Chapter 13
It was back to the UK for both Erik and Ingrid. She was going to start making arrangements to move some of her life to Monaco. He was testing upgrades on the car with Antoine. They would meet again to go to Zandvoort.
Ingrid was making coffee for herself and Oliver when Erik called.
“You’re going to laugh when you hear who wants us to do an ad campaign for them?”
“Who?”
“IKEA!” He laughed.
“Oh, you’re kidding me!” She chuckled. “And they’ve never asked you before?”
“No, clearly my image wasn’t wholesome enough before.” He laughed again. “You’ve cleaned me up.”
“Well, I did say we needed a new coffee table…”
“Not from IKEA, Rookie!”
“Oh, just think, it could be cute,” she said. “I can just imagine you rolling your eyes right now. Go back to work. I have Oli here, and we have gossip to catch up on.”
“Fine, I’ll leave you. Love and miss you.”
“Same.” She smiled as she hung up.
She took the coffee out onto the balcony, where Oliver was smoking and playing on his phone.
“Sister, I still can’t believe you’re going to leave this glorious view of London streets for shitty Monte Carlo.” As he said this, the stinking garbage truck came past. “You see? Glorious.”
Ingrid laughed, “Oh, Brother, I’m not leaving completely. Just letting out my flat for a while. Who knows if this relationship will work?”
“Does Erik know that you aren’t selling but letting it out?”
“No, we didn’t discuss that part. He doesn’t know my financial situation.
We didn’t talk about practicalities. He earns so much that he doesn’t think about those things.
I’d imagine all of his other girlfriends just made themselves at home in his place without a thought.
This is different; I’m moving my own things in. I also have to have a fallback plan.”
“So, you think it won’t work?” Oliver looked at her.
“It isn’t that. I’m not sure…” Ingrid thought for a moment. “I just want to be safe. I have been on my own for a while now, so I don’t remember how this all works.”
The last time Ingrid lived with a partner was when she was 27, and the relationship lasted only six months after they moved in together before it ended.
She had been too focused on starting her business, and her then-boyfriend wasn’t very supportive.
Oliver had been her fallback plan then, and she didn’t want that to happen again.
She changed the subject. “What about you? You seemed to be pretty excited talking with Lars and Alex?”
“Funny you should say that. I might just start working again,” Oliver said, slightly enthused. “I’m in discussions to buy into the startup and become the Chief Tech Officer!”
“What?” Ingrid was shocked. “Oli, I don’t believe you.”
“Well, I was getting bored living the millionaire lifestyle, you know,” he said sarcastically. “I’m just kidding, Sister. I was getting bored, though. You seemed to be having so much fun working, and I thought I would have fun too.”
“Do you have to move to Sweden?”
“No, just fly to Stockholm occasionally. Everything is remote these days.” He then added, “Look how much your little crush on Erik Svensson is changing our lives.”
“Oh, hush, it was a crush from a very long distance.” She shoved him playfully.
When Oliver left, she contemplated how much life was changing.
The first race weekend as a girlfriend, not working in the paddock, was going to be an adjustment for her.
She wouldn’t wield the same influence or power she had just a month before.
No more coaching Antoine on the grid. No more strategy chats with Bonnie or anyone else, for that matter.
She would just be Erik Svensson’s girlfriend. It was an unsettling feeling.
As Ingrid got on the flight with him, this was still playing on her mind. Antoine was with them, so it felt like old times. However, it wasn’t old times.
“Everything ok?” Erik asked her as she was staring out the window.
“Ja, fine.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her on the cheek.
“I know you aren’t fine. What’s wrong?”
“It’s just going to be different this weekend…not working.”
“Sorry, I hadn’t thought about that for you,” he said and squeezed her hand.
She looked at him and smiled, “It’s ok. I’ll get through it.”
“You’ll tell me if anything is wrong?”
“Yes.” She looked over to check Antoine was napping and kissed Erik. All was forgotten. She still had her other work, just not race work.
Ingrid still had to go through the 4 am alarm on media day, but she didn’t go to the circuit with Erik.
It was the first time she had missed that day since the start of the season.
She watched the press conference from the motorhome instead.
There were the usual questions about the summer break. One came up about her.
“Yes, Ingrid and I are officially dating, and we’re very happy together.”
“Is she with you at Zandvoort?” The reporter asked.
“Yes, she is.”
“Does this mean that she will be coaching you on the side?”
Erik laughed, “Everyone finds this hard to believe, but we never talk about race strategy, and she hasn’t worked her magic on me yet.
