Chapter 16
sixteen
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
Austin, Texas
Silver was poised for a big day, with both drivers in contention to win. Avery’s heart was already pounding in her chest with anticipation, and the race hadn’t started yet. It was going to be a long day for her nervous system.
“Should we head straight to the garage and wish everyone a good race?” Ben asked innocently enough. But Avery knew that behind his well-coiffed hair (jet-black like her own) and a half smirk, he was really gunning to meet Teddy in person and suss him out.
She really, really did not want to interrupt his race preparation by bringing her brothers around for an introduction.
She had sent him a quick text that morning wishing him a great race, and otherwise planned to give him a wide berth.
If he didn’t like seeing his own family before a race, surely he wouldn’t want to see Avery’s on the biggest day of his career.
“Um, I think Mom is already in the Paddock Club, so we should probably go help her entertain all the guests,” Avery countered.
The Paddock Club, overlooking pit lane, was considered the most desirable place to watch the race from, with a price to match.
When Sharon, Avery’s mom, came to town she always took advantage of the opportunity to turn the race into a social event, inviting friends and relatives to join them in the club.
“Are you going to go make an appearance and then watch from the garage, now that you’re an official girlfriend?
” Adam, Ben’s husband, asked, wiggling his eyebrows from behind his sunglasses.
Both men were wearing v-neck, blue short-sleeve shirts, Ben’s a lighter shade, Adam’s darker one featuring a subtle Silver logo on the sleeve.
“Haven’t decided, but maybe you two should stop in here and get tattoos?
” Avery pointed to one of the many merchant stalls, this one run by a local tattoo parlor offering their services on the spot.
It wasn’t a crazy question—girlfriends often watched the race from the driver’s garage, headset and all.
But I’m pretty sure that’s crossing a line for a fake relationship.
“No way, sis, this body is a temple” Ben flexed his biceps, inducing an eye-roll from Avery.
Ben and Adam had put in a state-of-the-art gym in the sprawling mansion they’d built in the suburbs, but she doubted he’d stepped foot in it more than twice.
Adam on the other hand, could often be found there dancing it out on his spin bike.
“Okay, then we don’t need to walk through the Texas fan plaza and sample some BBQ on our way to Mom?” she countered.
“Well, that would just be rude,” Ben grinned. “I have to try the local cuisine or I might offend someone. Are you thinking brisket?”
Avery’s stomach churned. She was way too nervous about the race to eat. “Um, I’m good for now. Let’s go get in the AC at the club.”
* * *
“Well, you look absolutely perfect,” her mom said approvingly, after looking up and down at Avery’s floral printed midi-dress with side cutouts at her ribs.
She’d accessorized with ankle-height cowboy boots and large hoop earrings, a big departure from her usual low-key race-day look.
Mom will parade me around, no doubt. At least I can dress the part.
She felt more pressure than usual to be the flawless daughter, showing nothing but appreciation for her charmed life.
On top of that, she now had to play the part of the smitten girlfriend.
Which, to be honest, wasn’t much of a stretch.
She was, in fact, halfway to smitten. Mentally, she was with Teddy in the garage, even if she was watching from her seats above pit lane.
How was she going to make it through the day serving as assistant hostess to her mom when she felt out-of-sorts?
“Avery, come say hello,” her mother instructed, turning to her older sister, Avery’s aunt, who had come in from California for the race.
“Hi, Aunt Mel, how are you?” Avery put on her best hostess smile, and leaned in for a hug and kiss. She tried to wipe her cheek as subtly as she could, hoping her aunt’s magenta lipstick hadn’t left a smudge on her cheek.
“Well, you know with the twin’s senior year it has been busy, busy, busy…” Avery pretended to listen to stories of SAT scores, reach schools and safety schools, but her mind wandered back to Teddy.
Normally, she’d be the first one to remember to ask about her cousins’ college applications.
But all she could think about was how Teddy was.
Was he feeling confident and energized? Nervous or anxious?
Was he warming up with Stacey already? Or getting last instructions from Brandon, the team principal?
Had the team told him to go for a win or to play a supporting role for Zack?
She “mm hmmd” and nodded as appropriate for what felt like an eternity, until she freed herself from the conversation. She spotted Ben and Adam at the bar. How had they managed to escape the small talk? Not fair.
Ben waved her over with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Okay,” Ben whispered. “Game time. How many people in this room are on Ozempic, if you had to guess?”
“More than half, for sure, but I really can’t just stand around figuring out who is taking skinny shots. This race is actually a big deal to me, whether you care or not,” Avery sounded harsh to her own ears.
“Woah, okay,” Ben put his hands up in a defensive position and took a step back. “I guess there will be no joking with my baby sister today.
She regretted it immediately. Ben didn’t know how tired, truly exhausted, she felt from constantly switching modes, and playing all her different roles.
When she was with Teddy, she was pretending she wasn’t falling for him, which was hard enough.
