“If you still interview NixonArmasthis week. Smaller feature, I get it, but don’t forget he is the three-time reigning champion. You also have the emotional side of the crash.” Ihated selling that… but I didn’t really have a choice.
“We have the emotional aspect ofLucataking his cousin’s place.”
“Sorry, I must have misheard you,” I countered. “You don’t currently have that. Unless you signed a contract with another publicist for him?”
Silence. Then, “Fine.”
“Send the revised questions, contract and proposed price to my email. I’ll let you know if there’s a problem.”
“Okay, thank you,” she said and I hung up.
Already, I was pitting rider against rider.Lucawould be ecstatic. Nix, not so much.
Lucaknocked on my door and passed me an already uncapped bottle of beer. “Felt like I needed one,” he said. “And I owe you limitless drinks for putting up with me crying on your shoulder.”
“Anytime,” I said and ‘cheers’edhim, tapping my bottle into his. I didn’t drink it.
I knew I could tell him right there and then about the interview and it would be something more to celebrate, but I should let Nixon know first. “Do you mind if we invite Nixon? Might be good for you two to get more acquainted.”
Lucanodded but didn’t look at me. He took a large gulp of his drink.
“We don’t have to,” I assured him.
He shook his head. “No, no. It’s fine. We’re teammates, after all.”
So we went and knocked on his door. “Nixon,” I called. “You in?”
His door opened, and withLucastanding beside me against the wall, Nix didn’t see him.
“Livid,” he greeted with a grin. “Look who is knocking on whose door for the booty call.”
Death was not merciful, refusing to take me on the spot.
My gaze flickered up toLuca, who was biting back a laugh, staring at the awful artwork on the wall. “Not the night I signed up for,” he chuckled.
Nixon wasn’t at all bothered. “Hello, Mendes.”
“Hello, Armas.”
Despite Nix’s friendly greeting,Luca’sdidn’t have the same warmth.
“Right,” I said, clasping my hands around the bottle. “Nix, no more jokes, or we’ll be having words, do you hear?”
He saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I think we could all do with a drink. Shall we?”
Nix nodded, shutting his door behind him. He wasn’t as excited as I’d anticipated. This would be my first chance to see him socialise with alcohol. And see if there was any misbehaviour.
I led the way to the elevator, where we silently descended to the basement floor. Nixon walked out when it dinged, but I heldLucaback with an arm. “There’s nothing — Nix and I aren’t—”
Lucachuckled. “Livie, your secrets are safe with me.”
I shook my head, closing the elevator door with a press of the button. “No, really, nothing is happening. He’s my client.”
He glanced at me, a twinkle in his eyes for the second I saw them. “Come on,” he urged. “You’ve got plenty of people to meet.”
He wasn’t wrong. All night was a blur of names. I met riders fromSprint3,Sprint2andStormSprint. I tried to keep an eyeon Nix, but I ended up having too much of a good time. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do all of it sober. But I didn’t quite trust myself to drink with these strangers just yet.
