Page 30 of Falling Fast
‘Message me if you have any problems.’ Emika turns back to me. ‘The paddock can feel like a maze, but you get used to how things work after a few races.’
‘Maybe we should swap?’ Corey suggests.
‘What?’ Leif’s head jerks up, his tone a little sharp.
‘We could swap minders.’ Corey looks between us all. ‘Our schedules today are pretty much the same, but Emika and I have both been here before so we know where we’re going. It’ll take some of the stress away.’
‘That’s actually not a bad idea.’ Emika scrunches her mouth up thoughtfully. ‘What do you think, Ava? Just for today?’
‘I guess it makes sense …’ I glance at Leif. Paranoid as it sounds, for a moment I wonder if he’s planned this with Corey to get rid of me, only I don’t think so. He seems to be frowning at his teammate. Weirdly, I feel a flash of annoyance towards Corey too. Yesterday, I would have been relieved to be paired with him. Now I feel oddly deflated that I don’t get to spend the day with Leif, after all.
‘Leif?’ Corey prompts him.
There’s a moment of silence before he nods. ‘Whatever you guys want.’
‘Great.’ Emika drains her orange juice and stands up. ‘Let’s go.’
‘I’M SO GLAD IT’S you and not Charlotte who came,’ Emika confides as Leif and Corey walk the track in front of us, discussing the layout with their race engineers. ‘I mean, I love her, but I wish she were married already. Sometimes I think if I hear another word about wedding favours I’ll tear my hair out.’
‘Does that mean you don’t want an update?’ I tease her. ‘Because I have new information about table settings.’
‘Don’t you dare.’ She shudders. ‘Speaking of new information, Vienna just made a last-minute addition to the schedule. Now there’s a speaking engagement at 6 p.m. in the hospitality centre, but she wants to introduce Leif and Corey separately, so I’ll take one in, while you watch the other in the motorhome.’
‘You make them sound like puppies.’ I laugh at the image. ‘Are they likely to wander off?’
‘It can happen, especially at the end of a long day. One of the Chiltern drivers went completely AWOL in Miami a couple of years ago. They eventually found him in a hot tub on a yacht; his minder got the boot the next day.’
‘OK.’ I stop laughing. ‘I’ll keep an eye on them.’
‘Great.’ She lifts her phone to her ear. ‘I’ll just call Vienna and make sure she’s not about to spring anything else on us.’
I carry on walking, although the temperature is beginning to feel uncomfortable. I knew it was going to be hot, but I wasn’t expecting humidity too, the kind of sticky heat where just breathing makes you sweat – and it’s only 9 a.m.
‘Ava?’
A voice calls my name and I look over my shoulder to find a middle-aged man in white jeans, white trainers and a blue shirt jogging towards me, looking red-faced and in desperate need of a lie-down. Or possibly even a stretcher. He seems to know who I am, though I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.
‘Hi.’ I offer him one of my water bottles since I brought two as a precaution. ‘Do you need this? I haven’t opened it yet.’
‘Thanks.’ He grabs it, takes several long gulps and then pours a hefty splash over his shaggy brown hair. ‘You’re a lifesaver. I can’t remember the last time I ran anywhere.’
‘Today probably wasn’t the best day to start. Can I help you?’
‘Yes. I’m Nathan, Leif’s manager.’
‘It’s so nice to meet you.’ I smile as we shake hands. ‘Although Emika’s minding Leif today now.’
‘In that case, I’ll get to her in a minute. First I want to speak to the woman who persuaded him to join Instagram.’ He gives me an appraising look. ‘I’ve been trying to get him online for years. So how did you manage it? Bribery or blackmail?’
‘Maybe a tiny bit of bribery,’ I concede. ‘But really I just explained how useful it could be and we came to a compromise.’
‘Hey, Nathan.’ Leif drops back to join us. ‘What are the two of you talking about?’
‘Your recent decision to join the rest of us in the twenty-first century,’ Nathan answers pointedly. ‘So I hear Emika’s your minder today?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then I’d better go and chat to her as well.’ He shakes my hand again. ‘It was nice chatting with you, Ava. I owe you a drink.’