And then when she wasn’t with him, she was pretending they were in a completely normal relationship.
It was all starting to make her head spin.
“Sorry, it’s not your fault I’m on edge. I’m so nervous for the race, and for Teddy. And you know that being around mom doesn’t always bring out my best,” she admitted. It was a partial truth at least.
“Sounds like you need a mimosa. Come on, my treat,” Adam joked, gesturing to the open bar.
Ben had come out to his family when he was fifteen and ever since, though no one had said it out loud, Avery thought that her parents had given Ben a pass on conforming to society’s expectations.
Conversely, the pressure for Avery to assume the traditional life of marriage and kids had ramped up over time.
The irony was that Ben and Adam had married young and Ben adored being a stay-at-home dad, while Avery was the one focused on her career and carrying on the family business.
“You are correct, thank you,” Avery said. Adam handed her the drink and she took a huge gulp, nearly draining the glass in one sip.
“That bad, huh? I thought you’d be floating around on cloud nine now that you’re in love,” Adam teased.
Here we go, time to convince Ben and Adam that I’m really dating Teddy. As much as she wanted to be honest with Ben and Adam, she didn’t trust Ben not to blab to their mom. They had always been close. Closer than she and I have ever been.
“You have no idea. Dating a Formula One driver is like being under a microscope, and I thought being a Silver was a lot of pressure,” Avery explained.
“I’m really glad you guys are here. I’ve missed you.
” It was true, she had missed them the last few weeks, and also she wanted to move the conversation to safer territory.
Avery’s phone buzzed in her pocket. “Who would call me right now?” she asked aloud in disbelief.
Adam and Ben exchanged bewildered looks and shrugged, agreeing that it was a weird time for anyone to reach out to them. Their entire circle knew that they’d be totally immersed in the race today.
She looked down at the caller ID. “It’s my contact at the gala venue, I really should take this.
Excuse me.” She walked out of the suite and slipped into a hallway bathroom to take the call in private.
Her heart started beating faster. This can’t be good.
Why would the hotel’s GM call me on a weekend?
“Hello. This is Avery,” her voice quivered along with her nerves.
“Avery, it’s Sofia with The Monarch Downtown LA,” her voice sounded serious. “I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. I did a walk-through of the property with our builder, and construction is very behind schedule.”
Avery’s hands were full-on shaking now, she could barely keep the phone held up to her ear, dreading whatever it was she was about to say next.
“I still think we will probably be open in time for your event in December, but I can’t guarantee it. I wanted to let you know as soon as possible so you can look at back-up options.”
Avery felt her breath catch in her throat. She knew she should be pushy here, take a tough stance, and demand that they speed up the process, but her shock rendered her speechless.
“Of course, if you want to cancel and get your deposit back now, we can do that. Or, we can hold onto it and see how things go the next few weeks.”
“I appreciate the call, and your transparency. Please keep me updated on the progress,” she said, finally finding her voice. She felt dizzy, unable to take charge and make a decision about the deposit on the spot.
Avery ended the call and stood frozen at the bathroom counter. This was really bad news on multiple fronts. How would she find somewhere available on a Saturday night in the height of holiday party season? It was already September, everything was probably already booked.
There was nothing she could do about it right this second. Right now, she had to go back into the suite, smile and cheer, and pretend some more. She splashed some cold water on her face, patted it dry, and looked in the mirror.
“You can do this, Avery.” She assumed her favorite power pose, the Superwoman, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest. “This is supposed to be fun. Be in the present. Focus on being Teddy’s girlfriend and a Silver daughter today. Monday you will get to work on finding that venue.”
“Where have you been??” her mother scolded her as soon as she re-entered the club.
“I had to take a work call.” Avery tried not to let her annoyance show on her face.
“On a Sunday? When we are entertaining? Really, Avery?” Sharon shook her head, giving Avery a look that would be a frown, if she didn’t have so much botox immobilizing her face.
“Yes, Mom. Really. It was important.” Obviously. Or I wouldn’t have taken the call.
“Nothing is as important as time with your family. And what about, Teddy? I’m sure he’s counting on your support today,” Sharon nagged her daughter.
And then it dawned on her. Her mom. She’d be able to help find a back-up venue; Sharon had chaired so many events in LA that she knew every catering manager at every hotel.
She was going to have to suck it up and ask her mom to pull some strings and find a back-up venue.
All she had wanted was to prove she could handle a project of this magnitude on her own, and now she’d have to go to the last person in the world she wanted helping her.
A tension headache was building at the base of her neck, but there was nothing she could do to relieve it right now with the race about to start. She would have to wait and have that unpleasant conversation with her mom once she’d flown back to LA.
“Yes, well in that case, we should probably go watch the race.” Avery kept her cool and gave her mom a sweet smile, but inside she was seething. Yes, she did genuinely want to watch Teddy and cheer for him, but why couldn’t her mom understand that her work was also important to her?