ALICE Ch 193

The photo shoot isn’t anything fancy; it’s just promotional profile pictures and full body shots to go on tomorrow’s banners and be used by F1 TV in the broadcast. The normal backup driver has already had all this done, but Mio pretty much just stepped off the plane. It’s a miracle that they have a suit sized for her so quickly, although Alice suspects it’s just one of Faye’s tailored for a slimmer body.

Mio is all sweetness and compliance with the photographers, and she’s not great at this. Indeed, she’s suspiciously inept at doing photos.

Alice watches as Faye pauses to help before the photographers can step in, adjusting Mio’s pose. Mio beams at her. Faye blushes.

So Mio’s a professional racer but can’t do press but she can cozy up to Faye Darcy after knowing her for like a day? Alice folds her arms and scowls, then notices Colby in the corner, holding a Perrier miserably. Lora is deep in her phone, doomscrolling the Subaru rumors.

Alice slips past her to Colby.

“You OK?” she asks.

“Uh…” Colby sucks her breath in through her teeth.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s my girlfriend. She’s being weird.”

Alice has to turn and look because of laughter; Mio and Faye are both laughing. What? What happened? What are these jokes that Alice is missing? She looks down in surprise; Colby’s holding her hand and squeezing it.

“I’ll be OK,” Colby says, looking at the floor. She nods several times. “We’re gonna do good tomorrow.”

“Probably,” Alice mutters distractedly. That is, if they choose the right tires. Faye seems to be in good shape, luckily. It’s too easy for Alice to picture a reality where Faye feels enormous pressure with Alice being out of the race. Well, more pressure than usual. Alice casts a resentful look at the brace on her wrist. This is bullshit.

Glynda makes her way over and takes Alice by the arm.

“Excuse you,” Alice grumbles as Glynda steers her outside, into the meager shelter of the little lip over the door. The paddock has cleared slightly, but they’re still partying at Freedom. At least Val’s having a good night. It’s hard not to be envious.

“What?” Alice snaps, pulling free.

Glynda doesn’t look at her. Instead, she looks toward a nearby cluster of press that is huddled under umbrellas. Phone screens glow in the dark.

Glynda speaks softly.

“Irina asked me to ask you if you wanted to visit this evening. At the hotel,” Glynda adds stiffly.

Alice snorts. “Jesus fucking christ. So I’m too hurt to drive but not to fuck your meal ticket?”

“Lower your voice,” Glynda says tightly. “I’m not asking you to do anything. I’m just passing along the message.”

“Like hell you are,” Alice retorts, steaming. “If you didn’t want me to go, you just wouldn’t tell me. I’d never know and she’d think I just said no.”

“Don’t go if you don’t want to.” Glynda’s hiding it, but she doesn’t like this any more than Alice does. With difficulty, Alice controls her temper.

“I really care about your daughter,” she whispers. It’s hard to say.

“So do I,” Glynda replies. She must be ****.

Alice swallows, feeling a chill.

Should she visit Irina Orlova?

Or refuse?