Maybe I just didn’t see her. Maybe she was there but I was rushed around by Nora as soon as my feet touched the ground.
A knock at the door has me springing from my seat as I walk quickly towards where I hope she’s waiting. Pulling it open, she stands there dressed in a little flowy skirt, a tee, and trainers. Her hair is in a messy bun, and curly strands drop either side of her pretty face.
How does she do that? She looks hotter as each day passes.
“Come in.” I smile, but I can’t help the bitter tone that lingers on my words.
She clings to her notepad and laptop and shuffles into the room. “Well done today. I heard Q3 is amazing.” She bobs her head, looking around the large room.
“Yeah, it is.” I hover by the open-plan lounge area of my suite. Silence is heavy, deafening the room and I squeeze the back of my neck. “Where were you?” I ask, shooting straight for the fucking jugular.
“When?” Her voice cracks, and her eyes widen.
“When qualifying was on, where were you?” I pace and I have no fucking idea what is wrong with me. Why should I care where she is? Or was it because it waswhoshe could have been with?
Fuck.
“Sitting on the pit wall, then just before Q3, I moved into the cool down room. I didn’t want to be in the way when you pulled in and everything was go, go, go.”
Fuck me dead, her expression guts me. Her words wrap around me, squeezing me and bit by bit, the anger sweeps away like waves against sand.
“I just thought…” Her words trail off.
I step towards her, my hands cupping her face as I tilt her eyes up towards mine. “Don’t ever think that. Be there when I get out the car, you’re the first person I want to see when I walk into the garage.”
Amber eyes dance with mine, irises wide as they pull me in. She nods, licking those full lips, and I sink my bottom teeth into my own, dragging them and slowly trying to ease the want to edge forward. I have no idea what was wrong with me.
She steps back, waits a moment, and then walks towards the sofa, lowering herself into it. I stride to the armchair, rubbing my hands down my thighs as I sit.
“Drink?” I ask, looking around the room.
“Yeah, okay.” Her complexion pinkens and her eyes drop to her lap.
“Mini bar isn’t stocked. I’ll call down.”
“Oh no, don’t, it’s fine, don’t get one just for me.” She shakes her head, her fingers tapping on the cover of her notepad.
“No, it’s cool. I’ll get myself water or something, so you don’t feel bad.” I half laugh and she blinks a few times.
After ordering the drinks, we wait and I find myself not knowing what to say, but she swoops in and begins talking.
“Got a decent chunk of notes down today,” she mutters, “and I think I have an idea how I want the story to go.”
That piques my interest. “Is that so?”
“Mmhmm.” She smiles, those fucking dimples pressing into her cheeks.
“Can I know?” I press, not lifting my eyes off her for a second.
“Nope.” She scrunches her nose. “I need to make sure I am feeling them first, you know? I have to connect with them.”
“I see.”
“Plus, it may be about you.” She looks up through her lashes at me and I cough, eyes creasing at the corners. “Jokes.” She flips her notepad open. “Okay, so, we had practice yesterday morning.” She makes a little scribble in her book.
“That’s right.” I nod and just as she goes to speak, the door knocks. “Hold that thought.”
I rush out as I move for the door, greeting the server and tipping him. Walking back into the room with my tray, there is a bottle of champagne and a bottle of sparkling water.
