Am I ready?
“Yes,” I say confidently. “I am. Let’s do this.”
What I am about to do—talk to Caleb Collings on-air, without the aid of a mandated drivers’ press conference or media duties—is almost monumental, because he NEVER does this.
And my gut tells me my life is going to change because of it.
Chapter Three
I stand next to Caleb outside the Collings Motors motorhome. My adrenaline is pumping, and I’m laser-focused on what I’m about to do.
I’m going to deliver a behind-the-scenes tour for The Downforce Network.
And I’m going to interview the mysterious Caleb Collings while I do it.
“We’ll just pass this mic back and forth between us when we speak. So I’ll ask you something, pass it to you, then when you’re finished, you can pass it back to me,” I say, showing him the mini microphone in my hand.
“Easy enough.”
I nod and turn to Chip. “I’m ready.”
“Recording,” he answers.
I smile brightly at Chip and begin my open. “Hello, I’m Isla Foley for The Downforce Network, and I’m here in front of the Collings Motors motorhome in the paddock at the Miami Grand Prix. Today I’m going to take you inside the motorhome. You’re going to get a behind-the-scenes tour of where the team makes their base during a Grand Prix weekend. But even better? I have a very special guide to show us around. We have none other than Collings Motors driver Caleb Collings as our host. Caleb, how are you this morning?” I ask, passing the tiny microphone to him.Our fingertips touch, and I notice how rough and calloused his hands are.
Completely rugged. Masculine.
“Good morning, Isla. I’m always good on a race weekend, thank you.” Caleb’s voice practically rumbles through me, he’s standing so close. He passes the mic back to me, and I take it.
“Excellent. Thank you so much for spending a little bit of time with us this morning showing us around the motorhome. What should we know about it before we go inside?”
Caleb takes the mic. “Like you said, the motorhome is our team base for the weekend. It’s where the whole team eats, holds meetings, hosts sponsor events, and works. It’s a busy hub from the moment it’s set up.”
“I find this so fascinating,” I say, looking up at the massive structure next to me. “It’s hard to believe this was assembled from eight containers and will be taken down and shipped to the next location and put up all over again.”
“It’s really incredible what our team can do,” Caleb says, smiling at me. “They work hard to provide this home to us for every race, and it runs like clockwork. It’s amazing. Shall we go inside?”
“Yes, please.”
Luckily, I’m good at staying focused on my job, but I still can’t believe this is the same Caleb Collings who rarely participates in social media content and answers brusquely at press conferences. He’s leading me inside the motorhome with a smile on his face, and my gut says he’s going to chat easily as he provides the tour.
Probably because of the disaster that happened in the conference room, but I’ll take this opportunity and run with it.
Caleb goes to the door and pushes it open for me. “After you.”
“Thank you.” I say. As I move past him, I detect the cologne lingering on his skin. It’s crisp and citrusy—almost like a vodka cocktail.
And it’s divine.
We step inside the lounge and eating area, and I turn around and stop in front of Chip, with Caleb—and his sensual masculine scent— beside me. “So this is the dining and lounge area,” I say. “I imagine a lot of time is spent here.”
Now we’ve gotten into the rhythm of passing the mic back and forth, and he anticipates me giving it to him and takes it.
“Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served here daily, and there’s a coffee bar with our own barista staff. I take a lot of my meals here, because the food is exceptional. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
We pass by Collings Motors team members, dressed in the black and matte-silver polo shirts and black shorts that are the official team uniform. I notice shocked expressions on multiple faces as people see Caleb walking around with someone recording him.
We stop in front of the lavish breakfast buffet, and Caleb talks about all the offerings, what is standard, and what the chef has put up as a special for the morning—in today’s case, it’s a delicious-looking coconut-crusted french toast stuffed with passion fruit.