‘Can we go for a drive?’
Shantal wrings her hands the entire time, as we get into my Hybridge Model S and I tear out of the paddock, down towards the exit and all the way through the outside of the track complex, till we’re driving along the fringes of the Strip. It’s way quieter here, no longer pervaded by race fever or casino fever.
I’ve never seen her this way. Upset, sure. Stressed out, yeah. But this is different.
‘Shanni …’ I grip the steering wheel tight as I spare a glance her way. ‘Shanni, what’s been goin’ on? You’re … I’m just worried.’
‘Worried?’ She rolls down her window for more free air. The Nevada heat is no joke, but I get the feeling she’s beating around the bush with me, and I want to find out why.
‘A little, yeah. It’s a race weekend, I know stuff gets chaotic, but … I just feel like you haven’t completely been with us the past couple days. You know?’
Immediately, I feel the atmosphere in the car grow tenser. Uh-oh.
‘I don’t …’ Shantal blows a strand of hair from her face. ‘There’s a lot I need to explain to you, Darien, but I don’t want to do that while you’re here, driving—’
‘I mean, that’s okay,’ I say way too quickly. ‘There’s gotta be a TL;DR version, right? Can you give me that?’
‘I cannot really TL;DR this situation.’
‘Could you try?’ I plead. If this has been eating away at her, it’s been gnawing at my composure, too. How are we so close and yet so far from each other? I need answers as much as she does.
With a sigh, she turns to me and says, ‘Darien, you’ve become … you’ve become so dear to me. You went from a pain in my ass to a friend to …’
Oh, no.
I wait for more. I can’t just let her hit me with ‘friend’ and leave. But nothing else comes, believe it or not.
‘Was that the entire TL;DR version?’
‘That was it.’
‘Okay.’ I try my best to concentrate on the road ahead, onethat winds around the city and back to the Las Vegas sign, where an enormous line of tourists waits to get their photo taken. This car ride has suddenly turned into a tropical excursion from hell. ‘So I think I’ll need the full version.’
‘I told you.’
‘Yo. You just friend-zoned me!’
‘I’m not—’
‘Nah. You friends-with-benefits-zoned me.’
‘I don’t—’
‘You’re playing.’
‘I am not playing, Darien.’
The remainder of the drive back is dead silent. We get out of the car without a word and walk to the now-empty track. It’s probably the best way to diffuse the tension, and possibly whatever is going to come.
‘My parents have called,’ Shantal blurts once we’re at the third turn.
That gets me. I try to keep walking and ignore the distress this is causing me, but it must be evident on my face. ‘Your parents?’
‘Darien … They want me to come back to London.’
‘What?’
Is there some reason for her to bolt so quickly? Is it something I’ve done to her – scared her off, maybe. From the guilt written across Shantal’s face, she already knows I’m thinking this.
