Page 102 of Drive Me Crazy
I smile down at her. “Ah, yes. That makes perfect sense.”
“It does!” She pats the spot next to her. “I’m working on my business plan.”
Carefully sitting down, I place our mugs on the coffee table, not wanting to spill on the cream-colored couch.
“Formypodcast,” she adds, a wide smile stretching across her face.
“Damn straight it’s yours.”
It took half a fucking year to hammer out a deal with PlayMedia to buy the intellectual property toCoffee with Champions. God knows how many hours my lawyer billed. He has three kids and I’m sure I’ve paid for at least two of them to go to uni. I never thought they’d agree to sell it; they were still generating ad revenue from new downloads of old episodes. It seems my outburst onThe ElliotBrown Showchanged their minds. They’d look like real arseholes holding her podcast hostage after ignoring both the sexual harassmentandassault claims she filed with HR.
I give her thigh a light squeeze. “I’m proud of you.”
She beams at me, glowing under my praise. Ella walks me through her plan, explaining everything to me in layman’s terms. Not that I thought making a podcast would be easy, but I never realized how much stuff a network took care of for you. Monetizing and sponsorships. Growth plans and marketing affiliates. Hosting platforms and equipment. My head is spinning.
She’s completely revised the format of the podcast, but the most surprising part about her business plan is that she wants to do two episodes a week rather than one. I make her go back and explain it to me multiple times.
She wants to have one episode a week specifically dedicated to Formula 1. These episodes will feature insights and interviews with the drivers, engineers, mechanics, fans, race officials, and whoever else she damn well pleases. I haven’t been able to get a word out in the past five minutes. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that she’s going to be with me next season.
“Hello?” Her hand waves in front of my face. “You’re either broken or you think this is the worst idea ever.”
“I think it’s the grandest idea I’ve ever heard,” I finally manage to say. “And I’m a World Champion, so my opinion is worth about ten times more than the average person’s.”
“Oh, is that so?” Ella laughs. “Good to know.”
Leaning back into the couch, I let out a low groan. “Wait, does this mean if I have a shitty race, you’re going to poke fun at me again?”
We’ve really come full circle.
“I’ll play nice,” she promises, placing her hand on mythigh. “If I’m tough on you, I’m sure I can think of a few ways to earn your forgiveness.”
“Do you two want breakfast?” Mrs. Gold’s head pops into the room. “I made pancakes and eggs.”
“I’m starving,” Ella says, jumping up from the couch.
I am, too. Coffee on an empty stomach always makes me jittery. The three of us sit at the kitchen table with plates piled high. I’m starting to see where Ella gets her appetite from. Like mother, like daughter.
“Your dad and I were looking at flights last night,” Mrs. Gold tells Ella. “I think we’re going to fly in for the first race next season and then stay for a bit so we can be in London for the book’s release party. What do you think?”
Ella steals a strawberry off my plate. “That’ll be fun. Can Dad take off that much time?”
“He’ll probably work remotely for a few days,” Mrs. Gold says before turning to me. “Blake, are you okay if we come to the first race? I’m sure it’s a stressful time for you. Should we come for a different one?”
“Sorry,” I cough out. This is all news to me. “What?”
“We want to come watch you race.” Her smile is almost identical to Ella’s, minus the dimple. “We’ll make a family trip out of it.”
“Oh, don’t feel pressured to come to a race.” My words stutter over one another as a flush of surprise marks my cheeks. “I, um, don’t want to put you out.”
“Of course we’re going to come!” Mrs. Gold briefly rests her hand on my forearm, giving it a quick squeeze. “We want to support you.”
“Thank you,” I murmur with a quick nod. “The first race is great.”
Mrs. Gold chatters away about how excited she is to see me in action. The chest-swelling sensation I’m experiencing is unfamiliar. The Golds have shown more interest in my careerin the few days I’ve been in Chicago than my own dad ever did.
“Tyler’s flight lands soon,” Ella reminds her mom. “Do you want us to go to the airport for you?”
“Thanks, honey, but I’ll get him.” She stands up from the table, collecting our empty plates. I offer to help her, but she waves me off.
