ALICE Ch 101

Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifier Results:

P1 (VER) Red Bull

P2 (PER) Red Bull

P3 (ALO) Aston Martin

P4 (WIL) FUTA

P5 (FLO) Freedom

P6 (DAR) FUTA

P7 (SAI) Ferrari

P8 (HAM) Mercedes

P9 (NOR) McLaren

P10 (PAT) McLaren

P11 (LEC) Ferrari

P12 (BOT) Aston Martin

P13 (WOO, S.) Williams

P14 (WOO, M.) Williams

P15 (RIC) Haas

P16 (DUN) Freedom

P17 (LAA) AlphaTauri

DNF (MAG) Haas

DNF (TAN) Mercedes

DNF (OCO) AlphaTauri

Bright lights shine on the simple chair.

Zack Brown sits with his arms folded. His salt and pepper beard suits him, even if the bright orange of his McLaren jumper isn’t quite right for his complexion.

“Was Baku the calm before the storm?” the producer asks.

“Not from where I was standing,” Zack replies.

“What were you thinking going into the race?”

“I was thinking that there were rumors about Red Bull’s lead designer jumping ship. I was thinking about how three drivers had already wiped out in qualis. I was wondering what Lawrence Stroll was doing. I was glad that I wasn’t Toto, despite everything. I don’t know.” He drags his hand across his face. “We needed points. At that point, Aston and Freedom were neck and neck. And FUTA was just blowing right past us. We were back there with Williams and Haas. Coming off last season, that was not acceptable. And in Baku, my drivers were barely staying in the points.”

“You’re saying that the new teams had changed the landscape.”

“No, I’m saying that Valeria Flores and Alice Wilde had changed the landscape. They were taking brand-new teams straight to the top without passing go. They were getting the kind of points that Haas could only dream of. What I’d spent five years building, they did in five races.”

“What was their secret? Was it really the drivers?”

Zack scowls. Then he snorts and shakes his head. “Partly,” he admits.

FF1

The positive energy in FUTA’s bit of the paddock is almost creepy. Alice isn’t used to seeing Glynda happy, and Faye beams like halogens on an Escalade. It makes sense; with P4 and P6 they’re positioned for their best race yet.

Fans surround them. Decked out in full FUTA livery, Alice and Faye sign as much stuff as people throw at them: photos, magazines, shirts, and in Alice’s case, one pair of gray, Calvin Klein panties. Alice finishes signing those and makes eye contact with their owner in time for Glynda to sharply pinch her hip. With nails.

“Ah! Here you go,” Alice says, handing the panties back to the blushing girl. Faye cozies up beside her, uncapping a fresh silver Sharpie.

“Alice,” she says.

“Yeah?” Alice smiles and returns a wave from a brunette with a rack to rival Glynda’s.

“Do you want to… later on?” Maybe Faye said something and it got drowned out by the noise.

“Can’t,” Alice replies. She smiles and leans in to take a selfie with another fan. “Kylie comes back tonight! I have to work out!”

“Oh,” Faye replies.