Chasing You

Chapter 25

ADDIE

"Hey, Toni, do you have a sec?", I ask as I knock on his door. Through the glass door, I can see him spin in his chair all while taking a sip of coffee from his favourite mug. I can see him make me a sign to enter, so I carefully open the door and slip inside. In my right hand, tucked close to me, is my iPad, the one holding the presentation I've spent the whole plane flight and last night working on.

"Sure, come on in", he smiles cheerfully. He's been in a good mood ever since we arrived in Emilia Romagna. There are two Grand Prix held in Italy this year, Imola and Monza, and Toni is planning to win them both.

The only things that kept upsetting his mood have been Espen's tries to ruin Astoria's reputation. Some rumours about Chris here, some about Fabio there... They have made no real damage so far, yet I can see the team starting to get concerned.

That's exactly why I came here. As I see Toni smiling at the end of my presentation, I know I won him over.

~

"I knew hiring you was a good idea", Fabio tells me from where he is living his best life behind the wheel of a vintage Astoria cabrio . The model is so rare, that he had to drive all the way to Astoria's official museum to get it this morning.

Yet it is a crucial part of our plan and he really seems to be enjoying it, so I assume the forty minutes drive was worth it.

"I literally told you that from the first second", Chris mutters under his breath. He is sitting on the backseat next to me, his knee sometimes accidentally brushing my bare one. We all dressed accordingly for today. Chris is in a white T-Shirt, one that seems minimalist at the first glance, only a small written "Astoria" on his left peck, yet as he turns around, the back of the T-Shirt holds a print of an Astoria racing car with some text. He paired it with some baggy jeans and red Adidas sambas. Fabio is wearing his finest, a white shirt, sleeves rolled and a bit unbuttoned at the neck, together with some beige pants and sneakers. I kept the Astoria theme with a red dress, one that is made of satin. A small necklace with a charm of a racing horse around my neck, red claw clip tucking my hair together. I even put on heels for the occasion.

The plan is easy. Espen is threatening us with lies, so we're showing the world the truth. We're heading to the heart of Astoria, luckily not far away from where the Prix is held. I first suggested doing our little vlog in the official Astoria museum, situated in the village the founder of the team used to live in and had his factory there, yet Fabio suggested another place. We're headed there now.

I still don't know where we're going. The boys wanted to keep it a surprise.

I look out of the window at the typical houses and the breathtaking landscapes of the sea and have to smile. As if he would know, Chris leans in a bit closer, brushing a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Like what you see?", he asks me.

I turn around, my eyes meeting his. Brown eyes so deep I drown. "Very much", I breathe, forcing my gaze away from him before he realises that I wasn't talking about the view outside anymore. One I now use as my salvation.

"It's the most beautiful view I have ever seen", Chris whispers. I turn my head one more time to glance at him. He wasn't looking at the window though.

"Guys", we can hear Fabio's voice from the front seat. "As much as I hate to interrupt whatever it is you have going on back there, I just want to let you know we're here."

I swallow hard, suddenly facing upfront. I notice a bunch of beautiful lemon trees leading up to a house made of stones. It seems to come straight out of an Italian dream house vision board. The parking lot is filled with different models of Astoria cars that were set on display. Millions. These cars are worth millions. I glance back at the house, a fountain set in front of the entrance to welcome the guests. It is clear that this house is well taken care of. Everything screams elegance and tradition.