Chasing Daisy

well?’
    He raises one eyebrow in amusement, but I attempt to look professional, so his answer is straightforward. ‘It still had a bit of understeer in practice this morning, but hopefully we’ve sorted that out.’
    ‘Mmmhmm.’ I nod, keeping my face serious.
    He grins. ‘You have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, do you?’
    I shake my head resolutely. ‘No.’
    ‘Didn’t think so.’
    ‘But the intent was there.’ I smile back at him. ‘I know nothing about cars, I’m afraid.’
    ‘Can you drive?’
    ‘Just about.’
    ‘You don’t sound too confident.’
    ‘I’m not.’ I laugh. ‘I can drive a scooter, though.’
    ‘Oh, yeah.’ He rolls his eyes. ‘I’ve seen you drive a scooter.’
    ‘Oi! Now, you’re sounding as bad as Luis!’
    ‘We can’t have that.’
    ‘No, we can’t have that.’
    We smile at each other for a moment, before he looks away and stands up. ‘Right, I’d better get ready.’
    ‘Of course, yes.’ I get quickly to my feet and pick up his breakfast plates again. ‘So will you change your flight?’
    ‘Don’t know.’ He looks distracted.
    ‘Okay, well, have a good race.’ I pause by the door.
    ‘Cheers.’ He bends down and starts searching through his carry case.
    ‘Do you need help finding anything?’ I ask hesitantly.
    ‘No, I’m fine. Thanks, Daisy,’ he says brusquely. He doesn’t look at me as I walk through the door.
    Red, red, red, red, red, GO! The cars scream away from the starting grid. Will almost takes Luis at the first corner, but his team-mate manages to keep pole position and now Will is hot on his tail. Argh! I’m so tense! A quick glance around the garage tells me everyone else is feeling the same. I glue my eyes back to the television screens above. Will is still right behind Luis. Can he take him? Go on, Will!
    You should have seen his face before the race. Holly and I went for a wander down the pit lane and I have never seen anyone look so focussed or determined in my life. He was standing by the wall under an umbrella and he gave us a brief nod, but wouldn’t speak to the press. Luis was doing the complete opposite. When he wasn’t chatting to camera crews, he was chatting up skimpily dressed brolly dollies.
    ‘Oh, Jesus, I hope he doesn’t take him out,’ Holly says beside me.
    Will has just attempted another overtaking manoeuvre. He’s all over Luis like a rash.
    ‘Surely Simon’s going to tell him to back off,’ Holly says.
    The team boss can speak to the drivers over the radio.
    ‘Why?’ I snap. ‘If Will can take him, Simon should tell Luis to let him past. He’s obviously quicker.’
    I don’t know if that’s what happens, but a second later, Will overtakes Luis on a corner and I have to stop myself from cheering out loud. Will is now in the lead, but the tension inside me doesn’t dissipate, even when Will starts to put some distance between himself and his team-mate. In fact, as the race goes on, my throat starts to feel more and more constricted and my stomach feels gripped in the clutch of something. I don’t want to leave Will’s garage, but it’s actually quite a relief when Holly drags me away and I have something other than the race to concentrate on.
    We return to the pits for the last few laps and the countdown to the chequered flag feels like it goes on forever, but when Will crosses the line and we see him punch the air with joy, all the anxiety inside me evaporates. This is his first Formula 1 victory and I know this will be a moment that will stay with him forever. A few minutes later, he’s climbing out of his car and is running to his cheering mechanics waiting behind the fence. Holly and I are right there amongst them, and even though I only get the briefest hug from Will, and even though he’s all wet with sweat and probably doesn’t even register that it’s me, I feel – quite bizarrely – like I’m in the middle of one of the happiest moments of my life.
    Luis arrives soon afterwards, his expression far from ecstatic, but his reception from his team-mates is just as joyous. The driver in third place, a Spaniard called Antonio Aranda, also receives rapturous applause from his home-town crowd.
    Later, when we’re all back in the hospitality area, Holly and I are run off our feet making sure everyone has a full glass of champagne. I’m on edge because I can’t see Will anywhere. I know he has interviews to do, but Luis arrived back ten minutes ago and I’ll be