I swing one foot in the cockpit and hold on to the halo, which is the safety device that protects the driver’s head. “I’m trying to be as graceful as you are getting into a car.”
Caleb chuckles, the sound reverberating in the air between us. “I’ve had a bit more practice.”
I put my other foot in.
“Now you’ll go all the way to the bottom. Press down with your shoulders.”
“You make this look so much easier than it is!” I laugh.
He flashes me a smile.
“Now this is interesting because you are reclining at an angle, but your knees are bent,” I say.
“You want your center of gravity to be as low as possible, so that’s why there’s the recline in the seat,” Caleb explains. “If you were to sit up higher, your weight rises upward, and the car is slower. We can’t have that.”
I’m amazed at how interactive Caleb’s being. This is so much better than what I thought this shoot would be!
“Scoot a little more forward,” he instructs, and I do. “This car is molded to my frame, so it’s not going to feel as good as if it were made specifically for you. Basically, this is designed so my body is part of the car.”
DO NOT THINK HOT SEXY THOUGHTS OF HIM MOLDED TO HIS CAR, ISLA.
Caleb notes the accelerator on the right and the brake on the left, then says it’s time to put in the steering wheel. He reaches over and snaps it into place.
“This legit looks like a video-game controller,” I quip, staring at all the colored buttons on it. Catherine moves behind me so she’s shooting the steering wheel.
“Do you know what PL is for?” Caleb asks.
“Pit limiter,” I say, glancing up at him. “It controls the speed limit for you to enter pit lane.”
“Correct.”
We go through a few more of the buttons, like the one to enable DRS—the drag reduction system—which opens the rear wing on the car to reduce aerodynamic drag and cause it to go faster for an overtake, and then I thank Caleb for the personal tour of his car and sign off.
“Ready to get out?” he asks me.
I take a moment, soaking in the experience. “Give me five more seconds. Because this is a dream for me.”
Caleb’s eyes regard me carefully, and after I count to five in my head, I begin to climb out of the car. He assists me once again, and I have the same strange, strong reaction to feeling him touch me.
And I know I need to extinguish it RIGHT NOW because reacting to him is very, very dangerous.
“Thank you so much for the tour,” I say. “It’s going to be fantastic content.”
“You should get The Downforce Network interested with that,” Caleb says.
“Thanks to you.”
“Well, you actually knowing some of the controls on my steering wheel should impress them. Trust me.”
I find myself basking in his praise.
GAH, ALSO DANGEROUS.
Catherine hands my phone back to me, and I thank her for her time this morning. Then I’m left alone with Caleb. I try to ignore the excited feeling in my stomach as I look up at him.
“I can’t thank you enough for all of this today. The access to your garage and your car alone was something I have always dreamed about. But getting Mason to give me a tour and letting me sit in your car? This is more career-changing content for me. Thank you.”
Caleb folds his arms across his fireproof undershirt. “You’re smart and confident, Isla. I don’t mind helping you. I hope this gives you the break you obviously deserve.”