“Are you saying she’d just be a pretty face for you to tote out at parties?” my brother cuts in with a grimace.
“Alec,” I hiss warningly.
“It’s all right,” Siena tells me. “He’s not far off, in a way. You would be very good in front of the cameras, Ainsley, there’s no getting around that. But I want to assure you that your appearance and appeal are just perks on top of your being an incredible driver.”
I bite my bottom lip, trying to sort through my warring impulses. Of course I want to go and be a part of Team Ferrelli—but only if it means I’ll actually get a shot at driving. I don’t want to move halfway around the world just to be a cardboard cutout for the press.
“How’s this,” I finally say, laying my palms on the table. “I’ll agree to join up with Team Ferrelli, if you can guarantee that you’ll help me get my FIA Super License within the next couple of seasons.”
It’s a big ask, and I know it. The FIA Super License is all that’s standing between me and the racing career I’ve always dreamed of. It’s the qualification you have to come by in order to race in the F1 World Championship, and it ain’t cheap either. It would be worth spending a season or two as a test driver if I knew my Super License was waiting on the other side.
“You don’t mess around, do you?” Siena asks.
“No ma’am, I do not,” I assure her.
“I like you more and more every second,” she smiles, looking me up and down across the table. “Luckily, what you’re asking for is something I’m quite willing to give. I’d love nothing more than to help you get your license, Ainsley.”
“Seriously?” I ask, hardly daring to believe it.
“Seriously,” she confirms. “So, what do you say? Do you want to be Team Ferrelli’s first female driver or what?”
“Hell yes I do!” I grin, slapping my hands against the table.
“What’s going on?” I hear Alfie ask from the vicinity of my knees.
“All kinds of good stuff, Alfie,” Siena tells her son, hoisting him up onto her lap. “Ainsley is going to be a part of Mommy and Uncle Enzo’s team.”
“Really?!” Alfie asks excitedly, his big blue eyes fixed to my face.
“Really,” I tell him, ruffling his adorable blonde curls.
“I think you’ve got your first mega-fan right here,” Siena laughs.
“Well, it’s mutual,” I smile.
“I think this calls for another toast,” Alec says, raising his beer to me. “To Ace!”
The three of us clink our beer bottles once more, drinking to our new partnership. I’m going to be on Team Ferrelli, I think to myself. I’m going to be Enzo Lazio’s teammate. And if I’m totally honest, that last bit has me just as excited as anything else.
Chapter Four
Over the course of the afternoon, Siena and I hammer out a game plan for the next couple of days. I haven’t renewed my contract with FullSpeed for the upcoming season, so switching to another team will be no trouble at all. As if I’d let those guys stand in my way of joining up with a real F1 powerhouse like Team Ferrelli. Siena wants me to get acquainted with the rest of the team right away, and invites me to join her in Italy to do just that. Though my parents were born in Europe, I’ve never been overseas myself. Hell, I’ve never even been to Canada. I’m nervous about leaving New York for the first time in years, but Alec encourages me to take the leap. He knows a thing or two about overseas travel, having served in the Army, but I’m still nervous.
“Won’t you get lonely without me here?” I ask him later that night, after Siena and Alfie have departed for their Manhattan hotel.
“Loneliness I can deal with,” Alec tells me, as he whips up a batch of his famous spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. “What I couldn’t deal with is you not following your dreams on account of me.”
“It’s just...We’ve been roomies ever since Mom and Dad died,” I say, hugging his bulky torso as he cooks. “I’m going to miss you.”
“You’re just going to miss my cooking,” he chuckles, ruffling my hair.
“Well, that too,” I grin.
“But seriously Ace,” Alec goes on, taking me by the shoulders. “This is your chance to make it big. You’ve got the talent, and the business savvy, and you’re marketable as hell. It’s time to cash in on all your hard work and take what you’ve earned. I don’t want you to hold back. Not for anything. You hear me?”
“I hear you,” I assure him, “All I’ve ever wanted is a chance at being an F1 driver. I’m not going to let anything mess that up.”
