Chapter 10 #2
“Erik, you were with him at this event, and there are photos online from your evening. People might assume that you were drinking too.”
“Can we do a blood test to show I wasn’t?” Erik asked.
“I think that’s a good call,” Julia said. “Through the FIA.”
The discussion then moved on to the team statement firing Mark. Erik couldn’t believe what he was hearing. One of his oldest friends, throwing his career away like that.
“We start driving in two days. Who is going to drive in his place?” Erik asked.
“It’s why we have Davide,” Jonathan said over the line.
“But Jonny, you know he isn’t good enough.”
“It’s our only option right now,” he replied.
Erik looked across at Elizabeth and Julia.
“Ok Jonny, I’m going to get on the phone with the FIA and see if we can organise a blood test for Erik now, and then call Davide.
Simon will handle the legal side. Julia will work on the statement to go out in about an hour?
” She looked at Julia, who nodded. “We will see you as soon as you get back here.”
Erik left the room to call Ingrid and update her on what was happening.
“I can’t believe it,” she said.
“Neither can I,” he said, still in shock. “He isn’t badly injured, apparently, just a few scratches and bruises. Luckily, he only hit a wall and nobody else.”
“Who is going to drive in his place?”
“Davide.”
“Oh god, he isn’t ready, and you have a double-header coming up!”
“Exactly what I was thinking. I have to go. Jonny has arrived.”
“I love you, darling. Keep me posted, and I’ll stay up until you get home.”
“I love you too.”
It was an all-nighter. They had found someone to do the blood test. Negative as it should be.
The team statement went out. The Spanish driver, Davide Castillo, arrived to be informed that he would be taking Mark’s seat until further notice.
Erik’s phone was going off nonstop from friends and other drivers, with private messages.
Mark was co-head of the GPDA, and Erik had to inform the group what had happened.
He’d be removed from that role, too. It was all a blur. Erik just wanted to get home to Ingrid.
The media pandemonium following Mark’s crash and firing overshadowed the race week. Ingrid could see it was taking its toll on Erik. She didn’t know what she could do to help him. Antoine was also struggling.
“We said something was going on with him!” He said to her.
“I know,” she said, regretting not having spoken to Mark sooner. “Have you spoken to the other guys about it?”
“Only Nico. He’s glad that Mark won’t be racing around Monaco like this. He said that he probably would have killed one of us. The other guys in the WhatsApp group are in shock.”
Mark was back home now, somewhere in this building. He had been released, awaiting a court date. Erik was having coffee with him now.
“I don’t know what we could have done to stop him. His career’s over now,” Antoine added.
“I know this is difficult, but you have to focus on the race weekend ahead. I don’t want you to lose focus and make a mistake out there. Go through all your preparations as you would normally do, and we stick to our routines, ok?”
“Ok, coach!” He said, smiling for the first time that day.
Ingrid returned to Erik’s place, where Oliver and Sigrid were hanging out. There was still no Erik.
“Any word from Erik?” Sigrid asked her.
“No, he must still be with Mark.” She assumed, but he had already left to see Jonathan.
“What a fuck up,” Oliver said. “I knew the guy was a bit of a party animal, but I didn’t think he was that stupid to drink like that during a race week!”
“I think he’s been doing it for a few race weeks.”
“What?” Sigrid said, shocked.
“I mentioned this to Erik a while ago, but we didn’t think it was possible.”
Ingrid went to make a start on dinner. She was beginning to wonder where Erik was when he walked through the door. He looked like thunder. The conversation with Mark must have gone badly. However, he turned to her.
“You could have helped Mark! I want you out now!”
“What?” She asked, confused.
“Jonny told me that you were going to speak to Mark weeks ago, and you didn’t. Get out!” He thundered.
“That’s not fair, bror!” Sigrid intervened.
Both she and Oliver had gotten off the couch as if they were going to need to hold him back.
Ingrid put down the knife she was using to chop the salad, took off their necklace, gave Oliver a look, and went to pack her things.
She knew Erik was upset, but she wouldn’t be spoken to like that.
She messaged Antoine and asked if they could stay with him.
When she walked back into the living area, she could see that Sigrid was trying to calm Erik and reason with him. Ingrid knew it wouldn’t work. She called out to Oliver that she was ready to go, and he came through. They left without a word to Erik.
“Mais Ingie, what happened?” Antoine asked as he opened the door to them.
“Thanks for taking us in.” She smiled at him.
