Rush: Part One & Two (The Pitstop Series Book 3)

Present…

It is Tuesday afternoon when we finally arrive at the hotel in Melbourne. James is already there and welcomes us at the entrance. A big smile spreads over my face, and I sprint over to him as soon as I get my luggage from the taxi. I wrap my arms around his neck and enjoy his comforting scent.

“Hi, darling,” he says and takes my luggage. “Let me carry this.”

“I’m more than capable of carrying my own suitcase, thank you very much,” I respond, and he rolls his eyes.

When I get to my hotel room, I take a shower. Adrian does the same thing before meeting up with his team to go over the strategy for this weekend. He needs to familiarize himself with the track and weather conditions in preparation for any race weekend, attend press conferences, and fulfill other obligations like filming team challenge videos. Those are always my favorite, and with Adrian and Gabriel in one team now, I can’t wait to see the finished product. They are both incredibly silly and awkward in front of the camera, which is why I know the videos will be pure comedy.

A few hours after the guys left, Adrian texts me, inviting me to dinner with James and James’ teammate, Eduardo Marquez. I put on a plain, light orange skirt which fits me snugly, a white tank top, and a dark orange cardigan. I only put on mascara and lip balm before I finish off the look with some white sneakers. Adrian is waiting for me in the lobby, and a sweet smile appears on his face when he sees me. He holds out his hand and leads me outside.

“Val, this is Eduardo. Eduardo, this is my sister Valentina,” Adrian introduces us, and I smile at the handsome man. He has full lips, a pinched nose, light brown eyes, a clean-cut beard, long lashes, and a lovely bronze skin tone. He is lean and muscular but not too bulky, and when he smiles, I see his slightly crooked set of white teeth. His brown hair fits his thick, well-shaped, dark brown eyebrows well. I’ve seen him on television before, but I’ve never met him in person. Until this year, Adrian and James didn’t have much to do with him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says and holds out his hand for me. I shake it politely and return his smile.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Eduardo is relatively short, but he is still at least a few centimeters taller than me.

The dinner is lovely, and I find out a lot about Eduardo. He is twenty-six, from Spain, has three sisters, a completely functional family, and it is his sixth year in Formula One. Eduardo is kind and open, and he asks me lots of questions too. I tell him about my plans to travel along this season, and he gets excited when he hears I will be around a lot. Talking to him is easy, although we don’t seem to have much in common. Luckily, my love and passion for the sport make having a conversation with any of the drivers very natural.

“Valentina is a stunning name,” Eduardo compliments with his enchanting Spanish accent. I enjoy listening to him talk, hearing him pronounce words in such a unique way. “You and your brother look a lot alike,” he states, and I nod. James and Adrian are deep in conversation, but I look at my brother anyway.

“Yes, I agree, and, sadly, so do a lot of people, apparently,” I reply and let out a nervous laugh. Eduardo also laughs, a deep, sexy laugh, and to my surprise, my insides warm. Not in the same way they do when Gabriel smiles at me, but still. “So, did you bring any family members this weekend to support you?” He smirks at me and plays with the condensed water which runs down his glass.

“My sister Angelina,” he replies, and I nod absentmindedly. When I look at him again, he smirks at me, half of his bottom lip between his teeth. My eyes linger on his mouth, which makes him lean forward over the table. “Has anyone ever told you how intriguing you are?” I roll my eyes at his cliché question, but my smile soon fades. Gabriel told me many times he thinks I am. “Can I take you out on Thursday? On a proper date, not a dinner with your brother.” He chuckles, and my mouth drops open.

“Eduardo,” James warns, but when he sees me flash him a glare, he holds up his hands and backs off. I turn to the handsome man in front of me and smile. I want to tell him ‘No’, decline politely, and move on, but I’m unsure why. Eduardo is very attractive, and he seems mature. There is no reason why I shouldn’t go on a date with him. Except for Gabriel, my subconscious reminds me.

“What time?” I ask him, and the smile on his face grows.

“I’m working until seven. So, seven-thirty?” I nod, and his rough hand wraps around mine. Eduardo lifts them to his mouth and presses the tiniest kiss to the back of mine. “Good night, hermosa.” I smile at him, and he releases my hand again.

“Buenas noches,” I reply, earning me a smile from him. Eduardo leaves, and both of the other boys scoot closer to me.

“You’re going out with Eduardo? How come?” Adrian asks, and I know what he means. A day ago, I was crying over Gabriel, and now, I’m agreeing to go on a date with a guy I only met a couple of hours ago. It’s very unlike me, but that is precisely why I am doing it. “You know he’s twenty-six, right? He’s seven years older than you.”

“So? He’s a nice guy and incredibly easy on the eyes,” I swoon, and both boys scrunch their noses.

“All right, Val, we don’t need to know what gets you going,” Adrian complains, and I laugh. “We should go too. Long day tomorrow.” He yawns and stretches his arms into the air.

We get back to the hotel, and I drop onto my bed. Adrian is already passed out before I am even ready to go to sleep. I check my phone and, out of habit, my Instagram. I click on Cameron’s story and choke when I see Gabriel. He is sitting at a table, surrounded by other drivers, but, of course, the main focus is Gabriel. There is no smile on his face, his eyes have dark circles underneath them, and he simply looks exhausted. I force myself to think about Eduardo, and it kind of works. Eduardo’s smile, Eduardo’s laugh, Eduardo’s beautiful eyes, Gabriel’s dimples… NO! No, no, no, no, no!

Everything feels upside down, and the only thing releasing me from the chaos is sleep.