ALICE Ch 45

Flirting and being catty with the Woodcock sisters is a pleasant diversion and a fleeting one. Glynda spots Alice and gives her the look. The sisters smirk as she breaks away.

Faye is glued to her mother’s side. The height difference between them and Faye’s obvious nerves make her seem not exactly childlike, but subordinate. Glynda’s performance is glossy and perfect but Faye is struggling. She looks like she’s in a sauna.

Alice hopes that Glynda’s not riding her too hard about her placement. The party is rough, but Alice is starting to get used to it. This is the cost of traveling the world and getting bougie rooms and meals and privileges. She expects to get more comfortable with it in time, but she doubts that she’ll ever be able to relax the night before a race.

She’s drained by the time she gets back to her room. She showers and gets ready for bed, donning a hotel robe and curling up in the armchair by the balcony doors to check her phone. It’s a bad habit before bed, but Alice has lots of bad habits. She has lots of texts that she missed because of the party.

There’s one from Erica: ‘Sorry about the engine. Good on P7 regardless. Impressive lap.’

Alice snorts and composes a reply: ‘I remember what you said about my first podium.’

There’s one from Val: ‘What did the twins want?’

Alice frowns. That’s the first text that Val has sent her since they were karting together years ago. And that’s what she’s asking? Alice grins. Why not tell the truth? ‘Flirting,’ she replies.

There’s one from Missy as well, but a text from one twin is a text from both. It’s a selfie of the twins in bed together. It only shows their shoulders, but there’s no sign of any clothing.

‘Reviewing your lap time,’ the text reads.

Alice saves that image and doesn’t reply. It’s important to rest before a race, and it’s hard to focus with those two in her life.

Kylie has sent her a text as well.

‘Good luck tomorrow! I know you’ll kill it, Alice!’ Unironic, earnest positivity.

Alice takes a deep breath to control herself. Her nerves about the race are completely separate from her nerves about her feelings for Kylie. She puts the phone down and stares across her suite.

Lora’s not wrong because Lora is never wrong. Tomorrow, she will fight Danny Ricciardo. He has a car that’s comparable to hers and vastly more experience. Her only advantage is that he has something to prove, but so does she. It’ll be nasty.

Meanwhile, Faye’s going to feel like she needs to get into the points while sandwiched between the Woodcocks. That is a terrifying thought. Alice would rather deal with Danny.

And Faye looked rough tonight. Real rough.

The smart thing to do would be to jerk off fantasizing about Kylie or the twins and get a good night’s rest. Or she could check on Faye; she’s just down the hall.

Check on Faye?

Or rest up?