Turning off the TV, I lean back and sigh. “I can’t believe it’s already the final race of the season. It all went by so fast. But, to be honest, some time off from all this media pomp that follows the races will be great for me.”
“I know what you’re saying, mate. Debbie and I can’t wait to go home. I think she’s even more tired than I am, and I can’t wait to spend more quality time with her and spoil her rotten.” We finish our beers, talk for a while, and then Mike goes to see Debbie and I go to bed.
Ella
“How come you’ve changed your mind?” Sophie asks, after I tell her I’m going with her to the Grand Prix. Today is our final day here, we’re leaving tomorrow. I had a lot of time to think by the pool. Sophie has done so much for me and it’s time to make it up to her. I’ll survive one race. I just want us to hang out together.
I shrug. “This is our last day here, I just want to spend it with you. I know going to the race means a lot to you, so I’ll just have to suck it up,” I give her a faint smile.
“Thank you,” she says as we climb into the taxi. The circuit is approximately 6 miles away from our hotel, so we had to call one. When the taxi driver drops us off at our destination, we head toward the entrance of the giant circuit. A huge group of people has already gathered here, the majority are women. Sophie shows our tickets, then we’re directed toward the VIP section.
We’re sitting in the grandstand that overlooks the start-finish line. There’s still half an hour until the beginning of the race, so we have time to observe the happenings around us. I see a lot of people on the track, from racers and track employees to paddock girls and a few mechanics. The place is also swarming with members of press. I notice the motorcycles all have some kind of a fabric on the wheels, and it’s interesting to watch the racers. They seem relaxed, laughing, drinking from their bottles from time to time. Two half-naked paddock girls are standing next to each racer. I shake my head. What’s with sports and naked women?
“So, whom are we cheering for?” I ask Sophie. I know Josh watched every race if he was home, but I never asked him what team he was a fan of. He always mentioned some guy named Jake, but I unfortunately forgot his last name.
“D’oh, Honda. I had the privilege of meeting both racers from the team. I always knew they were good-looking, but, girl, they are even hotter in person, mmm.” She licks her lips and focuses her gaze on the racers. “There,” she points to the second starting position on the grid where a big red motorcycle with some sponsor stickers on it is parked. Its owner is standing beside it, his team member next to him. I nod. I can’t see the racers well since too many people are gathered around them.
The race soon begins, and I watch the racers speeding along the track and overtaking each other. The roar of the bikes fills the whole circuit. In the ninth lap, one of the bikes slips as the racer enters a corner. He tries to regain his control over the bike, but he fails. He’s catapulted onto the track, and slides forward on the asphalt. Other racers skillfully race past him and he finally stops as he hits the safety barrier. Clapping both my hands over my mouth, I stand up, worried. Sophie grabs my elbow comfortingly, and I sit back down.
“He’s fine,” she assures me, and I’m instantly reminded why I was so against coming to the race. Luckily, the racer slowly gets on his legs and he looks like he’s not hurt. I swallow, take a few deep breaths, and try to follow the race again. Sophie is cheering like crazy because one of the racers from her favorite team is in the lead. I see it’s that Jake guy Josh kept mentioning.
Jake Burns.
He is zipping around the corners, and handling his bike like a pro he is. His helmet is the same gaudy color as his bike so he’s not hard to miss. On the back of Jake’s racing suit, a little above his butt, the lettering spells ‘The Beast’.
The checkered flag announces the end of the race. Jake comes in first, Spaniard Alejandro Gonzales is second and Czech racer Adam Barta comes in third. I clap for the three of them. I don’t have a clue whom is who anyway. Sophie is excitedly jumping up and down beside me. The racers drive into their team’s pit-boxes where the winner is congratulated by his team and then raised high into the air on their shoulders.
“Wasn’t it awesome? I could watch a race like this every day, but I’m afraid my heart would give out,” Sophie shakes her head and immediately fishes her phone out of her pocket to call Matt. I nod and go search for a toilet since I desperately need to pee. I walk past the winning podium where the top three were just awarded their trophies. The smell of champagne they sprayed on the podium is still lingering in the air. I admit it looked fun as they poured the champagne all over the podium. I open the door I assume is going to lead me to the toilet and walk down the stairs toward a long hallway. “I have a suspicion I’ll sooner pee my pants than find a toilet around here,” I mutter to myself, shaking my head. After a couple of minutes, I’m about to give up when I see a man coming toward me. I quickly approach him to ask for directions. In his racing jumpsuit and motorcycle boots he looks like he belongs to one of the racing teams.