“OK. But you’ve got to pinky swear on it,” Alec says solemnly, holding up a flour-dusted little finger.
“For real?” I laugh.
“For real,” he says. “Promise me that you’ll give it your all over there. That you won’t get distracted by the fame, or the money, or all the Italian dudes who are going to be lined up to get a piece of you.”
“Oh please,” I say, rolling my eyes. “What Italian dude is going to be interested in my little freckled-faced self?”
“Just give me your pinky,” Alec insists, snagging my finger with his.
“I promise I won’t get distracted by dollar signs and sexy Italian men,” I tell him. Not that I can really promise him the latter.
“Whatever you say, Sis,” Alec says, turning back to his meatballs. “Whatever you say.”
Siena’s booked me a plane ticket for the very next day, so I spend most of the evening packing up my few belongings. I don’t have a very extensive wardrobe, and only a few pieces of clothing I can’t do without. I pack up a bunch of basic layers—jeans, tees, and the like—as well as an old wool cardigan of my father’s. I call it his “professor sweater”—it’s a chunky, cable-knit piece in a warm shade of ivory, with weathered brown elbow patches and big wooden buttons. It’s the only piece of his clothing I’ve kept, but I bring it with me everywhere. I suppose it’s kind of like a security blanket for me.
I can barely sleep a wink all night, try as I might. I glance around my childhood bedroom, imagining what my teenage self would say if she could see me now. She’d be excited beyond belief about my getting to join Team Ferrelli...but she’d probably be just as thrilled that I’m about to go rub elbows with Enzo Lazio, the team’s devilishly handsome lead driver and heir to the Ferrelli throne.
What will he be like in person? I’ve seen so many of his interviews and TV appearances that I feel as though I know him already. But I’m sure that his confident, headstrong, unapologetic persona is as much for the public’s sake as anything. What is he like when the cameras aren’t rolling? Enzo has always had quite the reputation as a notorious playboy, and his hedonistic behavior has only become more extreme as he’s gotten older. He’s had a series of incredibly beautiful girlfriends—each more of a knockout than the next. There was one recently that actually stuck around for a while, some PR type from another F1 team. But even she couldn’t hold Enzo’s attention, in the end.
“As if you could,” I murmur to myself, staring up at my darkened ceiling. I don’t seriously think anything romantic could ever happen between me and Enzo Lazio. Siena says that he’s going to be my mentor as I train to become an F1 driver. He’s going to teach me everything he knows. That in itself is a dream come true, I don’t need to complicate a perfect scenario with a lingering schoolgirl crush. He’s almost a decade older than I am, and impeccably handsome. And talented. And built like a marble sculpture—
“Jeez. Get a grip!” I chide myself, rolling over in my narrow twin bed. I have more important things to think about than Enzo Lazio. No matter how much of a perfect sex god he happens to be.
Chapter Five
Just as I suspected, my FullSpeed manager Bruno hardly bats an eye when I swing by the track the next morning to tell him I won’t be returning for the upcoming season.
“Ah well,” he shrugs, “I’ll miss having some eye candy around this place. What’re you going to do instead? Getting married to some rich guy or something
?”
It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to punch the slimy bastard in the face. Siena made me promise not to tell anyone about my joining up with Team Ferrelli just yet, so I can’t even rub my promotion to the big leagues in Bruno’s smug face. But that doesn’t mean I can’t give him a little taste of his own medicine.
“Just figured I’d be better off as a free agent than wasting my time getting talked at by the sad washed up men around here,” I smile, turning on my heel. “Later, Bruno!”
A smile spreads across my face as I march away from the FullSpeed track. Just yesterday, it seemed like my only choice was to rot away with this small-time team, wasting the best years of my life and all of my potential. But now, I get to move on up to one of the best teams in the world, where I’ll be trained by all manner of expert coaches. My hopes soar as I think of the amazing exposure I’ll get, once Siena introduces me to the rest of the F1 world.
