Race to the Top: Book one in the Racing to Find Love series (12 page)

As Anna followed Elena through the crowds, she was amazed by
how many people seemed to know her new friend. Elena was stopped every few
metres by people who hugged her and kissed her cheeks.

‘You know a lot of people,’ Anna said, in awe.

Elena looked back at her, smiling.

‘I was a total race rat,’ she said. ‘I was here all the time
when Jack raced. You get to know people. Drivers come and go, of course, but
there’s a real community here.’

Anna hadn’t thought about that.

‘That sounds nice,’ she said, truthfully.

‘It is,’ Elena said, leading her through the throng to the
Willis Mechanical garage.

Jack was already there, deep in conversation with Erik’s
race engineer, Sergei. Anna waved at Sergei as she came in he waved back. Gary
was sitting at a bank of computers and he turned and saw her.

‘Anna?’ he said, coming over and sounding confused. His eyes
flicked to the woman beside her.

‘Ah, Mrs Morello, nice to see you again. Your husband has
stolen one of my race engineers.’

Elena laughed apologetically.

‘I didn’t think you were coming to this race, Anna,’ Gary
said, suspiciously.

Anna blushed.

‘Erik invited me,’ she said.

Gary stared at her.

‘I see,’ he said, and headed back to his computer.

Elena and Anna giggled as they walked over to the VIP
seating area. Anna saw there was someone already there – a beautiful woman with
long blonde hair wearing the tightest jeans she had ever seen. She had a
fantastic figure.

‘Felicity,’ Elena said, sitting down next to her. ‘How are
you?’

Felicity gazed up, her eyes big and blue.

‘Oh, Elena,’ she said, smiling weakly. ‘It’s so nice to see
you again.’

‘This is Anna, Erik’s girlfriend,’ Elena said.

So this was Devlin’s wife, Anna thought. She really was
beautiful and she couldn’t believe Devlin would rather be out finding random
women in nightclubs than at home with her.

‘Hi Anna,’ Felicity said, extending a slim, manicured hand.
Anna took it and they shook.

‘So, what have you been up to, Felicity?’ Elena asked, as
they watched the hustle and bustle of the pit lane.

Felicity shrugged. She exuded an air of sadness, Anna
thought. Even her voice, so soft, sounded melancholy. She felt angry suddenly
at Devlin Carter.

‘Not much,’ Felicity said. ‘We’ve been redoing the house so
I’ve been busy organising that.’

Behind her, Anna head Devlin’s brash voice and she turned to
see him in his racing suit, arguing about something with Gary. He caught her
eye and walked away, leaving Gary mid-sentence.

‘Well, if it isn’t Anna-bear,’ he said, grinning at her. ‘Oh
and Mrs Morello, I saw your husband earlier.’

Elena smiled coldly.

‘Devlin,’ she said, simply.

Felicity smiled up at him, dazzling. He ignored her and
continued talking to Anna.

‘I didn’t think you were coming here.’

‘Erik invited me,’ Anna said, feeling uncomfortable with
Devlin’s attentions when his wife was sitting right there.

‘I see,’ Devlin said.

‘Is the race about to start?’ Felicity asked, standing and
putting a hand on his arm.

Devlin nodded and moved away slightly.

‘Yeah I have to go. I’ll see you after.’

Felicity looked bereft as he turned and left without another
word. He passed Erik as he left and the two brushed past each other, not even
making eye contact.

‘I’m just about to get in the car,’ Erik said, coming over.
‘But I want a good-luck kiss first.’

Anna obliged and Erik pretended to fan himself when they had
finished.

‘Oh go and get in your car,’ Anna said, pushing him away.
‘And for god’s sake, be careful.’

Erik saluted and headed to his car. Anna sat back down
again.

Felicity was looking at her, wistfully.

‘It must be nice,’ she said, suddenly, ‘to be with someone
who wants you at races.’

Anna shot a look at Elena, who shrugged. What was she
supposed to say to that?

‘I’m sure Devlin wants you here too,’ Anna said, in a
soothing voice. ‘He’s probably just really focused on the race.’

Felicity shook her head, sadly.

‘He doesn’t,’ she said. ‘He never wants me anywhere.’

Anna looked desperately at Elena.

‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ Elena said, laying her hand on
Felicity’s arm. ‘But Flick, why do you put up with it? He treats you appallingly.’

Anna was horrified to see a tear fall from Felicity’s
perfect face. Elena fished in her handbag for a handkerchief and handed it to
her.

‘We lost a baby last year, you know,’ Felicity said, dabbing
at her face.  

