SIXTEEN
‘I BOUGHT A HOUSE.’
I’m so engrossed in my laptop, trying to arrange liability insurance for a charity football match, I almost jump out of my chair at the words.
It doesn’t help that my heart leaps at the same time, leaving me completely disorientated.
Hearing Leif’s voice again so suddenly makes me realize just how much I’ve missed him.
‘Hi!’ I look up to find him standing right in front of me, hands braced on the edge of my desk.
‘Hi.’ The corners of his eyes crinkle with amusement. ‘Sorry if I scared you.’
‘You didn’t.’ I throw a quick look around the office, but we’re alone. Emika and Yuto have the day off after Austria, and Charlotte’s in a meeting. ‘What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be resting?’
‘Technically, yes, but it’s Montreal next weekend so my official excuse is that I’m getting a head start.’ He leans closer, his voice deepening. ‘Unofficially, I wanted to see you. Yuto’s a good minder, but he sucks at playing Destiny .’
‘Poor Yuto.’ A thrum of warmth ripples through me at the words. Leif missed me too! And we’re alone. Maybe I could show him how pleased I am to see him again? If I’m quick … very quick. I push myself upwards, lifting my lips to meet his, just as Charlotte comes through the door.
‘So I’ve been looking at your socials,’ I say loudly, dropping back down into my chair with a thump. ‘You’re at two million followers on Instagram.’
‘What?’ Leif looks briefly confused before he catches on, straightening up and rubbing his chin like he’s processing this information. ‘Is that good?’
‘In less than a month, absolutely. Your fanbase is growing.’
‘You know they’re calling you the Arctic Fox?’ Charlotte comes over to join us. ‘Congratulations for yesterday, by the way. The way you held off Quaid for the last ten laps was amazing. I was on the edge of my seat.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Hang on.’ I give a start as the first words he said finally sink into my brain. ‘Did you say you’ve bought a house?’
‘Yes.’ His face splits into a grin. ‘I’ve been looking for a while and the deal went through last week. I moved in right before Austria.’ He pauses, glancing at Charlotte and then back to me. ‘So I thought we could do that video you talked about, the “at home” one?’
‘That’s a great idea! We’ve got to keep your new fans happy.’ Charlotte beams.
‘Um … Of course.’ I start fiddling with some papers on my desk because I have a horrible feeling my cheeks are burning.
On the plus side, I haven’t even spoken to Leif about the need for secrecy yet and he’s already covering for us.
This might be easier than I thought. ‘Why don’t you give me the address and I’ll pop by on my way home. ’
‘Sounds good.’ He places his phone next to mine, airdropping the details across. ‘So I’ll see you later?’
‘Yes.’ I nod briskly. ‘Later.’
‘OK. I’d better get going.’ He smiles at Charlotte. ‘Say hi to Andre for me.’
‘I will.’ She takes his place in front of my desk as he walks out. ‘Honestly, you two.’
‘What do you mean?’ I hoist my eyebrows, ready to make an excuse for anything she might be about to accuse me of.
‘Both of you are such workaholics. I can’t believe he came in to discuss social media on his day off.’
I feel my cheeks flush all over again. I’ll have to stop wearing blusher to work because this is getting ridiculous. ‘I guess we both just love Formula 1.’
‘Corey loves Formula 1 and he’s only here half the time.’ She shrugs. ‘Then again, we’re only twenty-eight points behind Chiltern in the Constructors’ table now. I guess hard work really does pay off.’
MY STOMACH TWISTS WITH nerves as I approach Leif’s new house.
It’s almost 8 p.m., two hours later than I intended to arrive because Vienna called me in for an impromptu progress meeting at five thirty, but I refuse to reschedule.
I’m excited and anxious and I don’t know if tonight is a smart move or not, but I know that I have to see Leif.
If nothing else, I need to set out some ground rules before things go any further. If they go any further.
After twenty minutes of driving through countryside, Waze takes me through a pair of open gates, then along a tree-lined road that leads to a small lake and a beautiful wildflower-filled meadow.
Beside it, the land slopes up towards a house made of pale grey stone and wood.
It has a living roof and blends seamlessly into the landscape, like a cross between a cave and a log cabin, with a wide terrace, accessed by some steps beside a basement-level triple garage.
Above that is a balcony that runs the entire width of the house, with glass doors glittering in the evening sunshine.
Somehow it manages to be rustic and modern and traditional and innovative at the same time.
