ALICE Ch 58

“It’s her job,” Glynda says quietly.

“Agreed. But it’s not her job to do it alone in a foreign country. I’ll stay with her,” Alice says, placing her hand on her chest.

“Irina won’t like that.”

“She has a private jet. If she wants to have dinner with me, she can come to Miami. Or she can come to the race in Australia. She can do what she wants. But we can’t leave Colby here by herself. It would be like leaving Faye,” Alice adds.

Glynda’s eye twitches. Colby and Faye don’t look much alike, but in this moment the similarity in energy is undeniable. Glynda looks Alice up and down, and there might be a hint of approval in it.

“Fine,” she says shortly. “As you like it.”

“Just don’t leave us stranded in Russia.”

“Don’t worry. Faye would never forgive me.” Glynda sighs, visibly irritated. “She thinks the world of you, after all.” For a moment her gaze is dangerous, and then she’s all smiles. “Alice is staying, Irina. That’s drivers for you. Let’s be off then.”

They disappear into the back of the limo, but not before Irina casts a disappointed look toward Alice. Alice smiles and waves, putting her arm comfortingly around Colby’s shoulders. Why is she always having to do this? First Faye, and now Colby? It’s because she’s tall. That’s what it is. It fools people into thinking that she’s reliable.

Colby pinches Alice’s sleeve.

“What do I do now?” she asks.

“Do your thing. Make sure they know what they’re doing.”

“Oh. Right.”

Alice stands back as Colby shyly approaches the goddesses and speaks with them. They reply in functional, if accented English. They conduct themselves with a level of formality and professionalism that impresses Alice. She should try to be more like that. On the other hand, why? The fastest driver on the planet right now is Max, and everyone knows how he acts. Professionalism and speed don’t necessarily go hand in hand.

Alice wanders the warehouse as Colby vets the pit crew. The living arrangements here are a bit Spartan, but she’s starting to get it. Irina saw what happened in Saudi Arabia and leapt into action. Did she do it because she just loves Formula One that much? Or because she wants to make herself even more indispensable to FUTA Racing? Glynda must be wondering the same thing. Alice is not sorry that she’s missing that dinner; it must be awkward as hell.

She arrives at the shower, which has three showerheads in the open. The goddesses aren’t exactly her type, but they also aren’t… not her type. Alice turns to check on Colby. The goddesses have her surrounded. They loom on all sides. Maybe Alice is imagining it, but it looks to her as though Colby is… their type.