“Do you really have to ask?” Brax’ stares at me like I don’t have a brain under my skull.
“Dammit. Clayton Storm is going to pay for having a big, fat mouth worse than those debutant bitches we went to school with.”
“Don’t forget Trent’, Clay’ isn’t the only one who loves to flap his jaws.” Brax’ reminds me with a chuckle. “Look, I’d love to be giving you shit about being late when I needed you to go to some of these classes to check shit out and get certified, but Colton Donovan texting you isn’t something you can ignore. Text him and see what he wants.”
“Are you sure?” I question Brax’, needing to know he isn’t going to hold this over my head at a later time.
“Gem’, get your ass typin’ away on that damn phone of yours. If Clay’ even asks why you weren’t at the conference with me, I’ll tell him you had a stomach bug. It’s no big deal. That is, if you’re serious about racing. I need to know if you want this or not. Do you really want this?”
“Yeah. I’ve said that my entire life.”
“Okay, so, get to texting him back and leave me to the gym shit. I wanted to come here and see the new acupuncture techniques anyway. I’ve got it covered, so go,” Brax’ waves his hands like he’s shooing me away.
With a smile, I nod and accept defeat, texting Colton Donovan back.
To: Colton
Hey Colton. I am. My schedule just cleared up. Is there a specific time or place you’d like to meet?
Within ten seconds I have a reply.
From: Colton
Yeah, meet me at the Corporate Cares offices. I’ll shoot you over the address. When you get here the secretary in the front will let me know. I look forward to seeing you.
For the first time since arriving in Los Angeles, finding an Uber was the worst. Typically, they’re sitting around at every corner, ready to make their quick cash, but not today. Instead, I had to find some rough looking taxi to drop me off at Corporate Cares. The lady wouldn’t even take a card, telling me she only accepted cash. When I questioned her on it, she pulled up a note that said ‘only cash’. Let’s just say I’ve about reached my limit with shady business. Getting out of that taxi made me feel so much better.
That is, until I walked into the building and saw the brunette girl sitting behind the desk. She was all smiles upon greeting me, and instead of feeling fabulous, nausea coursed through my stomach like I’d just eaten bad fish.
“Are you here to see Colton? He told me he was expecting someone today.” She asks, smiling brighter by the moment.
I nod, “Yes, I’m—”
She giggles, waving her hand. “Oh, I know exactly who you are, Ms. Storm. It’s an honor to have an aspiring female racer here. As you know, female drivers aren’t common. It’s slim pickings out there. Please, follow me and I’ll take you back to the conference room where he’s set up.”
I follow the secretary closely, walking to a door where she scans a keycard and it pops open. She holds the door open for me and we proceed down a long corridor, go down a small stairwell and she leads me to a shut door. She knocks three times in a rhythmic manner, “Colton, Ms. Storm is here to see you.”
“Please come in,” his voice is deeper than I remember, but at the same time I’m pretty sure the last time I saw him I might’ve been fifteen or sixteen. She pushes the door open and he smiles widely upon seeing me. “Goodness, Ricky’s little girl has grown up. Damn, that’s a hard pill to swallow. Moments like this make me realize how much I’ve really aged.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll still keep paying the baker to say you’re thirty-five on your birthday cake every year.” The secretary laughs, getting a laugh out of Colton as well. She motions for me to go inside, so I do and as I glance back, she’s shut the door to the conference room.
“So, you wanted to see me.” I state, not quite sure what I’m expecting out of this.
He nods adamantly, “I did. I’ve heard from a little birdy that you’re seriously considering joining the racing circuit.”
“I’m not considering anything. I’m doing it. Racing is in my blood. It’s what the Storms are known for, and I fully intend on being the first woman in my family to set foot on the track. I don’t have any doubts about it, Colton. This is something I’m doing, regardless if I have support from my family or not.”
Colton blinks a couple times and then finally furrows his brows. “Why would you think you don’t have support from your family, Gemma?”
“My father is a well-respected man, a legend in the racing community, but one thing he isn’t is accepting of the current climate of the world, and I’m not talking about the weather. He will always see racing as a man’s sport, a place where women aren’t welcome, or needed. He’ll come up with reason after reason on why we can’t do a job that the boys can, whether it’s a sexist comment about us needing to be in the kitchen, or something as plain about how we don’t have the balls to do what the boys do.”
“Your father might be a passionate man. One who’s stuck in his ways. I’ll give you that, but one thing I will say is not everyone in your family believes the same thing. Some want to help you find the right mentors, the right people to stand in your corner and tell the fans, the community, and maybe even the whole wide world that you’re not someone who should be screwed with.”
I blink a few times, trying to process everything he’s saying to me right now. I’m pretty positive I’m connecting the dots on what’s going on here, but man, I’m a woman who likes people to just shoot it straight. “What’re you trying to say, Colton?”
“Clayton gave me a call to tell me you were thinking about getting into racing full-time. He made me think it’s about high time I back some new blood, try to get them sponsorships and whatnot. I’ve stayed away from it for a long time, but I’m not getting any younger and one day I might not be racing anymore. Maybe this will be my way to contribute to the community, to further expand my legacy. And if I’m going to do this, I’m going to find the best of the best. The ones who have it in their bones, blood, and heart. And you, Gemma, you have all three. If you’re open to it, I’d love to make a formal announcement in two weeks. We have a masquerade ball for Corporate Cares that I think would be the perfect moment to reveal this news.”
“Wow. This is all so much to take in.” I mutter, caught in a bit of disbelief.
I know stuff like this happens to some people. But I never thought it would happen to me. “Well, what do you say, Gemma?”
I nod, extending my hand to shake with Colton. “I will take any advice you can give me. It’s an honor to be learning from one of the absolute best drivers of all time.”
Colton busts out into laughter, “Just do me a favor and don’t tell your father that. He might kill me for getting such a high compliment from his daughter.”
I nod, with a laugh. “Promise, I won’t say a word.”
Chapter Twelve
Keira