Page 4 of Rush
‘There was. I liked him, and there was something between us. But then Thalia got in touch again, said she was ready, and I couldn’t say no to her.’
‘Then I think it should be you dragging him out of here, not me.’
‘I’m ready!’ They were cut off by Marco’s yell and Faith, Julien’s wife and the second social media manager for Revolution Racing, paused the music playing over thegarage speakers, making the whole situation ten times more dramatic. Marco was so going to regret this when the adrenaline wore off and rumours started circling the paddock.
‘Marco, maybe now isn’t the time,’ Savi called out to him.
‘With Esme and I, there will never be a right time. I’ve got to say this now or else I won’t say it at all. Esme, we had something special. And I know I don’t have lady parts, but I know that doesn’t bother you. So yeah, maybe Thalia Kotas can give you everything you want, but I could give you everything you need. I’m stable, dependable, a hopeless romantic which is super obvious based on the fact I’m doing this right now, and I would go to the ends of the earth for the people I care about. Don’t throw that away over someone who can’t commit.’
‘Mars, can we have this conversation elsewhere?’ Esme pleaded. ‘This isn’t how I want to do this, let’s go to your trailer.’
‘Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of our friends. Doesn’t bother me.’
Savi thought he should be thanking his lucky stars that there was no press around; the fans would never let this go. Then again, neither would the guys.
‘I’m going straight to hell for this,’ Esme muttered under her breath. ‘Mars, I’m sorry. Thalia and I are good. We’re exclusive, and we’re happy, and I love her. That’s not to say we didn’t have something, because we did and I think you’re a really great guy, but I have to let Thalia in.’
Marco stood motionless in the middle of the garage, a few of Eden Racing’s engineers looking extremelyuncomfortable while others looked downright disappointed that their rival’s grand declaration had gone unrequited.
He blinked, hard, like he was trying to place himself back into reality. ‘Well, shit. Good luck to you, Ez. Jules, we’re going back to the hotel in twenty, right? Choose me the best whisky they’ve got behind the bar. I’m taking it to my room.’ Marco walked straight back out of the garage through the back door, likely to go and hide in the trailer for the foreseeable.
‘I’ll pay you back for it, Julien,’ Esme looked uncomfortable.
‘No need. He deserves it after that shit show.’
‘You crushed Mars. I didn’t think it was possible,’ Brett chuckled. ‘He’ll get over it quick, don’t worry. A few therapy sessions, a race win and a holiday and he’ll be right as rain.’
‘I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about him,’ Savi turned to her friend with a scathing glare.
‘Do you tell me about every guy you kiss?’ Esme challenged.
Savi thought about it for a second and determined that actually, yes, she did. Esme was the only person who knew about Jesse. She was also the only person in the racing world who knew a lot of things about her, like the fact half the reason Savi was pursuing her racing career so hard was so her parents could keep their ranch in Wyoming.
Or that Savi’s brother, Weston Hart, was a famous bull rider in the United States who was now paralysed from the waist down after being thrown off a bull six years ago. Another reason Savi needed this career; medical bills were expensive, and Weston’s money had run out.
‘Yes. You owe me, I had to go full therapist mode in that trailer and now I’m going to have to do it all over again with averydifferent approach.’
‘When I found him on Saturday night hiding away in the guest bedroom, he was weeping.’ Julien interjected. ‘Not crying exactly, but actually weeping like he’d sprung a leak. It was right after you mentioned Thalia in passing, in fact. I should’ve clocked it sooner.’
‘I am a terrible person.’ Esme looked genuinely upset with herself.
‘You can’t help who you love, Esme. Don’t stress. But Savi, you’re on damage control,’ Faith instructed. ‘Cheer him up. I don’t care how you do it but maybe consider vegan chocolate chip pancakes from room service. He loves them.’
Savi inwardly sighed as she headed after Marco. She was supposed to be video calling Jesse tonight to catch him up on how her trip was going, but if she was still on babysitting duties, it wasn’t going to happen.
Back at the hotel an hour later, Savi successfully intercepted room service with a stack of pancakes and, with some convincing through the door from Julien, was begrudgingly granted access into Marco’s room while he sat on the sofa and sulked. Despite his initial disgruntlement at the sight of two of his teammates, guilt plastered all over their faces, he seemed to mostly be over his embarrassment when he caught the scent of pancake batter.
‘You did this for me?’ he mumbled through a mouthful.
‘Got to make it up to you somehow.’ Savi sat down nextto him, relaxing back into the tan leather couch and a sea of textured cushions. It would appear that when you’ve been with a well-established racing team from the start, you got some room upgrades.
‘You’ve got a whole season for that, Savannah.’
‘Savi,’ she scowled.
‘I like Savannah better.’
‘I hate it.’ She grabbed the can of non-dairy whipped cream, which she had all but physically fought for at the front desk, insisting Marco would need extra, and sprayed it directly into her mouth, as though her manners had been left back home on the ranch. It was almost enough to distract her teammate from his train of thought, his eyes dancing over her in what some might call adoration. She wondered if it was more disgust than anything else.
