Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Posey

I really love the Crown Velocity lobby. I love the futuristic feel, especially with the aerodynamic cars looking so impossibly advanced, it’s hard to believe they drive, much less fly like the wind. Lex and Ronan are sitting in chairs directly in front of the trophy case, getting some last-minute adjustments from the makeup artist, and I’m just trying to stay out of the way.

Maeve bounces up to me with a bright smile. She’s got an infectious energy that instantly puts me at ease, and her thick British accent is as cheerful as her demeanor. “Hey there, Posey! How’s it going, love? Settling in all right?”

I smile back, feeling a wave of relief that someone as bubbly as Maeve is here to balance out all the seriousness of these interviews. “I’m doing great, thanks. Just trying to soak it all in.”

“I bet! Crown Velocity’s a lot to absorb. It’s a whole world in itself,” Maeve says, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “And you getting Lex to shadow for a big article. He’s a good one to follow—bit of a bad boy, but he’s got a heart of gold when it counts.”

I grin. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. He’s definitely… something.”

Maeve chuckles, her laugh as warm as the English tea I’ve developed a quick fondness for. “That he is. But if you need anything or want to learn more about the team, just let me know. I’m your girl for getting you in all the right places.”

“That’s very kind. I really appreciate it,” I say. “I’ll definitely take you up on that.”

“Where are you staying, by the by?” Maeve asks, tilting her head curiously.

“I found a place in Woking. I’ll be checking in this afternoon.”

Her face lights up even more, if that’s possible. “Brilliant. I live in Woking too. We’ll have to grab a drink sometime! It’s always good to have a friendly face around.”

“That sounds great. I’d love that,” I say, genuinely pleased. “Are you married?”

She shakes her head, those red curls bouncing. “No. Can’t seem to find a man who can put up with my outgoing ways.” She throws a thumb toward Lex and Ronan. “And race car drivers? They are bad news. You stay away from them.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because they’ll never love anything more than racing, and that’s the truth of it.”

That gives me a lot to consider, especially since I’m writing love stories about race car driving heroes. I guess in this instance, I’ll just have to take creative license.

We exchange numbers, and it’s nice to think I might have a friend here—other than Lex, that is. Maeve is the type of person who instantly makes you feel like you belong, and I’m grateful for that.

The energy in the room shifts as the camera crew gives the final thumbs-up, and Maeve’s professional side kicks in. “Excuse me for a sec, love,” she says, heading over to the influencer who’s about to conduct the interview.

Maeve walks with a confident yet friendly smile, her fiery red curls bouncing with each step. I position myself a few feet away, pretending to scroll through my phone, but really, I’m all ears. It’s fascinating to see how these pre-interview negotiations go down.

The influencer, a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties, holds a tablet, likely containing her notes and questions. She looks up as Maeve approaches.

“Hiya, love! So glad you could make it today,” Maeve begins, extending her hand warmly.

“Thanks for having me,” the influencer replies, shaking Maeve’s hand with a bright smile. Her voice is smooth, practiced—she’s clearly comfortable in this environment.

Maeve gets straight to business, her tone remaining cheerful but taking on a serious edge. “All right, before we get started, just wanted to run through a few quick ground rules to make sure we’re all on the same page, yeah?”

“Of course,” the influencer nods, her expression attentive.

“So, as you know, we’re happy to chat about the upcoming season, the boys’ training routines, their thoughts on the competition—stuff like that is all fair game,” Maeve explains, ticking points off on her fingers. “Feel free to delve into their personal interests too—hobbies, favorite tracks, that sort of thing. We want the fans to get a good sense of who Lex and Ronan are both on and off the track.”

The influencer taps a note into her tablet, nodding along. “Got it. And what about personal life questions? Dating, family?”

Maeve’s smile stays in place, but her eyes sharpen just a touch. “Light personal questions are fine, but we’d prefer to keep it respectful and not too invasive. We want to maintain focus on them as individuals and as drivers, without crossing any privacy lines.”

