by Cox, Carrie;
Jack turned to me. “Kristina, this is Rita. She is in charge of one of the oldest and most successful teams in the sport.”
Rita smiled at me. I couldn’t deny she was attractive. Her dark blond hair was tied back in a ponytail, but tendrils curled around her dimpled cheeks. Despite the Shirley Temple curls and dimples, she wasn’t too girly. She had a hardness about her, which I suppose must have come from working in such a male-dominated environment.
She held out her hand for me to shake. “Nice to meet you, Kristina. My father is still technically in charge, but I do most of the day-to-day management now.”
After her quick greeting, she turned her attention back to Jack.
Jack seemed very relaxed in her company. I noticed that she was talking to Jack like he was a normal person and not treating him like someone who needed to be pitied. They chatted away about the cars and race strategy, and she didn’t once mention Jack’s accident.
“Excuse me, sir,” said the tallest man in black who had been escorting us. “If you’d care to follow me, I can take you to Dominic O’Brien.”
Jack turned his back. “Dominic can wait,” Jack said dismissively. “I’m sure he won’t mind my talking to an old friend for a few minutes.”
“Of course,” the man in black said, taking a step backwards.
I watched as Jack seemed to come alive as he talked to Rita. He seemed to be almost bursting with excitement as they talked about the race and the cars. His face was lit up by his devastating smile, and it made my heart expand.
I’m pretty sure that smile had the same effect on Rita. I felt an unwelcome pang of jealousy. I couldn’t help warming to Rita, though. She took the time to explain things to me as she and Jack tried to include me in their conversation.
She must’ve been rushed off her feet today, especially just before the race, so I appreciated her making time for us.
But even when she was explaining something to me, her attention was focused on Jack.
“Tell me, Jack. When are you coming back to us?” she asked.
Before Jack could answer a deep laugh sounded behind us. “So this is where you’re hiding, Jack.”
Jack turned and gave a curt nod. “Dominic.”
I was surprised at the lack of warmth in Jack’s voice. I thought they would be closer than that, seeing as they’d worked together in the same team last year. I felt a little sorry for Dominic when Jack turned his back and continued speaking to Rita, practically ignoring Dominic behind him.
Dominic didn’t seem too bothered, though. He turned his attention to me. “You’re here with Jack?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes, it’s my first Grand Prix.”
“Well, I hope you enjoy it. You’ve certainly got a great view of the cars. Not everyone is allowed to enter the pits and see the cars this close-up. What do you think of it so far?
I took a breath and gestured at the nearest race car. “It’s pretty noisy.”
Dominic boomed out a large laugh that made Jack turn around, but he soon turned his attention back to Rita.
“Do you think Jack is glad to be back?” Dominic peered at me.
I didn’t know what to say. Should I mention the incident with the paparazzi? That hadn’t exactly been a great start to the day. I’m sure one of the security men had seen what had happened, so the truth would get back to Dominic eventually. I decided it wasn’t my business. If Jack wanted to tell Dominic, he could.
I decided to give a noncommittal answer.
“I think so, and it’s a great day for it,” I said, smiling up at the blue sky. When in doubt always fall back on the weather.
“I was kind of hoping this might convince him to come back to the team.” Dominic leaned forward and spoke in a low voice.
“You mean to race?” I asked.
Dominic nodded enthusiastically.
“I still think Jack’s got some healing to do,” I said.
“Oh sure. I know it won’t happen overnight. You know,” Dominic said, moving a little closer to me and speaking so quietly it was almost a whisper. “We have something here that Jack might be interested in.”
He gave me a cryptic smile and raised an eyebrow.
I knew he was playing me, but I was intrigued. I had to ask. “What?”
“It’s a simulator. Basically, it’s like a big video game, although it cost a hell of a lot more,” Dominic said and laughed loudly at his own joke. “It’s almost like being in a Formula One car, going around the circuit, except of course, you’re safely tucked away in a machine. Because it’s not actually racing there is no risk at all.” Dominic beamed down at me. “Do you think we could persuade Jack to have a go?”
I looked over my shoulder at Jack. He was still talking to Rita and smiling that gorgeous smile of his.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I guess he might be persuaded.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Dominic said. “After the race, I’ll come and find you, and we’ll see if we can convince Jack to take a ride. What do you say?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
I turned around just in time to hear Rita tell Jack that she’d better get back to the garage as she had a million and one things to do before the race started.
Jack took me by the hand. “Come on, let’s go get our seats.”
Our seats were amazing. We were sitting just to the right of the grid in a gorgeous executive-level lounge. There would be no more milling through crowds for us, and I was actually quite glad. I didn’t fancy a repeat of the incident from earlier.
In the executive lounge we were offered finger food, but I wasn’t hungry. I did accept a glass of champagne from a blonde-haired waitress, who couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from Jack.
“You don’t seem to like Dominic very much,” I said after I had taken a sip of my champagne.
“It’s not a matter of liking him,” Jack said. “He’s just a money man. We had a business relationship. We were never friends.”
I nodded. “I see. You seem to like Rita, though.”