I step out of my car and take a moment to compose myself. It’s easier than I expected because the atmosphere here is so peaceful. I can’t hear anything other than the sounds of nature – the rustle of leaves, the thrum of insects and the calls of at least six different types of bird.
I’m still taking in the view when Leif emerges through a steel door and comes down the steps to greet me, dressed in cargos and an Amiri T-shirt.
‘Your house is stunning,’ I tell him.
He smiles, like he’s pleased by my reaction. ‘I knew it was the one the moment I set eyes on it. Come on in.’
His hand twitches, like he’s about to reach out to me and then changes his mind. I totally understand. It’s been a week since our kiss and it’s clear we’re both feeling self-conscious.
I follow him into the house and look around. The front door opens into a large, open-plan kitchen-living area, with pale wooden floors, high beamed ceilings and giant windows overlooking the lake and meadow below.
‘No furniture yet.’ Leif sounds faintly apologetic.
‘It doesn’t matter.’ I twirl around in a patch of sunshine. ‘It’s perfect as it is.’
‘I’m glad you like it.’ He watches me from the kitchen. The counters are all a shade of duck-egg green and presumably contain appliances underneath, but there’s no sign of them. Everything is smooth and sleek and shiny. ‘Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty?’
‘No, thanks.’ I smile over my shoulder at him. ‘I had a wrap just before I left.’
He looks anxious suddenly. ‘You know I only mentioned that video as a way to get you here, right?’
‘I had my suspicions.’
‘So we don’t really have to film anything, do we?’
‘We probably should.’ I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing at his horrified expression. ‘Charlotte might wonder otherwise.’
‘You could tell her I looked so grumpy you had to shelve it.’
‘That seems kind of harsh.’
‘Yet believable.’ He moves round the edge of the counter towards me. ‘Do you want to see the rest of the house? This isn’t the best part.’
‘There’s something better than this?’ I open my eyes wide incredulously.
‘Trust me.’ He leads the way through a door and along a corridor towards a glass wall. Behind it I can see a long, narrow pool, clearly designed for doing laps, and in the far corner another room made of wood.
‘A sauna?’ I laugh. ‘That is such a cliché.’
‘I know.’ He grins unrepentantly. ‘I’m thinking of adding a plunge pool too. But this still isn’t the best part.’
‘Wait, upstairs?’ I falter as he takes me back to the main staircase. ‘You want to show me the bedrooms?’
‘No. We have to go through one, but that’s not what I want to show you.’
‘ OK …’ I go ahead. There’s a landing at the top, with four doors leading off it. Leif goes to the first, opening it to reveal a large bedroom with a mat and sleeping bag on the floor.
‘Are you camping?’ I blink in surprise.
‘Kind of.’ He sounds sheepish. ‘It’s a temporary arrangement until I order a bed, but it’s actually quite comfortable.’ He walks across the room, opening some more doors leading on to a large wooden balcony and …
I stop and stare in amazement. From here, we can see above the tops of the trees and out over the fens. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.
‘Wow …’ I whisper.
‘I’m hoping, on a good day, I might be able to see Scandinavia.’ He rests his forearms on the railing beside me.
‘So you’ve actually bought this place?’ It’s a genuine effort to tear my eyes from the view.
‘Yes.’
‘It’s pretty close to Rask.’ A tendril of worry steals down my spine. ‘I guess this means you’re fully committed to the team?’
‘I try not to plan too far ahead. But for now, yes, I’m 100 per cent committed to Rask. If that changes …’ He tilts his head towards mine. ‘I can always keep this place as a getaway.’
‘Meaning, if you move to a different team?’ I ask, in as casual a tone as I can manage. Given what he told me about his childhood, I guess I can understand his attitude to planning, even if it’s the complete antithesis of mine.
‘I suppose so. The driver’s market is kind of up in the air at the moment.’ He gives me an apologetic look. ‘I can’t really talk about it.’
‘That’s fine.’ Relief floods through me. If he doesn’t want to talk about the future, then there’s no obligation for me to either. ‘You don’t have to tell me anything. It’s completely your business.’
‘Not that I want to leave Rask –’
‘But opportunities crop up,’ I finish. ‘You have to do what’s best for your career. I understand that. If you want to be a world champion, you’d have a better chance with a team like …’ I pause like I’m actually considering the answer. ‘Quezada, for example.’
‘That’s true.’ His brows draw together. ‘And I do want to be a world champion one day, but Rask gave me an opportunity this year when other teams wouldn’t.
