‘Fine, do whatever you like. I’ve tried. Don’t be surprised when Anders drops your ass back down because you don’t show any commitment.’
‘Maybe it’s your ass they’ll be dropping, old man, now they’ve got new blood on the team.’ Kian’s eyes darken momentarily and I can’t help but be amused. If looks could kill, I’d be buried under the Albert Park Circuit.
‘Don’t get too cocky, rookie. A couple of good performances are nothing when there’s still twenty to go. You might have pulled off the odd risky move, but it wasn’t exactly difficult to overtake you. And when everyone else sees that you’re a joke, too, you won’t be seeing much more of the podium.’
He’s so bloody sure he knows what I’m like, it could almost knock my confidence. But this is just words, and I’ve got a P3 under my belt already.
I’m not delusional enough to think I’m the best in the world – yet. But I earned this opportunity, even if it did come at the expense of Elijah’s broken leg. Maybe finishing on the podium in my first attempt has gone to my head, but it’s not like I could ever forget that I’m the number two driver around here with Kian throwing his every bit of wisdom and experience at me.
There was still a long way to go, he wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t about to get ahead of myself thinking I could take it home after coming third a couple of times.
Kian looks satisfied as he presses the call button and leans against the wall next to the lift, as if he’s shut me up. He hasn’t. He could never. I’m going to be here for as long as they’ll have me, battling Kian bloody Walker until I’ve proven myself.
Maybe Elijah will come back in three months’ time, leg all healed, and take my seat. Or maybe Hendersohm will realise that Kian’s been around enough and they do need new blood. It’s all to play for, as far as I’m concerned.
‘Well, enjoy your night. I’ll be in the gym at 7am. You’ll join me if you know what’s good for you, but I can almost guarantee you probably won’t.’ The lift pings behind him with perfect timing and he saunters in. He pushes the button and the doors close, giving him the last word.
Fuck. I stand there like an idiot as I watch the number go up and up and up, not sure that could have gone any worse. Johannes appears behind me.
‘I won’t lie, I really enjoyed watching Kian handing your ass to you. I like the guy even more now.’
‘Get lost,’ I grumble. ‘Can we go get dessert? I know we shouldn’t but I need something sweet right now.’ I saw a picture of the biggest slice of chocolate cake on the menu and there’s nothing I want more right now – except maybe to get drunk. Thank God for this hotel having a luxury restaurant right here in the lobby.
‘You wanna eat your feelings, Harp? You must really be gutted that your idol won’t take any shit from you.’
‘Don’t make me tell you to get lost again.’
‘Don’t tell me you’ve fallen out of love with him? Back in the day, you used to?—’
I scramble to cover his mouth with both of my hands until he surrenders, licking my palm so I let him go.
‘Used to, past tense.’ Ending the conversation, we go back into the restaurant. I flag down a waitress and order us a big piece of chocolate fudge cake to share. I’ll be paying for it in the morning. Not in the gym at 7am with Kian, though.
‘I hate you,’ Johannes says when the cake is quickly brought out to us alongside two forks. ‘Not as much as Kian hates you, but still.’
‘Is it too late to see if another team wants me? Reckon Nils would like to swap?’
‘I do love you, but us being on the same team again would be a nightmare.’
I’d probably kill to be on the same team with him again, like we were once upon a time. But he’s probably right. We’d get each other in way too much trouble; the team wouldn’t be able to handle us.
‘Yeah, I’m too good for you now. I’d make you look bad.’
‘Whatever you say, James, whatever you say. How about tomorrow you go lick ass with yourloverrrrand make things right?’
Whilst I can’t deny that rimming Kian Walker sounds hot as hell, I don’t think I could get him to remove the stick up his ass long enough to get my tongue up there.
‘I’ll pass. Now hand me the fork. I need this.’
He complies, but the cake does nothing to fix the fact that I know tomorrow I might actually have to submit to Kian and meet him at the gym.
ChapterSeven
Kian
Since Bahrain, Harper and I have done a pretty decent job at playing nice. If you can call working out together and sitting opposite each other on the jet without bickering, playing nice. Not even the bitch that is jet lag has caused us to squabble. Yet. Especially as jet lag in Australia seems to be worse than jet lag in any other country. It hits me like a ton of bricks every year. Not that it seems to cause any disruption to Harper’s sparkling personality, he still seems to operate at high speed. Except he’s also been behaving, I even heard him turn down going out this evening when Johannes asked him right in front of me.
The clock on the bedside table blinks at me as the time ticks over to 5am. I’m not sure how long I’ve been asleep or if I even slept at all.
