“I’ve seen you be a badass. I wish I had more of that in me. Or bravery. Both, to be honest.”
I study her for a second. There’s a lot to unpack in that comment, but I resist asking for now.
“Well, you did make me nervous. You’re the person closest to him. He trusts you with everything. If you had doubts about me, he would, too.”
“No,” Catherine says firmly, shaking her head. “Ca—Maxwell, I mean. When Maxwell is locked in on something, he learns everything about it. To see if he can trust it. His car is one thing. You are another.”
The tightness in my chest evaporates with her words. Instead, a happy, warm feeling replaces it.
“I trust his judgment. He rarely opens himself up like this, so to see him do this for you? You’re different. And that’s an understatement.”
“I feel the same way about him,” I confess.
She beams at me. “That makes me so happy. Because he deserves to have more in his life than ra—his career,” she corrects.
I nod. Because I feel as if I need the same thing. I love content creation. Reporting. And doing it for F1? I thought that was all I needed to be happy.
But being with Caleb has added so much more to my life. I’ve learned there are things I never knew I needed or wanted until I got to know him.
“I saw today as an opportunity to spend time with you and get to know you more, so I can see exactly what Maxwell sees in you. And it makes him happy. He would never force us to get along, but I know it would mean a lot to him if we did.”
I think about all the effort Catherine is going to for Caleb. It’s obvious how much she loves her brother, and that means a lot to me—because Caleb means a lot to me.
“I’m so glad you asked,” I say, pausing to take a sip of my coffee. I put the cup down and smile at her. “And I’m an open book. I’ll answer any questions you have.”
She chuckles. “Maxwell warned me not to overwhelm you or ask too many questions, though. He’s very protective of you.”
“No, please, fire away. It’s nice not to be the one asking questions.”
“Oh, come on! Youhaveto have questions for me. I can give you all the blackmail dirt on him, you know,” she says. “Like he used to wear Spiderman boxers as a little boy. And he cried when he got them because he wanted race cars.”
I laugh at the cute picture that forms in my head. “I so know what I’m getting him as a present now.”
“Do it! He can add it to the list of things he’s going to kill me for later,” Catherine declares.
I smile happily at her. I liked Catherine when I first met her. I hoped we’d continue to get on because of Caleb.
But now?
I think we’re not only going to be friends, but good ones.
We talk easily as we sip our drinks. We do a lot of “getting to know you” type questions. I talk about growing up in Florida, being an only child, and studying broadcast journalism.
“I know you have a degree in digital media,” I say.
The bright, inquisitive expression on Catherine’s face dims a little bit. “I do,” she says, her eyes briefly shifting down to her tea. Then she lifts her gaze and forces a smile. “I hope to put it to good use one day. I just need an opportunity. Just one opportunity to prove I have talent, and I’m not getting the chance because of my last name.”
“I know what it’s like. To want that one chance to prove yourself. It has to be doubly hard for you because of your last name.”
She nods. “I don’t want to take anyone’s job. I certainly don’t want a job because I went to my dad and grandpa and made them give me one. But I also know the current digital media coordinator is not good. In fact, she’s rubbish. But Arthur is rubbish, and it just kind of trickles down, you know?”
“Your brother said that, too.”
She smiles. “He’s so loyal. Trust me, he will always have your back.”
“I know he will.” I pause before asking my next question. “Would you ever consider moving to another team if an opportunity came up? Or a different sport?”
Catherine shakes her head. “No, I couldn’t imagine working for anyone but the family business,” she says discreetly. “This lifestyle—what it is, the travel, the excitement of it—it’s addictive. I love it. I love it so much, I’ll be a personal assistant for the time being so I can do it.” She furrows her brow. “Does that make me pathetic?”