Page 31 of Hot Lap
A pause stretches between us, awkward even through the barrier.
"Can we talk?" he finally asks. "Just for a moment?”
I lean my forehead against the cold door. The wood is a barrier between us that’s both too thick and not nearly thick enough. It seems like a metaphor for something. "I'm not sure what there is to say."
"A lot, actually, but I'll settle for 'good morning' for now."
A small smile tugs at my lips despite the confusion of our situation, the whirlwind of yesterday, the lingering fury about his father’s absolute assholery. There's something disarming about this man’s patience. "Good morning, Reece."
"Good morning, Maiken." The way he says my name, with that slight emphasis on the first syllable, makes my breath do something stupid.
Another pause. I imagine him on the other side, maybe leaning against the door just like I am.
"Why do you want to stay married to me, Reece?” The question bursts out of me. "You barely know me."
He exhales, and I swear I can feel it through the door. "I don't have a great answer for that."
"Try anyway."
"Because..." He hesitates. "You remind me there's a whole world outside of F1. It's something I'd rather lost track of."
I frown. "What does that mean?"
"It means I've been living in this bubble for so long, I'd forgotten what it's like to just... be a person. Not a driver, not Graham Pritchard's son, not PNW Nitro's investment. Just Reece." His voice drops lower. "With you, for those few hours, that's who I got to be. Just me."
"So I'm what, your pressure valve?"
"No. God, no." He sounds frustrated. "My father’s controlled every aspect of my life and Wyn's since we were kids. Racing,training, diet, friends, appearance, relationships — fuckingeverything. Hiring Ona, my physio, and Branca as my manager were my first real steps toward independence."
I cross my arms. “And I’m step three in Reece Pritchard's twelve-step program?"
"No."
"That's it? Just 'no'?"
"I don't have the right words, Mai." The nickname catches me off guard. Even through the door, there's a raw honesty in his voice that makes me pause. "I know how this looks. I know it's crazy. But when I'm with you, something justfits. I haven't felt that in a long time. Maybe never."
I don't know what to do with that. It's either the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me or the most elaborate line I've ever heard.
There’s a sound like a tinny bell. An alarm. "Shit. I have to go." The sound stops abruptly. "Sponsor obligations. Do you want me to be there for your meeting with Coy?"
"No." I answer quickly. "I need to do this myself."
"Okay. Yeah, that’s fair." He pauses. "Mai, whatever you decide... I'll support it."
I trace the door’s wood grain with my gaze as if I could see through it to his expression. "Even if I want an annulment?"
The silence that follows seems to stretch forever.
“Yeah. Even that.” The words come out strained.
That admission cost him something; it was in his voice, a subtle pause after "even." What exactly is he giving up by offering me this freedom?
Reece adds, "It’d be brilliant if you’d at least give me a chance to show you Vegas wasn't just the alcohol talking."
Before I can respond, he says, "I have to go. Claudia will take good care of you. I'll see you later, if you want."
Hinges squeak and a door latch clicks. There’s another one on his side that he’s closed. I press my ear to mine and hear the thud of another door shutting as he leaves his room.
