Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ana?s
I am in love with Singapore. This was one leg of the races I didn’t attend with Royce. I’m unsure why, maybe our schedules never aligned, but now I’m working for Saint Onyx, I never had to worry about missing a race again.
We have a few days down time, and Rue is living her best life. We cram in as much as we could. We enjoy a cruise down the river one afternoon after lunch, take a ride the Singapore Flyer, and paid a visit the Gardens by the Bay. We even dip down to Chinatown all before our workdays kick in.
I walk down the corridors with Rue following. Creed had allowed me to bring her along as a little shadow, watching what I done. He told me I could take her on as my assistant, but I have no idea if this is even something she would be interested in.
“I just cannot get over how they manage to move everything and set up a full garage and the team motorhomes.” She shakes her head in disbelief.
“I know.” I catch her gaze over my shoulder as I swipe us through to the team café.
“So much work,” she says in awe as she follows me.
“Yup, it’s a well-oiled machine.” I smile at her as I move towards the counter and order a coffee to go; Rue orders the same.
“Has to be, I suppose.”
“And why are we the seventh along?” she asks, her brow raising as she rests her elbow on the countertop.
“Because we are currently sitting seventh in the constructors, that’s where we finished last year. The higher you are, the closer you get to the top.” I wink and thank the young girl as I take my coffee and move across to the condiments table, adding to sugars, and Rue mirrors me.
“Ah I see.” She bobs her head “See, I enjoy the racing. Of course, I do, I live in Monaco. But I’ve never really understood it.” She blinks. “I know that sounds awful…” she trails off and I shake my head, giving her a warm smile.
“It doesn’t, babe.” I tilt my head. “I was dating a race driver and still didn’t understand certain things. Since working in this field, I have learnt so much more.”
“Makes sense.” she hums as I am on the move again. “Where are we going now?” she asks, the sound of her flip flops clicking behind me.
“To annoy the drivers with social media content.” She catches up to me, her face turned towards me as I give her a menacing grin.
“Oh, this should be good.” She giggles before bringing her cup to her mouth and taking a sip.
“Come on, Royce, I just need you to run around half the track…” I am trying my sweetest voice, batting my lashes at him to try and convince him to do this for me.
“In a blown-up dinosaur costume?” he yells through the mouthpiece, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop the laugh. Beside him, Kai is doing star jumps.
“Look at Kai. He is loving this,” I say whilst filming.
“That’s because Kai doesn’t care that he looks like a bellend.”
Kai stops jumping. “No, it’s because I am fun, and you’re fucking boring.” He nudges into Royce and begins running.
“No, don’t go yet!” I shout and Kai slows before turning around and back towards us.
“Sorry!” He holds his little dinosaur arms up and Rue cackles behind me which causes me to snort a laugh and turn my camera off for a moment.
“Fucking ridiculous man.” I watch as this big, blown-up T.rex shakes his head.
“Would have been halfway done now.”
“Would we?” His foot taps and I giggle a little louder.
“Yes.” I move towards him and hook a mic and a small camera onto both of their suits.
“I am raring to go.” Kai is jumping up and down again, jogging on the spot.
“You’re an idiot,” Royce snarls and I roll my lips.
“Right, I am going to blow this horn,” I shout a little as they wait on the race line. “And once it sounds, you two run.”
“This is going to end in disaster,” I hear Royce mutter.
“You’ll be fine!” I call out just as I blow the horn.
I watch as these two inflatable dinosaurs begin running as if their life depends on it. I am creasing, tears are streaming down my cheeks and my stomach hurts and Rue joins in, laughing along with me.
“This is going to be epic.” I sigh, watching them disappear into the distance.
Kai won the race and Royce has sulked ever since which makes the team meeting super fun.
There is a soft knock at the door and Creed ducks in, holding his hand up as if to apologise that he is late.
Glenn gives him a small smile, pausing for a moment until he has taken his seat opposite me, before he begins talking again.
“We need to do better this weekend. We’ve got the car, and we need both of you to up your game. Be aggressive, but don’t be stupid about it.” Glenn glares at the boys and I watch as Creed twists his lips, refraining his smile.
“We want a fighting chance at this year’s Constructors’ and at the moment, we’re sitting seventh. That’s not good enough. And while I am being honest”—Glenn drops his head for a moment, looking at his laptop. “Neither of you are going to claim the World Drivers’ Championship this year.”
Royce tuts, rolling his eyes as he lets out the heaviest sigh. I cross my legs, slipping my hand between my thighs as I wait for this to explode between father and son.
“Why are you tutting?” Creed’s deep voice slips through the room and my eyes lock on his. His jaw is tight, eyes centred on his son.
“If I didn’t have a shit car, then I would be in for a fighting chance.”
Creed glares at him. “You can’t blame a bad car all the time, you’re the driver.
A good driver can drive a shitbox and still cross the finish line in first. Do not blame the car.
You, Royce, are the one in control of your car, you are the one to blame.
Not the car. Not me. Not the team, and certainly not Glenn or Pascal or even Maurice, your racing engineer.
You.” Creed points aggressively to his son and my stomach twists.
“Fuck you.” Royce pushes to his feet. The chair hits the floor, echoing around the room as the rest of the people sit in silence.
Creed shakes his head in disappointment just as Royce slams the door shut, causing me, Nora, and Rue to jump.
“Please continue, Glenn. Kai, do you have any comments?” Creed shoots his gaze at his second driver, and Kai shakes his head.
“Good.” Creed pushes up from his chair, giving Glenn a tight-lipped smile before he exits the room.
Glenn exhales heavily before apologising to the team. Poor Glenn. He was an older guy, and from what I have seen over the years, very good at his job and very fair.
