GREENE | CS55

41 - Your Needs, My Needs

"Well, fuck," Pierce paused.

She was hesitant, just like a two year implied. Long enough to be flattering and attractive, short enough to suggest a performance contingency. Hesitant to let excitement get the better of her, no matter how ferociously the feeling tugged at the corners of her lips, warmed her from her core outward. No matter how badly she wanted to drop the phone and run screaming into the pool in celebration.

An offer was simply an offer. It brought her peace, that was for sure. Now ended the indominable assumption that all the extra work she was putting in was for nothing. People were just as conscious about her abilities as she was. If not the public, if not Jim Greene, at least the people that mattered.

She'd be entering the next chapter of her life, either way.

"Does Jim know?"

"No, as far as I know. I'm not sure how he would, unless Mario told him," Holden clarified, adding in the last bit with a panicked tone. Pierce nodded, her eyes shuttering. She was doubtful. If Jim knew, even about just the Haas seat, she would have heard from him by now.

It was everything she'd hoped for and more. Two offers, one of them being an opportunity she never would have seen coming if it barreled towards her at 200 miles an hour. The satisfaction began kicking in as  Pierce thought to herself, her grin hidden behind fingers pressed against it— someone was watching!

"And you now, I guess," Holden continued, prompting Pierce out of her silence.

"I just can't believe it," Pierce hummed so quietly, her voice cracking. She sighed, "How are we going to decide? I mean four years— that's a long time to be promised a seat. In a car I know, a car I've been developing for the past three years already. Four more years is lots of time for Andretti to potentially come in and reform not just the car, but the whole team, the engineering..." Pierce could speculate for hours. New ownership held a breadth of opportunities for the American team. The team she'd dedicated herself to since she'd started in the sport.

Pierce laughed, thinking back on the conversation about loyalty she'd had with Lando, now many moons ago.

"You have time to decide, Pierce. Sit on it for a week. It's a big choice, either way. You don't have to tell me now. I'll send you the agreements to look over. We can organize an official meeting between the two of us when you're back from California."

Her lips pinched together, shifting from one side of her face to the other. She twisted back towards the kitchen. It seemed so distant, like a television screen with the framed black sliding doors. The family unit displayed— Aisha chatting over her shoulder to Art as she refilled chip bowls, an unwavering smile punctuating her silent words. On the couch, Tatianna stared in a hardened way at her brother, but her movements remained small. Delicate. Understanding. Sami's nods interspersed within her words, his two hands tossing his phone between them, catching the device each time with ease.

It was like they were living on an entirely different planet than Pierce was. Existed in a parallel realm. Was she really even here right now? 

"Yeah," Pierce exhaled, clenching her eyes shut and pinching the bridge of her nose.  "Thanks, Holden."

Holden now hesitated before he spoke again, "Are you going to call Jim?"

She should call Jim. If things were different, Jim would be the first person she'd call. In another universe, maybe. "No."

Not until making the decision for herself.

Holden was probably nodding, his whole neck moving with his head, like he did whenever he was deep in thought. Calculating what would be best received by Pierce. Then she'd shove him, hard enough to get his attention. If that wasn't enough, she'd huff some rendition of Just spit it out!