Page 36 of Fast & Reckless
“Nothing? I felt like your dad caught us sneaking in after curfew. Was hemadat you for going out?”
“Not mad. Disappointed. Which is so much worse. I shouldn’t have gone.”
She started toward the elevator, but Violet caught her arm. “Mira, why on earth would he be upset because you went out and had a little fun? You’re an adult.”
They got in the elevator. “He’s got a good reason. That’s all I can say,” she said when Violet looked like she wanted to protest. When the elevator stopped, Violet put a hand against the door to hold it as Mira stepped out.
“Hey, this is not the same as before. You’re not the girl from those headlines anymore.” The look in Violet’s eyes told Mira all she needed to know. Of course Violet had dug up whatever dirt was still out there.
“I—” she began but the words wouldn’t form.
“Mira, chill. I’ve got your back. Go get some sleep.” A moment later, Violet released the door and it slid closed.
The polished brass door threw Mira’s reflection back in her face, another silent accusation. Hair a riotous mess, face pale, eyes red and watery. She certainly looked like the Mira from a lifetime ago, whom she thought she’d left behind for good.
Tomorrow she’d start fresh and banish that girl to history once and for all.
19
Singapore
Two days after that night in Melbourne, a photo showed up online of Will and the dark-haired girl Mira had seen him with at the party. Except they were in the lobby of his hotel, clearlyafterthey’d dropped him off.
She’d been stunned breathless, but if she needed yet another reminder that the kiss had been a mistake, there it was. Yes, he’d kissed her. Yes, he’d asked her to go home with him. But he’d clearly found a quick replacement when she’d told him no.
The close call strengthened her resolution to steer clear of him whenever possible. It turned out to be quite easy to accomplish. With everything she had on her plate as the team moved on to Singapore, she didn’t see him once. Maybe he was avoiding her, too. Despite his assurance that he considered her a friend, surely that aborted kiss and her subsequent freakout had put an end to it. He’d obviously moved on. Time for her to do the same.
So it shocked her on the team’s first full day in Singapore to get a text from Will an hour after the team press conference had ended.
His text was terse and urgent.
Meet me in the hotel lobby. I need help.
What could he possibly need her help with? If there was a problem with his suite, the hotel management would bend over backward to fix it. With the load-in and setup of the Lennox garage at the track still underway, it was a terrible time for her to be absent. But like it or not, Will was part of her job, and if he said he needed help, she had to go help him.
The cool air of the white marble lobby was a relief after the relentless humidity outside. She swiped the perspiration from her forehead as she scanned the room for him. Will was slouched in a leather armchair, scrolling on his phone. At the same moment she saw him, he looked up and spotted her. He smiled broadly. She’d done nothing but work since that night in Melbourne, determined to purge the moment from her memory through sheer exhaustion, but one flash of that devastating grin laid waste to all that.
She didn’t return his smile, instead schooling her face into impassivity. She also attempted to avert her eyes as he unfolded his gorgeous body from his chair and advanced across the lobby toward her. She was a hot, sweaty mess after the walk from the track and there he was looking like he’d just stepped out of a Calvin Klein underwear ad. Except with more clothes. Women—and one or two men—stopped what they were doing to watch him, a god among mortals. He seemed oblivious to their reactions.
“What is it?” she asked when he was close enough. “What’s wrong?”
“I need T-shirts,” he said, his expression somber.
“What?”
“I need new T-shirts, so I’m going shopping and you’re coming with me.”
Closing her eyes, she shook her head in confusion. “You pulled me out of the garage setup to help you buyT-shirts? Are you serious?”
He waved a hand dismissively. “Those guys have set up the Lennox garage a million times before. They’re fine.”
