Chapter 20 – David
I cannot believe that Richard just spoke to me like that.
Threatening my driving. Threatening to tell Vincent.
I have been in control this week. I have been careful, I say to myself just as pain shoots up my leg.
Okay, maybe I haven’t been as good as I was supposed to be, but I know my body’s capabilities.
Richard also knows how important this weekend is for me.
“Dave, wait up.” Jasper’s voice calls from behind me. Stopping, I turn to face him.
“Did Richard send you after me?”
“No, he wouldn’t. He knows you’re pissed. I told him I would come talk to you,” Jasper says calmly, which is just more annoying.
“Nothing to talk about. You heard him.”
“I heard a boss talking to an employee about looking after himself,” Jasper adds.
“But…”
“Sorry, Dave, but nothing. He needed to lay down the law. I think you might have forgotten who he was before he became your boyfriend.”
Fuck, he had me there. He had just become Rich. My boyfriend. He had stopped being the head of driver training.
“It’s just,” I say, the fight leaving me.
“It’s just, you want to drive this weekend. I know what’s at risk this weekend, and so does Richard. But we both also don’t want to see you in pain for potentially months.”
“Do you think I’ll be able to drive this week?” And even I can hear the edge to my voice. That small note of uncertainty that my own pigheadedness might have cost me the championship. Cost me a dream that I have had since my twenties.
“I don’t know. How do the legs feel? But more importantly, how much pain are you in?”
“There is some pain,” I admit, and Jasper gives me a look while shaking his head.
“Let’s get upstairs, and maybe Daniel and I can come up with a plan. I will do everything that I can to make sure that you are in the car Friday.”
Jasper was as good as his word. Both he and Daniel did everything they could think of, including stay with me twenty-four seven for the first few days, after my room, for some reason, got upgraded to a suite.
I think that it was something to do with Richard.
I didn’t mind at first, as I was ignoring him.
Was it petty and childish? Yes. Did it make me feel a little better to begin with?
Yes. But I was starting to miss his face.
Knowing that he was in the same city as me, that I could touch him, kiss him?
It all became too much. So, I had sent him a text saying I missed him, and I think within ten minutes he was in my room, and more importantly, he was in my arms.
We talked about what happened. I apologised for basically being an idiot. I wondered if he would apologise for what he said, but he didn’t. He just said that it, maybe, wasn’t his proudest moment, but it needed to be done. Deep down, we both knew he was right. So, it cleared the air.
But here we are Thursday morning, and I’m awaiting Daniel and Jasper.
They’re coming to give me the all clear.
The first practice starts in a few hours, and I have never been so happy that Vegas was a night race.
We had all agreed that we would meet this morning and assess my pain level.
I had wanted to do some exercises, but Daniel had said no.
That the risk would be too great, but if I could drive, we would go through some stretching routines.
“Good morning my little rays of sunshine. Is it safe to come in? Are you both decent?” Jasper shouts, walking into the suite, and knocking on the bedroom door. Jasper slowly opens the door to the bedroom, and when I look up, he has his hand over his eyes.
“Why the fuck did I get you a spare key to the room?” I say over to him. It’s just me, and I’m dressed.” I’m sitting up on my bed, legs flat out in front of me.
“Seriously, he didn’t spend the night again?” Jasper says, taking his hand down and looking around the room like I was lying.
“He won’t, not with the team being in the hotel now,” I say.
“Did you at least have some fun?” Jasper asks.
“No,” I whine. “I tried. He was having none of it. He kept saying he’s not risking hurting my legs.”
“Oh well.” But I see the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.
“Is Daniel on the way up? Shouldn’t you be with Lars?”
“Yes, I should be with Lars, but I wanted to check on you first. When Daniel gets here, I will leave you guys to it,” Jasper explains, just as there’s a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it.” Jasper walks out of the room, closing the door behind him, an act I think he does subconsciously, more than to hide me from whoever it is.
I hear the muffled sounds of voices coming from the other room, and decide to go and see what’s going on.
Plus, getting up and moving about will not be a bad thing.
Swinging my legs around I place my feet on the floor and stand, and there is no pain, which I’m taking as a very good sign.
I do a quick stretch, and again there is nothing.
Again, this gives me hope that Daniel will agree to let me race.
