Chasing Daisy

do with some of that, actually. Just in case Will does deign to join us. What am I thinking? No, no, NO!
    Damn it. ‘Can I have some?’ I have very little willpower. I slick some over my lips, then tuck my long, dark hair behind my ears and wait.
    A few minutes later, a taxi pulls up outside the pub and the high-heel-clad feet of a woman gracefully step out of it onto the pavement.
    I recognise her. It’s the woman Catalina was talking to in the grandstand . . . Her sister?
    Then Luis climbs out of the car behind her. I crane my neck, but there’s no Will. I feel momentarily crushed, but firmly tell myself it’s for the best.
    ‘Oi, oi, oi!’ I hear a few of the lads behind us shout. Luis grins at them.
    ‘Who’s that he’s with?’ I ask Holly.
    ‘Alberta. Catalina’s cousin,’ Holly answers.
    Sister . . . Cousin . . . Close enough.
    ‘Getting in with the boss’s family, is he?’ My tone is wry as I watch Luis put his hand on the woman’s lower back to steer her through the crowd.
    ‘Clearly,’ Holly replies.
    He reaches our gathering and is enthusiastically welcomed by the mechanics, most of whom are standing on the pavement behind our table. Holly and I remain seated, while Pete stands up and leans across us to clap Luis on the back. Holly smiles and lifts her hand in a half-wave of hello, but I can’t bear to look at him so I busy myself pretending to pick a fly out of my wine glass.
    ‘ Hello! ’ I hear him pointedly say in my direction.
    ‘Oh, hello!’ I reply, as though becoming aware of his presence for the first time.
    ‘Written off any scooters lately?’
    The boys around him crack up laughing and a couple of them make loud crashing noises.
    ‘Ha ha,’ I reply sarcastically and turn back to the imaginary insect in my glass.
    One of the lads lifts a chair over the heads of the people drinking at the table next to us and plonks it down beside me, waving his hand with a flourish to Alberta. Pete immediately offers his chair to Luis.
    ‘No, it’s okay,’ Luis says. ‘I’m happy to stand.’
    ‘It’s alright, I’m going back to the bar,’ Pete says. ‘What are you having?’
    Luis produces a wad of notes. ‘My round,’ he says.
    ‘That’s too much, mate!’ Pete waves Luis’s money away.
    ‘No, no, take it!’ Luis insists. ‘Put it in the, what do you call it? Kitty?’
    Pete eyes it sceptically.
    ‘Take it!’ Luis forces it into his hand.
    ‘Do you want a bottle of champers?’ Pete asks Luis.
    ‘No, no, a beer for me.’
    ‘Saving the champagne for race day . . .’ Alberta comments in a husky voice.
    Luis just laughs. ‘Will you have some?’ he asks her.
    ‘I wouldn’t mind,’ she replies, sexily.
    ‘Go on then, Pete, get a bottle. Do you need some more?’ He reaches for his wallet.
    ‘No, mate, no!’ Pete practically shouts, holding up the wad in his hand. ‘I’ve got enough here to buy a house! Girls? Same again?’
    ‘I’m fine, thank y—’
    ‘We’ll help out with the champers!’ Holly shouts. ‘Daisy, stop being such a lame-arse,’ she whispers to me when Pete has departed.
    ‘So Frederick let you come out to play?’ Luis looks straight at me.
    I nod. ‘Uh-huh.’
    I feel Alberta’s chocolate-brown eyes fall on me and am taken aback by how cool her gaze is, considering her eye colour is so warm. It’s the same with her sister. Cousin, I mean. Whatever. The silly Bs are related, that’s all I need to know.
    ‘I heard he’s a ball-breaker . . .’ Luis continues.
    I don’t answer.
    ‘I’m Holly!’ Holly puts a stop to the awkwardness and offers her hand to Alberta, followed by Luis.
    ‘Do you work with this one?’ Luis asks Holly, nodding my way.
    ‘As a front-of-house girl, yes.’ She smiles warmly, cutting short whatever sarcastic comment I’m certain Luis was about to make. ‘How was the sponsorship event?’ she asks, her tone bubbling over with friendliness. I don’t know how she does it.
    ‘Boring,’ Luis answers.
    ‘Oh, thank you very much.’ Alberta pretends to be upset.
    ‘With the exception of the present company, of course.’
    I’m about to put my fingers down my throat and make gagging noises when I notice her hand on his leg and am rendered speechless.
    Pete returns with a tray full of drinks for the lads, plus glasses, champagne and an ice bucket. Holly and I help him unload it before he heads back to the bar to return the tray.
    I hear a cork pop as Luis deftly pours champagne into three glasses,