Anna felt awful for her and she saw Elena moved a protective
hand over her own stomach.

‘I couldn’t even get hold of him to tell him I was in
hospital. They eventually found him in a nightclub with some girl.’ Felicity
handed back the handkerchief.

‘Why don’t you leave him?’ Elena said, rubbing Felicity’s
back gently.

‘Because I would have nothing and be nothing,’ Felicity
said. ‘It’s better to have him in my life like this than not have him at all.’

Anna wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. This
woman, this beautiful woman, was throwing her life away. She thought of
Felicity, losing her baby and unable to even get hold of her husband. She felt
sick at heart for her, and furious at Devlin Carter.

The race started then, and the noise made any further
conversation impossible. Anna was glad; she would find it very hard to resist
saying something she shouldn’t if the conversation had carried on.

Neither Erik or Devlin won the race, Devlin’s car breaking
down three laps from the end, and Erik the victim of a botched pit stop.

When Devlin came in to the garage he was livid and stormed
past them all, not even glancing at his wife. Felicity smiled at us sadly and
followed him into the back.

Erik was annoyed too, Anna could tell, but he wrapped her in
a hug after he got out of his car.

‘Stupid pit people,’ Anna said, grumbling, and Erik laughed.

‘It happens,’ he said, shrugging. ‘I’ll get showered and
changed and meet you guys out front.’

Erik was enjoying himself.  Jules and Dan were great people
and he was glad Anna had asked him to join them for dinner. They had arrived
back from Monaco a couple of days ago, and Anna’s sister had apparently been
extremely keen to meet him, as they had barely got off the plane before Anna’s
phone was beeping and buzzing with texts.

Dan was a passionate race fan himself, but had clearly been
told to rein it in by Jules and Anna. When the sisters took some stuff into the
kitchen, however, Dan leaned across the table and the two of them had started
discussing how the season was going.

They stopped when Jules and Anna came back in the room,
sitting like naughty schoolboys. Jules shook her head at Dan.

‘Now he thinks we’re some sort of crazed fans,’ she said,
throwing her hands up in the air.

Erik laughed.

‘Only Dan,’ he said, laughing harder as Dan turned a shade
of purple.

Anna sat down beside him again as Jules dished out the
dessert, and Erik sought her hand under the table.

‘So, when’s your next race, Anna?’ Jules asked.

Anna looked glum.

‘Not for another three months,’ she said. ‘Just the final
race of the season – Brazil .’

Erik wanted to ask Anna to come with him to all the races –
he had loved having her there at Monaco –  but, of course, she had a job and
couldn’t just drop everything for him with a moment’s notice. He would still
see her in between races, he would make sure of that, but it would only be
snatched days and nights. He worried that the distance and the lifestyle would
make her regret the whole thing. He hoped not, he would have plenty of time
after the season ended. He just hoped she could wait for him.

‘Those two races will be crackers,’ Dan said, ignoring
Jules’ glare across the table.

Erik nodded.

‘I think it’s going to come right down to the wire,’ he
said, conscious of Anna stroking his hand gently. He wondered if it was bad
form to move her hand a bit further down. Not at the dinner table, Erik…

‘I can’t believe I’m going to miss so many races,’ Anna
wailed. ‘It’s not the same on TV.’

‘I’m pretty sure,’ Jules said, looking sly, ‘It’s not just
the races you’ll be missing.’

Anna blushed and Erik grinned.

An hour or so later, Erik found himself lying on the floor
with two small children, as they drove toy cars up and down the carpet.

‘Out of the way Ewik,’ Ben said, chidingly, as his car
bounced off Erik’s leg.

‘Sorry, sport,’ Erik said, moving out of the way.

‘Daddy says you are a racing driver,’ said Maisie.

Erik nodded at her.

‘I am,’ he said.

Maisie looked at him seriously.

‘Can you get inside this car and drive it?’ she said, waving
a tiny matchbox car at him.

***

Anna and Erik had a few days together before he had to leave
for Belgium. Anna had to work during the day, but she spent every night at his.
Erik found it harder to remember what he used to do between races before he had
Anna. Played racing games online against teenagers who had no idea they were
being soundly beaten by a racing star. He had always found that amusing.

The goodbye the morning he was due to fly to Belgium was
awful. Anna was in tears and he felt quite emotional too. He had some
promotional commitments that meant he wouldn’t be back home for a couple of
weeks. He kissed Anna’s face, wiping her tears away.

‘Don’t cry,’ he said. ‘I promise you, we’ll talk every day
and you can see me on TV. If you see me wave, that’s for you.’

Anna smiled at him through her tears.

