“We jumped several places.It’s not unreasonable a competitor made the call,” I say, trying to reason with my own nerves.“But it’s fucking annoying.”
Barry wanders over to join us, a broad smile on his chubby cheeks.His jolly presence is the polar opposite of the anxiety that grips the room.
“Well, well, well,” he says, his voice brimming with amusement.“Looks like we’ve got everyone’s attention now.”
Matt and I turn to him.
“If we’ve got the attention of another team, we’ll be getting the attention of sponsors.This is the kind of press I mean, Chloe.”He grins, sweeping a hand across the air as he says, “Arden Under Surprise Fucking Inspection After Complaint About Huge Fucking Improvements.”
“Wordy headline,” Archie mumbles.
“We can edit out the swear words,” I grumble back to him.
“Do you know how much pressure the team will be under to get these cars back and running for qualifying?”Mattseethes.“Fucking Rossini.It’s straight out of their playbook.”
“Relax.This is a good sign,” I say.
Archie’s outrage softens slightly.“I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”
“It’s sabotage,” Matt interjects, fists clenched just as Jasper joins us, rolling a cigarette with long, tobacco-stained fingers.“This feels personal, honestly.What if they find something?”
“They won’t,” says Jasper.
I nod in agreement.“Car’s sound.Budget’s tight.Let them look.We’ll come out stronger for it.”
The officials meticulously examine every component of the car, following their precise checklist.They measure the thickness of the car’s floor.They inspect the front and rear wings.The bargeboards and diffusers are scrutinized for their dimensions and placement.They check the fuel system, the electronics, and the energy recovery systems to ensure they meet the strict standards set by the governing body.
Meanwhile, Jasper is back outside smoking, Matt is still pacing, Archie sits with arms crossed, poised to appeal any tiny suggestion of illegality.Our mechanics hover nearby, ready to answer any questions and provide documentation.I keep a close eye on the process, arms also crossed and expression stern.
“I’ll lodge an objection,” I say quietly to Barry.“We can play the game.”
But Barry is enjoying it.He moves through the garage, offering words of sarcastic encouragement to the officials.“Found nothing?Oh, gee, I’m so sorry.We should do a better job of cheating next time, huh?”
The news of the surprise inspection spreads like wildfire through the paddock, and soon, the press begin to gather outside our pit.
Barry notices it before I do, taking a step toward them.Then he pauses, scratches the back of his head, and turns back to me.“You should probably do this,” he says, nodding.“It’s reallyyourjob, right?”
I glance sideways at Matt, who has stopped pacing long enough to nod encouragingly at me.I swallow the bile that rises up in my throat as I head out to the pit, ready to meet the scrum and answer a few questions.
Microphones are thrust forward and questions are shouted.There’s a cacophony of curiosity and speculation, which sounds for all the world like a bunch of hungry yapping puppies.
“Surprise inspection?Anything to hide?”
“Absolutely not,” I say, stone-faced.I spot Jack in the semicircle of microphones and smile at him, but am surprised to see him remain impassive in return.I frown.What is that about?He’s not still smarting because I didn’t go to dinner with him, is he?
“Chloe, is it true you’ve made illegal alterations to the rear wing?”says a reporter, jolting me back to the scene.
“What?”I say, caught off guard, and then I regroup.“Who told you that, Ian?”
Ian laughs.“My source,” he replies, playing along.
“Not true, sorry.While we’re annoyed at the timing of the inspection, we’re confident this is a fishing expedition.”I take a breath.“All I want to know is, who’s afraid enough of Arden to make a complaint?”
Several of the reporters laugh, and I grin in response.Ihope, pray that I’ve given the impression that we’re totally relaxed, have nothing to hide, and are in fact slightly amused by the whole thing.I spot Jack looking down at his phone among the group of reporters and feel a dark unease.There is nothing so unpredictable as a man who has been romantically rejected.
Nothing sodangerous, actually.
I make a mental note to send him a text later, and maybe even meet him for a friendly drink.The last thing I need is Jack hurt and turning on me in the press, just as I’m beginning to gain some confidence.
