Start Again | Forbidden Book 2

28. Surveying the Crowd

It was finally race day in Monaco and Olivia was back to work with Mercedes. As Max and Olivia arrived to the circuit together and they were walking over to the paddock entry, there was a loud roar as a motorbike passed by them and parked near the front of the parking lot. Liv saw the person get off the bike and take off the helmet, to realize Lewis was the driver.

"Hey Lew!" she called out as they reached him. 

"Hey Liv, what's up?" he asked with his usual bright smile "Hey Max".

"Hey" said Max with a tight lipped smile.

"I didn't know you rode a motorbike" said Liv admiring the silver Ducati Monster 1200 next to them. 

"Yeah I've got a few of them" he said looking at the bike "It's pretty fun, I think racing in bikes is way more nerve racking than racing cars you know?"

Max tried his harder not to roll his eyes at him while Liv answered "Totally" she said, then after a brief pause as she looked at the bike she turned to Lewis "Can I drive?".

They both turned straight at her with confused faces. "Wait what?" said Max.

"You want to drive it?" asked Lewis incredulous.

"Yeah, can I?" said Liv with a smile. Max's mouth was slightly open in shock and his brow furrowed, not taking his eyes off Olivia and not blinking. 

"Do you know how to drive?" asked Lewis cautiously.

"Yeah exactly Olivia" said Max nodding, knowing damn well she didn't know how.

"Well no, but you can teach me right?" she said shrugging it off.

Max rubbed his face with his hands in frustration as he saw Lewis hesitate.

"I mean, yeah I guess I can teach you, sure" shrugged Lewis.

"Great" said Liv happily with a bright smile on her face "Tomorrow? Does that work?"

Lewis chuckled and shook his head in disbelief "That works for me, come to my apartment at noon?".

"I'll be there" nodded Liv smiling. 

The smile was gone from Max's face, as they walked through the paddock his look was serious and he unconsciously held Olivia's hand slightly too tight for her liking. She could see the tension in his face and his neck, he even walked faster, making Olivia have to keep up with him. 

"What is up with you? Slow down" she said as she rushed next to him.

Max waited until they reached the Red Bull garage and walked straight to his driver room with Olivia next to him. 

After he closed the door he turned to her "You want to ride a bike now?" he said incredulous.

Olivia's brow furrowed "Yeah" she shrugged

"Olivia you can't ride a bike!" said Max clearly upset.

"Why the hell not? Lewis is gonna teach me" she said standing her ground.

"You can't!" Max shook his head.

"Oh because I'm a woman? I can't possibly figure out my way around a motorbike? And last time I checked I wasn't asking for permission" she said getting annoyed.

"No, not because you're a woman, because you're you! This is not a discussion we're having" said Max getting louder.

Olivia looked at him with a deep frown on her face and an indignant look. She was incredibly offended "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Olivia I don't want anything to happen to you!" said Max clearly shaken "Do you know how many people get injured or die in those bikes? There's a reason why Lewis says it's worse than racing cars.. and you always end up in the hospital somehow!" he sighed frustrated "I just don't want to get a phone call one day and have somebody tell me they found you somewhere with your bike destroyed"