Page 3 of Away We Go

I’d also not known Cherry was there that weekend. How is that possible?

“Why didn’t you tell me she was there?”

He shrugs and my shoulders creep up to my ears. There’s only one race in Australia on the F1 calendar; Cherry should have had VIP treatment if she was there.

“She wanted to experience the crowd,” he says. “Get an authentic experience.”

She didn’t want to make a fuss, is how I interpret this.

“Does she even want to do this?” I’m softening, and he knows it, if his cocky grin is anything to go by. “Come on the road with the team for the entire year?”

He shrugs again. “I think she needs to get away. She’s heartbroken for the first time in her life, and this would be the perfect way to help her get over it.”

My resolve vanishes. My mind revolts at the thought of Cherry being heartbroken and not doing anything to help. If she agrees to join my team, I’ll do whatever I can to look out for her. And if she finds she doesn’t like it…she can leave.

“Fine, she can join the team.”

Matt pumps his fist in the air in delight.

“If she wants to,” I add with a glare without heat. There’s still a chance she will decline the offer and this will have all been for nothing.

I shrug away what feels a lot like disappointment at this thought. I must be lonelier than I think.

“Of course she’ll say yes. Who’d be crazy enough to turn down the opportunity to travel the world with a bunch of elite athletes, stay in luxurious hotels, not to mention get to hang out with you twenty-four-seven?”

I grin at his words while squashing the feeling that I’m not worthy of them. These days I’m not sure I want to do any of those things, especially hang out with myself all day, every day. But if he thinks this will help Cherry, then part of me—a big part of me—is happy to do it.

There’s just a small part of me that is wondering if this is the only reason I’m doing it.

I shake my head. “Ask her and then we’ll talk.”

My best friend grins and turns back to the party, while I sit back, a trickle of anticipation for the year ahead dancing along my spine that has nothing to do with racing a Formula 1 car. And has everything to do with a girl with bright red hair, and a dimple to melt the most hardened of hearts.

I’m just hoping mine won’t be one of them.

RACE ONE

Australia

Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne

14–16 March

CHAPTER 1

Cherry

“Access denied!”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

I swipe my pass over the scanner again and see the same red flashing light, the same loud buzz of rejection.

“Access denied!”

With a shaky hand, I wipe my pass on the front of my jeans, hoping this will be the magical answer to my woes. Today is the first day of my new job, mydream job, and it’s already turning into a nightmare.

“Excuse me!”

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