Racing For Love

Chapter Two

Ingrid was angry. She asked me what I was doing sitting in a management meeting, and I tried to explain what happened before Mark came over and told her that it was Mr Bianchi's decision. His frosty attitude to me continued as he took me into the marketing department. Groups of people sat around communal desks, chatting busily with phones, laptops and tablets strewn between them. They looked up as we approached and Mark introduced me.

"Mr Bianchi wants Annie to join us. Kate – she is going to be your responsibility. I don't have time for this shit" he exclaimed, before storming into a side office and slamming the door.

"Hi, um – Kate is it? My name's Annie. "

"Yes, we've all heard about you this morning Annie. Thank fuck someone was able to get through to management about Mark's stupid plans"

I was shocked. I thought they'd all be mad at me for speaking out, but as Kate took me off to get settled she filled me in on some more details. The other guys had been pushing Mark for months after the buyout by Liberty Media and the rumoured relaxation on social media, but too stuck in his ways, he'd ignored them and completed his own presentation, becoming more and more dictatorial.

I was pleased that this day hadn't been a complete disaster and happily sat with my other new team members. Two guys, Matt and James showed me the plan that the whole team had been working on, with a much greater input on the social media content – they were planning to present this to Mr Bianchi tomorrow with a conversation about Mark's management. Kate being the most senior was leading this, but also asked me my opinion on a couple of things, seeming to really value what I had to say.

I couldn't believe that I'd found myself falling into the department of my dreams, even if it was just a temporary position. After getting stuck into some analysis work for the afternoon, I looked up to see the sun setting across the office – I had worked solidly completely distracted from anything else and I needed to leave now, or I'd miss the visiting slot at my Uncle Joe's nursing home, and I needed to see him today.

As I gathered my stuff – including a bag of damp coffee stained clothes – I noticed someone else hanging about in the main atrium of the building. I came down the stairs and Lorenzo smiled, looking me up and down with a sultry gaze. "You look very good in this red." His Italian accent drawing out the words and making this simple sentence sound far sexier than it should have. As I got closer, his hand came up to my collar and straightened it., his rough fingers grazing my throat as I tried not to swallow.

"That is much better – you know it was wonky?" he smiled. I could barely keep my breath contained. Of course Lorenzo and I had seen each other over the years with me visiting Joe, but I didn't know he actually knew my name. And now he was talking to me, flirting with me?

"I am glad that I will get to see you around here a lot more now, Miss Annie." He said before giving me a wink and heading out of the door. Leaving me a fumbling, embarrassed mess. What a hell of an end to my first day. And once I'd got my breath back, I found my car and left, driving quickly to see Uncle Joe.

The nursing home where Uncle Joe now lived was only about 10 minutes from Bianchi's head office – the reason we chose it was that he could still hear the cars on practice days, and that seemed to keep him grounded, especially on days when his Alzheimer's seemed to keep him so much in his own head. The familiar sound he had spent his whole career around providing comfort and stability in a world where he was finding himself more and more lost. His career had started as pit crew but not even touching the cars – sweeping and clearing up before progressing through the ranks – going through senior pit crew positions and then spending 10 years as principal – 8 of those at Bianchi. He was well respected and known for being hard and fair, but his final season had nearly destroyed his reputation.

Unable to admit to anyone, including himself that the Alzheimer's was beginning to take hold, a series of poor judgements and rash decisions had nearly spelt disaster for the team. I shuddered as I remembered that time, in our lives and the issues that we faced, before parking up and getting out at the nursing home.

I greeted the staff on duty and they welcomed me warmly – I was here more evenings than I spent at home, and knew most of them by name. Dave led me to Joe's room, letting me know that he'd had a good afternoon. I smiled – his good days were becoming fewer, but when he had them, he was still the wonderful man I knew. The man who had taken me in, against all odds, and who had cared for me when I had nobody else left.

"Hey Uncle Joe" I said warmly, as I walked into his room – his back to me as he stared through the window.

"Ah, there she is. Hey Annie-girl." He stood shakily and embraced me. His broad frame feeling more frail these days, but his unmistakable warmth and strength underneath it all. "What have you been doing today? How's that dissertation coming on?"

My heart dropped a little knowing that I would now have to backtrack since he hadn't remembered that I'd finished my course, despite the graduation photo proudly displayed on his mantelpiece. "Oh, I've got all that sorted, Uncle Joe. I started my job at Bianchi today. Did I tell you I was going to work there this year?" I tried to keep my tone calm and neutral. Sometimes faced with something unexpected, he could flare and become angry. I prepared myself for this, but his reaction was calm.

"Of course – silly me. I bloody forgot again didn't I? Of course you're working at Bianchi this year, I hope Andrea has got you set up in that marketing department? I'll give Mark a ring now if you want. He might not want to speak to me but he'll get you sorted out. Have you seen my phone?"

Joe frantically looked around. We'd taken his phone away gradually over the last month. He would urgently ring old team members, having remembered their numbers, reminding them of a long past deadline, or a change to training schedule. His condition was not a secret, but it was also very hard for people to know how to react, and taking his phone was the only option.

"I'm not sure. Hey, shall we go and sit outside? Make the most of this last little bit of sunshine?" His more recent frailty meant that he struggled more and more with walking, so he clung to the crook of my arm as we found the nearest seat outside. We both sighed as we sat down, a comforting silence shared between us as we watched the sun disappear.

"I'm so proud of you Annie. I know your mum and dad would be too. Seeing you in the team colours again. Well..."

His eyes welled as he squeezed my hand. My eyes began to sting too, as the enormity of the situation I now found myself in caught up with me. I had to prove myself – not only to the team at Bianchi, but also to my family – it was me who was now responsible for our legacy.