Page 106 of Away With You
Theo nods. “We are.”
Right.
We exit the car and Theo—bless him—takes charge, organising for our luggage to be transported to our hotel before leading us towards the Paddock. This is the area where the teams set up for the race weekend, and I’ve only ever seen it on TV. Being here in the thick of it is another pinch-me moment.
I’ve got a feeling I’ll be having a few like this over the next day or two.
“This is incredible,” I gush, linking arms with Rosie and squeezing her to me.
She looks around, her eyebrows raised. “I guess it is.”
I laugh softly. “You’re used to it, I’m sure. But for someone who’s only ever seen this part of the race weekend from the comfort of her couch, this is a dream come true. Ohmigosh, is that Patrick Laurent?”
Rosie laughs. “It is. Do you want to meet him?”
I do. I really do. The French driver is part of theVortex Motorsteam and is Nicky’s teammate. He’s also very dreamy to look at and has an accent to die for.
“No, I can’t. I’m too nervous as it is.”
She stops walking and takes my hands in hers. “You have nothing to worry about, Katie. I know I was the one talking about grand gestures and everything. But Theo is right, you just need to speak from the heart.”
I pull in a steadying breath. “Did you just admit Theo was right about something?”
She makes a face and looks around. “I will deny that until my dying day. Come on, let’s go find somewhere to watch the action.”
I follow her up into the VIP area above the pit lane.
“Rosie! Katie! Come sit with us!”
My head whips around, and I smile with pleasure at the sight of Cherry Brenner sitting in the front row, a beautiful goddess with enviable ringlets next to her, and a camera on her lap.
“Hey, Katie. I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Cherry says after she’s introduced us to her friend Serena and we’re settled in our seats. “Nathan didn’t say anything.”
I glance at her apprehensively. Cherry and Nathan are close, and she’s a bit of a sounding board for him about love and relationships, so I’m not sure what she knows. And if she secretly hates me.
“He doesn’t know I’m here,” I admit, quickly filling her in on the events of the past few weeks, leaving out the fake dating part. I don’t want her thinking we lied to her face that night out at dinner, even though we totally did.
“Ah,” she says when I’m done, her blue eyes twinkling. “That explains a lot. Nathan has been moping around the place, and every time I ask him what’s wrong, he just says, ‘It’s complicated’.”
I grimace. “I made it complicated. Hence, now I’ve had to fly across the world to make it right.”
Her gorgeous dimple flashes. “You may remember, I had to do the same thing not so long ago with Nicky. And it worked out pretty well for me.”
That’s true. I remember the frenzied reporting towards the end of the last F1 season when Cherry broke up with Nicky, only to reappear at the Las Vegas race a few weeks later, declaring her love for him in front of the world.
“Teach me your ways, oh wise woman,” I say, only half joking. To look at Cherry and Nicky now, you’d never doubt their love for each other, and I want that so badly with Nathan. I can taste it.
“In our situation, I was the one who messed up. I was prepared to grovel to win him back,” she says, her eyes glued to the garage below. To where Nicky is grinning up at her. She blows him a kiss and focuses back on me. “Are you prepared to do the same?”
I nod. “On hands and knees if necessary.”
Her laughter sounds like bells tinkling, and my crush on her deepens. “Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary. From what I saw, that man is crazy about you. Just speak from the heart, and it will all work out.”
I swallow hard and face forward, my feelings and thoughts and words all a muddled mess in my mind. Everyone keeps saying to just tell him how I feel. But how I feel about him is bigger than words. It’s…everything.
“Don’t look now.” Cherry nudges me while Rosie grasps my hand. “Your time is up.”
I follow her eyeline and inhale swiftly. Because there in the garage below us is Nathan, and he’s talking to Nicky, his eyes like a missile zooming in on my face.
