ALICE Ch 94

Bright lights shine on the simple chair.

As always, Will Buxton looks quite earnest. Whether he’s stating the obvious or trying to make speculation sound like a certainty or just making something normal sound like a big deal, he always comes off as though it is a matter of great importance.

“What they’ve done,” he says, gesturing with both hands, “…is combined two elements hoping for a chemical reaction.”

“Hoping that Valeria Flores and Alice Wilde have chemistry,” the producer says.

“Well, that. But they really want a reaction from the audience. They want them to connect to the story of these two who grew up together and they’re going to add all this sex appeal and do everything they can to make them rivals. And I expect it to work. There will be fireworks. And the knock-on effect is that while this will almost certainly elevate the platforms of the teams involved, I can’t imagine that it won’t be injurious to the drivers. Formula One is the most high-pressure environment in the world. It is peerless, and it does not pay to have additional stressors in one’s life when one has the weight of a Formula One team resting on one’s shoulders.” Buxton sort of winces and shifts in his chair. “And that’s exactly what both of these drivers have on new teams. Valeria Flores is driving brilliantly and delivering podiums, and Alice Wilde just brought home a haul of points that’s probably beyond FUTA’s wildest expectations. But that’s the nature of expectations.” Buxton moves his hand as though to indicate successive levels. “They only go up. These drivers have set an incredibly high bar for themselves. And Diorgasm? Diorgasm doesn’t want things to go smoothly. They want buzz. And winning is not the only way to get that.”

FF1

Cameras flash and Alice straightens her FUTA cap as she follows Glynda into the press conference. They’re in a small event room at the hotel in Baku; this is one of those countries where the teams really frown on the drivers ever leaving the hotel. Alice has barely arrived and she already got cabin fever.

Val is already there, sitting beside Freedom Racing’s Team Principal, noted actor Matt Berry. Berry looks serious in his red, white, and blue livery.

Val looks delicate and lovely, as always. The oddly sly, momentary look that she gives Alice as she enters the room gives Alice a chill. God. Those eyelashes. Mouth dry, Alice takes her place beside Glynda.

The room quiets down and Alice squints in the glare of the lights.

Her eyes land on Erica, who sits in the front row, wearing jeans and a shirt that clings to her slender torso, making her look particularly elegant. Her hair is up with a pair of decorative chopsticks holding it in place. She looks beautiful.

Alice swallows nervously.