Chasing Daisy by Paige Toon Read Free Book Online

with Simon and the directors. And Luis, of course.
    Eventually, Holly switches the light back on.
    ‘Can’t sleep?’ I ask.
    ‘No thanks to you,’ she grumbles.
    ‘It’s too hot here,’ I say, for want of an explanation that doesn’t involve a certain racing driver.
    ‘Well, why did you switch off the damn air-conditioning in the middle of the night?’
    ‘It was too cold, then,’ I reply innocently.
    She just humphs and gets out of bed, heading in the direction of the shower.
    An hour later we arrive at the track and I’m jumpy with adrenalin.
    ‘Have you been drinking too much coffee?’ Holly asks, when I jolt at the sight of a team member entering the white-tented hospitality suite.
    I walk back into the kitchen and she follows. I’m about to ask Frederick what needs doing when someone calls my name from the door. Holly and I both turn to see Simon standing there. He beckons for me to go over to him.
    ‘Hi, Simon, what can I get for you?’
    ‘Nothing at the moment, but Daisy, it’s no good if you’re not staying in the same hotel as us. We’ll have to get that sorted for the next race.’
    ‘Okay . . .’
    ‘Speak to Ally,’ he calls over his shoulder as he walks off.
    Ally is Simon’s PA back in the UK. She liaises with the team’s travel agent among many, many other things.
    ‘What was that about?’ Holly is immediately on my case.
    I fill her in.
    ‘Oh. That means we won’t be able to share a room.’
    ‘It’s only for Bahrain. We’re all staying in the same hotels once we hit Europe, right?’
    ‘I guess so.’
    ‘It’ll be okay.’
    ‘At least you’ll be happy.’ She gives me a small smile.
    ‘I’d rather be with you, actually.’
    ‘Yeah, right!’ she exclaims. ‘You’ll be well within stalking distance of Prince Charming.’
    ‘Shh!’ I warn. ‘Anyway, stalking distance?’ I ask huffily.
    ‘I saw the magazine you were looking at in the middle of the night . . .’
    ‘It wasn’t the middle of the night; it was this morning. Will you quit teasing me?’
    ‘Sorry.’ Then she whispers, ‘Consider yourself lucky. I’ll probably have to share with Klaus and Gertrude.’ She glances at the German couple diligently working away at one of the counters. Klaus is de-heading fresh prawns and passing them to Gertrude to finish shelling before he hands her the next.
    I give Holly an ‘aren’t they weird?’ look before adding, ‘Threesome?’
    She groans distastefully and swipes me on the arm with a wet tea towel.
    ‘Ow!’ I shout.
    ‘DAISY!’ Frederick snaps, so I wipe the smile off my face.
    I head out to the serving table just in time to see a black-haired, olive-skinned figure walk in.
    ‘Hi, Luis, what can I get you?’ I ask in a deliberately bored-sounding voice.
    ‘Black coffee.’
    I glance over at Frederick, who’s just about to sit down for a meeting with Tarquin, Will’s nutritionist/personal trainer. Luis looks over his shoulder and spots the scene before glancing back at me with amusement.
    ‘And I’ll have some bacon and eggs, too,’ he says.
    ‘Shouldn’t you have a nutritionist?’ I ask, serving up the greasy food onto a plate.
    ‘Don’t need one,’ he says, taking the coffee and blowing on it, his dark eyes watching me over the rim of his cup.
    I raise my eyebrows disapprovingly and hand him his plate.
    ‘So,’ he says, not taking his plate from me. ‘I hear you’re our designated bun tart?’
    ‘Your what ?’ I splutter.
    ‘Bun tart. Haven’t you heard that term before? That’s what we call you girls.’
    ‘You call us bun tarts?’ I ask in horror.
    ‘Sure.’ He shrugs. ‘Don’t shoot the messenger,’ he adds calmly.
    ‘Hey, Luis.’ Holly comes out of the kitchen. ‘Whoa, you must be hungry.’ She looks at the plate I’m still holding. ‘I can’t believe you’re not going for some of my nice muesli.’
    He glances at it. ‘Hmm,’ he decides. ‘Maybe I will have some.’
    ‘So you don’t want this?’ I