The closest she comes to talking about racing with me is when she watches me on iRacing.
She’s always just been one of us around the paddock, and I think I can say that for a lot of people, she’s helped them in small ways.
It’s one of the things I love about her. ”
Ingrid beamed at this. Her touch hadn’t been lost. It was partly what she had told him to say. At that point, her publicist, Jean-Pierre, called her.
“What’s up?”
“I know you hate all of this stuff, but you know Erik has that brand deal with Tiger? They want to send you some clothes for the weekend.”
“Absolutely not. I wear what I want to wear to the paddock,” she responded.
“Not even a T-shirt or coat?”
“I have a Burberry coat which does just fine.” Ingrid was getting annoyed. “If Erik gets to go to the circuit in jeans and a T-shirt, then so can I.”
She could hear Jean-Pierre pause, trying to figure out solutions on his end of the line.
“JP, if they would like, we could do a photoshoot together and post it online, but that’s all. I’m not changing any of my behaviour in the paddock.”
“Ok, I’m sure they would be ecstatic at that! Ingrid, I love you!”
“Oui, oui. Now, please don’t send me any other nonsense for the weekend. I have racing to watch.”
Erik got back to the motorhome to find a grumpy Ingrid. She had had nothing to do all day and was feeling restless.
“How was Antoine’s first day?” Ingrid asked immediately.
“Technically not his first day. My day was great, thanks.” And he kissed her hello.
“Sorry, habit.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him properly. “I know your day wasn’t great because it was media day.” She laughed.
“Exactly, Rookie! So how was your day?”
He looked at her searchingly because he knew that it would be tough for her not to be at the circuit.
“Honestly? It was horrible.” She let go of him and sat on the bed. “Being at a race weekend and not being at the circuit or around a team is killing me.”
“You’re addicted to it now.” He laughed as he sat down beside her and drew her into his arms.
“Also, bloody JP called and said that Tiger wanted me to wear their clothes to the circuit this week. I said that I wasn’t changing any of my behaviour and came up with a compromise, so, sorry darling, we have to do a photoshoot for them.” She looked at him apprehensively.
“It’s ok. I’m used to it.” He smiled that disarming smile, and she lay back on the bed, pulling him closer to her. “Oh, so even on bad days, I get this?”
“Especially on bad days.” As she took his shirt off and ran her hands down his chest.
???
Photographers and fans followed them everywhere now that they had become public.
It was challenging to make their way down the paddock to the garage for the first day of action.
Ingrid wished she were by Antoine’s side instead, but even he had a new swarm of fans following him around.
There was no Daniela this weekend; she was going to continue playing tennis until she couldn’t anymore.
Erik hated sprint weekends. At least he had Ingrid and Antoine to share this one with him.
Antoine and Erik were getting used to being teammates, but it was like their time in the junior formulae.
They had been teammates back then, so they were getting back into their natural rhythm.
Antoine was still getting used to the car.
“Ingie, it’s so good to have you here!” Antoine hugged her. “Are you going to put on one of your playlists for the garage?”
She just laughed at his enthusiasm. “I’m not sure if I’m allowed to.”
“I’ll ask. I started to get used to your funny music. And I’ll tell them that you bring snacks.” He winked at her.
It seemed Ingrid would be charming her away across two garages now.
“What’s Antoine talking about?” Erik asked.
“Oh, I used to choose the music for the garage, and I always brought down snacks for the team in between sessions.”
“So that’s how you won everyone over!” He kissed her head.
“Just some glimmers of joy.” She smiled.
“Bonbon!” Ingrid exclaimed. “Antoine didn’t tell me that you were coming across with him.”
“Yes, he only found out recently.” She hugged Ingrid. “I wasn’t too happy with that race at Silverstone, so I put in my paperwork and asked for a transfer.”
“Oh, he’ll be much more comfortable with you by his side.”
“When are you joining us?”
“Haven’t you heard, Bonbon? I’m just a girlfriend now,” she said, with a note of sarcasm.
“You know you’re more than that to us, Ingie!” Bonnie hugged her again. “Ok, I’d better go prep Ant now. See you later!”
Erik was supposed to be preparing for FP1, but he was observing Ingrid instead.
Her interaction with Bonnie, how she introduced herself to the team and asked questions to those who weren’t busy.
Jonathan was even laughing with her, smiling and nodding to Ingrid’s playlist. Ingrid wasn’t just a girlfriend; she was a teammate too.