Her plan is pretty genius. I’m flying out to Rome today, where I’ll be staying at the Lazio family’s Villa until I get a place of my own. Later this week, Team Ferrelli is hosting a huge party to welcome the whole crew back from their post-season vacation. It’s there that Siena plans to unveil the newest member of Team Ferrelli: me.
Saying goodbye to Alec is a hell of a lot harder than bidding my mediocre F3 team adieu. My big brother accompanies me to JFK International Airport, where Siena and Alfie are waiting. It isn’t until we arrive at the gate that my heart starts to ache with anticipated homesickness. Alec is my best friend in the world. I hate having to say goodbye to him. It reminds me of those terrible months he spent serving overseas, when I spent every waking hour worrying for his wellbeing. Only this time, it’s me who’s flying the coop.
“I’m so proud of you, Ace,” he mumbles, wrapping me up in a big bear hug.
“I haven’t done anything yet,” I reply, laughing to try and keep from crying.
“Sure you have,” he insists, looking down at me with his hazel eyes—the exact same color as mine. “You’re going off to become F1’s first female contender. No matter what happens next, you’ve already won. Not just for you, either. Think of all the scrappy little girls out there racing box cars who will have someone to look up to now.”
“No pressure or anything though, right?” I smile nervously.
“You’re gonna kill it,” Alec assures me. “You’re a Vaughn after all.” A tinge of melancholy interrupts his enthusiasm as a voice over the PA tells us it’s almost time to board. “Mom and Dad would be proud of you too. You know that, right?”
“Now you’re just trying to make me cry,” I sniff, giving him a light shove as Siena leads Alfie away toward the security line.
“I’m serious,” Alec says, planting a big kiss on my forehead. “You’re doing us all proud, Ace. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I whisper, resting my cheek against his chest.
“Before you go, I want you to have this,” he says, reaching into his backpack. My eyes sting with tears as he produces a dusty camouflage cap. “I wore this when I was off at war. I thought you should have it as you fight your own battles.” He sets the well worn cap on top of my strawberry blonde hair, a sad smile on his face.
I don’t have any words strong enough to thank him. Instead, I plant a big kiss on his scruffy cheek. The final boarding announcement rings out overhead, and I brush an errant tear off my cheek. With one last wink from Alec, I tear my gaze away. Hoisting my carry on over my shoulder, I square myself toward the gate and take the first step of what is sure to be the craziest, adventure of my life.
“Ainsley? Ainsley, wake up,” says a gentle, feminine voice beside me. “We’re just about to land.”
My eyes flutter open, and for a moment I have no idea where I am. But as I spot the beautiful blue eyes of Alfie Davies staring at me from the window seat, I’m jerked back to the present moment. I’m on the plane to Italy with Siena, waking up from the most vivid sex dream I’ve ever had in my life...that just happened to star her big brother and my soon-to-be-mentor.
Well, this is awkward, I think to myself, sitting up straight as my cheeks flush red. Hopefully, I didn’t call out his name or anything. What’s gotten into me, having dreams like that? What am I, fourteen years old again? I need to get a hold of myself.
I let go of my lingering embarrassment as the plane begins its descent toward Rome. Peering around Siena and Alfie, I watch as the sprawling, ancient city swims up to meet us. I can’t believe we’re here already. My first European adventure, at last.
We gather up our luggage and head outside, where yet another Ferrelli vehicle is waiting to ferry us home. This time, it’s a limo that bears us back to the Lazio villa, my home for the foreseeable future. Siena was nice enough to promise me the property’s guest house for the time being. She and her husband, the amazing F1 driver Harrison Davies, split their time between the villa and a townhouse in London. Siena’s mother, Camilla, also lives at the villa, and Enzo even stops by once in a while, or so she tells me. Just thinking his name makes my cheeks glow hotly. I need to get this fan-girl nonsense out of my system before I start working with him.
“So, when do I get to meet my esteemed mentor?” I ask Siena, on that note.
