ALICE Ch 55

Bright lights shine on the simple chair.

Alice looks relaxed in her FUTA polo, tapping her cap against her knee.

“Saudi Arabia must’ve been hard,” the interview says.

“It was. But the team was supportive.”

“Did you feel as though that evened the playing field between you and Faye at all?”

“There was no playing field back then. We’d both just started out. We had…” Alice laughs. “Completely different sets of insecurities.”

“Glynda didn’t take it well.”

“She has high standards,” Alice agrees. “After Saudia Arabia, I had two weeks until Australia.” Her gaze turns distant. “And I needed a pit crew.”

FF1

Colby’s a smallish, rosy-cheeked blonde with a figure that’s indeterminate because Alice has never seen her outside her mechanic’s suit. She’s not a mechanic. She’s actually a college student from Florida who won some competition devising a technique for changing tires quickly. It was good enough to catch Glynda’s eye. Now Colby’s college education is on hold while she travels the world with FUTA Racing, overseeing every tire change. Alice has never thought about it; it’s a weird situation for a college student to be in, not that Alice is much older. Colby keeps her hair in a short bob and doesn’t bother with any makeup. She’s cute enough, but Alice doesn’t pay her much mind when Kylie and Glynda’s chest both exist.

Now… it’s time to pay her some mind.

Alice sits with Glynda, Faye, and Colby in a conference room at the FUTA offices in Miami. Two weeks until Australia. Alice fidgets nervously with a pen as Colby explains some of the barriers in selecting a conventional pit crew to use her unorthodox system. She’s shy and stammering because Glynda is scary.

Alice notices Faye looking at her. She raises an eyebrow. Faye blushes and looks away.

“Girls,” Glynda says quietly.

Alice and Faye try to look alert.

“I can get them ready quick enough if they’re trained on our equipment already. It doesn’t matter what system they use. If they know the equipment, I can get them up to speed in a week.”

“That gives us one week,” Glynda says, chewing her lip. “And that isn’t good enough. I don’t trust anyone anymore. You’ll be coming with us,” she says to Colby, who looks alarmed.

“I what now?” she asks.

“There are already some…” Glynda hesitates. “Candidates. You should be there to vet them.”

“Makes sense,” Alice says to Colby. “They’ll be your people. Might as well be people you like.”

“I’ll settle for competence,” Glynda says darkly.

“Business trip. Sweet,” Alice adds. “Lucky.”

“I’ve had enough traveling already and the season’s just started,” Colby frets, fanning her face with her iPad.

“You’re coming too, Alice.” Glynda’s stare is neutral.

“Why?” That comes from Alice and Faye at the same time.

“Because we’re accepting a generous invitation from our new friends in Russia,” Glynda says, avoiding eye contact. “And they requested you in particular, Alice. You’ve made quite an impression, it seems.”