“It will work in our favour as all cars have to stay where they are. Reduced speed, no overtaking etc.” She waves her hand.
“So, this is how it could finish?”
“Yes, if the safety car stays out for the next…” She clocks the screen. “Six laps.”
“Oh, God.” Nerves prickle at the base of my neck. “Is Cowan okay?” I furrow my brow and Nora nods.
“Yeah, he is on his way back to the garage.” Her smile is gentle; her eyes fixated on the screen.
“That’s good.”
“It is.” Her head bobs and Anaïs settles back between me and Nora.
Edel is silent as we all watch with anxiety dancing in our tummies. I swear the next four laps drag until we hear that the safety car is coming in and racing will resume.
Anaïs’s hands are either side of her face, fingers locked over the top of her red hair. Nora has bitten every nail, and the crew are standing in the pit lane.
“He needs to get a good pull away or Griffin could take it in the last couple of laps,” Anaïs’s voice trembles.
I tiptoe forward and look at our pit wall. Creed looks nervous as hell. Marcel, Royce’s radio engineer, is talking into the mic whilst the analysts are on the screens.
Green flags are being waved, and the sound of the engines grows louder as they zoom past the pits, but all I see is a flash of grey and yellow. My heart blooms in my chest.
“How’s the research going?” Edel asks me as I drop my eyes to the screen.
“Good.” I give her a smile then let my gaze trail over my shoulder to where my notepad sits, with loads of scribbles from this race.
“I’m scared to watch,” I admit as I step back into the garage.
“Go watch. Your man’s got it in the bag.” She hums and I slowly look at the screen.
My man. Fake. Dirty faker,my subconscious reminds me.
My eyes widen as I see the chequered flag hovering out of the flag stand. My heart is drumming and that’s when I see the crew rush out to the wire fence, climbing into it. Creed runs into the garage, eyes on the screen before they drop to Anaïs. He picks her up, swinging her around and kissing her on the lips before he is out with the rest of the crew.
“He’s done it.” Anaïs’s voice is quiet.
“His first ever podium…” Nora whispers and I can see the proudness that swirls in her eyes, misty as they fix on the screen.
“Wow,” I whisper.
Anaïs leans into me and whispers, “Maybe you need to fuck his brains out more often.”
Heat flames my cheeks as my mouth pops open. Edel is giggling and I know Anaïs is only messing because she knows the truth, but still.
“Go, you need to play the part,” Nora reminds me. “Girlfriends always watch the podium. You better get moving.” She slaps me on the ass and I scowl.
“Gotta go,” I cut Edel off and Nora begins walking with me. “You’re going to be there too, right?”
“Course we are.” Anaïs runs to catch us up. “We’re not missing Royce’s first podium.”
As we hop on the back of a cart, I watch as fans flood the track. Wow. This is something else. The way their cheers floatthrough the open space, my skin prickles with goosebumps. How have I never had the chance to experience this before? I count my lucky stars that I am here.
Standing at the barrier, we watch as Royce pulls his car into the third-place spot. I watch with misty eyes as he lifts the head rest away and pops it behind him before removing the steering wheel and places it just through the halo on the front of the car. My heart jackhammers as he pushes from the car, helmet still on and he runs towards us.
Everyone cheers as he jumps across the barrier and into his waiting crowd. His dad is hugging him, his crew tap his crash helmet, whilst some slap their hands to his back, shoulders, and ass.
A lump in my throat burns and I have no idea why. I glance to Anaïs and Nora and they’re clapping, huge smiles on their faces and I catch Anaïs swiping a happy tear away.