“Understood,” the influencer agrees easily. “And are there any topics that are completely off-limits?”

“Absolutely,” Maeve says, her tone firming slightly. “We ask that you avoid any detailed questions about the car’s technology and engineering specifics because they won’t answer. As you can imagine, a lot of that information is highly confidential and competitive. General questions about how they’re feeling with the car this season are fine, but nothing too technical or probing into our development strategies.”

The influencer smiles. “No worries there. I’m more interested in their perspectives and experiences anyway.”

“Perfect,” Maeve replies, her bubbly demeanor returning in full force. “Also, if any sensitive topics do come up unexpectedly, I’ll step in to redirect as needed, but I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”

“Of course not,” the influencer says with a light laugh. “I want this to be a fun and engaging conversation for everyone.”

“Brilliant.” Maeve beams, clapping her hands lightly. “Do you have any other questions or need anything before we get started? Water, coffee?”

“I’m all set, thank you,” the influencer replies, glancing over her notes one last time.

“Great! We’ll be rolling in just a minute then.” Maeve turns toward Lex and Ronan and gives them a very pointed look. “And you two… behave.”

“Always,” Lex says with a wink.

Maeve returns to me as the influencer takes her seat opposite Lex and Ronan. I lean in toward her and whisper, “You’re very good at your job, balancing friendliness with professionalism.”

She waves her hand as if the compliment isn’t needed. “That’s the easy part. Keeping the boys on track, focused and out of trouble during these interviews is the harder part.”

Laughing, I turn my attention back to the interview as it begins. It’s low budget in that there’s a young guy holding a camera and one floor light, but I don’t think much is needed to make a nice piece for social media.

The woman stares into the camera. “I’m Zara Blake, and today I have the absolute pleasure of chatting with two of Formula International’s hottest talents—Lex Hamilton and Ronan Barnes from Crown Velocity Racing. How are you gents doing today?” Zara begins with her crisp English accent.

“Doing great,” Lex says, glancing at Ronan. “Thanks for having us.” He then flashes a smile that probably melts hearts and panties across the globe.

They dive into the standard questions—preseason preparations, thoughts on the upcoming races, and reflections on last season’s performances. Lex and Ronan handle each question with the polished responses you’d expect from seasoned experts, but I remember these are still very young men. The confidence they have in front of a camera and being interviewed off the cuff speaks to the fact they’re far more mature than regular Joes their age.

After a few minutes, Zara shifts gears, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “All right, let’s get to the juicy stuff that all the fans want to know. Well, at least all the female fans, and as you know that number is growing rapidly in FI. You both have quite the reputations off the track as well. Any special ladies in your lives right now, or are you still enjoying the single life?”

Ronan is quick to respond, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Well, Zara, I can’t speak for Lex here, but I’m definitely enjoying the single life. Keeps things fresh, you know?”

Zara laughs, clearly entertained. “Oh, I’m sure. And what about you, Lex? Anyone special catching your eye these days?”

Lex hesitates for just a fraction of a second, his gaze flickering ever so briefly in my direction before he answers. “I’ve been learning a lot about the different kinds of relationships out there lately,” he says thoughtfully. “I think there’s something to be said for finding someone who really gets you, shares your passions, and challenges you to be better.”

Zara raises her eyebrows, intrigued by his unexpected response. “That sounds like a man who’s maybe thinking about settling down?”

Lex chuckles, shaking his head slightly. “I wouldn’t go that far just yet. Racing is my focus right now. But I’m starting to appreciate that there’s more to life than just the next race or the next party.”

I feel a warm flush spread across my cheeks, realizing that his words mirror some of the conversations we’ve had recently. It’s surprising and oddly touching to hear him express these thoughts so openly, especially in such a public setting.

