Page 116 of Racing for Redemption
The suit hangs in my hotel room closet—midnight blue, nearly black, with a slim cut. Black dress shirt. Black shoes polished to a mirror shine. Not my usual style—give me jeans and a band T-shirt any day—but even I know Monaco requires a certain aesthetic.
I shower, scrubbing away the travel grime, and wonder what she’ll wear tomorrow. The dress cover revealed nothing, but I picture her in something sleek and powerful. Everything Violet does carries that signature—elegant, yet formidable. Gorgeous and powerful.
When I sleep, I dream of her fingers on my wrist, placing my grandfather’s watch against my skin. I wake up tangled in hotel sheets, reaching for someone whoisn’t there. Again.
Tuesday evening arrives with perfect Mediterranean weather. Nicholas and I stand at the designated meeting point, both uncomfortable in our formal wear. He keeps checking his reflection in his phone, adjusting his bow tie.
“Stop fidgeting,” I tell him. “You look fine.”
“Easy for you to say. You somehow pull off that brooding thing.” Nicholas gestures vaguely at me. “I look like a waiter who stole a tux. This is fucking awful. I’m not picking up anyone looking like this!” This guy has his priorities all wrong.
I scan the street, looking for the car that will bring Violet and Blake. My palms are sweaty. I wipe them on my pants and instantly regret it as the sweat leaves a trail on them.
“They’re late,” Nicholas says.
“By two minutes.”
“Still late.”
“You complain a lot for someone who never arrives on time for simulator sessions at the factory,” I retort as he snickers.
A black Bentley glides to the curb. Blake emerges first, straightening his jacket. He turns to open the other door, but it swings open before he reaches it.
Time stops.
Violet steps out, and my mouth goes dry. Her dress is black, hugging every curve before cascading to the ground. A slit reveals one leg when she moves. Her hair falls in glossy curls over her shoulders. Red lips. Red shoes that click against the pavement.
She is devastating. And all she did was dress in Colton Racing colors. I chuckle to myself. I'm gone.
Nicholas whistles low beside me. “Holy shit, the boss cleans up nice.”
Something hot and possessive flares in my chest. “Shut up,” I mutter.
“What? I’m just saying—”
“Don’t.” The word comes out sharper than intended.
Nicholas notices, eyebrows rising. Before he can comment, Violet reaches us, the subtle scent of her perfume making my head swim.
“Well, don’t you both look dashing,” she says coolly, her gaze sweeping over us.
Nicholas grins. “Not half as dashing as you look, Violet. That dress is—”
“—professional, and appropriate for the occasion,” she finishes for him, one eyebrow slightly raised. “Unlike your commentary, Davanti.”
She walks past him toward the red carpet, but not before her eyes meet mine for a flickering moment. I catch the subtle appraisal, the way her gaze travels down my suit before returning to my face. It’s brief, but it’s enough to make my heartbeat stutter. There's only so much damage I can take.
Blake falls into step beside her, and I realize he’s her plus one for the evening. Nicholas and I follow behind, bachelor racers without dates. The media line awaits, cameras flashing like strobe lights.
The questions are predictable:How does it feel to be P9 in the championship? What are your expectations for Monaco? How has William’s performance impacted the team?We answer on autopilot, maintaining the practiced professionalism that Formula 1 demands.
Until a journalist from Motorsport magazine asks about team dynamics.
“There seems to be great chemistry at Colton Racing this season. Who’s closest with whom on the team?”
Blake steps in with a diplomatic answer about teamwork and mutual respect, but then, Violet drops a casual comment about my tendency to blast death metal in the garage during setup days.
“It’s not death metal,” I correct her, falling into our familiar rhythm without thinking. “It’s progressive metal. Completely different subgenre. And don't come at me with that; you like Emporium of Souls, and they have progressive metal influences in their music!”
