20. Professional
Professional
Elio
There’s no avoiding Claude today. Blowing him off to hang out with Lucy yesterday felt like playing hooky at school—forbidden and exciting.
But beyond that, I’m proud and profoundly happy that I was able to help her.
Family is everything to me. Mine is my rock, and I owe them a lot.
I hope that, in time, Lucy can build a strong bond with hers as well, and that she’ll come back to visit them often.
“There he is!” Claude booms, standing up from the round table tucked in the corner of the restaurant as Lucy and I walk in.
I glance at Lucy, w ho’s perfectly relaxed next to me, and we join Claude at the table.
“How are you, Elio? Nice of you to show up today,” he says with a wink.
It’s a small jab, and frankly, I deserve it.
Team principals are important, and they’re highly respected in this sport.
They oversee the entire operation, from managing drivers and engineers to making crucial decisions regarding strategy, car development, and team dynamics.
“ Tutto bene .” I shake his hand. “Sorry again for yesterday. Do you remember Lucy Williams, from Pulse Sports?”
“Oh, right.” He shakes her hand, but his eyes are still trained on me. “I should have known you were blowing me off for a woman.” He coughs out a laugh and sits back down at the table.
Lucy’s jaw is set. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of those dagger-throwing eyes. Wait a minute. Now, I’m the target. What did I do?
“Sorry about him,” I whisper. “That’s just how he is. He’s harmless, though.”
She strides toward the table and takes a seat as far as possible from Claude. I join them, taking a seat in the middle.
“So,” Claude says, grabbing the menu. “Glad to see your mind is back on work, and you’re not, um, distracted anymore.” He glances between Lucy and me.
Lucy stiffens beside me, and I swear the temperature in the room drops five degrees.
“I just want to make something very clear,” Lucy says, glaring at Claude. Her tone is so dangerously calm, it freaks me out. “There is nothing happening between Elio and me. We are professional. I am professional. Please, don’t assume I’m one of his arm candies that he parades around.”
Her words feel like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I just sit there, speechless.
I knew she assumed I was some sort of player when we first met, but hearing her say it like that—like it's a fact, even now—cuts me deep. I let her into my life, and I’ve been nothing but a gentleman toward her, but apparently, that wasn’t enough to break her stigma.
Claude’s eyebrows lift a few inches, and he looks at me.
“She’s right,” I say, clearing my throat to push down the knot that’s tightening it. “We are working together, plain and simple. Don’t insinuate anything more than that, because it’s never going to happen.”
Lucy stares at me for a second, her jaw set, but then she nods firmly. “Absolutely.”
Claude scratches his temple. “Well, thanks for clarifying that. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he says to Lucy. “I just said that because—”
“I know why you said it,” she says, giving him a tight-lipped smile. “And that’s understandable. Which is why I just wanted to make things abundantly clear. I’m here because of the feature I’m doing on Elio, nothing more.”
“I think it’s crystal clear,” I say between gritted teeth.
Claude pats me on the back, increasing the tension in my shoulders. “Terrific. Now, let’s eat. I’m starving.”
I try to focus on the menu, but t he only thing I can focus on is my breathing.
And trying not to be a jerk to either of them, especially Lucy.
It’s true that nothing is happening between us, but I thought we were friends.
It stings to find out that’s how she views me.
As a disgusting pig. Someone she doesn’t want to be associated with.
We order our food, and Claude starts talking about Monaco.
I nod, sipping my water. “Yeah, I feel good about it. Obviously, it’s a difficult track and an important circuit, but I’m ready for my first win there.”
“It’s about dang time,” he bellows. “Eight runs and still no win, but I get it. Monaco is a place of temptations. You can’t let the party scene distract you this time. You have to be focused.”
I throw him a death stare, but he’s looking for a waiter and doesn’t seem to notice it.
Does he really have to bring this up right now?
Of course, he’s not totally wrong. I’ve been known to party through the Monaco race.
But to be fair, everyone does. Plus, despite what the tabloids imply, I don’t sleep with all the women I appear with online.
