Chapter 4
Returning to her room, Ingrid felt like an idiot.
She had gone there for sex if she were honest with herself, and then turned it down.
It was the way Erik made her feel. There was something more than just a physical connection.
She knew it when he had tried to put her at a distance.
The six-month thing was a way to test him – and herself.
Plus, she was enjoying the new camaraderie that she’d found among the boys and didn’t want to lose that over some silly fling.
“Does walking with you count as hanging out?” He asked.
“Yes, it does.” She smiled up at him.
“Ok, good, then let me walk you to your hospitality.”
“Such a gentleman. Don’t you have things to do?”
“I always get to the track earlier than everyone else, so I’m prepared. I only come out when everyone else is around so I can do the stupid paddock walk.”
“You really hate this part of it, don’t you?” She looked up at him again, and he smiled down at her.
“It’s all an act. You said I didn’t care. It’s because of all this shit that I don’t care,” he said, gesturing. “You do realise that I have walked you all the way to your team with photographers taking photos of us?”
Ingrid stopped and was ready to hit him. “Oh, you little shit!”
“Two can play this game, Rookie!”
He turned around and walked back to a group of fans, knowing that she was going to make him pay for it later.
“What was that about?” Antoine asked as he approached her.
“Your best friend thought he would play a joke on me.”
“If he’s bothering you, Ingrid, I can tell him to stop?” Antoine looked at her with worry in his eyes.
“Non, non, Ant, ?a va!” She laughed it off.
“Ok, let’s get inside. What do you say in English again? It’s raining cats and dogs! Such a funny saying.”
Ingrid knew that Erik had played her at her own game. She put that aside and got ready to watch the only practice session of the weekend. The rain was starting to clear. Antoine seemed prepped. He was laughing and joking with the garage. Gaetan came over to her.
“You’ve done a really good job with him. I don’t know what you do, but I’ve been working with him for three years, and this is the most confident and relaxed I’ve seen him in that time.”
“Thanks. Sometimes you just need a bit of handholding and someone to talk to who isn’t really your best friend or partner.” Ingrid smiled at him.
“I get that. Your presence seems to have affected a few people in the paddock. Even I’m feeling more relaxed and confident!”
Ingrid laughed and said she was glad, because she had heard this type of comment before.
The session was about to get underway. It was inters weather. This might not help with the sprint qualifying later, but the weather was unpredictable. Ingrid watched as Antoine kept a steady 3rd on the timesheets. She messaged Daniela, forgetting the time difference. She was up watching, though.
“He’s doing so well!”
Ingrid:
“Will you be able to watch the quali later?”
Dani:
“I’m going to try.”
“What is this photo with you and Erik?”
Daniela sent her a photo of Erik and herself smiling at each other as they were walking through the paddock.
Ingrid:
“Long story”
Dani:
“You two look good together”
Ingrid:
“He did it deliberately.”
“Focus on your guy.”
At the end of practice, Antoine was 3rd. This time, he had beaten Nico, who was down in 5th. It would be an interesting sprint qualifying if the weather stayed the same. Antoine was back in the garage and came over to Ingrid.
“Did you see that?” He hugged her.
“So proud of you!” She said, “How does the car feel?”
“Amazing! I thought it would be bad in this weather and on this circuit, but it’s going well.”
“Ok, we’ll chat more after your debrief. Dani was watching.”
The rain had stopped completely now. She saw she had a voice note from a client, so she went to find her quiet spot.
Antoine’s debrief sessions always took longer than she expected.
She was pacing and talking as she responded to her client.
Minor matter, but it still required a response.
As she turned around again, Erik was standing there.
She paused, then continued talking as he stared at her.
Once she was finished, she took her AirPods out and stared back at him.
“Do you always pace when you talk?”
“That was technically a confidential conversation, which you shouldn’t have been listening to. But yes, I guess I do when I’m thinking.”
“See, hanging out as friends. I’m getting to know you.”
“Yes, thanks for this morning! Photos of us everywhere.”
“Don’t worry about it. The only reason they’re interested is that it’s me, and an attractive woman who is new to the paddock.”
“You knew exactly what you were doing,” she said with the flame in her eyes.
“Oh, I love it when your eyes go like that.”
“Like what?”
And it disappeared.
“Even more when you get completely disarmed and confused.”
“You’re talking nonsense now. I have to get back to Antoine.” She put her hand on his chest as she walked past and said, “Don’t crash.”