“Of course! I just don’t understand. Erik loves you. He was about to buy a new apartment for you!” This was new information for Ingrid. It didn’t matter anymore.
Ingrid and Oliver explained what had happened. Antoine threatened to go up there and punch him.
“No, no, it’s ok. He’s just upset about Mark, and I understand. He’ll probably take it out on you, too. Give him some space. Don’t let it ruin your friendship.”
“I knew he would be an idiot like this at some point,” Antoine responded. “But good news, Daniela will be here! Ok, it isn’t good news because she injured her shoulder. But good news for me.”
Ingrid laughed because Daniela’s presence always made Antoine much happier, and it helped her race weekend with him. He went off to make them dinner, and she went out onto the balcony to have a cigarette with Oliver.
“Sister, are you ok?” He asked with genuine concern.
“I’m fine,” she responded with complete calm. “How else do you expect me to react?”
“Upset, angry, maybe some tears?”
“Oh, I’m definitely angry. Erik is acting like an immature teenager again and not using his words. This is one of the reasons why I can’t take this relationship seriously.”
Oliver saw the flames in her eyes, despite the calm in her voice.
“What are you going to do?”
“Absolutely nothing. I won’t be spoken to like that. He must suffer now.”
Antoine called out to let them know that dinner was ready.
They spent an enjoyable evening together as if nothing had happened in the building next door.
Sigrid had messaged to apologise for her brother’s behaviour and said that she hoped they could still hang out.
Just before she went to sleep, she received a message from Erik that she ignored.
???
It was race day. Erik could feel all the eyes on him.
Mark’s absence. Ingrid’s absence from his side.
Nico had taken pole from him the day before.
Antoine was in third. His new teammate, Castillo, could only manage tenth in the fastest car of the season.
Seeing Ingrid walking around as if she didn’t have a care in the world was unbearable to watch.
He had messaged and called her, but she didn’t respond.
Every time he caught her eye, the flames appeared, and they didn’t disappear.
There was no ‘don’t crash’ coming his way.
He tried one last option, the smoking area. There she was.
“Don’t come near me.”
She flashed those blue eyes at him.
“Ingrid, please.”
He went closer so she couldn’t escape.
“I said, don’t come near me.”
“Ingrid, I’m so sorry for what I said and how I behaved…”
“Good, you should be.”
He tried to touch her arm, and she pulled away.
“You no longer have the right to touch me.”
“But I love you…”
“I love you too, but until you learn how to have an adult conversation instead of just shouting at me and kicking me out of your place, I’m afraid I’m going to have to get over that,” she said and walked off.
Erik didn’t know what to take from this. At least she still loved him – for now. He saw her again before the race, huddled up with Antoine. Even if she weren’t going to do their pre-race ritual, he would. He went over to hug Antoine. All he got was a whispered, “Don’t crash”.
The top three from qualifying finished in the same order they started. Ingrid wasn’t there to celebrate Antoine’s podium. He asked Antoine where she was.
“You really pissed her off, mon ami. She booked an early flight home.”
“And is she coming to Barcelona?”
“No, we never planned for that. My advice? Keep your distance for a while.”
Erik had no option but to do that for the week.
It didn’t help matters that a video surfaced on social media of a girl forcing herself on him at the afterparty celebrations in Monaco.
It looked worse than it was, but not having Ingrid in the picture sparked rumours that he might be back to his old ways.
???
In Barcelona, Julia took him aside and asked whether there was anything she needed to know.
“Know about what, Jules?”
“You know I hate having to manage your private life, but it’s a part of the job these days, especially when your girlfriend has just posted a photo looking like this, saying ‘No F1 this week’.”
Julia showed him a photo of Ingrid, her hair shorter and her natural blonde colour.
“Wow, she looks hot!” He exclaimed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It usually means a breakup when a woman changes her hair like that.”
“We fought in Monaco. It will be fine, Jules. I’ll fix things.”
“At least this one doesn’t throw lamps at your head. She’s a sensible woman. Please don’t screw it up. We like her. The whole paddock likes her, and every team is looking to offer her a job.”
Erik opened his phone and looked at the photo again. The natural colour suited her, and she had kept her wavy hair. She knew this would drive him mad. When he was alone in his room that evening, he called her.
“Erik.”
“Ingrid.”
“How’s your new girlfriend?” She said sarcastically.
“I’m calling to ask how my current one is?”