Page 50 of Retrograde
‘Does that mean …’
‘That you can drive one of Dad’s classics? Yes. At areasonablespeed.’
‘Aw, Luce, come on! There are some quiet roads out here, surely. Those cars are just crying out for the open road. Theyneedme. They need my talent.’
‘The carsneedyou, do they?’
‘Well, maybe I need them more. But hey, racing is my one true love, and I’m not allowed in my beauty of a race car until next April. That’s…’ he counted on his fingers, ‘ten months.Ten months, Luce. I’ve never been away from a racetrack for more than two. I can’t be expected to stick to the speed limit all the time. I’ll use my common sense. Have I ever got a speeding ticket or been pulled over on the roads surrounding Julien’s property in Malmedy?’
‘No,’ she sighed, defeated.
‘Exactly! I’ll still be sensible, promise.’
‘Just think, when you do finally get back in the Revolution car, it will have had a load of upgrades. It won’t be the same car you tested in for this season.’ The team was constantly working to improve the car, making sure they stayed at the top or at least in line with their competitors.
‘Fuck, yeah, of course. I’m going to hold on to that.’ Brett swallowed an invisible lump in his throat, but Lucie caught the falter in his expression.
‘This will be worth it, you know. I know it’s hard and it’s not how you wanted things to play out, but Jasperdidn’t just do this for the sake of the team. He did it for the sake of you and your future in motorsport. We all want to support you in the best way we know how, and that means giving you some tough love. Work on yourself and you’ll be able to return next season, better than you’ve ever been.’
‘I’m going to blow Jules and Marco out of the water. You watch,’ Brett smirked.
Lucie laughed at his confidence and made a mental note to check in with the team on the progress of their big surprise. The trouble with Brett missing a whole race season was that he still needed to keep up with the other drivers, and if he wasn’t training somehow, he risked falling behind. He needed to remember circuit layouts, different approaches for different parts of the tracks. The feel of the car. It would be so easy to get caught up in farmhouse renovations and therapy, and the team didn’t want to risk his career taking a back seat during this healing process. His head had to stay in the game, and the Revolution crew would do everything they could.
‘So, what do you think of this room?’ Lucie gestured at it.
There was an exposed brick wall behind the bed, and the rest of the walls were white. Most rooms in the house had the same feature wall, but holes needed to be filled and the plain walls needed to be replastered or transformed from terracotta to white. Rosa had thrown an orange and red patterned throw across the bed in the classic way interior design magazines did, and that along with the beige cushions and the rug under the bedprovided a perfect balance of textures. There was an archway leading to the ensuite bathroom which featured not only a walk-in shower, but a gigantic bathtub. The room was a combination of the kind of luxury Brett was accustomed to, and the classic Italian architecture that fit the Carolans down to the ground.
‘It’s beautiful. I love your mum’s little touches.’ He referenced the plant on the dresser, the ceramic trinket tray for his watch, chain and bracelet. The photo on the wall of the racetrack in Monaco. Although Brett had never raced there because it wasn’t on the IEC’s schedule, he had taken Mateo years ago to watch another championship, and it had been cemented in her dad’s heart as one of his favourite racetracks in the world.
‘After we’ve been for a walk around the property, do you want to come and help me pick the tomatoes for dinner?’
‘What? Your parents are growing tomatoes?’
‘They’re growing all kinds of fruit and veg. That’s part of the reason they moved out of LA. I’m sure Mum would love it if you did some gardening with her, too.’
‘Absolutely. My grandparents had a greenhouse and I loved it. I keep bugging Jules to start one at his place in Malmedy so I can get my hands dirty when I visit.’
‘Do we need to schedule your days down to the minute? They’re starting to get packed,’ Lucie laughed.
‘Nah, but I think I need some new clothes. Everything I’ve brought is designer…’ Brett looked at the shirt he was holding. He was right, he needed basics. Things that could get destroyed with mud and paint and plaster.
‘We’ll go shopping. Oh, hey, do you want blackout curtains in here?’ Lucie gestured to the curtains that were currently in place. They were beautiful, and the view was out of this world, but they let in a lot of light. With Brett’s emotional exhaustion that came with the territory of therapy, he might want naps in the daytime, or he might need lie-ins.
‘That might be a good idea. I’ll buy them, then if your parents don’t want to keep them once I leave, they haven’t wasted their money.’
‘Don’t be silly, we’ll buy them.’
‘Lucie. You have seen my bank statements.’
‘It’s the principle.’ She crossed her arms.
‘Well, if your parents do want to keep them, they can consider the curtains a gift.’
‘Fine,’ she frowned. Lucie had been raised in a very traditional family, and that meant that when you were playing host, you went above and beyond. She knew Rosa wouldn’t like Brett buying the curtains, either.
‘How long do you have until you need to leave?’
‘I’ve got to attend the reveal of the livery for Le Mans in a few days. That’s in Emilia-Romagna so it’s just a short drive. I’ve got two weeks until I go to Le Mans itself. I’ve got a lot of work to be doing while you and Dad are doing renovations, too. Girls Off Trackhas an entire photoshoot waiting to be edited, and I have a video interview with a sports magazine. It’s the one Faith used to write for.’
