Harper
This is it. The shot I’ve been waiting for. Championship racing, baby!
Whilst I shouldn’t be this excited because it’s come at the expense of a guy with a broken leg, I can’t pretend I’m not itching to get started and prove I’m meant for the big leagues.
Sorry, Elijah Gutaga.
All’s fair in love and war, and if the team principal likes what he sees and thinks I’d be a better fit, then the spot will rightfully be mine. I’m chomping at the bit to show them what I can do with this opportunity.
The second I come off the phone with Anders and my agent, I begin throwing everything I can think of into my kit bags. We leave for Bahrain in less than twenty-four hours and I’m not even close to prepared.
Anders mentioned keeping shtum until the news about Elijah has been officially released, but the excitement buzzing through me has me reaching for my phone to call Johannes.
The phone rings no less than twice before his gorgeous face appears on my screen, his dark skin and velvety brown eyes twinkling as he runs on the treadmill. There’s a sweat towel around his neck and beads have formed on the temple of his shaved head.
‘Hope I’m not interrupting,’ I say in a tone that tells him I really couldn’t care less if I am.
‘You know I’m always at your beck and call, James.’ He dabs away the sweat before reaching down to slow the treadmill and I get a glimpse of his naked chest, all curly brown hair and dark pink nipples. Christ, it just shows how pent up I am if I’m getting a boner over my best friend. We’ve put all of that in the past.
‘Oh, of course, but I’d hate to distract you from the sweat you’ve built up there,’ I say. He just rolls his eyes, but the treadmill comes to a stop, and it takes him a minute to catch his breath.
‘I have an interview in ten and I still need to shower. Make this quick, James.’
‘God, if you’re going to sound that ungrateful to see me, I guess I won’t tell you the big news.’
‘You know I’m already out in Bahrain getting ready for pre-season, baby. I can’t have you messing with my?—’
‘Well, you’re going to be dealing with me a lot, actually.’
He grabs his phone from where he’s set it up on the treadmill and eyes my smirk. His phone pings and he begins to laugh. ‘Let me guess,’ he says, swiping away. ‘Elijah’s injured and you’re filling his spot?’
‘You’re such a dick. You couldn’t just let me enjoy this? Fucking BBC news spoiling my fun, yet again.’
‘They love to do that. At least in this article it’s all positive and they haven’t had to blur the picture to hide your hairy ball sack.’
Okay, that’s not something I want to relive ever again. I always thought that if dirty nudes of me ever leaked they’d be exposing one of the many occasions I’ve let a hot guy blow me in the corner of a dark club, not because a fan decided to pants me in the street. Unfortunately, someone snapped a pic that captured me full frontal before I could cover up.
‘Well, that’s something, I guess. Did they at least use a nice photo?’
‘Podium shot from last year.’ I’ll take that.
I made a decision at the end of last season to delete all news apps from my phone and remove the alerts I used to have for my name on Google. The media outlets don’t have many nice things to say about me and they love to dredge up my past. I was there. I don’t need to be reminded of it.
‘Beautiful, that’s what we like to hear. Although, it would have been nice if they’d used one of my recent Instas though.’
‘I don’t think the BBC wants to use your thirst traps, babe.’ He rolls his eyes and sets me up on the countertop in what looks like a kitchenette. I have no clue where I’ll be staying this time tomorrow, but I hope it’s as gorgeous as wherever Johannes is. It’s his second year in the big leagues. His first was with Haas and then when Ford announced their return to motor racing with Red Bull he was selected right away for their team. It suits him; he’s always been the comeback kid.
‘Their loss. What’re you making?’
He pulls a blender from the cupboard and goes to the fridge before showcasing to me in the most unsexy manner what he’s putting in there. ‘Banana, oat and peanut butter smoothie. Need some protein after that workout. That all you wanted to say? I gotta get in the shower before this interview, James.’
‘I’m beyond jealous. Send me lots of pics.’
‘You don’t get that privilege anymore.’ He gives his ass a little shake in his booty-hugging running shorts as he stretches up to get a tall glass out of the cupboard.
I don’t miss that ass in the way that he and some of our other friends probably think I do. I just miss ass in general right now.
It’s not that I’m in a dry spell, so to say – I get plenty of action – but I’m just a bit bored with my usual club pickings. I’m not sure why my usual scene isn’t hitting the way it used to but for some reason it’s not scratching the itch, so to speak. If I’m being honest, I don’t really know what I want, or how to go about finding it.
