Chapter 25 – Otis #2
Jasper leans over and places a kiss on my cheek before he heads out the door to find Vincent.
“Jasper knows that I could’ve just called Vincent and asked him to come join us?” Charmaine states.
“Probably not,” I reply, “but I think this is something that Jasper needs to do face to face.”
Ten minutes later, Jasper returns with a very solemn look on his face, and my heart sinks. Vincent said no to the idea of using Nicky. Shit. This interview was going to be our trump card. The way to try and beat Marj and Clive.
“Vincent said no,” I ask, not disguising the sadness in my voice.
“Vincent,” Jasper states, “Well…” and he pauses for a second. “Vincent thought that it was a brilliant idea.” A smile spreads across his face.
“Have I told you that you really are a twat at times?” I say over to him, returning my smile.
“Daily,” Jasper responds. “But it’s one of my many charms that you love.”
“Can’t argue with that,” I reply.
“Can we get back on track, please?” Charmaine demands, “We need to go over what is going to be said with Nicky.”
For the next two hours, Charmaine grills us on everything she thinks Nicky might ask us, and we discuss when we’re going to bring up the information we have found. This is probably going to be the most important interview Jasper and I are ever going to do.
“Hey guys,” Marcus states, just as we’re about to leave to meet Nicky. “Marj just posted on her socials. Looks like it’s another picture with Clive, and she has used the hashtag LOVE AFTER BETRAYAL.”
“Seriously?” I exclaim. “She’s milking this for everything.”
“If it means more money, I’m sure the pair of them are going to use everything in their arsenal,” Marcus adds. “But I don’t think they realise that they have messed with the wrong team. Now let’s get to Nicky’s and destroy these two pricks.”
The look on Charmaine’s face is priceless as we all leave her office. Jasper had said that Vincent had told us to use the conference room, and that if possible he will come and join us later. Show the world that the team is a united front.
When we get to the conference room, we see that Nicky is all set up and waiting for us.
He’s sitting at the front of the room, with a cameraman and tripod set up behind him.
There are also three chairs set up opposite him, and I grab hold of Jasper’s hand, causing him to stop, and turn to look at me.
“Are we sure that this is the right thing?” A sudden doubt filling me.
“Otis, we need to get your truth out. Our truth out,” Jasper replies.
Taking a deep breath, I squeeze Jasper’s hand for reassurance and we make our way over to Nicky, sitting in two of the chairs.
“Otis,” Nicky starts as he reaches out a hand to me, and I take it in a firm handshake. “So good to finally meet you. I have been following your career for a while.”
“You?” Not sure that I heard him right, “You have been following my career?”
“Yeah. When I decided to retire, I started to look at some of the guys in the lower teams. Of course I knew that Lars would be an excellent replacement, but you caught my eye too. You are fast.”
“I try to be,” I start. “Driving against Lars is a dream. He brings out the best in me.”
“I have seen that,” Nicky replies. “So, are you ready to begin? I thought that maybe we could start by discussing your ex-girlfriend and then move on to you and Jasper. Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah that works for us,” I reply.
“Perfect,” Nicky starts, and signals the cameraman to start recording. “Otis, Jasper. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet me.”
Nicky starts, and I can see why he went into reporting after retiring from the sport. There is a charisma about him that is charming and engaging.
“Well I wanted to get my story out there, after the allegations that have been made in the press today,” I start.
“It was quite a headline,” Nicky confirms, “Want to give me your side of the story?”
“I would love to,” I say, and go on to explain how Marj and I met. How she supported my career. Followed me around the circuit but I was too blind to her real motive. Nicky listened intently, asking leading questions, which I answered truthfully.
“So you and Marj weren’t back together in Australia?” Nicky asks.
“Far from it. By that time I was already in a relationship with Jasper. A few collective friends knew about us, but that was it,” I explain. “Marj actually accosted me in the hotel after my first win. It felt like she was blackmailing me to get back together with her.”
“She never suspected that you and Jasper were an item?” Nicky asks.
“Tell me Nicky,” I start, “Were you surprised when you found out?”
Nicky chuckles, “Actually, yes. I would never have considered you gay.”
“Everyone has been the same,” I reply, and I can feel the smile on my lips. “Except my mum. She saw it coming.”
“Well mums have a way of knowing things. My mum knew that I was retiring before I had even said it out loud,” Nicky adds.
“Jasper has been by my side through all of this. Not the greatest way to start a relationship,” I say. “But it proved how strong we are together.”
“Do you know why Marj decided to suddenly talk?” Nicky asks.
“Actually we do, or we have a good idea,” Jasper adds, “I couldn’t understand why Clive was suddenly selling his story when I made the headlines last year, so to be truthful I hired a private detective.”
“That seems a little extreme,” Nicky responds.
“Maybe, but I needed some answers and I didn’t think Clive would tell me, so I did what I felt was right,” Jasper explains.
“And what did you find?” Nicky asks.
“Both Marj and Clive are having money issues and what better way to make money and get followers than to tell stories. Make the headlines. Get to go on talk shows. It’s the quick route to being famous,” Jasper answers.
“But Clive was telling the truth about your past?” Nicky responds.
“Parts of his story that were true, I have never denied it. I’m not ashamed of my past, Nicky,” Jasper states. “It set me up, well us now,” as he looks over to me, “for life, and helped me train so that I can be part of the best F1 team.”
“Jasper, what do you say to those people that are coming out saying you need to leave the sport?” Nicky asks.
“If Vincent wanted me to leave, if he thought that me being here was in some way affecting Montague Racing, then I would leave. This team is a family and I would never want to do anything to hurt that.”
“You are right there,” Nicky replies. “There is something very special about Montague Racing.”
“Thank you, Nicky,” Vincent’s voice sounds from behind us, “You mind if I join you?”
“I would love that,” Nicky replies, and gestures to the empty chair next to us.
Nicky waits for Vincent to get settled before going in with his next question.
“There have been a few interesting headlines for Montague Racing over the last few years,” Nicky starts.
“That’s one word to describe them,” Vincent adds.
“I have to ask, do you think the headlines have affected the team in any way?” Nicky asks.
“They undoubtedly have, and for the better. I knew this team was good. Close knit. But I never realised just how close knit they were. They accepted my relationship with Lars, then last year Richard and David’s, and now these two. My guys are wonderful.”
“Have they told you how they feel about Jasper’s past?” Nicky asks.
“They have, they all want a pay increase, I told them that it wasn’t going to happen.”
Nicky laughed at that. “The lads were always trying to get a pay increase, I think once they even tried to coerce me into trying to get them one.”
“Jasper’s past has no reflection on his job today. He is excellent at his job. Lars loves him, and that’s good enough for me. I want a team that is close but driven, and that is what I have. I fully intend to get the Constructors Championship again this year and have another world champion.”
“If you get that, you will have won it three years on the bounce,” Nicky states. “That is quite the achievement.”
“It would be thanks to my team,” Vincent says. “Yes, we have bad press at the moment, but it does not affect my support of Jasper and Otis. Look at them, they make a cute couple, don’t you think?”
Nicky bursts out laughing at this, but agrees, before starting to wrap up the interview. When we stop recording, he looks over to Vincent with a smile.
“I’ll get the interview over to you, asap, to check,” Nicky adds. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“Tell their story, Nicky,” Vincent adds. “These two don’t deserve this, and the people have the right to the truth.”
“They do, and I’m going to make sure the world gets it,” Nicky adds. There is a determination behind his voice that makes me feel lighter for the first time in days.