Chapter 19
The drivers, Ingrid, and Julia flew to Qatar with Jonathan. He wanted to go over the new arrangements with them on the flight. Erik and Antoine were both hungover, so they were useless. Ingrid and Julia weren’t much better off.
“Am I going to have this discussion by myself?” asked Jonathan.
“Sorry, TP, but we did win one of the championships last night or was it two days ago? I’m so lost with the time,” said Julia.
Antoine and Ingrid just giggled, and Erik groaned at everyone to keep the noise down.
“I’m going to film the lot of you and show the rest of the team that this is their leadership!” said Jonathan.
Everyone laughed.
“Jonny, I think it’s better if we talk when we get there. It’s time to sleep,” Erik said, half-asleep already.
Erik and Ingrid cuddled up and fell asleep until the plane landed. It was Tuesday afternoon in Qatar and baking hot compared to Vegas.
“This race calendar makes no sense to me,” Ingrid said as they arrived.
“Sure, they think it’s nice to have the show in Las Vegas towards the end or whatever the reason is, but to put it with a triple-header in Qatar and Abu Dhabi?
” She was unpacking their things. Erik took another photo of her as she looked up.
“Yes, take a photo of me unpacking your stuff!” Ingrid threw one of his T-shirts at him.
“You do it naturally, I never asked.” He grinned.
“You know we’re going to have to put up with that bloody motorsport President hanging all over you this week now?”
“I just bore him with technical talk; sometimes it works, and he goes away because he can’t keep up. Or I just start swearing, which he takes offence to.”
“He hates women and is going to take this sport backwards!”
Erik could see the flames in her eyes.
“You must just stun him with your fluent Arabic,” Erik said, grabbing her by the hips. “Enough talk about him.”
He started kissing her neck, then her shoulder, and up to her mouth.
“Well, just know,” Ingrid said in between kisses, “that I’m going to be in his face all weekend.”
“Yes, Frigg.” Erik pulled her top off. “But for now, can you focus on us?”
“I think I can do that,” she said, unzipping his shorts.
Ingrid tripped over the bag she was unpacking and fell onto the bed laughing, pulling Erik with her. He finished undressing her as she stroked his strong back and abs, then over to his Odin tattoo.
“We should set a date,” she said, as his hand was running over her bare leg and up to her thigh.
“December?” He asked as his fingers reached her favourite spot.
“That’s in a few weeks!” She thrust her hips up to let him know she wanted him, and he paused to make her wait a bit longer.
“No. Answer first,” he said as he moved closer up to her and brushed himself against her, kissing her gently.
“Ok, December. The 20th.” He entered her, and she let out a little groan. “I don’t even know what day that is, Erik!”
“It doesn’t matter; we have a date.”
The playing around with each other was done after that; it was all intensity. Ingrid felt like she couldn’t have enough of him. Erik had complete control of her. No need to tell him to focus anymore; he had her right where he wanted her.
???
Erik watched his future wife take to her new role like a duck to water.
Elizabeth was still around, but she just wasn’t going to be involved in any discussions for the year ahead.
She was splitting herself between the Dunham and Wentworth garages, depending on what was needed.
The paddock was alive with rumours about Ingrid’s new position, and Julia knew that the minute she sent out the internal communication about their roles, it would become public knowledge.
“I think we should wait until after this weekend,” Julia said. “It would detract from the Constructors’ Championship battle, which is the main focus.”
“I agree with Jules here,” Ingrid added. “The focus needs to be on the Constructors’ and not us. We can announce when the season is done.”
Ingrid thought about this for a moment. Bartoli had already mentioned it to her, and there was no point keeping an open secret.
“On the other hand, we announce now and get it over and done with before there is a leak, so it becomes old news. It isn’t really a big deal.
People already know that Lizzie is going to Dunham, and the paddock rumour mill is spinning, which is distracting from the championship anyway. What do you think, Jules?”
“You’re right, Ingie, it isn’t really that big of a deal. I have the internal comms ready to go. Happy to send it out, Jonny?”
“Yes, I think let’s go.”
Ingrid was wrong about it not being a big deal. Every media enquiry was coming her way.
“Oh, Jules, how did this happen?” Ingrid put her head in her hands.
“You’re smart, gorgeous, and Erik’s fiancée. What did you think would happen?” She chuckled. “I know you don’t need media training because I’ve seen you handle them in the past. Who are you willing to talk to?”
“Johannes, and only female journalists from any of the other outlets.”
