Chapter 9
nine
MILAN, ITALY
I mean, I could just reach out to him. It had been a recurring thought she’d had all week, but she hadn’t yet taken the initiative.
She didn't want to come off as needy or annoying, since the whole point of this fake relationship for him was to avoid the distractions of a real romance.
But, she wanted to get to know him better: there was something about him, not only his chiseled abs, that piqued her curiosity.
She drummed her French-manicured fingernails on the desk in her hotel room. Now that we’re in the same city for the Italian Grand Prix it’s not crazy or needy to check in, right? She had a good reason at least. They were scheduled for a joint appearance at the AC Milan game that evening.
The event was an opportunity to check multiple boxes—she and Teddy would be seen together in public, plus Teddy would join the team’s players for a meet-and-greet on the field after the game.
It was the first time she had initiated an event with the team that wasn’t strictly charity-related, and she needed it to go smoothly.
If it garnered some positive press for the team, who knows what else they’d let her take on.
She had tons of ideas for ways that the drivers could engage with fans and promote the team’s (or least her) values of inclusion and opportunity.
She picked up her phone again.
Hi, Teddy!
Nope. The exclamation point was too much. She deleted it and started again.
Hi, Teddy.
There, that was professional, yet warm.
Hope you had a great week! Your event brief for the soccer game should be in your email inbox, please let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, I will see you soon.
She sent it off into the ether. Less than thirty seconds later, her phone buzzed with the sound of his reply, and she felt a jolt of electricity from her toes to the tips of her ears.
Ciao, bella! I think you mean futbol game ;)
And yes, I’ve got all the info I need. Look forward to seeing you there.
Avery smiled to herself. There were definitely worse ways to spend an evening than at an Italian futbol game with a handsome date, fake or not.
* * *
The decibel level was overwhelming in San Siro stadium, and Avery could feel the vibrations through the soles of her feet.
It wasn’t unlike the volume at an F1 race.
She and Teddy were surrounded by a sea of fans clad in red who had stood all game long and were singing and chanting in Italian.
Avery didn’t understand a word except for “Forza, Milan” and “Goal!” The passion for sport, however, now that she could relate to.
She turned toward Teddy to drum up conversation, and her eyes landed squarely on the thick bands of muscles of his wide neck, a key physical characteristic honed by every F1 driver to help them withstand the mega G-forces of high-speed racing.
Despite the fact that their outing to the game was primarily a photo-op, she wanted to make sure he was enjoying himself and their time together.
She stood on her tip-toes so that her mouth could reach his ear, and caught a slight whiff of a spicy, woodsy scented cologne.
It suited him. She wished she could hold him right there and get a better sniff.
“How was your week? Did you come straight here after Silverstone?” she shouted over the cacophony.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear a word you were saying,” Teddy leaned into her so that they were cheek to cheek, she could feel the prickle of his stubble. “Say that again.”
She repeated her question as she inhaled, gulping in his scent. Did he always wear cologne or was it for her?
“I went home to Scotland for a couple days to see my mum and brother and got here Tuesday.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Avery saw the flash of a camera go off, and then another. They had been spotted. Teddy met her eyes with a conspiratorial gleam.
He put his arm around her shoulder before waving and flashing his megawatt smile at the photographers. “We might as well give them a good show.”
A show, right. It was all for show. If only she could convince her overactive nervous system of that when it insisted on going into hyper-sensitive mode whenever Teddy was nearby.
Avery and Teddy turned their attention to the action on the field. They cheered loudly for the home team, exchanging high fives when the team scored, Avery keenly aware every time their palms touched and savoring the sting of his hand slapping hers.
She felt heaviness in her chest as the game clock wound down. Fake or not, it was one of the best dates she’d ever been on, not that she had a ton of dates to compare it to.
As soon as the final whistle blew, AC Milan security met them at their seats to escort them onto the field.
Despite the burly Italian security guard clearing the path in front of them, Avery’s scalp prickled at the thought of making her way through the crowd.
