Page 86
“She’s harder on my clothing than she is on my driving!”
“So what do you love about your bag collection?”
Xavier selects another black bag from his cabinet. “I like that they are well-made. Like this one from The Row. Look at the lines. This bag is sick. I’m really into aesthetics, and these luxury brands just nail it.”
“Do you shop for them yourself?”
“Are you kidding? Of course I do. I love shopping. But I get myself into trouble with online shopping. I always have a duffel or backpack in some cart somewhere.”
“Oh! Do you ever accidentally forget what’s in your basket and buy something?”
Xavier points to a rich-cognac leather backpack on the top shelf. “I got that backpack by mistake. I just wanted to get a belt, and I forgot it was in there. Oops.”
We finish filming, and I have so much good material, I just stick to shooting the bags. Xavier let me take my time to do some individual videos and reshoots, and I’m extremely grateful by the time we’re finished.
“This was fun. I never get to talk fashion with anyone except my mom,” he says. “Come back next time and we’ll do sunglasses or watches.”
I begin to disassemble my tripod. “I’m going to take you up on that. But you’ve given me a banger of a start to launch my channel. I appreciate this so much.”
“Stop thanking me for doing something fun,” Xavier tells me.
I stop and study him. I see why Caleb likes him so much. There’s a genuine sweetness underneath this bad-boy exterior. Yes, he’s always going to be a menace on the track, but off it? I think of the way he promised to keep my secret. What he said about his mom. The way he talked so openly to me about Mason.
“You know, Xavier, you’re going to make some girl an amazing boyfriend one day.”
A horrified look passes over his face. “Christ, why would you say that?”
I nearly laugh out loud. He looks absolutely traumatised by the mere idea of a girlfriend.
“Erm, let’s see. You have a good relationship with your mum. You’re a good friend. Off the track, that is,” I add, teasing him.
He snorts, but I can tell he’s amused.
“You love fashion, you care about how you present yourself, and you love shopping. You are going to be a dream boyfriend!”
“So I’m going to be a great boyfriend because of shopping? Your bar for boyfriends is low.”
“It’s very high, thank you, but from what I’ve seen so far, you’re a softie off the grid. So you have the bad-boy exterior with a good-boy interior, and that is lethal.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen, because the last thing I want at this point in my life is commitment,” Xavier says, folding his arms across his chest. “I’m not looking for it. I don’t want it. I can’t imagine anything worse than dragging some girl around from paddock to paddock. I’d be so bored.”
“All right, I need to let you get on with sim racing,” I say.
“I’ll see you out,” he says, motioning once again for me to exit the dressing room ahead of him.
After I say goodbye and thank him one more time, I push the down button for the lift in the hallway. I saw a side of Xavier I never would have suspected existed. When I think of what a menace he is on the track and remember some of the dangerous moves he has made, I didn’t expect him to care at all about what his mum—or anyone else—thinks about him. But to discover he always makes sure he’s carrying a nice bag or wearing good shoes because it’s a tribute to what she taught him? That he cared enough about me to tell me what he’s observed about Mason?
And his promise to never tell anyone about that mortifying picture of Mason he saw? There are layers to this one.
When he meets a woman who truly challenges him, who pushes his buttons, who he finds respect for? Our paddock playboy will be done for, I think.
And I let that thought entertain me on the entire drive home.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
This has been the best month ever, I think as I step off the lift and make my way to the family penthouse in Monaco. It’s late Tuesday afternoon, and I’ve just returned from my tailor with a very important item.
That being the altered Collings Motors T-shirt I’m going to wear in the paddock this weekend.