We finish the meeting a little more deflated than we should be. Royce was completely out of line. There was no need for him to react the way he did.
Royce is pissed, I get that. But he doesn’t need to take it out on Glenn. Or the team, for that matter.
Walking quietly down to my office, Rue is on my heels. Once I am inside, I close the door softly and let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Wow,” she whispers as she sinks down on the sofa in my office and I give her a heavy nod.
“Are the meetings normally like that?” she asks, letting her head fall back.
“Nope. Briefings can be, but it’s more the drivers snipe at each other…” I trail off and I feel mentally drained.
“Damn.” She taps her fingers on her thighs.
“Yeah.” I spin on my chair and wake my computer up.
“Do you think Royce is okay?” She looks at the door, her wide eyes focused on it.
“He will be. He gets really hot headed, goes from zero to hundred real quick.” I tap my password in. “But he will calm down,.
“Yeah?” I glance over at her, my eyes bouncing between hers.
“Yeah, trust me. He calms down pretty quickly. It’s worse because he is probably a little embarrassed because Creed kind of put him in his place in front of everyone.”
“Daddy energy.” Rue wiggles her brows and I laugh as I open up my emails and groan.
“What?” she sits up a little taller on the sofa.
“Just my boss, wants me to get all edits over to him tonight.”
“Is that doable?”
“Not really, but I’ll get it done because I am me.” I flutter my lashes. “Please don’t think you need to stay here. I’ll be working late. I can text Nora and see where she is?”
“Yeah, okay.” She nods, pushing to her feet as I tap a message to Nora. She replies instantly saying she’ll come and collect Rue.
“She’s going to come get you.” I place my phone back down and spin to face her.
“Cool, so you’ll miss dinner tonight?” She sighs.
“Maybe, but why don’t you both order into the hotel. I can eat some when I get home and then we can crash with a film.”
“Sounds good.” She strolls towards me, leaning down and placing a kiss on my cheek just as Nora rests against the door frame.
“Shall I order in instead?” she asks as Rue walks towards her and gives her a smile.
“Yeah, I was going to suggest that,” I mutter, eyes fixed on the screen.
“Colin making you do overtime?”
“Yup.” I roll my eyes. “But it’s cool, shouldn’t take me long at all.”
“You hope.” She smirks as she pushes the door wide and I cross my fingers.
“See you later.” I wave them off and watch as my office door slowly closes.
“Fucking Colin,” I mutter as I lose myself in work.
I have no idea how long I have been staring at my screen but my eyes feel dry. Reaching up, I stretch my back out just as someone knocks on the door. I turn to see Creed. My lips press into a huge smile as I stand from my desk, running towards him and leaping into his arms.
“Hey, Ace,” he mutters into my neck.
“Hey right back,” I whisper as his lips move to mine, kissing me slowly.
“Why you working so late?”
I roll my eyes. “The boss.”
“Your boss sounds like an asshole,” he murmurs against my lips.
“He is.” I sigh, as he drops lowers himself on the sofa, dragging me on his lap.
“You doing okay?” he asks me, his eyes flitting over my face and I nod.
“How about you? Is Royce okay?”
I don’t miss the way he sighs heavily, running his hand around the back of his neck and tilting his head to the side.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
He shrugs “He is, but he is also still angry.”
“Makes sense,” I mumble.
“He shouldn’t have spoken to Glenn like that.”
“I agree. That temper will get him into trouble soon.”
“If he wasn’t my son…” He trails off and I sigh.
“Thing is.” I play with the buttons of his polo, teasing my fingertips over his skin through the gaps. “People know that you won’t do any more than tell him off because he is your son.”
He flicks his gaze down.
“I don’t mean to sound like that, but if that was Kai…”
His hands clasp my face, holding my gaze. “No more work talk,” he whispers, kissing me.
His hands are traveling, and within minutes I am riding him in my office, knowing full well we are risking getting caught, but in the moment, neither of us care.
Not one bit.
Standing in the garage, me and my team are trying to capture as much as we can.
Both drivers made it to Q3, in P5 and P6, and this is the first time this season that this has happened.
Max and Carlos come and congratulate the boys before walking towards the press and I know I need to usher Royce and Kai that way.
I look at Nora and she is jogging towards us as she leans in and whispers something in Royce’s ear, most likely to keep his cool.
There was nearly an incident with another driver that could have ended the qualifying in a red flag.
Luckily it was only a yellow and the track was cleared of debris.
It was more their car than ours, but Royce will need a new front wing.
I step back and watch as Nora disappears with both drivers, their managers hot on their heels.
“Well, that was exhilarating.” Rue places her hand to her forehead.
“Let’s hope the race is just as exciting.” I nudge into her gently and walk towards the café area of the motorhome. It’s past ten in the evening and coffee isn’t ideal, but I am desperate for a caffeine kick.
“Hungry?” I ask her and she shakes her head. I grab us two coffees and a cake to share before find a table in the corner.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” I ask, dragging the chair out and placing the cake in the middle. Rue takes a seats opposite me.
“I really am.” She nods, picking at the lemon muffin.
“Good.” I smile.
“You seem happier.”
There’s those words again, and for some reason they splinter a little more this time.
“I am happier.” I take a sip of my coffee. “I feel like I am in a better place than I was when I landed in Monaco.”
“Because you hadn’t met me yet.” She smirks and I laugh. “You’re probably right.” I nod, picking my own piece of muffin and popping it into my mouth.
“I just wanted you to know, that’s all.” She smiles and licks the froth from her lip.
“I appreciate it.” My lips press into a smile before we fall into easy conversation.