griffin could take it in the last couple of laps,” Ana?s’s voice trembles.
I tiptoe forward and look at our pit wall. Creed looks nervous as hell. Marcel, Royce’s radio engineer, is talking into the mic whilst the analysts are on the screens.
Green flags are being waved, and the sound of the engines grows louder as they zoom past the pits, but all I see is a flash of grey and yellow. My heart blooms in my chest.
“How’s the research going?” Edel asks me as I drop my eyes to the screen.
“Good.” I give her a smile then let my gaze trail over my shoulder to where my notepad sits, with loads of scribbles from this race.
“I’m scared to watch,” I admit as I step back into the garage.
“Go watch. Your man’s got it in the bag.” She hums and I slowly look at the screen.
My man. Fake. Dirty faker, my subconscious reminds me.
My eyes widen as I see the chequered flag hovering out of the flag stand.
My heart is drumming and that’s when I see the crew rush out to the wire fence, climbing into it.
Creed runs into the garage, eyes on the screen before they drop to Ana?s.
He picks her up, swinging her around and kissing her on the lips before he is out with the rest of the crew.
“He’s done it.” Ana?s’s voice is quiet.
“His first ever podium…” Nora whispers and I can see the proudness that swirls in her eyes, misty as they fix on the screen.
“Wow,” I whisper.
Ana?s leans into me and whispers, “Maybe you need to fuck his brains out more often.”
Heat flames my cheeks as my mouth pops open. Edel is giggling and I know Ana?s is only messing because she knows the truth, but still.
“Go, you need to play the part,” Nora reminds me. “Girlfriends always watch the podium. You better get moving.” She slaps me on the ass and I scowl.
“Gotta go,” I cut Edel off and Nora begins walking with me. “You’re going to be there too, right?”
“Course we are.” Ana?s runs to catch us up. “We’re not missing Royce’s first podium.”
As we hop on the back of a cart, I watch as fans flood the track. Wow. This is something else. The way their cheers float through the open space, my skin prickles with goosebumps. How have I never had the chance to experience this before? I count my lucky stars that I am here.
Standing at the barrier, we watch as Royce pulls his car into the third-place spot.
I watch with misty eyes as he lifts the head rest away and pops it behind him before removing the steering wheel and places it just through the halo on the front of the car.
My heart jackhammers as he pushes from the car, helmet still on and he runs towards us.
Everyone cheers as he jumps across the barrier and into his waiting crowd. His dad is hugging him, his crew tap his crash helmet, whilst some slap their hands to his back, shoulders, and ass.
A lump in my throat burns and I have no idea why. I glance to Ana?s and Nora and they’re clapping, huge smiles on their faces and I catch Ana?s swiping a happy tear away.
They let him break away, and he has his hand on his hip, head tipped as it shakes as if in disbelief.
Then slowly, as if time stands still, he steps towards me, turning his body before flicking his visor up.
Ice blues catch me off guard, misty and teary, glistening under the afternoon sun.
His gloved finger points to me before he presses them into a heart.
I swallow, ignoring every fibre in my body that wants to go to him.
Turning, he walks to be weighed and congratulates the other two drivers.
Nora slips through the barrier, flashing her lanyard before she disappears.
He hovers near the barrier just in front of us.
His helmet is finally being pulled from his head and that’s when he catches my gaze, flashing me a slow smirk and a wink. My heart free falls through my chest.
“Come.” Ana?s links her fingers through mine and pulling me out of the crowds.
“Where are we going?” I ask, looking back towards where Royce disappeared.
“Podium.” She smiles at me as I follow her.
“I feel…” I can’t even put into words.
“I know.” She gives a knowing nod.
My fingers tingle, and I find myself looking down at them, turning them palm side up and furrowing my brow.
“He looks at you completely different.”
My eyes trail her. “Who?”
“Royce,” she says softly.
I scoff a laugh. “He is playing, he’s got to make people think we’re the real thing.”
She hums and lifts a shoulder. “I suppose.”
“Yeah.” I lick my lips, ignoring that lump that has made itself known again. The soft breeze dances through my hair as we move to where the podium is and I feel like a fraud. “I forgot my notebook.” I sigh, running my fingers through my roots.
“You won’t forget this moment,” she reassures me, giving my thigh a pat.
“I hope not.”
We roll to a halt, and she is pulling me from the seat as we run towards the crowd.
“Oh my God,” I pant as we begin to slow. “This is mental. How are we going to get through?”
“Perks of being married to the CEO of Saint Onyx.”
She winks and tugs me forward towards the security guard. She flashes her lanyard and I hear her mutter something about the Saint Onyx name. The guard gives a heavy nod and seeks out Creed as he holds his hand up.
“There we go.” She scrunches her nose as she begins making her way through the path that is being made in front of her. “Only joking about the CEO thing, I’m their social media manager, so I get front row,” she sings just as we get to where the team stand.
Creed rolls her in front of him, and in doing so, she takes me with her. Both of us are standing in front of the barrier, front row seats to this moment.
I have never felt dirtier than I do now. I shouldn’t be here. I should be tucked away, watching it on a screen whilst writing down all the crucial bits. But here I am, watching this moment unfold because I am his fake girlfriend.
Snapped from my thoughts, Ana?s nudges me as the crowd goes wild and there he is.
Wearing a Pirelli black cap, his skin shimmers from post-race sweat but he walks onto that podium like he belongs there.
