Driving Me Crazy

Chapter Forty-Nine

Charles

Qualifying went by without a hitch. Everything Katana said to me helped me pull myself together and manage a pole position. I can't believe how helpful she's been despite the mental abuse she put me through when she was playing hard to get. I lay here, taking in every inch of her that I can get before my alarm goes off. The best thing about race day is the calm before the storm. The quiet as we lay here, patiently waiting for everything to become chaos. Katana's breathing is steady as she sleeps peacefully with her head on my chest. Her hand rubs up the back of my neck and remains tangled in my hair. Her leg wrapped around my waist as she uses me as a personal body pillow, not that I'm complaining. The small freckles on her fine are shining more than ever because of the sun she's gotten while here. Everything about her brings me peace, and I can't wait to have a future with her.

My alarm goes off, jolting her awake. "Good morning, sunshine," I say to the angelic presence at my side. She's very peaceful when she's asleep, but morning Katana is scary... Her hair is messy, her eyes dark and the only noise she makes is a series of grunts. Even with that, she's the most beautiful woman that I have laid my eyes on. "Why are you so cheery, the alarm just went off?" Katana asks in that harsh tone of hers. "I've been awake, watching you sleep before the little demon woke up," I say, mocking her morning abrasiveness. She gives me a mock smile before leaning in for a kiss and then hopping off the bed to get dressed and ready.

When she gets back from the bathroom, I'm still lying in bed. My jaw slacks as I take in the sight of Katana and her outfit. She's wearing small black shorts and a black tube top that shows off just enough of her cleavage to turn a man on. Atop of that, she's wearing a vintage Ferrari jacket that comes down below her shorts, covering her wonderful ass. She has white, thigh-high, heeled boots on and a pair of black sunglasses atop her head where her hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail. "God damn, come here pretty girl," I say, motioning for her to come join me in bed. "Hmm, while I love when you call me that, you need to get up. Let's get up and get that race suit on, your ass looks spectacular in it," Katana says while laughing.

Luckily, we managed to avoid everybody up until the driver's parade. The team is running around chaotically as they try to find someone to drive the car for our parade, but this happens every race. "Charles, do you know who could drive the parade car?" One of the pit crew asks. Just as I was about to say no, I had the best idea. "Yes, Katana can do it. She knows manual and she's too scared of Fred to crash," I say. His face went from an immediate no to a, "Why not?" I turn to smile at a terrified Katana and say, "Look, you just got a job!"

30 minutes later, Katana sits in the driver's seat of a Monza SP2 worth more than she's ever seen before. I refuse to tell her how much it costs, just to spare her mind, but yeah it's almost $3 million. "Look, all you have to do is follow the other drivers but not too closely. I'll be right here," I say, watching Katana as she trembles. I lean over the side of the convertible car and press a deep kiss into her lips and wait for her to cave into my body before pulling away. "Easy there, now let's go," I say as the parade begins. I hop into the passenger seat and comfort her as she begins driving. Between waving to the crowd and talking her through this, it's probably the most fun I've had during a parade.

"You did so well, love. Breathe now," I say, hopping out of the car as she parks. When she jumps out, her energy completely changes. "Oh, my goodness, that was so fun!" Katana shouts into my face before launching herself at me in an embrace. I catch her and spin her around while kissing her cheek and laughing. "You are something, Katana," I say, admiring the girl in front of me. I set her down and lead her back to the garages, my hand on her lower back. I love the way her body lets into mine at such a simple gesture, so I make sure to do it every chance I get.

In the garage, the engineers prep me for the race. Barcelona has 14 turns and 66 laps while being one of the oldest races we have. Turn 10 requires the hardest braking of the entire race, being the worst on our bodies. Right before I get into the car, I rush over to the pit wall where Katana is sitting to give her a kiss and then run back to my car to prepare for the race. I climb in and we make our way out onto the track to line up. One after one, the cars line up in their corresponding positions. The lights go out and signal for us to begin our formation lap, bringing heat into our tires before the start of the race.

The cars weave in and out, doing anything to bring heat into the demanding rubber on the car. Carlos is right behind me for his home race, bringing some guilt to my heart before remembering my own home race. I close my eyes for a split second and everything rushes back to me. The car, the wall, the sounds, the screams, all rush my brain as I try to push them out. I must have fallen behind while thinking because Carlos revs his car and brings my attention back to the current track. Katana's voice rings through my head as she tells me that I need to believe in myself. If I was in her position, I would be terrified, but I need to give her a reason not to be. I can win this race, I can get a podium, and I will finish it.

We finish our formation lap and return to their placement on the grid. Time goes longer as each second gets drawn out, waiting for everyone to find their spots. One by one, they park their cars on the white border and wait for the lights to start the race. Once everyone is in their spot, the lights begin to shine. My mind runs crazy, causing me to lose my focus. I breathe in deeply, calming myself as my brain takes in my surroundings. The noises become louder, buzzing my eardrums despite the earplugs. The heat from the engine runs down my spine, giving me chills. After taking in my surroundings, with only two lights left to shine, I close my eyes and wait.