Revved(5)

I follow through the door that Uncle John is holding open. “What was that about?” I ask him as soon as the door’s closed.

He gives me a confused look. “What was what about?”

“The you’re-definitely-not-what-I was-expecting comment.”

“Nothing.” He looks away, shifty.

“Uncle John.” I put my hand on his arm, stopping him.

“Fine,” he huffs out. “I might have failed to mention to people that you’re a…well, that you’re a girl.”

What?

“I’m not a girl. I’m a woman. And why would you do that?”

“Because I knew Pierce wouldn’t give you the job if he knew you were a woman.”

“Why not?” Jesus, I know Formula 1 can be a little on the sexiest side, but not hiring someone because of their gender would be unethical and a little on the illegal side.

Uncle John blows out a breath. “Because of Carrick. God knows, I love that boy, but…he has an eye for the women.”

“I’m aware of that, as is any other person who reads the news. But just because I’m female doesn’t mean I’m going to shag him.”

“I know that, but Pierce doesn’t. And because of a little incident that happened a few weeks ago, and is still burning up the tabloids here, Pierce will want to keep all forms of possible temptation away from Carrick.”

“What kind of incident?”

“Well, you know how your job suddenly became open?”

“Carrick shagged the last mechanic? No, hang on. Wasn’t he a guy? Does Carrick swing both ways?”

“No, thank God. Otherwise, he’d be a worse bloody nightmare to control than he already is. No, Rich—the guy who had your job—had been with us for three years. When our front-of-house girl left to have her baby, Rich’s girlfriend, Charlotte, got the job.”

I can see where this is going.

“Rich caught Carrick and Charlotte here one night, having—” Uncle John stops short of the word.

“Sex. You can say it. I’m not ten, Uncle John.” I laugh.

His cheeks redden as he chuckles with the discomfort that only a person who still sees you as a kid can.

“So, yeah, Carrick was at it with Charlotte in the director’s suite, Rich caught them, and it was a bloody nightmare. They got into a fight. Thankfully, Owen—Carrick’s dad—and I were still here even though it was late at night. Rich quit, and he dumped Charlotte. She didn’t seem too cut up about it since she thought she was going to get more from Carrick.”

“But she didn’t?”

He lets out a rumbling laugh. “Carrick doesn’t give more. She was lucky to get more than one time with him.”

“So, they were having an affair?”

“Not an affair in the real sense of the word. I think Carrick slept with her a few times, and she thought there was more going on than there actually was. Anyway, Charlotte didn’t take being tossed aside too well, and she sold her story to the tabloids. Safe to say, Pierce hit the fucking roof at the bad press right before the season is about to start. Also, Charlotte is suing Rybell for losing her job. Total bloody nightmare. And I knew Pierce and Owen would be uncomfortable at the thought of having a female mechanic, especially one as pretty as you, working so closely with Carrick.”

“I can understand that. But you know me, Uncle John. That’s not how I work.”

“Of course I know, and that’s why I wanted to get you here, so there’s nothing Pierce or Owen can do about it. I’m not having you miss out on your dream job because Carrick can’t keep it in his pants.”

“But…you’ve put me in an uncomfortable situation here, Uncle John. I appreciate why you did it, but I kind of don’t want to go in there and meet everyone now, considering what might happen.”

“Nothing will happen. Pierce isn’t here at the moment. He’s away at a meeting. And I’ll talk to him before you meet him. Don’t worry.” He puts an arm around my shoulder, giving me a squeeze. “It’s gonna be fine. Now, do you want a tour of the building or the garage first?”

“Garage. I might as well get the inevitable over with.”

I’m feeling less than excited now, knowing I’m going to be a shock to my new employers.

Come on, Andi. You can do this. So what if you get some stares and whispers? That’ll be nothing new. Pull your big-girl knickers on, and woman the hell up.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I follow Uncle John in the direction of the garage.

The moment he pushes the door open, I hear the sounds of machinery and engines revving and music playing on the radio along with the smell that can only come from cars, especially racing cars. And all my nerves disappear into thin air.