Page 63 of Racing Hearts
Come on Georgia, you can do it, I silently urged her on.
“The charity puts on an event before the Monaco Grand Prix. This year we were able to get Valkyrie’s model that we use for VIP photo shoots, and the kids got to take photos sitting in the car. It’s really sweet, very fun.” She smiled.
“What a lovely idea!” Josh gushed. “We’ll have to get the information from you, Georgia. I’m sure our supporters would love to contribute.”
Georgia’s face lit up with a radiant smile. “I’ll be sure to share it.”
“Well, it’s going to be an interesting race this weekend, I dare say! Georgia, not to change topics here, but rumor has it the women of the paddock have a reason to hate you,” the presenter crooned.
“Oh? Didn’t realize you packed the room full of journalists?” Georgia quipped, earning her a genuine laugh from the audience. Even they were starting to notice the bullying that Georgia was experiencing each race.
“Oh, come on now, we all saw that kiss you and Luca shared at Monza. I have a lot of friends, but I don’t think I’ve ever kissed any of them likethat. So, tell us, how did Luca Rossi manage to snag the heart of everyone’s new favorite driver?” Georgia’s eyes widened, and I knew she was trying to suppress a sarcastic laugh.
“Well, you know, Josh, Luca can be pretty convincing when he wants to be.” She cast me a wink and a kiss, much to the audience’s amusement. Edward just snorted next to me. “But in all seriousness, it was just sort of sprung on me.”
I had to fight to hide my grin at her subtle truth.
“Well, we really are happy for you both. Now, it’s no secret you’ve had a bit of a tough time with the media and fans. Your team is new, and as a community, we can be a bit tough on newbies.”
Sure, that’s it, Josh.Even Henri couldn’t suppress his laughter at Josh’s comment, poorly covering his smile with the back of his hand.
“But I think you’ve been painted a bit unfairly. Tell me, Henri, what is something the audience should know about your sister?” Henri’s eyes were glowing with eagerness, and I immediately knew what story he was going to share. He’d caught me laughing in my driver’s room this morning, and after very little persuasion, I’d finally let it slip.
“Oh, Josh, I’m worried if I tell this story, Georgia might get banned from a certain competitor’s garage.” Josh leaned in as if he and Henri were two schoolgirls gossiping at the lunch table.
Noticing my eager face, Georgia butted in, “I don’t think this is a story anyone wants to hear.”
“Nah, I think it’s a good one!” I yelled, urging Henri to continue. Georgia shot me a stern look, but I just continued to sweetly smile at her. This was the Georgia everyone needed to see. The hilarious, silly Georgia that hid behind her strict persona.
“Nonsense!” Josh just put his hands up as the audience booed her.
“So, Georgia thought it would be hilarious to sneak a hamster into another driver’s room. She bought it a nice cage, even added a mini Formula 1 car to its home. She dressed as a mechanic and somehow made her way into the other driver’s room, placing the hamster on the desk with a note about it being a gift from the team principal. The only problem? Georgia apparently didn’t close the door to the cage all the way, and about an hour later, the team principal opened his bag to find a hamster burrowed in his expensive Armani briefcase.”
Suddenly I heard a gasp next to me, and I knew the moment it had all clicked in Edward’s mind. “It was YOU that left the hamster in my room!” Edward was now standing, his finger pointed towards Georgia, but before I could defend her, a large grin formed on Georgia’s face as she proudly waved off Edward’s disdain. The crowd erupted with laughter at the two of them, and I flashed Georgia another knowing smile, urging her to continue.
“It was Luca’s idea!” she lied, and I shook my head no, wagging my finger at her.
“Oh, no, Dubois, this one was all you!” I called out. Edward flashed her his middle finger, his head shaking with laughter. He was always such a good sport.
“I’ll get you back for this one, Dubois!”
Once the crowd had settled down, Josh shook his head in disbelief. “So, tell me, what happened to the hamster?”
“Apparently, after an hour, they were able to catch it and return it to its home.” Henri grinned. “I hear it was quite the model during some VIP photo shoots at Wilmington today! He’s got a sweet mansion, a nice toy car inside. It’s won the jackpot.”
“Well, who knew the Dubois family had such a prankster in their midst!” Josh announced. “I dare say, this has been a great podcast. You have both been an absolute delight, and we look forward to seeing you both on the podium this weekend!”
As soon as the taping ended, I met Georgia at the end of the stage. “Nice little interview you gave there!” I grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head as she rolled her eyes.
“Can’t believe you betrayed me like that,” she quipped, but before I could defend myself Edward arrived with a tray of shots from the after-party bar.
“Absolutely not!” Georgia protested. “We have to be in the paddock tomorrow!”
“Come on, Georgie, you’ve already broken your ‘no alcohol’ rule. What’s a teeny, tiny harmless shot? Plus, you owe me after thatstory.” Edward winked, although Georgia still looked completely unconvinced by his charade.
“Geez, no wonder they call you the boring twin.” I stuck my tongue out at her, and to my surprise, Georgia grabbed a shot and downed it like the fucking champion I knew she was. The group of us drivers erupted into applause as Georgia tried to hide her gagging. The look on Edward’s face was priceless, eyes wide with utter disbelief dancing on his face.
“There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Never underestimate Georgia Dubois!” I announced.
