Drive

Chapter Three

DANTE

Jack and I strolled out of the conference room after the team meeting and stood outside in the bright Italian sun, not far from the garages that housed Eagle's multimillion-dollar cars.

"Those pit stops were perfection." Jack's ruddy complexion was flushed, and he shielded his eyes from the glare. "How did they feel to you? This car really is something impressive. And you know I don't impress easily."

"Seems like we have our act together. It's hard to tell, though. I'll have a better feel for things in Monaco. You know me, cautious until I start winning."

"There's no way we're going to lose with this car. Or with this team. I really sense a great vibe between everyone. All the guys, er, crew are hustling their asses off. It's like the old days. Even with a woman on the team. No one even batted an eye when she stood in the pits during practice. I'll bet you didn't even know she was changing your tire."

Admittedly, I hadn't noticed. "Really? Are you bullshitting me? I feel like she's hard to ignore."

"What were your impressions of her, mate?" He seemed to be goading me. Sometimes Jack's incessant questions and chatter set my teeth on edge. This was one of those times.

"She's young. A little brash. Can't vouch for her mechanical skills but my wheel didn't fall off, so there's that. But did you see the way she addressed the team? Seems kind of full of herself."

A few pit crew members left the building and I wondered if Savannah would soon emerge. I waved and they held up their fists in the air. "Looked amazing out there today, Dante," one shouted in Italian.

"Grazie," I called back.

"Kind of full of herself?" Jack guffawed, ignoring the guys. "Takes one to know one. I can tell you this, she was great during our test runs. Smooth and quick. She spent a lot of time last week with Max's crew to get a feel for both cars, and I had her observe for some of your stops too. But those final pits when she was working were smooth as silk. She knows her stuff. Maybe we need more women as wheel gunners. Savvy's fast on her feet. I was impressed."

"I heard what you said during the meeting. I know I didn't seem like I was paying attention, but I was."

Jack went on for several moments about how Savannah was well-versed in engines, about her engineering degree, and about the virtues of her excellent hand-eye coordination.

"Enough," I barked, pushing a rock with the toe of my sneaker.

Jack reared back. "What? I always talk up our new teammates. Oh, get this: she was a beauty pageant queen."

"She was what?"

"Yeah, Tanya told me, and I asked Savvy about it earlier today."

"Where was I during this conversation?" A beauty pageant queen turned tire changer? What in God's name . . .

"You were signing autographs in the marketing office."

"This makes me doubt her credentials even more," I said with a grunt.

Jack's eyes widened. "No, she did two internships with winning teams in the US. She knows her stuff. Her pageant career began when she was twelve and lasted until she was about sixteen. She was a runner-up for the Miss Georgia title. Then she stopped competing. I'm not sure why."

Again he blathered on about her qualifications. I watched as Bronson left the building, his cowboy boots making sharp strikes against the asphalt. He either didn't notice us or was ignoring our presence, because he didn't wave. This annoyed me even more, and I finally held up my hand, hoping Jack would stop talking.