Twists and Turns in Monte Carlo: A Formula 1 Affair

{10.0}

Daisy yanked open the door to Joanne's bedroom and screamed before looking at Joanne in bewilderment.

"Why are you naked? We have to go!" Daisy's confusion was evident as she stared at her friend standing naked among her clothes in her room, hands on her hips in approval.

"Either I'm having a manic episode," Joanne beamed at Daisy, whose gaze wandered intently from her eyes to her body and back again. She didn't know exactly where to look. "Or?"

"No, I've just realized there is no or."

"Wait, are you finally normal again?"

"You say my normal is a maniac?"

Daisy waved it off. "No, I'm saying you're finally our Kenny again. The whole Toto thing threw you off the rails, and you've finally been acting like your normal self for a few days now. I never thought a man would bring you to your knees."

That hit her hard. Did it really have that effect on the others? She quickly glanced at Daisy in her short blue silk dress. "Is there a dress code?" Daisy shook her head, signaling a no.

"Good." She quickly put on a black suit—low-waist suit pants with the matching corset top. On the way out, she slipped on her sneakers and gave her hair a quick tousle.

"What's the matter? I'm ready." Joanne gave Daisy a little slap on the bottom, and the two friends made their way to Lina's exhibition.

The two girls laughed all the way from the apartment to the gallery, sharing a bottle of wine so that socializing would go better later.

Daisy immediately fell into the arms of a tall blond guy, kissing him. "Kenny, that's August Hansen. I told you about him." Joanne, with a cigarette already in her mouth, greeted him friendly.

"You know smoking will kill you one day?" August joked, laying an arm around Daisy.

"Yeah," the tall woman breathed out calmly, looking him in his blue eyes. They were the same height. "I hope it does." Then she went in looking for Lina.

August looked after her, a bit unsure. "Is she always like that?" Daisy grinned.

"No, she was particularly friendly to you. Imagine how she is in the courtroom."

He gulped. Meeting Mel during the evening and Lina went a bit smoother, yet Daisy told him Joanne is her best friend and she loves her, so he had to get along with her if he wanted to stay in her life.

Joanne stood in front of a huge collage, a soft smile playing on her lips as she admired the centerpiece: a photo of her and her grandmother, both sitting in their flat, drinking tea, and sharing a cigarette. The resemblance between them was uncanny, though her grandmother always insisted Joanne looked more like her father.

As she stood there, lost in the memory of him, a man approached her. "Hey, that's you in the picture, right?" he asked, smiling warmly. Handsome, dark hair, smirk on his face.

Joanne turned to him, nodding. "Yeah, that's me. My friend Lina is the artist. She's incredibly talented." He eyed her, undressing her completely before continuing.

The man continued to chat, sharing his admiration for the artwork, but Joanne's attention was drawn elsewhere. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a tall figure approaching. She recognized him immediately, even before he spoke. He still smelled the same, and his presence alone gave her a warm feeling.

"Give us a second, please," Toto's voice was calm but authoritative, cutting through the small talk.

The man looked between them, sensing the tension. "Uh, sure. I may see you around, yeah?" he mumbled, walking away with a confused expression.