Sloane tapped the side of her glass with her nail. “Maybe.”
There was a knock at the door. “Hey, in there. It’s me.”
“Reese,” Sloane said quietly.
Veronica stood and opened the door. “Perfect timing,” she said to Reese as she exited the office.
“Are you two drinking?” Reese asked, breaking into a smile. “I feel like I just busted into your secret clubhouse.”
“You did, but you’re allowed,” Veronica said with a pat to her shoulder. “How are the big leagues treating you?”
“Not for the faint of heart,” she said with an exhale. “But I think I’m finding my way.”
“Let me know if you need anything. I know Shanelle Laurens and will pick up the phone and call in a favor if need be.”
“Thanks,” Reese said with a nod. “The academy has been great. I owe you a lot, Veronica.”
“I provided an opportunity. You did the rest,” Veronica said with a lift of her shoulder.
Reese looked in Sloane’s direction. “I might have had a little help by way of ass-kicking, but I’m grateful for your kind assessment.”
Veronica tapped the doorframe on her way out. “Haha. Have fun, you two.”
Reese stepped into the office, and Sloane moved to close the door behind her. “Hi,” she said, placing her back against thedoor. “How are you? Inquiring minds have been dying to know. And it’s me. I’m the inquiring mind.”
“Well, you. I’m mentally exhausted. Still a little nervous. In absolute heaven.” A smile took over her whole face, and Sloane melted. “And three times happier now that I’m standing here with you.”
“Yeah?” Sloane asked. “You’re really beautiful when you’re happy, Reese.”
“Thank you.” Reese slid a strand of hair behind Sloane’s ear. “Can we get out of here?”
“Where are we going?”
“Anywhere you want. I just feel like open air.”
“Then let’s take a walk. It’s our last night in Monza.”
“Yes, please. I love that idea.” Luckily, Sloane had already slipped out of her official academy-branded attire and into her favorite navy athleisure set. She grabbed a baseball cap for good measure and pulled her ponytail through.
Reese went completely still. “I had no idea how much I would love you in a ball cap.”
Sloane touched the bill and laughed. “It’s a limited engagement. Come on.”
They left the paddock behind and slipped into the long, tree-lined paths of the park, where the Autodromo threaded through the green. The roar of engines had faded to a memory, replaced by cicadas and the soft crunch of gravel underfoot. Every so often, a stretch of fencing appeared through the trees before the path curved again and swallowed it whole.
“So,” Sloane said, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. “Day one at Laurens.”
Reese rolled her shoulders, like she was finally setting the weight down. “It was a ride.” She smiled to herself. “Shanelle runs a tight ship. Clean and efficient, the whole machine. I spentthe morning learning about their procedures, data flow, and who talks to whom. I was pretty invisible. But not in a bad way.”
“That matters,” Sloane said.
“It does.” Reese kicked at a pebble. “The engineers were solid. One of them, Damon, walked me through everything like I already belonged there.”
Sloane nodded, waiting.
Reese exhaled. “And then there was Marco Faz. Oh, Marco was interesting.”
Sloane slowed, the path widening as the trees opened briefly to a glimpse of the track, now empty, sun glinting off the curb. “What about him?”
