Page 51 of Not So Fast
Mia didn’t take a seat. Instead, she stood right before him, hands planted on her hips. She didn’t particularly like the words coming out of his handsome mouth. The podcast was her creation, and the way she’d done it up until that point had been a verified hit.
“I give my listeners what they want. They like a bit of snark and sarcasm.”
“I understand that, but I’m more concerned about you and your career than the whims of your fans.”
“If I don’t give them what they want, they’ll move on to someone else.”
His forehead did that wrinkly thing it did whenever he doubted something. “Further evidence that they might not be as serious about this venture as you are.”
“I got this far. I’m staying on this course I’ve set for myself. Keep growing the podcast. Grow my listenership.”
He nodded and took in a deep breath. “Okay, then. Just keep looking ahead, right? Don’t look back.”
“Enough career advice, okay? You keep promising me an ATV ride, but it hasn’t happened. Can we go now?”
Xander looked over his shoulder through the windows at the back of the house. “It’s been a few days since it’s rained. I’m guessing it’s dried out enough.”
“Awesome.”
Outside, Xander unlocked the last garage bay, then stepped inside and opened a tall black metal cabinet. “Hold on one second. I’ll get you a…” He was being noticeably cagey, shielding Mia’s view of what was inside.
“I’ll help,” she said, then grabbed one of the doors from him and pulled it open. Inside, there were signed photos of old-school Formula One drivers, including one that made her freeze. “Is that who I think it is?” She pointed at a photo of a good-looking young driver. A Dutch driver—Dirk Van Dijk in his prime. The print was even signed.ToXander.
“Yeah. That.” Xander blew out a long breath, contorting his lips into all sorts of strange orientations. “I can explain…”
“I would ask if it’s a joke, except it clearly isn’t since it’s signed to you.”
He nodded. “Dirk signed this for me when I was twelve. My dad and I went to the British Grand Prix and we waited outside the security gates for hours, just so I could meet him.” Xander folded his arms across his chest. “He was my favorite driver.”
Mia blinked about fifty times. “Does he know this?”
“No. He does not. And I would very much like this piece of information to stay inside the unspoken cone of silence we have established between us. Or at least that I hope we’ve established.” He looked her right in the eye, everything in his expression pleading with her. “Please don’t say anything on your podcast.”
“God. Xander. Of course I won’t. But he’s such a jerk to you. That’s got to make what you’ve been going through so much harder. All he does is kick you when you’re down.”
Mia again felt torn that she’d accepted Dirk’s invitation to Miami—she wished she’d never contributed to his ability to troll Xander. Then again, if she hadn’t gone, she and Xander never would’ve met.
“You know, when I was young, I thought the fact that hewas known for playing mind games was so next-level. He was ruthless. Untouchable.”
“Why do you think he was like that?”
“Things were different in the sport then. There was no pretending to be nice to your teammate. It was all-out war from the word go. And Dirk’s a calculating guy, so he extended the competition to the garage.”
“Pretty next-level stuff.”
“Yeah. Now that I’m on the receiving end of it, I don’t think it’s quite as cool.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’d like to think that maybe it makes me stronger.”
“You should tell him about this picture. About how much you admired him when you were young.”
“Absolutely not. It’s humiliating. He would never let me live it down.”
“If he has any shred of humanity, it’ll make him be nicer to you.”
“It’ll just make me sound like more of a loser.”
“Xander. You are not a loser. You are one of the most amazing drivers on the grid in quite some time. You just haven’t hit your stride yet this year. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. All drivers struggle.”
“Some more than others.”
