“As it should be.” I smile at him. “I have a million questions for you.”
His mouth tips up into a sexy smile. “As you should, being a reporter.”
“Okay, but none of them are related to racing.”
“Do you want me to elaborate on shrimp foam sweets?”
I shudder. “Ew, NO.”
He laughs. I feel a warmth spread through my chest at the now-familiar sound of it.
“Then go on. What are your burning questions for me?”
“Okay, I have one race-adjacent thing to tell you first, before I ask you questions,” I say. “The Downforce Network loved the interview. LOVED IT. So much so that they’ve given me an assignment this week. I’m going to do a grid walk for the Formula 2 sprint race on Saturday!”
Caleb’s eyes light up. I can tell he’s just as excited as I am that I get the opportunity to walk around talking to people—possibly even drivers—as the cars are on the grid before the start of the race. “Isla, that’s brilliant!” he says.
“I know! I can’t believe I’m going to do it. I mean, I’ve watched them for years now on The Downforce Network, but to think I’m the one walking the grid? It’s huge for me. Even if I never get to do another one, I’ll have this.”
“You’ll get to do more,” Caleb says firmly. “Eventually for F1.”
I smile at him. “Well, that would require eliminating Jayne Scott, and I’m not that ruthless.”
Jayne is a longtime reporter for The Downforce Network, and the grid walk is HER THING.
Caleb lifts an eyebrow. “This is good information to know. I’d hate to be eliminated for treating you to conference room coffee and a shit playlist tonight.”
“You’re safe,” I assure him. Then I grow serious. “But I have to thank you again. Because everything that is happening in my career right now is because of you.”
“Not true. I gave you a tour of a motorhome. If you were terrible, it would have ended right there. You’ve run with the rest of this. I even gave you the chance to ask meanythingand you didn’t take it—and you’re still getting opportunities. That means you’re good at what you do.”
I feel a flush climb up my neck and cheeks. “Well, I know where it came from. So thank you.” Then I clear my throat. “Okay, I’m coming back to burning questions. Feel free to put down an imaginary visor if you don’t want to answer any of them.”
“Noted,” he says, his eyes sparkling at me.
“What do you like about living in Monaco? Besides the fact that you don’t have to pay taxes.”
“Ooh, starting off cheeky, aren’t you?”
I smile. “Perhaps.”
“Just remember, I’ll give you the cheek right back,” Caleb counters.
This is one of the reasons why I’m here. The banter is off the charts with Caleb—and it’s such a turn-on.
“I expect it,” I say, flashing him a mischievous smile. “So tell me about Monaco.”
“Taking the tremendous tax advantage out of the equation, Monaco is beautiful. The weather is outstanding. Lots of sun.The sea is right there, so are the mountains, and it’s a great central location for all the global travel I have to do. I can bike, run the hills, swim, all things that are good for my training. There’s a lot of security, which I also like. A lot of drivers live there, so I can hang out with friends, too. Why are you in Miami?”
“Well, I’m not there for a tax break, but because it’s where I’m from. I was born and raised there. I only left to go to Georgia for school, actually.”
“Do you want to stay there?” Caleb asks.
“That’s an interesting question. It’s home base, but my hope is to get on with The Downforce Network. If that happens, I need to move to the UK, just so it’s more practical for travel, meetings, et cetera. Or at least have some kind of a base there. But for now, it’s commuting from Miami.”
“So is your family all in Miami?”
I nod. “Yes. I’m an only child, so it’s my parents and me.” I pause for a moment. “I’m embarrassed to say this, but I’m still living at home with them in Miami Beach.”