Ingrid didn’t know why she had touched him. Perhaps it was payback for earlier, or that she couldn’t resist it. She shook it off, literally. Antoine was on the phone with Daniela when she reached him. She joined him on the couch, and they all chatted for a bit about his hopes for sprint quali.
???
After qualifying third for the sprint, Antoine was over the moon.
There was still a lot of work to be done for the next day.
Ingrid returned to the hotel alone and wished Daniela were there with her for dinner and a drink.
Instead, she sat alone at the restaurant with her dumplings and a glass of wine.
She was about to leave when Erik walked in.
“Thought I would find you here,” he said. “You said we could do dinner.”
“Not tonight, Erik. I meant sometime in the future. Plus, being seen alone together twice in one day is not a good look.”
Ingrid asked for the bill.
“Are you really going to leave?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Where’s Mark?”
“Still going over data from today.”
“Shouldn’t you be doing the same?”
“No, I prefer to sim race,” he said. “Do you want to watch?”
Ingrid was tempted. She used to love sitting on the floor watching Oliver play video games when they were kids.
“Ok, let me get out of these clothes, and I’ll meet you in your room. But only for a bit.”
Erik left as she paid the bill. She saw him being stopped along the way for another fan photo. This was why they couldn’t be seen having dinner alone together. There were far too many cameras around.
Erik went up to his room and had his food delivered along with a bottle of wine for Ingrid.
He knew that he had played her that day.
Did he feel any remorse? Not really. If he were going to have to do six months without her, then she would have to suffer in some ways, too.
There was a knock at the door. Different PJs this time.
A collared, matching set. He liked to think she’d made an effort for him. She hadn’t.
“Wine?” He offered. “It’s a good bottle.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?”
“Honestly, no. I just noticed that you like drinking wine. Obviously, I can’t drink with you.”
He had pulled up a chair next to his sim for her.
“Oh, no need for the chair, just a cushion, please.”
“Umm, ok.”
“I used to love sitting on the floor, watching Oli play video games when we were kids.”
“Oli is your twin, right?”
“Yes, he’d be so jealous of your setup!”
Erik watched as she made herself comfortable on the floor next to him with her glass of wine. He felt nervous at first. Usually, this was a space he owned.
“Ok, come on, winner. Let’s see how it’s done.”
With those words, he relaxed back into it. He was a driver again.
“This is amazing to watch!”
“Enjoying yourself?”
“Yes!” she said with genuine excitement. “I know they’re always talking about the simulators, and I’m sure those are fancier than this, but this is still so cool.”
“Do you want to try?”
“Absolutely not! I can’t drive for shit. It’s why I always watched my brother. I was such a disappointment to him because he had this sister who loved watching instead of playing.”
He continued on in silence, entirely focused, just six laps to go. Ingrid was already on to a second glass of wine.
He moved down onto the floor and sat next to her.
“Still hanging out?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “There are many ways to connect without sex.”
Erik thought about this. He hadn’t done this with any previous girlfriends. They were usually out socialising for social media or asleep.
“This was actually fun for me,” he said. “Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes, so much! I guess I’m a bit nerdy that way.”
“I didn’t think you were serious when you said yes, you’d come up to join me. I thought you were going to buckle.” He laughed.
“I was being dead serious. I told you, you need to be single, and I’ve made a commitment to Antoine.”
“He did well today.”
“Yes, he did. I hope tomorrow goes well, too,” she responded. “Speaking of tomorrow, I should get some sleep now. You, too.”
“Do you really have to go?”
“Yes. Thanks for the wine and entertainment. We can definitely do this another time,” she said, getting up.
He was reluctant to let her go; she stretched out her hand and pulled him up. He held her close just for a second, and his heart was pounding. He could feel the same energy coming from her.
“We can’t.” She let go of his hand. “Goodnight, Rik”
“Goodnight, Ingrid.”
He walked her to the door. Grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a kiss. She softened just long enough to let herself be kissed, then pulled away again.
“No jokes tomorrow!”
She laughed as she walked out of his room.
Erik was left alone again. He found he didn’t enjoy this being left alone part. He messaged Ingrid.
“Had fun this evening. If I promise no tricks tomorrow, can we do it again?”
Ingrid:
“I did too. You know we can’t. Well, not the ending.”
Erik:
“I couldn’t help myself. You know you can’t either.”
Ingrid:
“Just stop being so attractive and I will.”
“Night Erik”
Erik: