Page 4

FOUR

LUCAS

Sipping my beer from my seat at the bar, I survey the hotel’s ballroom. From here, it’s obvious that no expenses were spared for this party. Not that I’m surprised. As far as glamour-drenched sports go, F1 takes the cake… and the doughnuts, eclairs, and macaroons. The high-top tables are draped in white tablecloths and decorated with elegant floral arrangements. A small band plays on a wide staircase on the opposite side of the room. And white-gloved servers weave through the partygoers, offering canapés and champagne. Like I said: fancy.

I undo the top button of my shirt and tune in to the argument Theo and Blake are having about how Everest’s tire strategy played out during the race. Argue, I suppose, may not be the right word. It’s more like Theo making grandiose claims and waving his hands around to accentuate his points and Blake rolling his eyes a lot and disagreeing on occasion.

I’ve just zoned out again when Theo nudges me with his elbow. “Mate, that bartender has been eye-fucking you for the past thirty minutes.”

I don’t need to look to know who he’s referring to. The woman has been watching me since the moment I sat down. Though I know where this is going, I sigh and take the bait. “So?”

“Are you going to get her number?” Theo prompts. “Celebrate your win on the track with a win off the track?”

His cheesy line makes me cringe. “I’m going to bed after this. Alone .”

With a shrug, he says, “Okay.”

That’s it. No argument, no pestering.

His simple compliance creates an uneasy sensation in my gut. Not once in our twenty-plus years of friendship has Theo let a topic go without offering up his opinion.

Blake smirks like he’s thinking the same thing. Like he knows Theo isn’t done.

And he’s right. A moment later, Theo drums his hands against the table and declares, “If you’re no longer interested in random fucks, you should let us set you up on some dates.”

My gut sinks. There it is .

Blake nods. “Ella has a few friends that you’d like.” He lifts his chin and scans the crowd, looking for his girlfriend.

Ella travels with Blake not only to support him, but to interview drivers, engineers, and fans for her podcast, Coffee with Champions . It’s why, instead of hanging out with us at the bar, she’s off schmoozing and networking.

“I don’t know where she is, but she’s mentioned setting you up a couple of times,” Blake says, bringing his rocks glass to his lips.

“Josie, too,” Theo adds.

Blake sets his drink down on the lacquered bar top. “So you’d have options.”

“And then we can triple date, so you don’t feel like a fifth wheel.”

I bite back a derisive snort. Leave it to Theo to subtly point that out .

“Jesus Christ,” Blake mutters. “What this arsehole is trying to say is that if you’re interested in a long-term thing rather than”—he nods toward the bartender—“a single-night fling, we can set you up.”

Theo nods. “Not all girls will fuck you over like Kylie did, you know?”

Blake and Theo are the only people who know why Jesse and I had a falling-out. I told them while plastered after the Singapore Grand Prix last year. There’s no good way to say “hey, my brother’s dating my ex” while sober. Honestly, there’s no good way to say it while drunk either, but vodka has thankfully dimmed that memory. All I know is that the next morning, Theo had a black eye, and Blake was sporting a split lip. Apparently, Blake tried to book a flight to Boston to “kill that knob-headed wanker” and Theo threw his phone at the wall to break it so he couldn’t.

Honestly, I don’t even blame Kylie for moving on so quickly. Though I do blame her for doing so with my brother, I can’t deny that I wasn’t a great boyfriend. I was never around, and when I was, it was on my terms. I never ingratiated myself into her life or went out of my way to bring her into mine. Hell, my parents didn’t—and still don’t—know I even dated her.

“There’s no need for you two to play matchmaker,” I say, annoyed by it all. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” Blake hits me with his signature scowl, then eyes Theo as if to say you’re up .

Theo, of course, wastes no time. He places his phone screen side up on the table and slides it closer to me. The live location sharing and tracking appwe all use is pulled up, the dots representing Blake, him, and me overlapping.

I spare it a quick glance, then frown at him. “Dude, I don’t know what the fuck you’re trying to show me.”

“Your location. ”

Irritation flares inside me. “I obviously know where I am,” I snap. “So why are you showing me this?”

Theo snatches his phone back and levels me with what he probably thinks is an intimidating stare, but in all honesty, just makes him look constipated. “I’m showing it to you because it means I can see where you are at all times.”

“You stalk me?” I ask, only half teasing. “Weirdo.”

He’s had my location for years, and I’ve never thought twice about it. He told me it was for “emergency purposes.” Now I’m rethinking how wise it was to give him access to my whereabouts at all times.

“You do one of two things when you’re not fine,” he says, giving me a pointed look at the word fine . “You spend more time in Monaco or you get a new tattoo.”

“And you’ve been in Monaco for the past two months and you got a new tattoo,” Blake says, as if what Theo is insinuating isn’t already clear.

I’m really not liking the way this conversation has veered toward intervention. Sure, I’ve felt a little lost and lonely lately, but overall, my life is great: my career is at its peak, my friends are happy, and my family is healthy and financially secure. So what right do I have to complain about being stuck in a rut?

“I appreciate your concern, but I promise I’m okay,” I reassure them with a smile that feels more like a grimace. “You’ll be the first to know if and when I’m not.”

They’re wearing matching bullshit looks when Charlotte appears at Blake’s side, thankfully cutting the discussion short.

“Evening, boys,” she says, her dimples on full display.

“What are you wearing?” Theo sputters, setting his drink on the bar top a little too forcefully.

“Oh, this?” Charlotte twirls, giving us a 360-degree-view of her outfit, her expression brightening further.

The form-fitting dress draws my attention to every curve. The curves only accentuated by the silver heels laced up her legs. It takes everything in me to bring my focus back to her face quickly and keep it there rather than peek at her cleavage, because fuck , she looks stunning.

“Isn’t it adorable? I bought it while shopping with Mum last year but haven’t had the chance to wear it yet.”

Theo’s eyes widen comically, and I swear he sways a little. “Mum let you buy that?”

“It was on sale,” Charlotte says with a coy smile, “and you know Mum loves a good bargain almost as much as she loves us.”

I cup my mouth to cover a laugh. She knows damn well Theo’s referring to the neckline of the dress, not the cost.

“You were bitching about me not wearing AlphaVite’s color,” Charlotte reminds him, “and this is blue, so it’s team appropriate.” She shrugs those smooth, bare shoulders. “You should be happy.”

“The color’s the only appropriate thing about it,” Theo grumbles, his brows drawing together. “Where have you been, anyway? You were supposed to be here an hour ago.”

“Why do you make it sound like I was off doing something shady?” Charlotte huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.

My spine tingles at the way the move highlights her breasts. Do not look at her tits, Lucas .

“Because you’re known for being reckless,” he counters, clenching his fist on top of the bar.

“Reckless?” Charlotte rolls her eyes. “Really, Theodore?”

“You accidentally bought a plane ticket to New Brunswick instead of New Caledonia and still went .”

She shrugs, the move easy and good-natured. “I had a fantastic time in Canada. And you can’t complain. You loved the syrup I brought back for you.”

“And then when you finally did go to New Caledonia, you had to pay an absurd fine?—”

“The signs stating that beach was private were not clear,” she argues, a crease forming between her brows. “They were small and easy to miss.”

“Okay,” he draws out. “What about when you stole a quokka?”

“I didn’t steal it, Theodore. It hopped into my bag when I wasn’t looking. It’s not my fault it fell asleep there.”

I bite my tongue so I don’t burst out laughing.

Charlotte throws Theo a scathing look that would have my balls shriveling into raisins if it were directed at me and slides into the empty seat to my right. She flags down a waiter with a quick wave, effectively ending the conversation, and orders an espresso martini, which has me shaking my head in amusement.

With a nudge to my elbow, she gives me a teasing glare. “Don’t even start, Lucas. There are way worse things to be addicted to than coffee. You know, drugs, cigarettes, porn.”

“True,” I concede with a chuckle. “I can’t drink coffee past two p.m., or my sleep schedule is fucked.”

“I’m a night owl, anyway,” she says with a shrug. “I’ve always found it weird that coffee makes you more awake and active, but the whole point of coffee shops is to help you slow down and relax.”

When Charlotte’s drink appears in front of her, she takes a sip. The foam top leaves a small Charlie Chaplin mustache over her lips, and when she uses the tip of her tongue to wipe it off, I’m thankful as fuck to be sitting so no one can see the semi that move gives me.

“Good first race weekend?” she asks, completely oblivious to the problem in my pants.

I take a large sip of my drink to distract myself. “Mm-hmm. Strong start, minus the shit show of Thursday’s press conference.”

Blake stonewalled Satin Satan, refusing to answer any of her questions, and Theo, who’s usually happy-go-lucky in interviews, was combative when asked about his relationship with his old team principal. It was as if neither remembered a thing they learned during the extensive media training we’ve all been through. I ended up answering the majority of the questions, which is fine, though I’ve never craved the spotlight like many drivers. I despise the pressure to say or do the right thing. I’m here to race. That’s it.

Charlotte nods, but her eyes dart to the side. “Yep. That was something, all right.”

“Can’t believe the two Ithaca drivers almost came to blows,” I lie, testing a theory. “Especially over a woman.”

Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head so fast I worry she’ll give herself a headache. “Oh, that was wild. But you know what they say: boys will be boys.”

Brow cocked, I stare her down. “What’s even more wild is that the fight never happened.”

“Well—” She pauses. “Shit.”

I chuckle, my chest warming at her adorable reaction. “What’s shit is your poker face, Roo.”

“A for effort, though, right?” Wincing, she angles forward, sending a wave of her honeysuckle- and summer-smelling perfume my way. “Can you keep a secret?”

For her? There’s no question. “Scout’s honor.”

“You were a boy scout?” she queries, her voice skeptical.

“Yep.” I dip my chin. “I even have the merit badges to prove it.”

“Huh.” She tilts her head to the side, her attention licking over me like flames. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as one.”

“Why not?”

She waves a hand in front of my body. “Don’t get me wrong, the tattoos and rings and such are hot, but they don’t exactly scream wilderness life skills, ya know? They give off more Sons of Anarchy than Survivor vibes. ”

A hearty laugh bursts out of me as I toy with the sterling silver ring on my thumb. “You think I look like a biker?”

“Not a biker, per se, but you definitely exude a bad-boy-bad-arse aura. You’ve got the whole look at me the wrong way and I’ll snap your neck thing going on.”

I snort. “I donate to charity and recycle, Char. I’m hardly badass. My bar mitzvah theme was Star Wars , for fuck’s sake.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “Was Princess Leia your first crush?”

“Maybe,” I say with a wink. There’s no way in hell I’d admit that Princess Fiona from Shrek was actually my first crush. In her human form, not her ogre form, thank you very much. “So what secret am I keeping?”

Peering over her shoulder to make sure Theo’s still engrossed in conversation with Blake, she admits, “I wasn’t at the press conference.”

“Yeah, I figured that out, Roo. I’m just not sure why it’s a big deal.”

“It was Theo’s first big interview as an AlphaVite driver,” she says with guilt tainting her words. “He was nervous and asked me to stick around for it.”

Despite my surprise, I keep my features schooled. Theo hasn’t mentioned his nerves to me, and the guy’s MO is oversharing.

“And that was the plan,” Charlotte continues. “But my blood sugar started to drop. I usually keep glucose tablets or a bar in my bag, but I switched purses at the last minute and forgot to swap those out, I guess.” She swipes at a rogue piece of hair. “So I power walked to the paddock—because running is for marathons and being chased by serial killers—and on my way there, I ran into that photographer bloke. The one who takes really good paddock photos.”

“Kyle,” I confirm with a nod.

“Right. Kyle. So I introduced myself to him and asked if he’d take a picture of me. Not with his professional camera, obviously, but with my phone.” She inhales a deep breath. “But I wasn’t about to let the neon VIP lanyard ruin my photo op, so I took it off and then totally forgot I’d set it on the ground. Security wouldn’t let me back into the media room after I found a snack, and I couldn’t find my original lanyard, so I had to get a new one. By the time I finished with that, the press conference was wrapping up.”

I take a sip of my whiskey to hide my grin. “Sounds like quite the adventure.”

She huffs out a sigh. “Yeah, but I feel guilty. Theo?—”

“What are we gossiping about?” the man himself interrupts as he flags down the bartender. “Blake ditched me to find Ella.”

“I’m not surprised,” Charlotte says with an innocent smile. “She’s prettier than you.”

“Ha.” Theo nudges her with his elbow. “So what’s the tea? Have people been talking about how good I look in my blue driving suit? Have they noticed the way it brings out my eyes? Or were they discussing how Lucas accidentally left his fly unbuttoned at the event last night and didn’t notice until a photographer told him?”

I’m going to throat punch him .

“We most definitely were not talking about that,” I say, exasperation gnawing at me. “Thanks for bringing it up.”

“What are friends for if not reminding you of moments you wish you could forget?”

“We were talking about how I met Mitchell at the race,” Charlotte says easily. “I swear his height’s the eighth wonder of the world.”

I smirk. “He did say you were impressed by his… climbability.”

Mitchell’s not a dick, but he also doesn’t give much time to people who don’t bring value to my career. Sounds shitty, but there’s a reason he’s good at his job. Charlotte can’t secure a sponsorship deal for me or help me train, but she sure as hell can win just about anyone over. Her dimpled smile is sweet and her eyes are sunshine on a rainy day. Not to mention, she’s got an aura that gives an instant sense of familiarity, as though she’s a lifelong friend, even to those who’ve just met her. It’s disarming but charming all the same.

“Oh,” Theo says with a frown. “Definitely thought it’d be something juicier.”

The last thing I need is to keep secrets from Theo, but I simply take a sip of my drink and shrug.