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Chapter One
“Did you really thinkyou could come in here and just take over?!” The voices boomed down the hall, erupting out of one of the many conference rooms. My muscles drew tight. They were already going at it and I hadnothad enough coffee yet to play mediator.
“Dude, chill. It was just a suggestion. You’ve been driving the same way for so long, maybe you should change it up a bit.”
“Change it up?! I won’t take advice from some pup who just bounced in—and out of America of all places!”
I rolled my eyes as I walked towards the source of the yelling. Alejandro Rodriguez and Jason Stevens had been arguing for weeks, the kind of territorial pissing match that had everyone wishing they’d just whip their dicks out and measure so we could move on. Formula One drivers were notorious hot heads, egos inflated by becoming the best at a sport that was both sexy and deadly–as well as highly lucrative. Money, danger, sex appeal. That’s what sold in our sport, but here at Smith Racing the infighting had gone on long enough to threaten sponsorships. The people in charge took threats to their money seriously.
Which is why I’d been dragged in—my reputation for marketing and communications landed me the not-so-thrilling job of playing mediator. No good deed goes unpunished and all that.
The team was trying to keep it under wraps, but there were already stories of arguments in the garage. This year’s car had been designed with a lot of input from Alejandro, the seasoned driver, but Jason was a big personality and had made his preferences known. It didn’t help that Alejandro had been struggling in recent years, so rumor had it Thomas, the team principal, was considering making Jason the primary driver. Talk about a sticky situation. Alejandro had more than earned the respect of the racing world, but Thomas was the hot young newcomer. Deciding on who was primary driver would set the tone for the entire season.
The press loved juicy rivalries but sponsors didnot. With image playing a crucial role, Smith racing determined someone in marketing would step in for a closer role to ensure we appeared our best in the press and media. Not an easy job when the two member team argued non-stop. And lucky me, I had drawn the short straw and was put in charge of driver image.
Now it was time to try and salvage something from the absolute shit storm that was this season. Squaring my shoulders, I pulled open the conference room door and stepped inside. The yelling cut off, but the tension in the room was so thick I was surprised I could even move.
“Gentlemen,” I said. “Good morning.” The men both blinked as I walked to the front of the room and took a seat.
Jason stood up and walked over. I immediately made mental notes as I took in his relaxed posture and clothes. He’d opted for a sponsor t-shirt that was oversized and paired with slouchy jeans that had seen better days. The thing was, he made it look good, his charisma overshadowing the laid-back attire. Still, I’d have to work on getting him out of those clothes and into something more appropriate.
“Jason Stevens. You must be Kat. I’m glad to meet you.” he said, holding out his hand. It would have been polite had he not been so obviously eyeing me up and down, a salacious smirk on his face.
He might be hot, but that wasn’t enough to unmoor me. “Are you now.” I replied coolly as I shook his hand firmly, and then indicated he should return to his seat. I was not going to let this hothead dictate the pace of my meeting. “How was your holiday, Alejandro?” I asked, looking over to the other side of the room.
“Just fine, Ms. Kat,” said the Spaniard in his low, sultry voice. He didn’t bother to get up from the table, but then again he didn’t need to. I’d worked with Alejandro for several seasons and knew him to be the intense brooding type. That’s how he’d been painted in the sport as well, leaning into his sexy dark looks and stoic, private persona. Even here, away from the cameras, Alejandro was a closed book, with a tailored blazer and designer jeans and a face that gave nothing away. He exuded an imposing confidence that had been cowing the competition for years.
People didn’t critique Alejandro Rodriguez.
Well, until now. Jason was a big presence in his own right, cock sure and exuberant, but more golden retriever than mountain lion. I could see where the “young pup” comment had come from.
“Ok,” I said, getting right down to business. “I don’t give a shit what you two were arguing about, but I need you to put it behind you right now. We need to get to work.” I pulled two file folders out of my bag. They made a soft whoosh as I slid them across the table. “I emailed these to your teams, but I find the shoots go more smoothly if we go over the plans together in person.” I’d called this meeting to strategize the team’s marketing shoot to ensure that everyone was on the same page. It wouldn’t do to have all of our time wasted by posturing when we needed a variety of footage.
“Plans?” asked Jason. “Don’t we just go in, get the footage, and leave?”
Alejandro rolled his eyes and, while I agreed with him, he shouldn’t be poking the bear.
I sighed internally but put on what I hoped was a kind but firm smile as I turned towards Jason. “That might be how things are done in development, but you’re in the big leagues now Mr Stevens. Formula One is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and between promo and gifs a lot of footage is needed. And that’s just for us. Formula One itself requires an inordinate amount of footage to put together the packages they use every week. I estimate we will be in there for the entire day.” I narrowed my gaze and pinned both men to their seats. “You two need to get comfortable with each other because the fans want to see teammates who are friends. High fives, inside jokes, the works.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard,” growled Alejandro, sounding like it might be very hard indeed. “We are professionals after all, right Mr. Stevens?”
Jason shifted uncomfortably, like he had more to say, but nodded. “Sure thing. Whatever you need, Kat.” If only it was that easy.
“Oh gentlemen,” this time I made my sigh audible as I plastered a fatigued smile on my face. “It’s not me who needs this, it’s you. From now on our success as a team rides on you two selling the biggest bromance in Formula One.”