Jack smiled, a real, genuine smile that seemed to ignite a flame of jealousy in me. I didn’t understand it. I had never been a jealous person before.
“She’s great, and she really loves everything about Formula One. She’s definitely her father’s daughter. Look,” Jack said, pointing at the grid. “The cars are lining up. It’s not going to be long now.”
The rumble of the engines were so intense, I could feel it vibrate through the floor.
I could feel the excitement building in Jack as he gripped my hand.
With a tremendous roar, the cars sped away from the start line. I held my breath as a couple of them almost collided at the first corner, and then they were gone around the first bend, and we turned our attention to the large screens in the executive lounge, so we could see the whole circuit.
“Good start,” Jack said. “No one went off at the first corner.”
I couldn’t help but notice Carlos Dalton was out in the lead, steadily pulling away from the rest of the pack. I’m sure that wasn’t what Jack had hoped for.
After ten laps, Carlos’ lead was increasing.
Jack told me Monaco was one of the hardest circuits to overtake on, so there wasn’t much action, although the pit stops were interesting to watch.
The pit crews managed to change the car’s tires in less than three seconds during the race.
I could feel Jack buzzing with energy beside me. He was loving every minute of it, even though slimy Carlos was in the lead.
I was so glad we had come to the race. It had given me a picture of who Jack used to be before his accident. And God help me, I’d fallen for him even harder.
10
Despite the unpleasantness from earlier, we left the race circuit on a high. Jack was still buzzing with energy from the race. He couldn’t stop smiling as we walked away from the grid, following the crowds of people to the exit.
A few people stopped Jack for autographs, but no one cause
d any trouble. After he’d signed a T-shirt for a little boy with the cutest freckles, who was missing his two front teeth, Jack looped an arm around my shoulders. “You know, you were right about coming today,” he said. “I enjoyed it.”
Those words should have filled me with happiness, but for some unknown reason, I felt nervous.
After all that stuff with the paparazzi, I was still berating myself. I shouldn’t have encouraged Jack to walk so far. We could have waited for the driver to get closer to the circuit where we would have gone straight into the designated VIP entrance. There would have been security there, and we wouldn’t have had a problem with the photographers.
The smile slid from Jack’s face to be replaced by a scowl. He tenderly put a finger to my jaw and tilted my head up, searching my face for any bruises. I’d already looked in the mirror earlier and surprisingly the paparazzo’s elbow hadn’t really done much damage, although my lower lip was a little swollen. I looked like I’d had lip implants or collagen injections just like Jack’s ex-girlfriend, Joanna. But apart from a slightly swollen lip, there was no bruising yet. That would probably show up tomorrow. Great. That was something to look forward to.
“He’s lucky he didn’t split your lip,” Jack said, his eyes burning with fury.
I shrugged. “It could have been worse, and it was an accident.”
The guy hadn’t seen me reaching for the crutches just behind me and his elbow caught me off guard. That didn’t mean I wasn’t still pissed at him though.
“I shouldn’t have put myself in that position. I should have realized things were getting out of hand.”
“I’m sorry,” Jack said.
I shook my head. “It’s not your fault. Do you think he’ll go to the police? You won’t get into any trouble for hitting him, will you?
I couldn’t help noticing that Jack’s fists clenched at his sides.
“Probably,” he said. “No doubt I will have to instruct my lawyers to pay him off.”
I frowned. Did that mean it had happened before?
“Let’s not talk about him,” Jack said. “Tell me what you thought about your first Grand Prix?”
“Pretty impressive,” I said with a grin. And that was an understatement. There had been people here today from all walks of life, from the ultra rich, dripping with jewelry, who had traveled to Monaco on their luxury yachts, to everyday folk wearing jeans and t-shirts, trying to take photographs of the cars on the circuit.
I had tried to take a few snaps myself. I wasn’t exactly the world’s greatest photographer. Kate inherited all the artistic abilities in the family, and I didn’t really stand much chance with the incredible speed of the cars. Every time I’d pressed the button to take the photograph, the car had already sped past, and I ended up with a photograph of the empty track.
I glanced up at Jack. “Do you think you would want to go to another race?”
Jack smiled. “Maybe.”
It was then I remembered what Dominic O’Brien had said about the simulator. He’d been very keen for Jack to try the project and promised to come and find us after the race. Only he hadn’t. Or maybe he had come to find us, only to find we had already left.
I considered mentioning it to Jack, but there was something about Dominic that seemed to annoy him, and I didn’t want to bring him down. He seemed so happy right now, and I just wanted to enjoy the moment, so I linked an arm around Jack’s waist and smiled up at him as we walked along.
At that point, I had no idea that Dominic was not the type of man to put his plans aside. But even though I knew nothing about the man’s character at that stage, I had a funny feeling that wouldn’t be the last we heard of Dominic O’Brien.
11
The following morning, I was just as surprised as Jack when Maria announced that Dominic O’Brien had turned up. I looked at Jack to try and gauge his reaction, but his face was disconcertingly blank.
Jack had only just finished his workout, so he was still wearing his sweatpants and a t-shirt. I poured Jack a glass of water and handed it to him as we waited for Dominic to enter the room. I’m sure it had to be my imagination, but the air seemed to crackle with anticipation. Whenever Dominic O’Brien’s name was mentioned, I got nervous.
