CHAPTER NINE. ❦︎

"If I smiled more often, you'd think you were doing something right. Can't have that, can we?"

The morning fog had barely lifted as the team gathered for Free Practice 1. The air was thick with tension and anticipation, every driver was eager to hit the track, and Valeria had more than enough tasks to keep her occupied.

She stood in the garage her eyes scanning the screen of an iPad in her arms, tracking Franco's itinerary for the rest of the day. She was laser-focused, analyzing data, but a familiar voice broke her concentration.

"Morning," came a quiet murmur from behind her. She could tell it was Franco before she even turned around—his tone was soft, an unusual shift for someone so full of confidence.

Without turning, she raised an eyebrow. "What do you need, Franco?"

"Just checking in. See how you're doing," He said, and she could hear the sincerity in his voice. "You've been busy, don't you want a break?"

He was persistent, if nothing else. But there was something in his voice that made her pause. Maybe it was the way he was trying a little too hard to sound casual.

"I'm fine. Focus on your session." She replied, but there was a softness to her tone now as well. One that she didn't intend. She tried to dismiss it, but it was hard for some reason she couldn't quite figure out.

"I'm focusing," He responded, a playful note entering his voice. "But... it's kind of hard when the fun is over here."

And there it was. The flirting.

Valeria quickly shot him a glare, finally allowing her gaze to meet his. He stood a little too close, his hands casually holding onto his water bottle as his race suit dangled around his waist.

She rolled her eyes, but there was a small, almost imperceptible shift in her expression. "Nice try," She said, her voice dry. "But you're not gonna distract me right now."

Franco's grin widened slightly, though it was tinged with a quiet self-awareness. He knew he wasn't fooling her, but that didn't seem to stop him.

"Fine," He said, his tone lighter now as he crossed his arms. "But I'm just saying, you work too hard sometimes. Loosen up."

"And sometimes you don't work hard enough." She quickly glanced up from her iPad for a quick before bringing her attention back down to her screen.

"Okay, then maybe we should meet in the middle. How does dinner at 8 tonight sound?" He said with a crooked smile, laughing at himself as if he were the funniest person alive.

"Franco." She fought every urge to laugh at him. "Knock it off." Her expression betrayed her, the small grin on her face easing the tension.

A grin of his own stayed neutral. "One day you'll give in, I feel it." Franco said happily.

"The day I give in is the day you ask me out at gun point." She mumbled under her breath.

Franco's laugh was soft but full of amusement, like he'd just uncovered some hidden weakness of hers. "So you're saying there's a chance?"

Valeria didn't dignify that with a response, instead tapping furiously at her iPad as if she could kick him out of her presence with sheer focus. She had half a mind to call one of the engineers over to deal with him, but she knew Franco too well. He wouldn't leave until he decided he was done.

"You know," he continued, leaning casually against the garage wall, his race suit tied lazily around his waist, "Don't you ever want to relax? Crack a smile every once in a while?"

"I'd need to be given a reason to smile." She replied flatly, not even glancing up.

"I think it'd be nice if you smiled more often." He shrugged. "I love your smile."

Ignoring his last statement, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "If I smiled more often, you'd think you were doing something right. Can't have that, can we?"

Franco rolled his eyes with a laugh. "Funny." His head tilted, pretending to study her. "Mmmm. But I think you should work on it. Really brings a mood to the garage."

She looked up at him completely, leveling him with a pointed glare. "Franco, don't you have somewhere to be? Like in a car? Doing your job?"

He shrugged, clearly unbothered. "Not for another twenty minutes. I've got plenty of time to bother you."

"You always have time to bother me apparently." She went back to her screen, her tone sharp but tinged with exasperation. "One day, I'm just gonna quit on the spot, how's that sound?"

"Doubt it." He grinned, watching her carefully. "You like me too much."

Valeria snorted, an actual laugh threatening to escape before she caught herself. "Funny." She rolled her eyes before choosing to correct his statement.

"I like my job too much."

Franco straightened, his grin widening. "Oh, you think I'm funny?" He raised a brow, really pushing it now.

She groaned, turning her attention back to the schedule. "No, Franco. I think you're a headache with legs."

Franco leaned in just slightly, his voice playful. "Well, I can also be the cure, you know."

She shot him a sharp look, but the corner of her mouth twitched, betraying the irritation she was trying so hard to maintain. "You're insane."

"I know," Franco said lightly, leaning just a little closer, his grin only growing wider. "But you're smiling."

"Barely," She retorted, straightening her posture and forcing her lips into a thin, disapproving line.

"Still counts," He replied smugly.

"Don't get used to it," She muttered.

He smirked, tilting his head at her. "See? You're already loosening up. It's my charm, no?"

"Your 'charm' is the reason I have a bottle of ibuprofen in my bag." She said without taking eyes off her iPad once again.

Before he could respond, one of the engineers called his name from across the garage, beckoning him over for a briefing. Franco held up a hand in acknowledgment but stayed rooted in place, clearly not ready to leave.

"Go," Valeria said firmly, jerking her head toward the engineer. "Stop wasting time."

He stood, taking his time as if to test her patience just a little more. "I'll go. But only because I don't want to get on your bad side."

"You're never on my good side," She shot back.

He grinned, taking a few backward steps toward the engineer but not before lowering his voice just enough for her to hear. "Don't miss me too much, Vale." He grinned.

"You know I won't!" She glanced up, sarcastically smiling before bringing her attention back to the screen in front of her before looking back up. Valeria stared at his retreating form, her grip tightening on her iPad. He was maddening, insufferable, and entirely too handsome for his own good.

And yet...

She shook her head, forcing herself back to her work. "Focus, Vale," she muttered, but the faint warmth in her cheeks told a different story.

vera's voice 💌  ( 1.1k words )
guys I'm getting bored

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