“Ok, that rules out a few of them then.”
“Their problem and not mine.” She grinned.
While Erik was having his media day, so was Ingrid. At the end of it, she looked at him and said, “I don’t know how you do it.”
“Occasionally smile, be blunt, and honest. They love it.” He kissed her forehead as they exited the paddock together.
The group met up for dinner that evening.
Daniela had arrived as she would be joining them for the final two races.
Ingrid looked around the table and realised how much had changed.
Mark was now in prison in Monaco, awaiting trial.
Carla was no longer there. She and Erik were out in the open and getting married in a few weeks.
Antoine and Daniela were expecting a baby.
Nico had transformed from the calm, pleasant one at the table into the moody one.
“Dani, I can’t believe how big that bump is since I last saw you!” Ingrid said.
“I know, it just popped out of nowhere. I thought I was still going to be playing tennis at this point,” she laughed.
“I’m so glad we’re all back together,” Antoine said, grinning.
Erik looked at him quickly. Antoine then realised what he had said.
“I’m sorry, mon ami, I forgot about Carla.”
“It’s ok. She was hardly ever at these dinners anyway. Erik, have you organised our drivers’ dinner for next week?” Nico asked.
“I thought you would do it? Mr Head of the GPDA,” Erik responded mockingly. “You know you’re better at these things than I am. I’ll pay, though.”
“In that case, I’m finding the most fucking expensive restaurant we can get into!” Nico laughed for the first time in ages.
???
The first practice sessions were close between the Wentworths and Cavallos. Dunham was also showing some surprising pace. Nakamura could be a qualifying threat to either of the top teams. That evening, Ingrid got a call which could possibly rock the entire weekend.
“Hello, Ingrid, it’s David, Head of HR.”
“Yes, David, I remember we met. How can I help?”
“I’m not sure if you can, but you’re the person I thought to speak to first, considering your role and upcoming one.”
David went on to tell her about three staff members who had approached him over the past month, alleging that Mark Blake had assaulted them, too – two female staff members and one male staff member. He provided some graphic details that sounded enough like they could be Mark.
“Oh. My. God.” Ingrid was in shock. She looked at Erik, who was on his sim and not paying attention.
“Yes, quite so,” David continued. “It seems to have happened earlier this year.”
“Why are they only coming forward now?” Ingrid asked.
“They said that they raised this with Elizabeth before to take to Jonny, but never heard anything back. It’s the first I’m hearing of it; otherwise, I would have done something, said something.”
“Do they want to go public?”
“That’s the thing, they do.”
“Can you ask them to hold off and speak to me rather? I want to do this strategically. Their stories will be told.”
Ingrid thanked David and hung up. She looked at Erik and suddenly felt like her world had been turned upside down.
“Erik, did you know about Mark?”
“Hmm?” He responded.
“Erik, get off that fucking sim and answer me. Did you know about Mark?” Ingrid’s anger level was rising. She felt sick to the stomach.
“Know about Mark’s drinking problem? No, we’ve been over this. I should have listened to you.”
“No, about Mark’s other problem. The fact that he was sexually assaulting people at work.”
Erik went pale. He knew of a relationship with a staff member the previous year, and that Mark had certain kinks, but he never thought he was actually violent.
“Your face says it all.”
Ingrid started to pack her bag.
“Ingrid, let me explain.”
Erik was trying to stop her.
“This explains why you kept saying you should have protected me. Fucking hell, I can’t believe it,” she said calmly.
“Ingrid, please, will you just look at me?” He pleaded.
Ingrid didn’t say another word. She just finished packing her stuff, took off the ring, and walked out.
???
Ingrid went down to the lobby and was lucky enough that they always kept a spare room for each team.
She needed to debrief. Erik kept calling and messaging her.
Ingrid wanted to confront Jonathan about this before she made any further decisions.
It was easier to tell if someone was lying face-to-face.
She asked for a meeting first thing in the morning.
“Ingrid, what is all this about?” Jonathan asked her. “Erik messaged me last night to ask if I knew where you were.”
“I got a call from David yesterday evening.”
“HR David?”
“Yes.” Ingrid went on to tell Jonathan what she had been told, and his face looked horrified. She knew then that he had no idea what had happened.
“Why did Lizzie not tell me?” He said, stunned. “I don’t understand. We have a zero-tolerance policy for any sexual harassment in the workplace. This goes way beyond that. Also, what does Erik have to do with this? Do you think he knew?”