Opening the bedroom door, I walk out, expecting to see Daniel, and am surprised to see Vincent, Richard, and Daniel standing there, and Jasper is nowhere in sight. This causes my stomach to fall to the floor. This cannot be a good sign, but they are all talking together, and haven’t spotted me.
“Hey,” I say, causing the audience to turn and look at me.
“David,” Vincent says with a firm tone to his voice that I really don’t like, and I look over to Richard to see if he can, somehow, tell me what is going on with just a look. All he does is give me a little shrug of the shoulders.
“I hear that you have been following Daniel’s orders, but I wanted to come and see for myself how you were doing. How are you feeling?”
So, Daniel and Richard never told Vincent about my disappearing acts to the gym early in the morning. Vincent must think that I’ve been resting all this time, and I’m really not going to contradict him.
“I’m doing good. Have no pain this morning,” I tell him, which isn’t lying.
“Good,” Vincent starts. “Daniel, what’s your assessment?”
“The rest has done David some good. Lack of pain, especially when walking, is another good sign. If we can do some small exercises, I will be able to confirm that he can race.”
Daniel takes me through some gentle exercises, and I have to admit that I keep waiting for the pain to start. There were one or two small twinges, but nothing like before, and they eased off quickly. So, I keep everything crossed.
“Vincent, he will be fine to race, but he will need to ice after all the practices and quali if possible,” Daniel starts.
“That might cause an issue,” Vincent says. “There are only a few hours between practice one and two, and between practice three and the qualifying tomorrow.”
Shit.
“That is not ideal, but if we can get him to rest his legs, it should be okay, but he will need to ice before the race on Sunday,” Daniel explains, and hope soars within me.
“That, I think we can organise. We have almost twenty-four hours from the end of the qualifying, to the race,” Vincent tells Daniel.
“Then, David can race,” Daniel confirms.
“Thank you, Daniel,” Not sure I can quite believe it.
“But David, any sign of pain, and I mean any, you have to tell me,” Daniel adds.
“I will, promise.”
“In that case, I will see you on the track,” Vincent says, and turns to leave. “Oh, and David?”
“Yes, Vincent?”
“Next time you want to sneak off and use a gym when you are supposed to be resting, find one outside of the hotel,” Vincent says, but there is a smile on his face, so I know that he’s teasing.
“I will be with you in a sec, Vin,” Richard says. “Just want to make sure there is nothing I can do to help.”
“No problem,” Vincent replies.
The two of us stand there for a second, not saying anything until we know that the coast is clear.
Richard is pulling me into his arms, and locking his lips over mine, his tongue pushing into my mouth, twisting and turning with my own.
Before he breaks the kiss, and looks at me, eyes shining bright.
“Please, be careful,” Rich mumbles, and he holds me close to his chest.
“I will,” I say into his shoulder.
“But,” and he pushes me back to look me in the eyes, “go and become the world champion.”
“I’m going to try, but we still have a few races left.”
“We do, but Vincent, having you win on his home grand prix, that would be something,” Rich says. “I better get going.”
“Rich,” I say his name quietly. “If I win, I want to tell the team. Tell the world about us.”
I thought that he was going to be excited, but a shadow of something travels over his face, and I step back out of his arms. I thought he wanted this. We agreed at the end of the season. I am only bringing it forward.
“Dave,” he starts.
“You don’t want to.” And there is no disguising the hurt in my voice.
“Of course I do, but not this close to Qatar. I don’t want to risk the news getting out, and you ending up in trouble.”
“Okay, not the world, but the team wouldn’t say anything,” I counter.
“You’re right, the team wouldn’t, but stories have a way of getting out. Just three weeks and the second you are home from Abu Dhabi we are telling Vincent first, then the team, and then the world. Everyone will know by Christmas, and hopefully, not care by the new year.”
“Okay.” Not sure how okay I am with it, but I can also see his logic.
“I love you, and I want the world to know, but when you are in a country where loving you isn’t illegal.”
“I will make a deal. I win, we won’t tell the world, but we celebrate like only we can, and you spend the whole night here with me,” I tell him, giving him a smile.
“That, I can do.” But he pauses for a second before giving me a smile. “If your legs are okay.”
“Out,” I tell him, and he is still chuckling as he leaves the room.