She rubbed the back of her neck, and pulled her curls over one side of her shoulder, her other fist clenched by her side.
Teddy must have sensed her unease; he gently offered his hand out to her.
She unfurled her fingers just enough to accept his.
His large hand enveloped her own, and she relaxed into it.
He took a step in front of her, hanging on to her hand, firmly leading her down the stairs toward the pitch below.
Despite her desire to take care of herself, she let him.
Her heart beat steadied. His hand felt warm and solid in her palm. Feels right.
Once they arrived on the field, the announcer introduced Teddy in Italian.
Avery stood off to the side with the other AC Milan and Silver Racing staff, including James, while Teddy strode confidently to centerfield where the spotlight was shining.
He waved to the crowd and shook hands with one of the AC Milan players, who took the microphone from the announcer, gave a short speech, and then promptly took the sweaty jersey off his back and gave it to Teddy.
Avery gasped.
James looked at her and chuckled, “Soccer players your type?”
“No,” Avery shook her head. There’s only one man on that field I’d like to see with his shirt off, and he doesn’t play soccer.
“Teddy doesn’t have anything with him to swap for the jersey,” she whispered.
The last thing they needed was for the press about their date to be overshadowed by Teddy embarrassing himself by showing up ended-handed.
“Not much we can do about it at this point,” James shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.
Teddy didn’t seem phased either. He graciously accepted the jersey and addressed the crowd.
“Grazie, Tomas! This is a huge honor. I came tonight as a fan, so I don’t have a jersey to give back to you my friend,” he pointed to his shirt, a simple, yet high-end black Tom Ford polo. “But, I will send you my helmet after the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, if you agree?”
Tomas raised his arms in a cheer.
Avery looked up. Thank you heavens. Thank you Teddy. He had handled the hiccup like a pro.
The two men shook hands and posed for pictures.
She couldn’t take her eyes off Teddy as he ran his hands through his floppy hair between photos.
She was seriously impressed by how he was able to think quickly and act so gracefully.
Whereas she almost had a heart attack when Tomas went off-script.
The fact that nothing seemed to ruffle his feathers was probably also what made him a great race car driver.
That serious, cool-as-a-cucumber vibe was a serious asset while driving two hundred miles per hour on a narrow, twisting track.
No wonder her dad had wanted Teddy on the team. Lucky for me, as it turns out.
Teddy gave one more wave to the crowd, before joining her on the sidelines again as the remaining fans emptied out of the stadium.
His hand found hers once again and squeezed.
She squeezed back. Moments later, security ushered them again, this time off the field and through a tunnel on field level toward the exit.
James, who had walked off the field right behind them, caught up.
“Hey, you two. You know you don’t have to do that back here—show’s over and you’re off the clock for the night,” he grinned, pointing to their fingers still firmly intertwined.
Avery felt the tips of her ears grow hot and pulled her hand away from Teddy’s grasp as if his hand were the handle of a boiling pot.
She took a step away from him, too embarrassed and too nervous to make eye contact with him and find out if he had held onto her intentionally.
Instead, she turned her eyes to the side and feigned interest in the trophies, banners, and old photos hanging on the walls.
“Right. Yes. So, James,” she said, hoping neither Teddy nor James had noticed the heat she felt in her cheeks. “What’s next on Teddy and Zack’s publicity agenda this week?”
“Media day tomorrow. But you two could squeeze in another photo-op date mid-afternoon. Try to make it more romantic this time than a futball game, if you want to keep up the ruse,” he wiggled his eyebrows at them.
Teddy looked over at her, tilting his head to the side, “What do you say, Avery, would you like to pretend to go on a date with me tomorrow?”
Avery felt a flutter in her belly at the prospect. “Sure, what should we pretend to do?”
“How about we go out for gelato?” Teddy suggested, “I know we are in Milan, but as the saying goes – ‘When in Rome…’”
“Perfect. I can’t spend a whole week in Italy without going for a scoop of stracciatella,” she said. The heat she felt in her ears and cheeks spread throughout her body at the thought of more one-on-one time with Teddy.