‘It’s just,’ she said, biting back another sob. Erik’s heart
ached for her. ‘It’s just, I don’t want you to forget about me.’ And the sob
she had been fighting back escaped.

‘How could I? You’re all I think about, Anna. I’m not going
to forget you, please stop thinking that. Maybe you’ll forget me.’

Erik was surprised with the fervour with which Anna shook
her head.

‘Never,’ she said, fiercely, and flung her arms around him,
burying her face into his neck.

They had one last goodbye kiss in the driveway, and then
Erik watched Anna climb into her car. He could see the tears falling, but what
could he do? This was his life. He hoped she would get used to it. He thought
of the upcoming race. It was an important one – every race was important now.
He needed to be focused on it, and he couldn’t let himself be distracted by
worrying about Anna. But he wondered how on earth he would stop himself.

Anna, Jules, and Dan sat glued to the television. She had
invited them round to watch the grand prix, the kids being sent to a friend’s
house for the afternoon. Jules and Anna had squealed every time Erik appeared,
and when he did a little wave at the screen, Anna thought her heart would
explode. He had remembered.

Erik was starting first, and the girls whooped as the camera
panned to him in his car, sitting in pole position, waiting for the race to
heart. Dan shook his head but smiled.

‘You girls are crazy,’ he said.

‘Crazy for Erik,’ Jules squealed. ‘What are they all waiting
for?’

‘See the lights above the cars?’ Anna said, pointing at the
screen. ‘When they go out, the race starts.’

The three of them sat, waiting.

‘Oh come on,’ Jules said, impatiently, tapping her foot on
the floor.

 Then suddenly, the lights were out and the cars were away.

‘Here we go,’ Dan said, leaning forward with interest.

Erik had got a good start – but so had Devlin, and as they
rounded the first corner, the two cars almost touched.

‘God that looks dangerous,’ Jules remarked, peering at the
screen.

‘You get used to it,’ Anna said, lying. Her heart was in her
mouth every time another car went near Erik. She didn’t think she would ever
get used to it.

As they watched, Devlin pulled out to attempt an overtake.

‘Nooo,’ Anna and Jules wailed, but Dan held up a hand.

‘He’ll have to back off,’ he said, ‘It would be madness to
attempt an overtake on this corner.’

As they watched, Anna saw the corner coming up and she
waited for Devlin to pull back into a safe position. He didn’t. With a squeal,
she watched Devlin’s car clip the back of Erik’s, sending it spinning. Erik’s
car careered off the road, spinning round and round, eventually smashing into
the side of the track. There was a moment of silence.

‘Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,’ Anna said, shaking. She
sat, glued to the screen, waiting for Erik to get out of the car and wave to
indicate he was okay. But he didn’t.

‘Why isn’t he getting out?’ Jules asked and Dan shook his
head.

‘Maybe he’s just a bit shell-shocked,’ he said, but he
sounded worried.

Jules put an arm around Anna.

‘I’m sure he’s fine,’ she said. ‘They’re pretty safe these
cars, right?’

But as they watched, a car pulled up and paramedics jumped
up and rushed over to the wrecked car.

‘Oh god, Jules,’ Anna said, starting to cry. ‘What do I do?’

‘Just wait,’ Jules said. ‘Let’s try not to panic.’

But when Erik was brought from the car on a stretcher, still
and not moving, Anna leapt up.

‘I have to get there,’ she said, rushing to her laptop. ‘I
have to get out there now.’

Jules and Dan exchanged a glance, but Anna didn’t care. Erik
was hurt and she didn’t know how badly. How could she just sit at home,
waiting? And no one knew they were together, except his parents. And they
didn’t have her number and she didn’t have theirs. She thought of Erik’s mum
and dad. God, they would be going frantic too.

Then a thought struck her. Gary. She had his mobile number.
She grabbed her phone and dialled, and was surprised when he answered.

It was time to be candid.

‘Gary, it’s Anna. Anna Sawyer. I know now’s a bad time, but it’s
about Erik. I just saw what happened and…well.’

Gary interrupted her.

‘Yes I know the two of you have been seeing each other, it
was painfully obvious in Monaco. Look I don’t have any information. He was
unconscious when they removed him from the car and he’s being flown to the
nearest medical centre. I’m going there now. I can call you when I have news.’

‘I need to come out there.’

‘That’s up to you,’ Gary said, ‘Call me when you land and
I’ll tell you where to find us.’

And then he hung up.

Anna wailed.

‘He’s unconscious and he’s being flown to the hospital,’ she
said, returning to the laptop. ‘I’m going out there, I’m booking the next
flight.’