Page 62 of Racing Hearts
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been holding out on me, tricking me into thinking that I was hanging out with theboringDubois twin.”
“Just like you tricked me into thinking I was going to win that karting race?”
I stepped closer, crowding her gently against the doorframe. One arm braced above her head. With the other, I reached up, trailing my fingers lightly under her jaw.
“There’s a lot more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there?” I whispered. Our bodies were flush against each other as I towered over her.
Her breath hitched as our eyes locked. Slowly, I leaned in, and her lips parted slightly, like she was daring me to close the gap. After Monza, I’d gotten another taste of her, and over the last week, kissing Georgia again was all I’d thought about. I edged closer, my lips just barely ghosting hers, when I heard the unforgivably loud ring of my phone, breaking the spell that had taken hold of us.
She cleared her throat, cheeks flushed, motioning towards the phone. “You, um, gonna get that?”
Of course, it was Edward calling. “Ed, what’s up?” His tone was seething with annoyance. “A hamster? Weird, why would your team principal get you a hamster?” It was nearly impossible to hold in my laughter as I listened to Edward’s franticness on the other side of the line.
I pressed the speaker button on my phone as Edward’s voice boomed through. “I grabbed my wallet from my driver’s room, got to my car and realized I’d forgotten my keys. I walked back in and then all of a sudden there was a hamster in my room!”
“Well, you’ve always wanted a pet.”
“I’m going to fucking kill my team principal. He left me some ridiculous note, too,” he grumbled.
“Keep me posted on what Arthur says, yeah?”
I probably should have felt worse, but considering he’d once told security that I was an intruder after I’d forgotten my pass at the hotel, I figured this served him right.
As soon as I hung up the phone, Georgia was doubled over in a fit of laughter, tears streaming. “Fuck, he’s going to be so mad.”
“Nah, he’s a good sport!” I said finally, watching Georgia chortle away, speedily checking her messages to make sure Edward hadn’t texted her. “Look, I gotta go back to the garage, but I’ll see you at your podcast event?”
“See you then, Luca.”
I turned to leave.
“Oh, and Luca, not a word of this to Henri!”
I nodded, although when I felt a large pillow hit the back of my head, I knew she didn’t believe me, which was fair.
If I had it my way, the entire world was going to know about the Georgia I had met today.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Luca
Wednesday evening was Georgia and Henri’s live recording of theHome Stretchpodcast, and I was glad that Edward had offered to tag along, especially since he had no idea who had pulled the little prank on him earlier.
Georgia and I had done some prep in her condo, and even though she claimed she didn’t feel ready, I had every bit of confidence in her. This was Georgia’s time to shine, her time to show the fans that she was more thanjustracing.
Watching her up on stage, I hated seeing the darkness in her eyes, the stiffness of her shoulders as she sat down, clearly uncomfortable in front of all these people. I flashed her a large grin, a small reminder that she was ready for this.
“So, Georgia,” Josh, the presenter announced, “we’ve been very impressed with your F1 season. You’re a few points ahead of your brother in the championship. Tell us, why do you think you have what it takes to win?”
“Dedication.” Georgia tapped her fingers a few times on the table before continuing. “I know I can do this. I’ve never had a training regime this intense, and I feel like this is the fittest I’ve ever been. I’m so incredibly fortunate to have a world-class strategy team at my fingertips. Plus, I’ve got the fastest car on the track.” She winked at Henri, who just flipped her off from across the table.
“Tell me, Georgia, what would it mean to win Monaco?”
“I’ve wanted to be a Formula 1 champion since I was a little girl. I want to show young girls all around the world that they can compete in Formula 1, and there is no better place to do it than to win one of the crown jewels of motorsport. If I win this tournament, I will be the second driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport. I won the Indianapolis 500 last year and the 24 Hours of Le Mans a few years before. It would mean the world to me to win this honor in front of my home crowd.” Henri gave her shoulder a brotherly squeeze. “It’s why I help organize this charity event at the local children’s hospital. Racing is such a big part of this community, and seeing the kids fall in love with Formula 1 is so incredibly special.”
A sense of satisfaction swelled when Georgia mentioned her charity. After the event, photos had been circulating of the two of us, but Georgia had never really discussed her work publicly. Besides the photos, she’d been so private about her philanthropy. It was these genuine pieces of Georgia that I so desperately wanted the fans and sponsors to see.
“Oh, I’ve been wanting to ask you about all of those cute photos I saw on social media from various parents.”