Cool and collected, he waves to the crowd and then he sees me, eyes locking on mine as if I am his focal point.
The other two drivers walk onto their platforms, and we watch as they’re all given a trophy. We scream and cheer when Royce holds his in the air, proudness etched into his face. A smile that I have never seen graces his lips.
The cheers and chatter fall silent as the Dutch anthem begins to play, all three racers standing silent, taking it all in, every single second imprinting on their minds.
It’s one that will play on loop for infinity.
The music fades out before the overture of George Bizet’s opera Carmen, the playful notes of the toreador song echo around the podium as the drivers focus on Royce, spraying him in the face and all over as they celebrate him.
I glance at Ana?s and she is filming everything; Creed has a hand wrapped around her waist and I can see the immense proudness in his eyes as he watches his son up there. I feel something, so I can’t imagine how Creed is feeling right now.
It all comes to an end and the drivers disappear. The crowds slowly fizzle out, and I follow Creed and Ana?s.
“What happens now?” I ask, my skin tingling as I look back at the podium.
“Royce and Cowan will go to their press obligations with Nora and her team, and we will see them in a bit,” she answers, her fingers linked with Creed’s as we take a slow walk back to the garage.
“How is Cowan?” I find myself asking, trying to keep up with Creed’s long strides.
“He is okay, that’s the main thing.” Creed’s deep voice vibrates through me.
“Was it his fault?”
Creed turns his face to me. “In this case, yes. He tried an overtake and didn’t leave enough space. It’s gone to the stewards to make a decision, but it’ll be likely a grid penalty for the next race.”
“Oh, that’s not good.”
“No, it’s not. Not on the first race,” he grumbles and Ana?s puts a huge smile on her face.
“But, these things happen,” she says. It’s like she’s trying to lighten Creed’s mood. “And Royce got on the podium.”
That’s all it takes for Creed to be grinning like a cheshire cat again.
“Yeah, he did.”
“I think we need to celebrate tonight.” She nods, tightening her grip on Creed’s hand.
“I agree.” He pulls her into his body and kisses the top of her head.
“Will it be a whole team thing?” I ask as we make a slight turn and walk through the back end of our unit.
“Usually is. Royce doesn’t normally join us, but then again, this is his first podium.”
“Oh, what does he do?”
I wish I never asked because the way Ana?s looks at me, wiggling her brows, has me feeling nauseous.
I don’t want to think about him being with anyone else.
But the thing is, I know he can be with anyone, even whilst we’re in this fake dating situation.
He doesn’t belong to me. We’re not allowed to sleep together—not that I want to—but I’m sure he will find a way to slip out.
Plus, we don’t even share a room, so who knows what goes on in there when I am gone.
A shiver traces up my spine, but I don’t react.
Walking back into the garage, I grab my notepad and phone that I left and make my way to the press area to see if I can listen in.
By the time I get there, Royce is nowhere to be seen.
Rubbing my lips together, I walk back towards our unit in hopes of finding him, but it seems he tracks me down first.
“There you are.”
I smile, but only the floor can see it. Slowly turning to look at him, his messy black hair is slightly damp, his eyes still have that sparkle that I saw when he climbed out of the car.
“I’ve been looking for you,” I admit
“I’ve been looking for you, too.” He smirks and steps towards me.
Toe to toe, I tilt my face to look at him. “Well done,” I mutter, “you drove so well.”
“Thank you.” His smile grows and I wonder if he can hear the way my heart is thrashing deep inside my chest.
“What are you doing now?” I find myself asking, rocking onto the balls of my feet, holding onto my notepad.
“Not a lot, eat…” His eyes flick down my body. “Shower.”
I ignore the way his blue irises drag me in.
“Maybe get a nap.” His tongue drags slowly across his bottom lip.
“I see,” I breathe, tightening my grip to my notepad.
“Why do you ask?” His head tilts.
“I was just wondering whether you were heading back or not.”
He nods.
“Ana?s was saying about going out to celebrate tonight,” I whisper, the words catching at the back of my throat.
“Oh yeah?” His dark, thick brow lifts.
“Yeah, but she said you don’t normally go to the dinners.”
“She’s right.” His full bottom lip is pulled behind his teeth.
“That’s a shame.” I sigh.
The sound of footsteps approaching has his arm snaking around my back. He pulls me close to him, a breathy gasp escaping.
“I have to admit,” he says as he edges his lips closer to mine, eyes falling to my mouth, “these little skirts you wear are becoming a bit of a problem.”
“Oh.” My spare hand presses to his chest in an attempt to keep myself standing.
“Mm,” his voice hums.
“Royce,” a low voice floats down the hallway as a mechanic moves past us.
Royce nods and once he has disappeared, he gently knocks me back as he runs his hand through his hair, messing it up.
Of course. Just a show.
“So, dinner?” I clear my throat, trying hard to not let him see how much he affected me. I cannot remember the last time I was that close to a man that I could smell his scent, feel his heartbeat dancing beneath my fingertips.
“I’ll be there. After all they’re celebrating me, aren’t they?” A boyish look paints his face and I laugh softly, shaking my head.
“Hang here, let me get changed and we will head back to the hotel.” He turns on his heel and begins to walk towards his room.
“Okay,” I mutter as I take a few steps back from him.
“Oh, and Lucky,” he says, the nickname making me crinkle my nose. He spins to look at me. “I meant what I said about the skirts.” He winks then disappears, but not without making sure my cheeks would turn crimson.