Page 33 of Red Flag
Over the next two weeks, I had some tasks for Nix before the hard-launch of his ‘relationship’ with Clara. Over email and text, he was blunt, only responding with a thumbs-up.
He’d been busy.
I’d asked him to find some charities he would like to promote. A simple task. He’d ended up attending the Miss World charity event. He attended with two lesbian porn stars after I’d told him to show support for theLGBTQIA+ community.
When he’d winked on the red carpet, I felt it was a personal dig at me. He shouldn’t have gone with anyone other than Clara.
When I asked him to promote some personal,heartwarmingGoFundMes, he’d posted ones of women trying to raise money for breast implants.
He’d taken my suggestion of posting his snake and ran with it. On his Instagram story — for the full twenty-four hours — he’d posted a photo ofZigaround his shoulders. He was naked. The photo cut off just a little underneath his pelvis, allowing his fifty-nine million followers quite a view.
In amongst that chaos, he did what I asked, too. Alwaysafter. He wanted to make me sweat first.
The worst was when he posted a picture of a blonde woman in tight jeans, reaching behind her for his hand.
Clara was brunette. He knew that.
Thankfully, you couldn’t see her face but it was clear he was trying to fuck up all of my plans and get me sacked before the second race.
But that race came without so much as an eye roll fromCris.
Clara was still up for it.
“Right, once this is done, it’s done. You know that, don’t you?” I warned her in the pit box, looking her over one final time. She had her brown hair down in long waves, wearing the greenCiclatitop that fit tight against her breasts, baggy everywhere else, ready to hold the umbrella for Nix before the race.
Her body was to die for. Exactly the type of woman I imagined NixonArmaswith.
Apart from the fact she was far too nice for him.
She nodded, a shy glance over at Nix zipping up his boots. He might act like he wasn’t paying attention, but I knew the tells by now from team meetings where he would pretend to be immersed in his phone. His back was straighter than usual, and his neck was slightly strained.
“Once it’s done, it’s done,” she agreed.
She’d signed anNDAthat morning but there was still the option to back out right now. Until he kissed her before the race. Until he put his hands all over her and declared their relationship to the public.
No more soft-launch pictures.
“Okay, we need a picture for you to post, Nix,” I said, but when I turned to face him, he had his helmet on.
Bizarre.
He’d been acting strange ever since I told him I’d found his girlfriend. He hadn’t fought it as hard as I expected. It probably had something to do with how utterly stunning she was.
“We kind of need to see it’s you,” I mumbled, taken aback by his weird behaviour.
“She can kiss my helmet,” he said.
“She… what? Nix, take off the helmet. We have to at least see that it’s you.”
“I don’t want to do this,” he grumbled and did as I told him with a grunt. He glanced at Clara. “No offence.”
She gave another shy smile, clearly uncomfortable. When he bent and tapped his cheek, she went on tip-toes to kiss him there. He didn’t look happy, but I got the picture, and it would have to do.
“Wait,” I said as he went to put the helmet back on. He never wore it until he was on his bike, but he was acting particularly shy today. “Just both turn around and hold hands.”
“I thought you needed—”
“Nope, this will be sweet,” I cut him off. “Not showy. A little candid moment. More believable.”