Ronan gives Lex a sideways glance, his smile tight, but he maintains his composure. “Don’t let him fool you, Zara. Lex here loves the thrill of the chase both on and off the track.”

Lex laughs, but there’s an emotion swirling in his eyes that suggests he’s not entirely on the same page as Ronan. “Maybe so, but sometimes it’s nice to slow down and enjoy the ride too.”

Zara smiles, clearly enjoying the banter. “Well, sounds like there’s more to you guys than meets the eye. Speaking of passions off the track, what do you both like to do in your downtime?”

The interview continues, covering lighter topics like hobbies, favorite travel destinations, and even some amusing anecdotes from past seasons. Lex remains engaged throughout, offering insights that reveal a more complex and grounded personality than his bad boy image suggests. I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact he’s been in hot water with Harley. Lex admitted to me that his job was in jeopardy if he stepped out of line again.

As the interview wraps, Zara thanks them both and the cameras cut off. The crew begins to dismantle the setup, and Lex and Ronan rise from their chairs, posing for selfies with Zara.

Maeve swoops back in, pulling Zara off to the side, likely to discuss editing and posting details.

I’m pleased that Lex walks my way but soured that Ronan follows him. My heart skips a beat—Ronan’s presence still makes me anxious, even after our brief and somewhat tense interactions. But I try to push those feelings aside, reminding myself that I need to be businesslike.

Lex arrives first, his smile both warm and reassuring. “So what did you think?” he asks playfully. “Did your esteemed opinion of me increase?”

I laugh softly, nodding. “You handled those questions really well.”

Before I can say more, Ronan steps up beside Lex, his usual smirk replaced with something more subdued. He shoves his hands into his pockets, glancing at me with what looks like honest effort to be… well, not a jerk.

“Good to see you again, Posey,” Ronan says, his tone surprisingly civil, but there’s no warmth in his gaze and he seems to be speaking under duress. “I’m glad you could watch the interview. Maybe you’ll write something flattering about us, yeah?”

I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I don’t trust his polite words. I’d bet my reputation as a fake journalist that Lex told him to be nice. “Of course I’ll write a positive piece about Crown Velocity. Everyone has been very gracious and kind.”

Except you.

Ronan nods, looking almost awkward for a moment before he clears his throat. “Anyway, we’re thinking about grabbing dinner later. You should come along. My treat.”

The offer is so unexpected that I don’t respond. I can’t tell if he’s being sincere or if he’s just following Lex’s orders. Either way, the invitation catches me off guard.

But before I can answer, Lex steps in smoothly. “I told you I can’t tonight, Ronan. We need to get settled into the Airbnb, get groceries and make sure everything’s sorted. Plus, I promised her I’d make dinner. Tonight’s menu is my famous chicken carbonara.”

Ronan’s eyebrows lift, and he gives Lex a dubious look, but he doesn’t press the issue. “Right… well, I’ve got to head out anyway. Need to get ready for my sim run.”

“Good luck with that,” Lex says with a nod. “Catch you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you around,” Ronan says, giving me a final glance that’s more neutral than anything before he turns and walks away.

As soon as he’s out of earshot, Lex leans in closer, lowering his voice with a mischievous grin. “I told him to be nice.”

“I knew it.” I stifle a laugh, shaking my head. “He’s… not very good at it, is he?”

Lex chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “No, but he tried, which is saying something.”

We both share a moment of amusement before Lex straightens up and gestures toward the exit. “Come on, let’s go grab some groceries.”

“I’m very interested in this supposed famous chicken carbonara.”

“You’re going to love it,” he assures me.

I smile, feeling the warmth of his easygoing demeanor melt away the last of my nerves. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.”

We head out of the Crown Velocity headquarters, side by side, and I can’t help but feel a little lighter, a little more at ease. Despite the chaos and the intensity of the world I’ve stepped into, there’s something grounding about these moments with Lex. And maybe, just maybe, this whole experience will be even better than I imagined.