“Youareproud,” I say.“Show them.Show the team.”
CHAPTER 17
Chloe
Mexico Grand Prix
Race Day
Dude, you guys should be so proud,” Keyla says down the phone, as I sit cross-legged on my hotel bed, a plate of fried eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a strong coffee in front of me on a tray.“And you must beespeciallyhappy with Matt.”
I fork some of the huevos rancheros into my mouth, trying not to think about Matt.“Yes, he did great.”
“Look at you, on the verge of getting points,” she raves.“You’re on the way, honey.I’m getting jealous.”
I laugh into the phone.“Oh yes, Keyla.It must be tough working for the best team on the planet.”
“It’s noteverything,” she says, but something catches in her voice.
“All okay?”I say, sitting up a little straighter.
“All okay,” she says quickly.“I love McLaren.Really.They’re an amazing team.But I can’t help but feel I reached my ceiling there, Chloe.”
“Come work for me.You know we’d take you in a heartbeat,” I say, throwing it out there.
“Tell you what,” she says.“Get Noah or Matt on the podium today and we can talk.”
I spit my eggs out in a roaring laugh.“Podium?”“You can dream it,” she says.
“Oh, I’m happy with just improving right now.”
“Then you should try to look happier in these damn press clips!”
Keyla has been messaging me links to the various clips of me looking steely and completely emotionless as the camera is shoved in my face and pithy sound bites are sought by the ravenous press after qualifying.
“Big improvements for Arden, how are you feeling?”
“Good, thanks.”Small nod.Smile that doesn’t reach my eyes.
“Is it true Jasper Cox is joining your aerodynamics team?”
“Not sure yet.”Shrug.Straight face staring off into the distance.Nothing giving away how fast my heart is racing, and how terrified I am of saying the wrong thing.I just look...bored?
And now I’m also the internet’s favorite new meme.
A GIF of me, behind Barry’s back, with a face so sour it could curdle milk.Barry’s going on about eleventh place being “just the beginning,” and there I am, rolling my eyes theatrically as if I don’t agree.
But it wasn’t Barry’s speech that caused that reaction.It was Matt in the background, pulling the corners of hismouth up in a ridiculous attempt to make me smile.Assuming I was off camera as the press were talking to Barry, I gave Matt a look of unfiltered contempt, followed by an almost 360-degree eye roll.But when you play back the footage, it looks like this is directed at Barry.
So yeah.Naturally, I’ve become a meme.An eye-rolling meme that apparently captures mansplaining in one perfect GIF.
“Itiskind of perfect,” says Keyla, laughing.
“Jack Sheppard has put a good spin on it,” I say.“‘Stone-Cold Arden Team Principal Is Nothing but Business.’”
“Stone-cold,” Keyla cackles.
“That was nice of him,” I say to Keyla.“Makes me sound formidable.”
