“An opportunity,” I interrupt, “that came to me because Caleb thought I was different. He gave me that tour bec—”
I abruptly stop short. Nobody except for Hadleigh and my assignment editor knows about the crap Arthur said about me.
“Because he had an interest in you?” Dad says knowingly.
“I hate this,” I say, growing frustrated. “Yes, Caleb helped me because he was interested. But he also liked how I handled myself. The way I interviewed. Two things can be true at once.”
“Can they?”
Okay, I’m back to pissed off again. “Yes, they can,” I say, my voice taking on an irritated edge. “Caleb expressed an interest in me when we met. He was upfront and honest about that. But he did not even ask me to have a cup of coffee with him until after he did that one-on-one interview. He went into that without attaching any strings to it. By the way, that was our first date. A cup of coffee in a hotel conference room he booked so he could provide me with complete privacy. So if you’re worried about him playing me, don’t. Because no F1 driver has to rent an entire hotel conference room and have a cup ofcoffeeto get a hookup.”
Dad grimaces. I can tell he doesn’t like that image, and if I weren’t so mad, I’d laugh. “Dad, Caleb is not like any man I’ve ever met.”
“Isla, of course he isn’t! He’s a British Formula 1 driver! It’s a very seductive combination.”
“Did you hear what I just said? He had COFFEE with me to get to know me. We talked for hours on Connectivity Video Connect and through messages, getting to know each other. He’s sent me flowers and—”
“Those were from him?” Dad interjects.
Oh right. Those flowers were delivered when I was at home. I forgot that part. But it doesn’t matter, I’m going to tell him everything now anyway.
“Yeah. Because he was proud of me for getting the contract from The Downforce Network.”
Dad furrows his brow. “Isla, I know this is a fantasy. It’s hard not to be swept away by a man making millions upon millions of dollars driving a Formula 1 car. It’s a sexy sport. It’s dangerous. And Caleb is good-looking.”
“Dad, you don’t think I know all of that? Are you forgetting that I’ve worked around high-profile athletes in college and at Total Access Total Sports? I didn’t go after any of them, did I? Oh, and I’d like to remind you, I didn’t go after Caleb, either.”
“But Formula 1 is your kryptonite,” he says. “That’s your passion. So the fact that you have one of the hottest drivers in the world paying attention to you is pretty hard to resist.”
“That’s not it.”
“Okay. Fair enough. Let’s say it’s genuine on both your parts.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” I say, bitterness creeping into my voice.
“If this comes out, it could destroy your career,” Dad continues, deftly ignoring my comment. “The social media response will be swift and harsh. If I have questions about his motives and your opportunities, the public will, too. And they will be scathing.”
My stomach begins to churn up acid.
“The Downforce Network could sever ties. It’s not like you’re a full-time staff employee.”
“I know,” I say simply.
“You just have to ask yourself if the shitstorm will be worth it. You might never get another chance in motorsport again.”
“What about what Caleb would face?” I challenge.
My dad blinks. “He’ll be unscathed. It’s not fair, but it’s reality.”
“Wrong.”
“What do you mean, wrong? He’ll go on driving, and that will be that.”
“No. He will have to face the media intruding into his personal life once again,” I challenge. “They nearly destroyed his family before, and he’s got scars from what they did. Caleb knows he’s opening that Pandora’s box by seeing me. If we get serious, we’ll eventually have to go public. The press will be digging into his life on a whole new level, bringing up past trauma. And he’s willing to rip those wounds open again.For me.”
A crease forms in Dad’s brow. I can tell he wasn’t expecting this.
“Dad,” I say calmly, “believe me, nobody knows the risks more than I do. Because I’m the one who is not only taking them, but will have the most to lose once we go public. Which won’t be for a while, by the way. But I hope we do, because that means we’re happy together.”