Page 56 of Falling Fast
‘Nobody’s perfect.’ He chuckles. ‘So if your family don’t like F1, what got you into it?’
I squirm beneath his gaze. It strikes me suddenly how hypocritical I’ve been, asking Leif about his past when I’m so uncomfortable talking about parts of my own. Only there are some things I still want to keep hidden.
‘It’s hard to explain. I had to miss a few months of school when I was fifteen, the Grand Prix was on TV and I got hooked – that’s all.’
‘Huh.’ He looks surprised, though thankfully he doesn’t pursue the subject. Instead, he tips the waffles on to two plates and slides one across to me. ‘There you go. Breakfast is served.’
‘Thank you.’ I sprinkle some sugar on top as Simone instructed and take a bite. ‘Oh wow. That’s delicious.’
‘If at first you don’t succeed …’ He drizzles syrup on to his. ‘Obviously, we’ll be keeping this a secret from Kelsey too?’
‘I presumed. Hey, do you mind if I check my messages quickly?’ I mumble through a second mouthful of waffle, as I reach across the counter for my bag. I can’t believe I left it down here last night and didn’t even notice. I’m normally glued to my phone.
‘Of course not.’ He flicks on a coffee machine. ‘Any crises at Rask?’
‘No.’ I glance up. ‘But there’s an interesting message from Maisie. She’s invited me to go with her to Canada this weekend.’
He gives me a stern look. ‘To enjoyFraserhospitality?’
‘Yes, but I’d still be cheering for you.’
‘What about after the race?’ He looks thoughtful. ‘Will Maisie need you then?’
‘I doubt it. Not if she’s with Gio.’
‘Then why don’t we hang out? I’ve heard that Montreal is a beautiful city. We could be tourists together.’
I take another large bite of waffle, considering the idea while I chew. It sounds risky, but kind of exciting too. ‘Will there be time?’
‘We’ll make time. I like to see more than a track in the places I visit. When I was a kid, I never expected to leave Norway, so now I never waste an opportunity to explore.’ He leans forward, touching a syrupy kiss to my lips. ‘Nobody else needs to know what we’re up to.’
‘You mean like asecretsightseeing tour?’ I feel a rush of adrenaline at the idea. ‘I’d love that.’
Welcome to Montreal, where the weather is balmy, the fans are enthusiastic and the drivers are raring to go. It’s an unusual week because we have a different team on pole for once. Hugo Zaragoza set an incredible qualifying time in the Gold Dart, putting both Fraser and Quezada in the shade. Meanwhile Rask continue storming up the league table, both their drivers getting into Q3 for the third race in a row. If they keep up this pressure, it should be an exciting race.
@MotorsportEchoNews, 13 July
EIGHTEEN
‘DO YOU REMEMBER THE first time we did this, at Silverstone?’ I ask Maisie as we make our way along a crowded grid, dodging cars, pundits, mechanics and visitors. As a VIP guest of Fraser, rather than a Rask employee, I have nothing to do today except soak up the atmosphere, which is pretty incredible, although I’d enjoy it more if my loyalties weren’t so all over the place. As if being torn between Rask and Quezada wasn’t bad enough, now I feel duty bound to support Fraser too, for this race anyway. It’s so confusing that I had to ransack my entire wardrobe to find a neutral outfit, eventually settling on a white broderie summer dress with silver sandals.
‘How could I forget? I had no idea what was going on and I was completely terrified.’ Maisie slips a hand around my arm. ‘Isn’t it funny how I knew nothing about F1 back then and now I’m basically an expert?’
‘Umm …’
‘Compared to most people.’ She sees my expression and laughs. ‘But you have to admit, I’ve learned a lot.’
‘You really have.’ I look at her quizzically. ‘You’re in agood mood today. Does this mean things are better between you and Gio?’
‘Much.’ She beams. ‘I talked to him, like you suggested, and afterwards he introduced me to Quinn and it turns out she’s really nice and I’ve been completely over-reacting. There’s a reason they’ve been spending so much time together, only I’m not allowed to talk about it.’
‘And you’re certain he’s not gaslighting you?’
‘Completely.And… I’ve come to a decision.’ She stops walking abruptly, to the annoyance of a camera crew following close behind. ‘I’ve decided to defer my MA. I’m going to concentrate on biking this year. After that, we’ll see.’
‘Are you sure?’ I ask her seriously. ‘That’s a big deal.’
‘I know, but I just can’t manage a sports career, an MAanda relationship all at once.’
