ALICE Ch 277

The shriek is painful to the ear, and no doubt heard all the way up and down the paddock. Belgium is noisy, but not as noisy as Riley Jameson when she knocks folding chairs aside to throw her arms around a startled blonde wearing a guest pass. “Ingrid! Ahaha! No way!”

Adella is a bit more sober in her entry. She plays it cool as her wife squeezes the busty Swede, who is just as excited but not half as loud.

“Get off!” A slimmer, far more intense blonde tries unsuccessfully to detach Riley.

“Fuck off, Lotte!”

Adella spares an aloof glance for the rail-thin Korean woman beside her. “You’re aging in reverse.”

“You’ve gained weight,” Sun replies.

“Muscle,” Adella lies.

A petite French woman watches with more dignity than everyone else has combined. Riley finds one second to throw her a wave, which Julieta returns with a smile.

Sun rips open a bag and lifts out one of the pink and blue bodysuits. She holds it high and looks it over critically while Adella finally gets her turn to hug Ingrid and exchange a frosty nod with Lotte.

Riley is melting down with excitement. “Oh my god. We have so much catching up to do.”

Adella puts her arm patiently around her wife.

“I can’t believe you agreed to do this,” Sun says to Julieta, who shrugs. “What about the kids?”

“I have tenure,” Ingrid informs Riley, who squeals and tries to hop. Adella doesn’t let her.

Sun glowers at the jumpsuit. “And where’s Aki? Doesn’t she literally, not figuratively, have a connection to Honda?”

Lotte snatches the jumpsuit from Sun, then throws it on a chair and tosses her hair. “Ugly.”

“It is a little conservative,” Sun agrees.

“Conservative?” Riley snorts. “We’re a fucking pit crew.”

“A what?” Lotte says.

“Did no one tell her?” Ingrid asks.

Lotte waves a hand with impeccable nails. “Changing tires. How difficult can it be? Can we do something about the smell?”

Sun wrinkles her nose. “It does smell here.”

Riley spreads her hands. “It’s a garage. What do you want?”

“I want a coffee and some Belgian pastries. We didn’t have time for breakfast,” Adella says.

“Seconded,” Sun says, raising her hand. “And wouldn’t this look better if it was a two-piece?” She picks up the jumpsuit again.

Colby looks on from the corner, breathing rapidly.

Lora stands beside her, squeezing her shoulder. “It’s all right. Relax. You’ll hyperventilate.”

“Hear me out,” Sun is saying. “We do it in swimsuits.”

“Don’t we have to use tools or something?” Adella asks.

“Swimsuits and gloves,” Sun replies with a shrug. “We still got it.” She flicks a glance at Adella. “Some of us, anyway.”

Adella shows her a rude gesture.

Colby pulls away from Lora and flees with a sob.