Page 54 of Not So Fast
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t watch a lot of movies.”
“Fuddy-duddy.”
A knock came at the trailer door. “Come in,” Xander called.
Mia popped up from her seat and scrambled back by the kitchen. “Xander,” she hissed. “You can’t let just anyone in.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
Isabel appeared in the doorway and walked up the steps, slow as molasses. “Hello,Mia,” she said, her voice dripping with annoyance while she stared down Xander. “Are you and Xander doing an interview I didn’t know about?”
“Uh. No,” Mia answered.
Fuck.“I can explain…”
Isabel planted her hand on her hip. “Tell me. Please.”
Xander hadn’t expected Isabel so soon. He should have prepared. Their working relationship was so good it hadn’t occurred to him he might need to formulate an explanation. “So, Mia and I hung out at Monza one night…”
Isabel frantically waved her hands. “No, no, no. Stop. I don’t want to know.”
“Nothing happened that night.” He glanced at Mia, thoughts of Monza warming his face. They grew closer that evening in ways he hadn’t expected. “That part came later.”
“You two are acouple?” Isabel asked.
“A secret couple,” Mia interjected. “I don’t think it would be good for either of us if this came out.”
Isabel nodded slowly, seeming as though she was calculating possible collateral damage. “I agree.”
Of course Mia had been right, but hearing Isabel agree so quickly really made him take notice. “Right. Me, too,” Xander chimed in, although he already hated the secrecy. He hated that the opinions of strangers needed to play into his relationship with Mia.
“First off, you two can definitely not be seen walking into the paddock together,” Isabel said.
“Of course,” Mia said. “I’ll keep to the paddock club, per usual. Just like at the other races.”
Isabel kneaded her forehead, seeming beyond stressed. “Well, I did not have this on my bingo card for the season, especially after the whole dick-in-your-hand comment, I’ll tell you that much. But if everyone follows the plan we just laid out, I might get through this race weekend without a full-blown international incident on my hands.”
Xander was desperate to lighten the mood at least a little. “You did tell me to stay on Mia’s good side.”
Mia snickered.
Isabel rolled her eyes. “This is not what I meant. And from your standpoint, Xander, the sponsors spend millions each year to have their product or company shown in the very best light. Many of them did not like it when Mia’s criticisms went viral.” Isabel glanced at Mia and raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry if it hurts to hear that, but it’s the truth.”
“I understand,” Mia said.
“But a lot of that has faded away,” Xander said. “She’s been much nicer of late.” He and Mia shared a knowing smile.
“Which will of course raise the question, why?” Isabel asked.
“My race performance has improved,” Xander said, perhaps a bit too optimistically.
“That’s too logical an answer, I’m afraid. That’s not the way the world works. If there’s even a hint of controversy, the press will blow it up, just so they can get the public to care. And once that’s happened, it’s game over. It’ll become impossible to control the story. People will say whatever they want to.”
“Hence keeping a low profile this weekend,” Mia said.
“Precisely.” Isabel’s phone beeped with a text and she fished it out of her pocket. “Shoot. I need to go, but please stay out of trouble this weekend, you two. And Xander, I’ll see you at the team meeting shortly.”
“Yes. Thank you.” Xander plopped down on the bench as soon as Isabel was gone. “Bloody hell. Why does the world have to be like this?”