“God only knows,” she laughs, wiping a smudge of chocolate off Alfie’s plump cheek. “Enzo comes and goes as he pleases. No one even bothers trying to pin him down on anything these days, least of all me. The last couple of years haven’t been easy for him, or any of us. Not since we lost our dad.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” I tell Siena. “I lost my parents too, when I was a bit younger. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. Helps to have a sibling you can lean on, at least in my experience.”
“Oh, in mine too,” Siena assures me. “Enzo’s my rock. Always has been. Sure, he can be a bit too overprotective at times...”
“I feel that, too,” I laugh.
“But he’s always got my best interests at heart,” Siena goes on. “Honestly, I just worry for his sake, these days. He went a little off the rails after we lost Dad. Started training like a maniac. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been great for his career. But as far as his personal life goes...well, he hasn’t had much time for anything but training lately. I had to force him to take a vacation. He’s been off hiking in Austria for a couple of weeks by himself, just to clear his head. So I hope he comes back a little less on-edge.”
The image of Enzo Lazio storming up the side of a mountain, his hair windblown, his face alive with exertion, nearly sends me back into a fresh wave of sexy daydreams. I have to take a deep breath to steady myself before going on.
“Well, I guess I’ll meet him at this big fancy party you’re throwing, if not before,” I smile. “Have you told him anything about me yet?” I ask, a bit bashfully.
“I mentioned what I had in mind, as far as bringing a promising new driver on board,” Siena tells me. “But again, he’s been kind of distracted lately. We’ll get him all up to speed when he gets back though, don’t you worry. I’m sure he’ll be as impressed with you as I am, Ainsley.”
“I hope so,” I mutter, turning to watch the Italian landscape roar past the tinted window.
As we clear the outskirts of Rome and ascend into the hills, I let myself revel in the excitement of the moment. I try and drink in every second of this grand adventure as it unfolds, but it’s already too awesome to take in all at once. And I’ve barely even gotten started yet.
“Here we are,” Siena says, as the limo rolls up to a stately, wrought iron gate.
I watch in wonder as the portal swings open, allowing us to turn onto a long, tree-lined drive rising up along the hillside. My nose is all but pressed up against the window as we roll along. Finally, over a rise of earth, the Lazio family villa reveals itself. Only, “villa” is hardly the first word I’d use to describe this place. “Estate” maybe, or even “slice of paradise” would be more accurate. The family home stands tall and proud,
a gorgeous structure of marble columns, rosy tiled roofs, and elegant doorways in which gauzy white curtains wave. A wide veranda sweeps along the front of the house above a circular driveway. Off to one side, across a tiled patio that sports a spotless swimming pool and Jacuzzi, is an equally gorgeous second structure. It looks like a miniature version of the main house.
“There’s your new home Ainsley,” Siena says, nodding at the smaller house. “Like what you see so far?”
“Are you kidding me?” I splutter inelegantly, hands clasped together with glee. That beautiful little abode is the guesthouse? This place is incredible, and I tell Siena as much.
“We love it here too, don’t we Alfie?” she says, turning toward her button-nosed boy.
“Home sweet home!” he babbles, grinning up at me as he bounces on the leather seat.
My knees are practically shaking as I step out onto the stately driveway, staring wide-eyed at my beautiful surroundings. The air up here is crisp and clean, and the property surrounding the villa is totally private. It really is like a little patch of heaven.
“Come on,” Siena says, taking me by the hand. “I’ll show you around.”
Alfie runs off into the main house to find his grandmother as Siena leads me across the patio, toward the guest quarters. My eyes go all wide as we step inside through the front door and I get my first look at this new home of mine. The ground floor is taken up by a sunken living room, complete with flat screen TV, sectional, and fireplace, as well as a well-stocked kitchenette. A small terrace off the back of the house looks out over the rolling Italian hills beyond. Upstairs, there’s a cozy bedroom waiting for me, featuring a cloud-like queen bed and full, luxurious bathroom. I almost squeal with delight as I spot the deep, claw-foot bathtub. I love a good bath.
Faster Dirtier (Take Me...#5) (A Team Ferrelli Novel) Page 3
