Page 134 of First in Line

The interaction sits so wrong in my head that I’m no good in the simulator. I’m so out of it I can’t race for shit. When I crash a third time, I pull the helmet off and ask, “Can someone get me my phone from the locker?”

It’s in my hand in seconds, and I immediately dial Evie. She doesn’t pick up right away, and I worry I’ve offended her too much. When she does, at the last moment, I can’t contain a reassured breath.

“Princess, I’m so sorry,” I quickly say.

“No, it’s me. I’m sorry I bothered you with it. I know your post-race days are the worst.”

Her voice is tight, and something tells me she was crying when I called back. My chest tightens at the thought. “Evie, I… I’m the one who messed up. I’m so focused on getting through today so I can come home, I lost sight of what really matters.”

She lets out a small, shy laugh. “It’s just armchairs.”

“No, it’s you. You matter. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. And I shouldn’t have hung up like that.”

Everyone in the room is listening, but I don’t give a damn. I fix my messes, and I’m not ashamed of it.

“I think it was an excuse,” she sheepishly confesses. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

My sweet girl …

“Okay, I have about two hours left in the simulator.” The chief of logistics signals me and then raises three fingers. “Three hours,” I correct myself. “Then PR needs me. But after that, I’m coming home, and I’ll tell you all about my weekend. How does that sound, princess?”

I can hear her smile when she says, “It sounds great, Jax. I’ll work on dinner. Any requests?”

“Ugh, just two chicken breasts, steamed broccoli, and maybe two spoonfuls of rice.”

“Oof… Mark is on your case again, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. I’ll tell you when I get home.”

“Okay. I love you, Hot Wheels.”

“I love you, princess. See you soon. Oh, and Evie?”

“Yes?”

“I really like the armchair that looks more vintage. I think it’d look great with the rug you got for the bedroom.”

“Okay, I’ll get that one. Thank you, Jax. I love you.”

“I love you.”

I let her hang up first, then return the phone to the person who gave it to me. Once the helmet is back on, I grab the wheel.

“I’m ready now. Run it again.”

In my line of work, I’m used to being thrown into all sorts of events and situations. I’ve had private dinners with royalty, attended galas alongside billionaires, been to parties reserved for the elites of this world… I’ve seen and done it all, several times over.

And before that, I was a rather bold person, never really worried about anything life might throw at me. So, I wouldn’t say there’s much that can make me nervous.

But meeting Evie’s friends had me all up in my head. It wasn’t so much that I worried about the event itself, but rather what they’d think of me. I know she’s proud of the life she’s built here, and their opinion of me holds some importance. What if, for some reason, they didn’t like me? Where would we go from there?

Thankfully, everything so far has gone well.

They were all a little shocked at first, which is understandable. Like Evie said on our way here, I am the most famous person who’s ever come out of this state. And it’s my understanding they’ve been gathering on Grand Prix Sundays to watch races. That means they all knew who I was when I knew very little about them.

Maybe that’s why I was so nervous about coming today. I’m rarely the only celebrity when I go to events.

But they didn’t blow it out of proportion. By the time Cynthia and her wife, Yasmine, arrived with their two kids, everyone had more or less moved on from me.