Racing For Love

Chapter Seventy Four

"Jono," I replied, my own voice a mix of curiosity and trepidation. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yep. I spoke with my manager today and I've made my decision," he continued, his gaze unwavering. "And I want you to know first."

He picked up the cap, and placed it onto my head. "It's a good job you look excellent in green," he said smiling with a mixture of excitement and determination in his voice.

My heart swelled with emotion - I was so happy for Jono. Aerial was the best decision for him - he would be stepping in as the lead driver, taking Louis Madec under his wing in the young driver's second season. Jono had the opportunity to drive the team forward too with the knowledge and expertise he had gained over his career.

"Jono, that's amazing! I'm so pleased for you!" I exclaimed, unable to hide my excitement. "When are you going to make the announcement?"

"I'm going to Aerial tomorrow - they want to film a video of me arriving, like a secret reveal? What are you doing tomorrow - want to come with me?"

Jono's question hung in the air, and I knew that I had to tell him about my meeting with Danny first. Maybe, just maybe, everything was finally lining up for us.

*

Jono drove the short journey to Aerial racing as I felt a nervousness growing in the pit of my stomach. Was this a stupid idea to accompany him today? We had discussed at length the options in front of me, and I finally felt happy with my decision, but this didn't mean I didn't still feel anxious. I felt Jono's hand on my thigh rubbing gentle circles with his thumb and I looked across at him.

"Don't panic, Ace. They'll be pleased to see you," Jono smiled, knowing that I was feeling unsure about the plan we had devised the night before. As we pulled into the car park at the Aerial Racing headquarters, I felt a mix of anticipation and nerves. Jono parked and we exchanged a quick look before making our way inside.

The atmosphere was buzzing with energy and it felt very different to the current tenseness at Bianchi racing. I took a deep breath, taking in the sight of the Aerial logo everywhere, reminding me of the magnitude of Jono's decision.

Jono's manager greeted us warmly, and I could sense the genuine excitement in his eyes. "Hey Jono, great to see you. And Annie, welcome!" he said with a friendly smile. "Great that you could make it today for the announcement."

"Thanks," I replied, returning his smile, my nerves easing a bit in the face of his warm welcome. Jono's manager had obviously scoped out the offices already and led us up to the marketing department. I looked around and saw a couple of guys preparing equipment for filming, with Danny hunched over the table looking at a storyboard - so focussed on the details that he didn't look up as we arrived.

"Ah, Jono. What's the craic? Annie??" Danny exclaimed, a mix of surprise and happiness in his voice. "I didn't expect to see you too."

I chuckled, feeling more at ease at another warm welcome. "Surprise," I said playfully, giving a little wave.

"What a surprise!" Danny replied with a grin. "Fancy taking a look at the storyboard - I'd appreciate your ideas."

Jono and I shared a glance, before we both went over to Danny. The plan looked great, and I could see that they had tried to take into account Jono's personality into the announcement.

The filming began, with the camera trained at Jono's waist or below to disguise who he was as he walked through the headquarters. It was a fun concept and I watched from the side, capturing some behind-the-scenes moments on my phone. As the crew wrapped up the shoot, I couldn't help but feel a rush of emotions, knowing the care and pride the team had on welcoming Jono to the Aerial family.