ALICE Ch 257

Val remembers how she felt when she and Alice spied on Coach Riley and Coach Adella that one time. They hadn’t done it on purpose. That had certainly been interesting, although Alice had seemed much more arrested by it.

She takes her phone from her back pocket and taps as Erica watches curiously. Val brings up a Diorgasm ad and shows it to her.

“This is interesting to you?”

“Very interesting,” Erica confirms, eyes sparkling. She seems amused by Val’s behavior. That’s annoying.

Val folds her arms defensively again.

“You get that I’m not horny like you, right?”

“I am beginning to,” Erica says with a nod.

“That doesn’t bother you?”

Erica appears to think about it. “I like everything about you. Especially the weird stuff.”

“I’m not weird.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Val frowns at the Diorgasm ad. “Really?” she says, thrusting it out again. “This?”

“I wouldn’t lie,” Erica assures her.

“This makes you happy?”

“Not as happy as…” Erica trails off, looking away. What is that? Irritation? “Kissing the real you would.”

“I don’t feel like kissing.”

Erica nods slowly. “And I won’t ask you to do anything that you don’t want to do.”

Val squints at her suspiciously. “This is really difficult for you? Me not having sex with you?”

Erica has to rally. She takes a breath and straightens her back.

“I don’t know if difficult is the word,” she says, wishing her English were better. “It’s frustrating. Sexually frustrating.”

Sometimes Erica reminds Val of Patty. But unlike Patty, Erica seems to notice and even care about the feelings of other people. To a point.

“I didn’t like you bothering that girl,” Val tells her a second time.

“What?”

“At the party.”

“You mean Lora?”

“She didn’t like it,” Val insists.

“No one likes to be pushed,” Erica concedes with a sigh. “I know. And she’s very nice. Very sweet. I guess I was taking advantage of that. I mean, I do have a job to do.”

Val understands that. Capitalizing on weakness is part of being a driver as well.

Still, she does not approve.

“You should apologize,” she says.

Erica feels like she’s going to wake up from a dream. Spending time one-on-one with Valeria Flores is… something.

“To Lora?”

“Yes.”

“For what? Doing my job?”

“For being insensitive.”

“Insensitive? It’s Formula One!”

Val plants her hands on her hips and glares. “So?”

Erica has no response for that. She opens her mouth, then holds up a finger and looks away. Erica groans, then laughs.

“OK. OK. You’re right.” She mutters something in French.

“I thought you were Dutch. How many languages do you speak?”

“Er, four.”

“Wow,” Val says. “That’s impressive.”

Erica wants to cry. “That’s what impresses you?”

“Why shouldn’t it?”

“I don’t know. I will apologize to Lora Martins.”

“OK.”

“OK.”

Val swipes her card over the lock and takes Erica’s hand. Erica’s eyes widen as Val leads her into the room.