Page 71 of Green Flag
“Absolutely not. Why’s he pissy?”
She sighed. “Something ridiculous like shipment delays for next season’s bike. You know what he’s like at this time of year. Contracts, bikes…”
“Don’t you mean all year?” I asked, half distracted by my sister, half listening out for any noise.
There had been no reaction in the night to the noise, so I braved a step out into the floodlight, through to where Luca’s trailer would be. It was time to be brave and face my new boyfriend.
She laughed. “Okay. Yeah. I guess. Anyway, go and enjoy your loverboy.” And she hung up.
I was halfway into a relieved breath when a shout made me freeze.
“Hey!” a man barked.
My stomach flipped. I knew these trailers by heart now. Of course, the one time I found something was the only night someone cared.
I slid my phone into my jacket pocket, turning on my heel as casually as I could.
A figure blinded me with a torch, forcing my eyelids to screw shut.
“Staff only,” he grunted. “You’re not allowed back here.”
I blinked, trying to glare at him, or smile, or do anything charismatic or threatening to get him to let me leave.
“Looking for Luca Mendes’ trailer,” I winced.
He lowered the light.
Every time I blinked, my vision remained bright red.
When he didn’t speak, I lifted the StormSprint lanyard around my neck.
He nodded and aimed the torch the way I’d intended to go.
A guy in hi-vis stood in the space of the all-consuming light. “That way. It’s neon green. Got his name plastered on it… like all the others.”
I smiled sheepishly, trying to look innocent enough to bypass all of his suspicions.
“Bay 16,” he added and clicked his torch on and off in impatience.
With a nod, I started to walk in the direction I needed, but my scolding wasn’t quite over.
“All the trailers are about to move,” he called forward, a few metres behind me as he followed. “It’s dangerous to be snooping around out here.”
“Just looking for Mendes,” I repeated.
He huffed.
There were another two minutes before I got to Luca’s trailer and I spent them going through my overstimulating social media.
It had blown up since the photo had come out… and I may have reposted it.
Pedro had liked it within half an hour.
I looked at the notification, thumb hovering. Could I block him now? If I had proof?
But there was nowhere for me to get a bloody chainsaw, was there, so…
I was the only one who could get details from him. And I had to keep him sweet.
