So that’s how we sit for the rest of Bernard’s promotional drive. Silent. When it’s Faust’s turn to film, and the camera crew is getting close, and Mei’s asking how everything’s going, I say I need water. As I head inside, a shiver brushes over the back of my neck. The lightest touch of awareness. But when I look back, Faust’s walking the other way, his helmet on.
Good, I tell myself, going for the ibuprofen in my bag. The pills rattle. I fish three out.He bought that. I saw him buy it.
I don’t want him to remember me.
And that’s when I hear yelling.
“Enough.” I’m by the fence when Bernard throws his silver helmet down—it bonks dramatically against the grass. “I’m not going to stand by while you all fawn over him. You’d promised me a rookie, and now I have to drive withhim? Where’s Christine? I wanted Christine.”
There are voices, hushed but loud, gray shirts flocking around him. Bernard’s face is ruddy and slick with sweat, and I don’t think it’s all from the promo lap. His angry eyes swing furiously around the crowd, then he straightens up, chest heaving, and announces in a perfectly clear voice, “I quit.”
The chain-link fence nips my shoulder blades as I slump backward.
More voices. Lots more politely panicked yelling. I barely hear it over the buzzing bumblebees that have taken up residence in my brain.
My future boyfriend just quit the team. And I’m… on the team.
I’m still holding the ibuprofen, frozen in shock, when the short-haired woman from the documentary team sidles up to me. She looks at my fistful of pills, then me, and pushes her glasses up her nose. “First time?”
“First day,” I mumble.
She makes a sympathetic noise and pats around her many pockets. After a moment, she hands me a ginger chew. “Helps with the nerves. Gets better with time, though.”
“Bernard just quit,” I say, blinking as I take the candy.
“Mmhm.”
“Can he do that?”
“Oh yeah. He’ll have to pay the team out or something. Probably nothing major if he’s walking. But—” she pops her own ginger chew, seemingly just for the taste, because goddamn is she chill—“Don’t worry. Faust’s a good driver. He’s a good guy to work for.”
Chapter 6PINNED
That evening, I get anemail from Mei to take the following day off and “get to know Surrey.” I can’t imagine Mei willfully giving a new employee time off during their first week, so I order Nando’s to my rental house, set up shop on the floor of my tiny cottage room, and watch as Stark-Benzin and Bernard Baudelaire struggle over the narrative.
I’d stopped following Formula 1 after I’d moved to New York, too overwhelmed with my new work schedule and sending money back home to carve out free time. But I still know how the sport disseminates news. Tonight’s a speed run. First, there’s rumors online. Then abreaking newsgraphic on the official Formula 1 social media accounts—Bernard Baudelaire to join Leone Racing this season. Around 7:30 p.m., an interview clip hits Reddit, Bernard chatting with a microphone on a nondescript English sidewalk. Gotta wonder if he called the paps on himself. “I have all the love in the world for my previous team,” Bernard says, “but I have to do what’s right for me as a driver. And when I got the call that therewas a spot open on my brother’s team… well, I couldn’t pass up the chance to drive alongside my brother. Who would let that opportunity slip through their fingers?”
Nothing about his meltdown over Faust, of course. I click back into Imogen’s get-to-know-Bernard message, and there’s the flashing warning sign I’d missed.
He idolizes his younger brother, Jean.
Thinks he’s better than Stark-Benzin.
Completely predictable.
Goddamn.
Another google reveals how much attention Bernard has netted himself. It’s a feel-good story for the ages, per Bernard’s legion of online fans.I love this for him. Seriously, what was SB thinking, signing 2 senior drivers? Bernard’s doing them a favor swapping teams, says TheRedFrenchman. From Rushhhh1:yeah we all know Bernard was getting shafted this year. as long as Leone avoids a holmes bianco v. arthur bianco situation then this will be legendary!!!
From FormulaOneBeginnerPlsHelp:does this mean SB is swapping in their reserve driver?
Their question is answered by 7:45 p.m.; at least, for all Stark-Benzin employees.
To our racing family,
This afternoon, Bernard Baudelaire chose to break his contract for this upcoming season and exit the team. Here are the facts as well as how we are moving forward.
Stark-Benzin was unaware that Bernard had an offer from Leone Racing. He will pay Stark-Benzin per theterms in his contract. We hope that he enjoys his future with Leone.
