Page 79 of Overtake
I finish my left hand and start on the right. “Can we do something for the Honeys? I want to show them how much I appreciate their support.”
Claudia’s already typing. “What are you thinking?”
“Well, how about a special meet and greet? Through official channels, obviously. Show them the same support they’re showing me.”
“I’ll coordinate with hospitality.” Claudia’s smile turns warm. “Maybe after the race? A private function.”
“Andnopress.” The last thing I need is Kelley trying to crash another photo op. “Just the Honeys and me.”
“On it.” Claudia’s fingers fly over her phone. “Nitro hospitality says they can make this work. Security’s already vetted most of the regular Honeys anyway—they’ve been bringing our engineers breakfast since dawn.”
Another text arrives from Zara:
They have a coffee rotation for the mechs. Athol might cry. They’re teaching the crew the “Tenacious P” chant.
“Oh.Caspita!” Claudia stops scrolling suddenly, letting out a surprised laugh. “Las Conejitas have joined forces with the Hayter Honeys.”
Finished with the right hand, I stand and peer over her shoulder while blowing my war paint dry. “Nico’s female fan club?”
“Yes. They’re rebranding to the Honey Bunnies.” She shows me her tablet.
Posts flood the screen, pink streaks mixed with rabbit ear headbands:
Honeys + Bunnies = true love!
Fast cars, clean racing, perfect match! #honeybunnies #SpeedDating
¡El Conejo y Tenaz P para siempre! #honeybunnies #SpeedDating
“They’re coordinating support rallies.” Cin’s reading from her own phone. “The Honeys are teaching them our chants. They’re teaching the Honeys racing terms in Spanish. This issocool.”
Another text from Zara:
Nico’s fans brought breakfast burritos. Pretty sure our mechanics would die for both fan clubs.
Something about this unexpected alliance and the surge of excited support makes my throat tight.
“Can we includeLas Conejitasin the meet and greet too?”
Claudia’s smile turns sly. “Already ahead of you. Nitro hospitality is coordinating with WolfBett’s. Apparently, both fan clubs have been exemplary in their behavior, unlike certain other people we could name.”
There are so many people who could fit that bill.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The WolfBett conferenceroom already crackles with tension when Nico arrives and takes a seat at oh seven hundred. Graham paces while Marcus sits at the head of the table, radiating German disapproval at having his race day routine disrupted.
“An emergency meeting,” Marcus says flatly, his glare following Graham. “For this.”
“This?” Graham gestures at the photo displayed on the large screen at the end of the room.
Christ.Graham’s way too hard up if he’s been studying that picture all morning.
Pritchard continues roaming and bitching. “This compromises everything we’ve built. Team dynamics, sponsor relations?—”
“Would you fucking listen to yourself?” Wyn’s laugh startles Nico. “Like, why are we even having this meeting? When did Nico’s love life become a bloodyemergency?”
Graham scowls. “When it involved the driver and the team who’re poised to take the championships from WolfBett.”
