And I heard the crowd go wilder than the crackle of thunder and whooshing winds in a fucking storm.
“Oh, my! The crowd is on its feet! Un-be-lievable!“
“Leonora Colombohas successfully put her feet through the door of history! She has taken the top spot on the podium!”
“What a drive! What a finish! Car number 12, driven by Leonora Colombo, is your winner today of the Long Beach Prix! Woohoo!”
I’d done it.
I’d crossed the line. The checkered flag waved above me, and the feeling….
The feeling was indescribable.
I kicked the door open, with a grin so wide it could hurt my cheeks, when I stepped out of the car and into the charged atmosphere.
“Leo! Leo! Leo!”
The chants were heavy, the voices loud. I looked around and spread my arms under the rapid bursts of tiny confetti. I couldn’t believe it. Only moments ago, winning had been the goal. Now, it was a real achievement. I stood at the center of these people’s admiration. I’d inspired someone out there to dare to dream big and got my name carved on the stone of car racing champions.
“I’ve never been prouder! You just keep surpassing the limits.”
I pressed the earpiece deeper to block out the noise in the background. I’d worked with Gavin long enough to see the smug smile on his face from over the phone.
“Grazie per aver fatto parte di questo.” Thanks for being a part of this.
“Good job, kid! Now, go get your prize. You earned it.”
The prize.100,000 dollars.
Marching up to the podium, I couldn’t have been prouder of how far I’d come and how much farther I was ready to go.
The officials stood beside me, forming a semicircle, as they handed me the big paper check. I smiled big for the camera, and one thought echoed in the back of my mind.
This was just the beginning.
****
“Don’t you want me like I want you, baby? Don’t you need me like I need you now? Sleep tomorrow, but tonight, go crazy. All you gotta do is just meet me at the….”
I whipped my hair in the opposite direction of the wind, though it didn’t go very far because of the length, lifting my tulip glass to the starry night sky with one hand while dragging down the zip on my jacket with the other as I joined the others to scream the chorus at the top of my lungs.
Cool beach air ambushed us, brushing my bare stomach when I released the zipper on my jacket. It felt liberating. The energy was high tonight; mine was higher.
I was bound in the time capsule of this moment, just existing in this space, with a charged, euphoric atmosphere and cool sand beneath my feet. It spurred a trip down memory lane.
At the age of eight, I discovered my love for cars. When I was fifteen, I practically forced Papa to teach me how to drive. I could have learned easily before I was thirteen, but Papa wanted me to focus on proper formal education and, behind closed doors, black market lessons.
There was a distinct thrill that came with being seated behind the wheel, strapped in and ready. No worries or concerns or thoughts about anything or anyone else. The reality of who I was and the life I had been born into faded to a noiseless background when the wind blew through my hair and my foot pressed down on the accelerator. The rush of adrenaline and liberation was intoxicating, and I’d grown into this fierce young woman with an intense desire to take over the world with speed.
With one hand, I clutched my boots against my thighs and tilted my head back. The taste of champagne was as sweet as the taste of triumph. And it tasted even better after every full glass. I was on my third now and had a feeling I wasn’t slowing down tonight.
Still mouthing the infectious “Apt”lyrics, I looked around over thehuge swarm of people here, scattered across the beach: the giggly girls clad in bikinis, testing the dark waves that lapped over the shore with male companions, and others mingling over barbecue and wine.
It was bonfire night, and at the corners, lit torches lined up at the entrance. At the center, a group of dancers displayed their professional exotic talent.But beyond these, knowing that they gathered here to celebrate me, to celebrate our big win, made the scenery even more surreal.
My head was still on the forty-five-degree rotation when my eyes caught something. Someone, rather.
From the group of racers surrounding me, one of the men stared at me.