Page 28 of Falling Fast
There’ll be another press conference on Friday, as well as two hour-long practice sessions so the drivers can get accustomed to the track and the team can gather data and make any necessary adjustments to the car set-up. Then on Saturday, there’ll be pit-stop practice in the morning, followedby a third practice session, followed by qualifying, followed by yetanotherpress conference. Finally, on Sunday, there’s a strategy meeting, a drivers’ parade and a team briefing, all followed by theactualGrand Prix at two o’clock. They’ve even scheduled nap time.
Just thinking about it is exhausting.
I read through tomorrow’s schedule four times, making sure I know it by heart, then reach for my phone. I’ve never messaged Leif directly before, but it’s time I made contact. With any luck, I’ll be able to gauge how he feels about me being here.
Hi, it’s Ava! See you in the morning. Excited to work with you!
I close my eyes and take a deep, calming breath. I don’t expect him to answer quickly, or at all, but at least I’ve reached out. Now I just need to stay calm and professional and not give him any additional reasons to object to me. Most of all, I need to step up and not waste this opportunity to show Vienna what I’m capable of.
I jump as my phone vibrates in my hand.
See you tomorrow. Leif.
That’s it?I stare at the screen for a few seconds, then fall back on to the bed with a groan of frustration. At least he replied, but so much for gauging his reaction. How am I supposed to interpret that?
I guess I’ll be waiting a little longer to find out how he feels about me.
Excitement is rising in Hungary and so is the temperature, with forecasters warning it could potentially hit the 40°C mark over the Grand Prix weekend.
@MotorsportEchoNews, 19 June
TEN
SARAH AND I ARE both up early. With our matching Rask outfits, we look like twins as we head downstairs to take the shuttle bus to the paddock. According to the all-important schedule, Leif’s first activity of the day is an hour in the gym, followed by a shower in his private RV motorhome at the track. If everything is going according to plan, that means he should be ready for me to collect him for breakfast right about now.
I tense as I knock on his door. I’m excited to get started, but I’m also still nervous about how he’s going to react to me being his minder. My stomach is so tightly clenched I don’t know how I’m going to keep any food down, although at least half a dozen people have already warned me to ‘get plenty of protein because today’s going to be a big day’. Even Yuto, the last person I’d expect to be thinking about food right now, has messaged.
I hear a shout telling me to come in, so I open the door and climb some steps into a compact but cosy-looking lounge area, complete with a kitchen at the far end. I know that Leif prefers to stay here rather than in a hotel, but I didn’texpect it to be so well-equipped. It seems kind of unnecessary, considering that drivers also have private rooms in the team motorhome, as well as a catering department ready to prepare anything they want to eat. But I guess this is F1.
‘I’m through here!’ Leif’s voice calls from further inside, so I brace myself and follow it, past a small bathroom and up some more steps into …
‘Oh!’ I come to an abrupt halt in his bedroom. It’s smaller than I would have expected, with a low roof and skylight over a narrow bunk, but it’s still a room with a bed, which is definitely not an appropriate space for us to meet.
‘I’m so sorry. I thought you meant …’ I gesture behind me. ‘I’ll wait outside.’
‘Don’t worry.’ Leif stands up from where he’s currently bent over, straightening his bedclothes. Like me, he’s dressed entirely in Rask merchandise. ‘It’s my fault. I assumed you were Kelsey.’
‘Kelsey?’ It must be the name of his girlfriend, though this is the first I’ve heard of her.
‘My performance coach.’
‘Oh.’ I feel a bump in my chest, one that feels inexplicably like relief, followed by mild shock because he’s …notfrowning? Instead he looks almost pleased to see me. It’s completely disarming.What the hell?
‘So, I’m going to be your assistant for the next few days,’ I say carefully, because maybe he hasn’t been fully apprised of the situation.
‘I know.’ He folds his arms over his chest, though not in a confrontational way, more like he’s unsure what else to do with them in such a confined space. ‘Vienna told me. Any news on Yuto?’
‘He says he’s feeling better.’ I give him a suspicious look becausewhatis going on? He doesn’t seem even remotely bothered about me being here. ‘So we’re good? Working together, I mean?’
‘Of course.’
‘OK.’ I need another moment to process this. ‘Well, that’s great. I mean, obviously I’m new to this, but Yuto’s sent me a few pointers and if there’s anything you need, just let me know and I’ll do my best to facilitate it.’
‘I’m sure we’ll be fine.’ He clears his throat as I turn to go. ‘Did you sleep well?’
There have been so many surprises in the past minute that I shouldn’t be caught out by another, but I’m so taken aback I almost look over my shoulder to see if he’s talking to someone else. First he’s not frowning, and now he’s asking me questions about my well-being? It’s like he’s had some kind of personality transplant. ‘Um … yes, thanks. Did you?’
‘Yes.’
