Page 127 of Hot Lap
Then again, what purpose will it serve right now? None, except to piss him off as he goes into the final Grand Prix weekend. Which is probably exactly what Graham is hoping for. Make the girl cry. She runs to her man. He gets mad and thrown off his race rhythm.
I look over at the door and stick out my tongue. “No, Daddy Dearest, I’m not gonna do that. I’m gonna wait until after the race on Sunday to tell your son you paid me a visit. Nice fucking try, old man.”
I finish my dinner with the kind of satisfaction that only comes from standing your ground and refusing to let someone shrink you. Or make you their tool.
Then I pour a glass of water, carry the tart to the armchair by the window, and watch moonlight sparkle on the Persian Gulf.
Graham Pritchard may think he’s the center of the universe, but I know a turd when I see one, even if it’s highly polished.
CHAPTER THIRTY
ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX | FRIDAY | FREE PRACTICE
It’sFriday and the circuit simmers with anticipation. Reece’s schedule is jammed with strategy meetings and fan interaction events when his phone buzzes just as his daily briefing with Coy ends. It’s Claudia.
Need a quick yes or no. Can you take someone out for a hot lap?
He thumbs a reply.
Depends. Who?
Your wife.
A grin spreads across his face. Maiken’s spending another day in the hospitality unit. She’s now friends with the staff, utterly at ease among people whom she’s barely known two weeks.
He types back.
Absolutely.
A minute later, Claudia appears at the office door. “Coy, I’m stealing him.”
Nitro’s team principal dismisses Reece with a wave of his hand. “Do what you must.”
Reece follows her through the hospitality unit to the dining room where Maiken is perched on a stool, chatting up the kitchen staff.
Claudia delivers the official request in person. “Several sponsors are doing on-track media content today, and AetherX asked to shoot a hot lap with Maiken in the passenger seat. You both game?”
“Definitely.” Reece doesn’t hesitate.
Maiken’s eyes widen. “Wait. You’re letting Reece drive with me? On the track?” Her sweet grin goes wicked.
He laughs because he can see the gears turning in her mind. He points to his chest. “I’ll be behind the wheel, Mrs. Speed Demon.”
Claudia laughs. “Does this mean it’s a go?”
Mai lights up like a spotlight. “Oh, hell yes!”
Ten minutes later, they’re walking out toward a black McLaren coupe, polished to a mirror shine under the desert sun. Cameras are mounted on the car’s interior and exterior, ready to catch every angle of the experience.
He helps her don a helmet and settle into the passenger seat, then he goes around to the driver’s side as a technician buckles Maiken’s harness and closes her door.
Reece secures his own helmet and seatbelt. "Excited?"
It’s a stupid question. His honeybee is buzzing with adrenaline. She nods, smile huge. “Are you gonna drive like a maniac?”
He smirks. “Always.”
“Outstanding.”
