A girl chasing her dream. A boy looking for the light.
When Florence Nyx started her internship at a Formula 1 paddock, she expected a lot. Fast cars. Exclusive impressions most people could only dream of. An entire array of skills she'd acquire...
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This day had started off too well.
After spending every morning of the week in the simulator, Michael requested a meeting with me. A personal talk with the team principal could only mean two things: I was either getting fired, or he had other plans for me. And since I have given my best to be on exceptional behavior lately, I didn't see any reason they'd want to fire me.
Well, apart from the fact they technically already did, but that was Formula 2, and it wasn't Michael who kicked me off.
"So, Michael will see you on Monday, the day after the race." Salim slapped my shoulder as we stepped through the security check and into the paddock.
After a quick glance at the cloudy sky, I looked over to him. "Has he told you what it's about?"
"Nope. Just that he's interested in getting to know you better."
I nodded subconsciously, ignoring the hundreds of people rushing by as we aimed for our offices. "Do you think I need to get my lawyer involved?"
Salim shook his head. "Don't think so. Even if — and that's a very big if — he offers you some sort of promise for the spot next season... It'd take ages to set up a contract. Negotiations usually go on for a few weeks or months."
It's not that I didn't know that. Even my Formula 2 contract took ages to finalize, with details and arrangements needing to be set in place.
"Yeah, you're right." A sigh fled my lips as we finally reached the Azure Racing garage, the bright blue A indicating we're at our destination. The distinct smell of cotton candy made me scrunch my nose, the hairs on my neck standing up as we walked through the back offices and through the entryway into the garage.
The sugary scent only got worse, and before I knew it, Salim had his hand on my elbow and stopped in his tracks. "Phoenix..."
I wouldn't even have known what was going on if he hadn't said anything, but the anxious tone of his voice made me glance around the garage, looking for the cause of his panic.
It didn't take long to spot the culprit, his sleek blond hair almost reflecting the sunlight with the amount of gel it had in it.
"Phoenix, don't do anything stupid now. Breathe."
I didn't even hear Salim anymore, really. I could only look at the smug asshole at the other end of the garage, a vape pen in his hands as he was pointing at something on a computer screen.
The way he took another drag of his pen and then puffed out a cloud of smoke made me want to smack the damn thing off his hands, but something kept me cemented in place. It might've been Salim, or maybe the fact that Michael was just entering the room. The look on his face might as well have been a bright neon warning sign, daring me to stay the fuck away from any trouble today.