I’m not dumb. The last thing I want is a lawsuit or an STD.
“I am focused. I’m always focused, and I’ll win this year. You can count on that.”
“That’s what I want to hear,” he says, his attention back on me. Then, he turns to Lucy. “Will you be there?”
She nods. “The race will be my last day before I head home.”
Her statement hits me like a ton of bricks. I was so caught up in this new routine—having her here, and now this thing with her fa mily—that I nearly forgot she doesn’t actually live here. She’s not a part of this world, my world.
“Fantastic. You’ll go out with a bang,” Claude says as the waiter places our drinks on the table.
“Monaco has all the glitz and glam you can imagine, with celebrities flying in to see the race, parties on yachts, not to mention the race itself, which is extremely challenging with the least number of straights of the year, and the smallest margin for error.”
“Right.” Lucy keeps glancing at me, but my eyes are on Claude. “Elio told me, and I got a taste of the Monaco circuit on the simulator yesterday. Very impressive.”
Claude shoots me a questioning look. Granted, we’re not really supposed to let anyone use the simulator. But I tend to make my own rules. “Oh, really? That’s great.”
“I wanted her to experience F1 first-hand. She’s kind of new to the sport.”
“You are?” he asks her. “That’s curious. How did you end up here, then?”
She takes a sip of her drink. “My colleague had a health scare and is on bed rest, so I had to step in. But I’ve learned a lot in just a week here, thanks to Elio. It’s a fascinating sport. I like it more than I thought I would.”
Claude raises his glass to her. “Welcome to Formula 1, Lucy. Once you start, you never stop.”
She smiles, glancing at me. “You might be right. Maybe I’ll be watching the races on TV now.”
“You’re welcome on the track anytime,” he says. “Just call my assistant, Lisa, and she’ll get you tickets.”
“That’s very kind. Thank you.”
“Anyway, I hope we’ll give you a good show for the last live circuit of your trip,” he says, setting his eyes on me.
“This guy right here is one of the best drivers of his generation—of all time, even. He’s fast, determined, and not afraid to take risks.
His beautiful driving style is almost magical, and you won’t meet a hungrier driver. ”
Lucy shoots me an amused look, probably remembering what I said about all the buttering up these lunches entail. And despite myself, the corners of my lips twitch into a smile.
Lucy turns back to Claude. “I assumed you’d be less enthusiastic about the risks he takes. He did break a certain number of your cars over the years,” she says, pulling another smile out of me. Did she look at my stats?
“Are you kidding?” Claude snorts. “I love his no-holds-barred approach. This guy may cost me a lot of money, but he also brings in the big bucks. Why do you think we won four Constructors’ Championships in a row?
He’s a beast on the track, and even if he gives me a cold sweat sometimes, I trust he’ll always do his best to win.
That’s the kind of driver you want on your team. ”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes, but he’s not wrong. When you have no fear of death, you push yourself to the limits every single time. “Thanks,” I say, keeping my response short. Hopefully, that’ll stop the flow of praises coming out of his mouth.
“It’s only the truth, Elio. A nd I hope you’ll stay with us for a long time.”
I pick up a gressino and wink at Lucy before setting my eyes back on Claude. He’s watching me intensely, clearly hoping for some kind of commitment on my end. I shoot him a smirk. “Get me a revised offer, and we can definitely make that official.”
His shoulders sag. “We already stretched ourselves with that deal.”
“You just told me I bring in the big bucks, not to mention all those qualities you mentioned.”
He snorts out a laugh. “Huh. Elio negotiating? I guess there’s a first time for everything. I’ll talk to Pat in the morning, and we’ll see what we can come up with.”
“Sounds promising.” I raise my glass. “To the future.”
“To the future,” they both say. And as I clink my glass with Lucy’s, our gazes cross, and I’m hit with the harsh reality that she won’t be here next season.
In fact, I’ll probably never see her again in my life.
Even if she did hurt me with her comments, and she may not reciprocate my feelings, I know her departure is going to leave behind a gaping hole in my life.