Chasing Daisy

morning, Luis arrives before Will.
    ‘Have you seen my spare helmet anywhere?’ he asks me.
    ‘No. Isn’t it upstairs?’
    ‘No. I don’t think I left it behind in China . . .’
    ‘I doubt you would have done that,’ I reply. ‘Anyway, what’s wrong with your other one?’
    ‘Some of the stickers are coming unstuck. And it’s a bit grubby.’
    ‘Want me to have a look at it for you?’
    He shrugs. ‘If you wouldn’t mind.’
    I turn to Holly. She nods, having overheard. I follow Luis up the stairs to his room. ‘Where is it?’
    ‘Here.’ He hands it to me.
    ‘It looks alright,’ I say.
    ‘No, look.’ He snatches the helmet back and smoothes down the corner of one sponsorship sticker which is very, very slightly raised up.
    ‘Give it here.’ I hold my hand out for the helmet and he complies, then I perch on a chair and give it a good polish.
    ‘So how are you after China?’ I ask. ‘I heard you had a bit of a run-in with Simon?’
    ‘Where did you hear that?’ He looks annoyed.
    ‘Holly,’ I reply, and he rolls his eyes.
    ‘Yeah, well, he’s screwing up my championship chances.’
    ‘That’s not strictly true, is it?’
    ‘That’s what it felt like at the time.’
    ‘Anyway, you got back to Brazil? Was it nice? Did you see your niece?’
    ‘Yeah. Cute little thing. So light!’
    ‘Light?’
    ‘As in, not heavy. Tiny! Yeah, it was good to get home for a bit.’
    ‘How are your parents?’
    ‘Fine. Mãe told me off for giving you stick about the biscuits.’
    ‘Did she?’ I laugh. ‘So how do you feel about being on Will’s home turf? Worried?’
    ‘Ha! He’s the one who should be worried.’
    I smirk and turn my attention back to the job at hand. ‘I think you’re going to have to replace it with a new one.’ I’m referring to the sticker, not the helmet.
    ‘I could have told you that ages ago.’
    I stand up. ‘I’ll sort it for you.’ He also gets to his feet. ‘ Thank you,’ I prompt, giving him a meaningful look.
    ‘Thanks,’ he replies indifferently. He follows me out of the room and down the stairs, back into the hospitality area, where I’m greeted with the sight of Laura happily chatting away to a group of sponsors.
    ‘Watch it!’ Luis exclaims, bumping into me.
    ‘Sorry,’ I mutter, averting my gaze. The sponsors all seem to know her – and adore her from the looks on their simpering faces.
    ‘Oh,’ Luis says, spying the reason for our two-person pile-up.
    ‘I’ll get this sorted for you,’ I tell him, holding up his helmet and hurrying away. I don’t expect him to follow, so I’m surprised when he does. He drags me into the corridor leading to the toilets and spins me around to face him. ‘He’s never going to leave her, you know.’
    I look at him defiantly. ‘He already has.’
    ‘What?’ he barks.
    ‘He already has left her.’
    ‘Then what the cazzo is she doing here?’
    I grin involuntarily at the sound of his Italian. ‘They’re keeping it quiet until after Silverstone. She’s got some charity event going on.’
    Luis scoffs.
    ‘It’s true,’ I continue. ‘Ask him yourself if you don’t believe me. But don’t tell anyone else. She doesn’t know about me yet,’ I add, to which Luis gives me a wry look. ‘What?’ I ask defensively. ‘It’s too soon for him to tell her.’
    He nods. ‘So you just have to be bun tart this weekend while she sits back and acts like a princess? That’ll be fun,’ he adds, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
    ‘Well, I didn’t say it would be fun , Luis, but what choice do I have?’
    A woman comes out of the ladies’ room and Luis pulls me to one side so she can get past.
    ‘Is she staying at the hotel with him?’ he asks suddenly.
    ‘No!’ I’m outraged. ‘Of course, she isn’t!’ At least, I don’t think she is . . .
    Luis raises his eyebrows.
    ‘What are you looking like that for?’ I demand to know. ‘Do you know if she’s staying at the hotel?’ Bile seeps into my throat.
    He shakes his head and his lips turn down. ‘No . . .’
    ‘Then what’s with the questions?’ Now I’m angry. When he doesn’t reply I spin around to leave, and at that exact moment, Laura walks around the corner and almost crashes into me.
    ‘Sorry!’ she exclaims, putting her hands on my arms to steady us both.
    ‘Excuse me,’ I murmur, squeezing past her and scampering back into the safety of the kitchen.
    I keep poking my head out of the door to see if I can spy Will, and