Page 28 of Too Fast To Fall
Don’t worry. I will be there in Spain.
“What’s going on? Great job in practice today, by the way. Your times in sector two were blistering.”
“My parents. My dad was supposed to come this weekend, but he can’t. And now my mom is using it as an excuse to criticizehim. She’ll take any chance to get in a dig.”
“I’m sorry. Are they divorced?”
“About to be. Going through it.”
“And you’re stuck in the middle. That’s got to be stressful. Maybe disappointing? Sad?”
Emilio wasn’t sure which label his parents’ drama deserved. This time last year, they’d seemed fine, just like they had forthe entirety of Emilio’s life. In love. Happily married. Now it had turned into something Emilio didn’t even recognize. “Allthose things, but mostly stressful.” He sighed. “And stress is the last thing I need.”
Seven
The stress was still there, but Emilio did much better in qualifying than anyone expected, and that let off the pressure.If only a little bit.
“Congratulations on P7 today.” A reedy male reporter presented a microphone in the media pen. “It’ll be your best startingposition this season. How does that feel after your struggles with the Mega car?”
It’d been so long since he’d done well, he wondered if he was dreaming. “I’m getting more comfortable with it. I’m hopefulfor tomorrow.”
“Can you work your way through the field and make it back to the podium?” a different reporter asked.
A top-three finish? That was a lot to ask from seventh place, especially when he was merely driving the carbetter. Although he wasn’t about to discourage himself, he also wasn’t about to put a number on it. “I’ll do my best. Like any otherweekend.”
The questions continued and Emilio braced for the familiar—the ones about whether he felt like an idiot for pissing off hisold team, or whether he was disappointed to realize that last year’s driver’s championship might be the only one he’d everwin, or whether it upset him that his ex-girlfriend was dating another driver. But those questions never came, and he wasthankful for a break from the negative.
A young woman with a handheld recorder stepped forward. “Your dog Gus made a triumphant return to social media yesterday.Is there a reason you chose Imola to launch his own account?”
Nowthatwas a question for which he was not prepared. Was he about to be in hot water with Isabel? She was standing right next tohim and had just cleared her throat. “That happened by accident. It was all Piper Murphy. She works for me. Takes care ofGus full-time. She went into the stands and met some fans. They wanted pictures with Gus, and she obliged.”
Another reporter took sudden interest in Emilio’s answer. “Is Piper Murphy the woman you were with when you arrived on trackyesterday? There were photos circulating of you with your arm around her.”
Emilio’s mind flashed to the moment when he’d wanted to get Piper away from the screaming fans. He should’ve known better.Someone was always watching. “She’s Gus’s dog nanny. That’s all.”
“Dog nanny...” the reporter muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
Emilio bit his tongue.That’s exactly how important my dog is, asshole.
A few beats with no further questions, and Isabel said, “I think that’s a wrap.” They exited the media pen and started backthrough the paddock for Mega hospitality. “Great job with the press today.”
“The questions were a lot easier.”
“We should talk about the Gus question.”
Emilio came to a stop outside the Mega building. “It happened by accident. Exactly the way I said. It won’t happen again.”
Isabel placed her hand on Emilio’s shoulder. “I’m wanting to know if Piper can keep doing it. The fans love it. And happyfans make happy sponsors, which means a happy team.”
“It’s a bit silly, isn’t it?”
“Gus is part of your life, and the fans want any glimpse they can get. They can’t get enough.”
Emilio couldn’t help it. His natural reaction to anyone wanting to look in on his life was to close the blinds. “You knowhow private I am.”
“Which is why having Piper do this for you is perfect. Gus can do the posing and everybody wins.” She leaned in. “And I shouldn’ttell you this, but we’re close to a big money sponsorship deal with Nom Nom Nutrition.”
“What’s that?”