Bastian and the Jokkinens took a chance on me when it looked like I was going to be stuck as a reserve driver for another year.
I feel a sense of loyalty to them for that. ’
I drop my gaze because his words hit a little too close to home. Rask took a chance on me too, yet here I am, fully intending to interview with Quezada in December.
‘I’m sure they’d understand,’ I argue. ‘F1 is a business, after all. And it’s not like you haven’t been delivering results for them this year. You’ve got eighteen points in the last two Grands Prix.’
‘I guess so.’ He clears his throat. ‘But that’s enough about work.’ He slides one hand along the railing until it’s touching mine. ‘Thank you for coming.’
‘Thanks for inviting me.’ I lift my little finger so that it’s overlapping his.
‘I couldn’t wait to see you any longer. Kelsey keeps asking what’s wrong with me. Every time I work out, my mind starts wandering.’ He gives a wry smile. ‘Suddenly I find gyms very distracting.’
My face heats at the words. The last time I went jogging, I found myself distracted too. The way my heart was pounding reminded me so much of the last time we were together. It’s starting to flutter now. If I’m not careful, I’m going to forget what I came here to say.
‘Leif.’ I pull my hand away and turn towards him. ‘Before we … do anything, there are some things I’d like to discuss.’
‘Of course.’ He nods. ‘Go ahead.’
‘First of all, what I said about not being good at relationships …’ I take a deep breath. ‘I meant it. So I think, if we do this … I’d need to take it slow.’
‘Whatever you want.’
‘Oh.’ I’m taken aback by the ease of his answer. He didn’t even hesitate. ‘OK. In that case, I also think we should keep it a secret, for a while anyway.’
‘A secret?’ This time he looks confused.
‘Yes. At work, I mean. Contractually, I ought to inform HR, but I don’t want people there to start seeing me as Leif Olsen’s girlfriend .’
‘You think they’d treat you differently?’
‘Possibly. They might think they have to mind what they say around me. And it could make things awkward, especially if I have to ask you questions on subjects like your perfect woman again.’
‘If you ask me that, I’ll tell you the truth.’ His gaze roams over my face. ‘She has hair like cinnamon, eyes like summer grass and seven freckles on her nose.’
Desire flares in my stomach. To my knowledge, nobody has ever counted my freckles before. Or called me their perfect woman …
‘I also don’t want anyone to think I’m getting preferential treatment.’ I try to stay on point. ‘I mean, what if I was offered another chance to be your minder? People might assume it was because we were together, rather than because I was good at my job.’
‘You’re phenomenal at your job. Everyone knows that.’ He smiles softly. ‘But if it bothers you then fine, we won’t tell anyone.’
‘You’d really be all right with that?’
‘Yes.’
‘Thank you.’ I repress a pang of guilt. I mean, I’m not lying. I do want to keep things professional and for nobody at work to treat me any differently. I’m just not telling him the whole truth – that I don’t want Quezada to hear any gossip about me either.
‘Is there anything else?’ Leif cocks his head.
‘No.’ I exhale heavily. I almost can’t believe how easy that was. ‘That’s everything.’
‘Good. Because I still haven’t shown you the best bit of this house.’
I gesture at the view. ‘What could be better than this?’
‘One more room, but –’ he smooths a hand across his jaw – ‘it’s kind of personal.’
I peer at him dubiously. ‘It’s not some kind of sex dungeon, is it?’
‘No, that hasn’t been installed yet.’ His eyes twinkle. ‘But you might find this just as stimulating.’
‘Show me.’ I push myself off the railing. ‘Whatever it is, I’m sure I can handle it.’
‘I’m sure of that too.’ His lips curve again. ‘This way.’
The tense atmosphere from before is gone because this time, when he holds a hand out, I take it, threading our fingers together as we walk back through his bedroom-campsite and across the landing.
‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’ He opens a door slowly.
‘No. Way.’ My mouth drops open.
He squeezes my fingers.
‘Leif …’ I turn to look at him.
‘Yep.’
‘This is …’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘I mean …’ I gulp. ‘Can we play?’
‘I was hoping you’d say that.’ He gestures towards the two black gaming chairs set in front of three large screens. ‘Choose a station.’
I move like I’m in a dream. Sitting down is like sinking into a soft leather cloud.
‘Which game do you want?’ He turns the system on. ‘Pick anything you like.’
I suck in my cheeks, mentally reviewing my options, before wriggling my shoulders and getting my game face on. ‘Personally, I’m in the mood to race.’