Dominic O’Brien walked in, wearing a huge smile. He had obviously paid a great deal for dental whitening treatment and wanted to show it off. His teeth practically glowed against the deep tan of his skin, and his dark hair was slicked back. He wore casual clothes, dark blue jeans and a colored cotton jacket. His clothes may have looked casual, but I was pretty sure his outfit probably cost more than the entire contents of my closet.
I couldn’t help noticing the chunky gold watch on his wrist. A clear sign that his job in Formula One paid very handsomely.
“Jack,” Dominic said, with a broad smile, holding his arms up as if he was going to engulf Jack in a hug.
Jack held the glass of water in front of him defensively, stopping Dominic from getting too close. He gave Dominic a curt nod.
Dominic read Jack’s body language and stopped in his tracks, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “You left so quickly yesterday. I came to find you.” He turned around and looked at me.
I stood behind the counter in the kitchenette. His eyes were questioning, as if he wanted to know why I had left without finding him first. I broke eye contact and said nothing. This wasn’t anything to do with me.
But Dominic wasn’t about to leave it there. “I had a nice conversation with Kristina yesterday,” Dominic said. “She said it was her first race. You know, I still remember my first Grand Prix as if it were yesterday.”
Jack says nothing. The situation was getting very awkward.
We all turned as Brian entered the room, carrying a pile of paperwork in his hands. “Can I get your signature here, Jack,” he said. “Your brother is insisting I get these forms back to him today, and…” Brian stopped talking when he noticed Dominic was in the room. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Dominic moved towards Brian with his hand outstretched. “Not a problem. I’m Dominic O’Brien, and I used to work with Jack.”
Brian juggled the paperwork in his arms so he could shake Dominic’s hand. But as he did so, he was looking at Jack. I guess he was trying as hard as me to work out Jack’s reaction.
“I hear you’ve been doing a great job on Jack,” Dominic said. “You’re the guy behind his dramatic improvement, aren’t you?”
“I can’t take credit for that. Jack’s the one who has put the hard work in.”
It was a bit creepy the way they were talking about Jack as if he wasn’t there. As if he was a prize stallion rather than an actual person.
“Credit where it’s due. You’ve done well,” Dominic said repeating himself. “It’s amazing how much Jack has improved in such a short period of time.”
When Dominic turned away, Jack shook his head almost imperceptibly and took a sip of his water.
“I don’t mind telling you,” Dominic said. “I’ve never worked with a driver with as much natural talent as Jack Harding.”
Jack walked past Dominic O’Brien to the kitchen counter to stand next to me. “I think I’ll make some coffee,” he muttered.
“I’ll make it,” I said in a false cheery tone. I couldn’t cope with all this tension. I reached for the coffee pot. I wanted to do something to keep my hands busy and not just stand there like an idiot.
“Who would like a cup?” I asked.
Everyone said they would like some coffee, so I set up the cups for all of us and put the coffee onto brew as the three men continued talking.
“How long are you in town for?” Brian asked.
“Not long. We’re getting most of our gear packed up today and we’ll be heading off tomorrow. Which reminds me…” Dominic turned to Jack and licked his lips, nervously. “I’ve got something you might be interested in.”
“Really?” Jack’s face remained blank and his voice sounded bored.
/> But Dominic didn’t seem discouraged. “It’s just like a game. It’s perfectly safe. You’ll love it. It’s an improved version of the racing simulator. It’s a foolproof way of testing reaction times, so we can see if you’ve still got the talent, Jack.”
I saw Jack bristle with annoyance. “Not interested.”
Dominic’s smile slid from his face and his lips closed in a firm line. For a moment there was only silence in the room as I poured the coffee.
As I handed everyone their cups of coffee, Dominic tried again. “I know you still got it, Jack. Hell, I’d let you drive one of the race cars. That’s how much confidence I have in you. But the cars are already packed away, ready to be shipped on for the next race. It’s just a simulator. What’s the worst that could happen? Why don’t you give it a go?”
Dominic waited a beat before delivering his killer line. “I know you miss it, Jack.”
Jack was staring down at his cup of coffee, watching the tendrils of steam rise up from the cup. I had no idea how he was going to respond to Dominic.
Dominic was right. Jack did miss the racing.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Dominic said. “I can’t see any downsides. It’s safe, and I think you’d actually enjoy it. What do you think, Brian?”
That struck me as odd. No one had actually introduced Brian by name yet, and Dominic already knew his name. It occurred to me that Dominic must have been doing some serious digging around.
“I don’t think it will do any harm,” Brian said. “But it’s really not up to me.”
Jack set his coffee cup down on the counter. “When do you want to do it?”
The trademark broad smile returned to Dominic’s face. “Does this afternoon suit you?”
12
Jack
It was a quick and easy drive. The crowds of the day before were long gone, and the traffic was back to normal levels. As the chauffeur drove us through the streets, I found myself wishing there was construction ahead or something to hold us up. I’d delayed leaving the house until I was completely out of excuses.