Page 99 of Racing Hearts
“I don’t know, it did get you to confess your love for me,amore.” She swatted the top of my head.
“Just shut up and kiss me.”
She didn’t have to ask me twice. My hands locked behind her back as I spun us around in a scorching kiss, laughter and cheers echoing from the team behind us. When I finally set her down, our foreheads remained pressed together, the world blurry around her eyes.
“What can I say? My heart burns for you so much my car caught fire.” Georgia stiffened, shaking her head in disapproval. “Alright,” I laughed. “Too soon.” I gave her one last squeeze. From somewhere behind us, Nora was yelling for Georgia. “Go get that trophy,amore. Tonight, we’ll celebrate properly.”
Georgia reluctantly let go of my hand, shooting me a mischievous grin before disappearing into the crowd.
After years of pining. Years of being an idiot, of hating myself for the self-loathing.
No more. Georgia wasmine.
Edward clapped his hand on my back. “Looks like you’re gonna have to get yourself a Valkyrie polo.”
“No need. I already have one. Bought it the day she signed.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Georgia
After the podium celebration, Henri motioned for me to follow him. “So, youloveLuca, huh?” He grinned.
“What if I did?” I asked cautiously.
“Then I would be happy for you, Peaches. Very happy.” Henri laughed at my surprise. “He’s good for you. And he seems to love you, very much. Which is good, considering after that JOULE article and your little outburst professing your love to the entire world on live television, it’s going to be pretty hard for anyone to argue otherwise. Bet theDaily Reporterjournalists are ready to crawl into a hole right about now.”
At least that was one good thing to come out of today.
“Now, come on. Let’s get this press conference over with, I’m dying for a beer.”
We walked shoulder to shoulder toward the media center. Part of me suspected this was going to be brutal. Besides the early Thursday morning press conference prior to the article’s release, I had managed to mostly avoid the media on Friday and Saturday.
But no more. As the race winner, I had to face them now. This was their last chance to get questions answered in a public setting. And yet, as I sat there with another Formula 1 race win under my belt, I didn’t feel the same nerves that usually overcame me at media events. Sweat didn’t drip down my hands as normal, and the trembling of my fingers was replaced with steady confidence.
The moment the Q&A was opened up to the floor, countless hands went flying into the air. Marcus fromSports Broadcastingstood up.
“Georgia, congrats on a great race. There’s a rumor you were brought into the FIA offices earlier this week. Anything to report on that?”
So much for that meeting being confidential.
“Marcus, I think you know I can’t comment on private FIA meetings,” I replied, keeping my face even.
“Really? Well, reports say that the FIA is investigating you for cheating in Monza.” I gave him an incredulous look. It was easy to expect this from the tabloids, but not fromSports Broadcasting, a company that had become the crown of British sports reporting.
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “If you have reports, then sounds like you don’t need my input.”
“So, are you denying it?”
These journalists really were like vultures, eager to tear into any shred of vulnerability they could find. I’d spent the season calling it the Lion’s Den, but as I sat here now, I realized they weren’t lions. They were vultures who fed off of the scraps from the racers—from me.
“I’m denying that it’s any of your business.” Nora was now waving at me in the background, motioning for me to quit the conversation, but I ignored her wild gesturing.
No more of this. Luca was right, it was time to face my fears, to do something different.
“In fact, I’m denying the wholefuckingthing. If you all think you know me so well, well enough to write articles before even speaking to me, then why do you bother asking me these questions?”
Marcus may have been slightly discouraged by my question, but his next statement showed that he wasn’t deterred nearly enough. “I’m asking because a serious allegation has been brought against you, and you have yet to say anything about it. Instead, all you’ve done is galivant on a yacht and attend fancy dinners.”
