Page 12 of Falling Fast
I pick up my caramel latte and follow the others, taking a seat at a large oval table beside Charlotte. She looks like the original Barbie, with loose beach-wave blonde hair and huge baby-blue eyes that dazzle me when she turns and givesa welcoming smile. Yuto sits opposite, his dark hair flopping over his face, while Emika sits beside him. They’re all dressed casually, I notice, in cargoes, jeans and T-shirts. It makes me feel overdressed in my oversized black trouser suit.
‘Now, I know you’re all tired from covering so many jobs,’ Vienna announces once she’s gulped down her double espresso. ‘But from now on rebuilding our image takes priority. So … ideas?’
I blink as she looks straight at me. I get the impression this is a test, but it’s what she hired me for, after all – to inject some new energy. And she’s right – everyone else around the table looks drained. Fortunately, my head is already buzzing with ideas.
‘OK.’ I unlock my iPad and pull up the list I made last night. ‘So until the upgrades happen, car performance may still be an issue. But we can do some things to get people’s attention and change their perception of Rask. Research shows that a lot of fans support individual drivers rather than specific teams, so, first of all, we need to work on boosting Corey’s and Leif’s personal profiles. Then they can tell everyone what a great team this is.’
‘Like one big, happy family.’ Charlotte beams.
‘We might have our work cut out with Leif.’ Emika makes a face. ‘He’s not a fan of doing promo.’
‘I noticed.’ I try to keep my expression neutral. ‘But we’ll just have to find some way to persuade him.’
‘Won’t that be helping the drivers’ brands instead of ours?’ Yuto asks. ‘I mean, what if they decide to change teams at the end of the season?’
‘That’s a good point.’ I nod. ‘But there’ll be plenty of cross-promotional opportunities. Plus, if we can show thedrivers that we’re helping their careers, they’ll be more likely to stay, don’t you think?’ I look around the table. ‘I’ve come up with a few ideas for content – how about I throw them out and you tell me what you think?’
By lunchtime, we’ve come up with at least a dozen promising concepts. The best part was that once I started making suggestions, everyone else joined in too. Pop quizzes, endurance challenges, go-kart races, a mini golf competition … We finish with Vienna promising to set up meetings with Corey and Leif as soon as possible. The mood in the room is so positive it feels like the change of attitude is already taking effect.
Mid-afternoon, however, my blood sugar drops and worry sets in. A change of attitude here is all very well, but what if nobody else notices? The media is busy watching Fraser and Quezada battle it out at the top of the table. What if nobody spares any attention for us? But we have to try, so I banish my blues by drawing up a rough content schedule, then retrace the tour I did yesterday with Vienna on my phone. I can speed it up when I edit it later, which should be eye-catching. What would make it perfect is including one of the drivers at the end. And by one of them, I mean the driver who actually knows how to smile.
‘Is Corey about?’ I ask Emika. ‘It would make a cute end to my video if I could accidentally bump into him.’
She shakes her head. ‘He flew back to Monaco a couple of hours ago. Leif is still here, though.’
‘Oh …’ I grimace. The thought of Leif ‘welcoming’ me to my new job is laughable and I’m not in the mood for another of his intense looks right now. ‘Never mind. I’ll leave it as it is.’
‘Why? You said we need to boost his online profile.’
I suddenly wish I hadn’t mentioned anything. ‘But like you said, he obviously doesn’t enjoy doing promo and I don’t want to spring it on him.’
‘Leif’s fine so long as nobody asks him anything personal,’ Charlotte interjects, looking up from her desk. ‘He’s a really nice guy. I dropped my bag in the car park last week and he came running over to pick everything up for me. And when it was Yuto’s birthday, he ordered the biggest ice-cream cake you’ve ever seen. Honestly, he’s adorable. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind helping you out.’
‘OK, but has he hadanymedia training?’ I ask, annoyed because this is the second time somebody’s told me how nice Leif is. ‘Only he’s not exactly adorable in interviews. Most of the time he just seems uncomfortable.’
‘True, but it makes a good contrast with Corey,’ Emika argues. ‘You know, one super-friendly driver, one serious.’
‘But that won’t work if we’re going for a one-big-happy-family vibe. Fans want the drivers to be open and accessible, not monosyllabic. I’ve met Leif twice now and both times it’s been like getting blood from a stone. I’d have as much luck using that wall in my video. Or this cup.’ I lift my empty mug, although it occurs to me that maybe I’ve drunk a little too much caffeine because I can feel myself getting carried away.
‘Um, Ava …?’ Emika clears her throat.
‘You’re right, that was unfair, but he could try lightening up a bit.’
‘Ava!’
‘What?’ I follow the direction of her frantic head-nodding to where Leif is standing in the open doorway, one shoulderresting against the frame, dressed in pale jeans and a striped Rask T-shirt.
Crap.
I clamp my lips together. Of all the people to appear at this moment! Although he could have given some indication he was there – a knock or a cough or a stamp of the foot. But of course he didn’t because he’s Leif Olsen, king of awkward silences. And now I’m the queen of them because I have no idea what to say either. I rack my brain, but I’ve got nothing except a deeply unhelpful flashback to this morning’s dream.
Fortunately, Leif starts the conversation for once.
‘Vienna says you’d like a meeting?’ His brow is puckered into a frown, only this time I can’t object. Asshole or not, he has every right to frown at me. Every reason to get me fired too. I’m pretty sure that ‘Do Not Insult the Drivers’ is a golden rule of working in F1 communications and I just compared him to a wall. And a cup. I’m so embarrassed that I’m blushing to the very roots of my hair.
‘Um … yes, that would be great, if you’re available any time soon?’ My voice is a whole octave higher than usual.
He stares down at the floor for a couple of seconds, as if his schedule is printed there, before looking up again. ‘Nine a.m.?’
