Page 106 of Downforce

My competitive nature has reared its head. Max might be a two-time go-kart champion and does this type of driving for a living, but he hasn’t seen me when I’m set on winning. I hone the same energy I used to win my state’s debating championship two years in a row in high school and focus on the track.

The turns come up quick and the straightaways are not nearly as long as I’d like, but I work to memorize each part of the track. Leon makes an exception and allows us to go around the track three different times, one of which is by ourselves so as not to get distracted by the other driver.

“Ready?” he asks as Max pulls up next to me after his third lap.

We both look at one another, only able to see each other’s eyes as the rest of our faces are covered by the helmets. I look directly into Max’s eyes, narrowing mine, a silent attempt at warning him that this won’t be the easy win he likely predicted.

While that was my intention, I momentarily get distracted by the sparkle in his hazel eyes. Even from the distance of my own car, I notice specks of gold in his irises. For some reason I’m taken back to last weekend when he stood at the top of the podium to receive his coronation for winning the Grand Prix. The camera had panned to his face while Britain’s national anthem played.

There was a sparkle in his eyes that rivaled the luminescence of the sun’s rays hitting the water over the French Riviera. There came a moment, right before the national anthem ended, where Max looked directly into the camera and it felt as if he were looking right down into my soul.

A smug yet sensual this is for you felt whispered into my ear.

“Let’s go!” Leon’s declaration pulls me out of the memory right as the alarm sounds.

Max is faster than me at the start. However, I don’t let that bother me. I rely on the practice laps we took earlier to guide my steering and avoid crashing into the padded wall lining the borders of the track.

Despite my best efforts and my focused concentration, Max easily manipulated his kart with an ease that comes from natural racing talent and years of practice. Though I know better, I cut my gaze over in his direction at one point of the track in which he manages to glide right past my go-kart. Unlike in an actual F1 race, his entire body isn’t cloaked in a racing suit. The short sleeves of his polo shirt allow me to catch sight of his muscled forearms as they tightly grip the steering wheel.

His arms are a beautiful bronze. I shouldn’t admire the golden hairs on his arms either or how it reminds me of the slight five o’clock shadow he sometimes develops in between races. I wonder what he would look like with a full-on beard.

Beautiful. Like a dream, my mind answers.

Visions of a bearded Max Ferreira distract me so much that I don’t even realize how much farther ahead of me he’s pulled until I hear Leon whooping and clapping as Max crosses the finish line.

“That’s not fair!” I immediately yell out as I approach the line where Max has stopped his go-kart.

His eyebrows spike. “Fair? What was⁠—”

“You distracted me,” I say, cutting him off.

Max dips his head and slightly cocks it to the side, and I force myself to look away because he’s too damn gorgeous.

But I don’t like losing and I will not be distracted by his devastating good looks or that wicked smile.

“I hardly believe it’s my fault you couldn’t focus, princess.”

“I want another race,” I declare, looking over at Leon.

“You’ve got two more turns around the track,” our attendant reminds me.

I nod and then take off for the starting line without another word. This time I will not be distracted by something as trivial as Max’s damn forearms. Who the hell gets distracted by forearms anyway?

I shake my head because not me. It’s just that I needed a little more time to get used to my go-kart. It’s been years since I’ve gone go-kart racing … a fact I’d told Max weeks ago during one of our nightly dinner and movie dates. He must’ve tucked that information away and stored it up for tonight.

“Ready. Set. Go!”

My entire body jerks from how hard I stomp on the pedal. But it gives me just enough advantage that I pull ahead of Max at the start of the race. It’s not by much, but first place is first place and I’ll take what I can get.

This time, I use my years of experience watching motorsport races and going over race strategy with Travis to my advantage. No, I don’t have the experience Max has, but I do know the importance of strategy, and I can use what I do know.

Once I’m ahead, I press my foot to the pedal with everything I have, only waiting until the last possible moment to brake on the turns in order not to lose my advantage. Slightly risky but it allows me to pull a full foot ahead of Max’s kart. Once ahead, I swerve directly in front of his kart and use my rearview mirrors to make certain my kart stays in front.

When he moves left to try to go around, I anticipate and go left as well. When he moves right, I turn my steering wheel in that direction, cutting off his path. We battle for the rest of the track, and he makes me work for every inch … but I pull it off.

By the time we cross the finish line, it’s my go-kart that’s in the lead position.

“Yes!” I throw up my hand in victory the same way I’d done when I came in first place in my state’s high school debate competition.