The Grudge •||• PA17

•||•

I muttered, "I hate my life."

Thea smirked. "And I'm going to love every second of watching it unravel."

...

The theater hosting the F1 movie premiere was dressed like Monaco at night. Lights, velvet ropes, and a wall of photographers calling names as if drivers were Hollywood actors. Which, tonight, I guessed we were.

Mercedes had set me up in a black dress with silver detailing and a low-cut back, paired with heels that made me regret every life choice up to this point. Thea, of course, looked like she'd walked straight out of a fashion magazine. I'm not sure, maybe it's one of her own pieces. She was wearing this gorgeous white dress.

I walked into the carpet with the Merc family; Toto, Thea, Susie, George and Kimi. Carmen was also with us. Cameras clicked, as we posed for the pictures. Then the interviews started.

Naomi Schiff had me and Kimi together for an interview slot, Mercedes banking on our "siblings of motorsport" appeal.

She smiled brightly as the cameras flicked on. "Viviana, Kimi, always a delight. Let's start with the main event. The movie. Kimi already saw it with the other drivers but what about you Viviana?"

"Yeah, I'm super happy to be here at the premiere with the Mercedes family, always a pleasure. And about the movie, I think it'll be great. Sir Lewis Hamilton is the producer, it needs to be. Tho I'm not sure about some parts"

"Oh? Like?"

"She means the engineer thing." Kimi chimes in.

"Yeah... and I assume every women in the motorsports industry would agree."

Naomi nods "Definitely, Viviana. Wait.. how are you guys here by the way? I thought you guys had exams?" She chuckles.

I burst out laughing. "We'll be having the make-up exams."

"Because Viviana really wanted to be here. I would've stayed at home, studying for the exams."

Naomi laughs "Well, will either of you actually study, or are you relying on sheer luck?"

I let out a soft chuckle "Sheer luck for me. 100%. My textbooks are basically decorative at this point."

Kimi smirked. "I always study."

I shot him a look. "You study for, like, an hour."

"Which is an hour more than you."

Naomi grinned, clearly enjoying this. "Do you two ever not argue like siblings?"

"In our sleep," I deadpanned.

"Even then," Kimi added, "she talks in her sleep. Usually about racing lines."

The whole crew cracked up.

Naomi leaned in conspiratorially. "So if you fail your exams, who are you blaming?"

"Paul," I answered immediately, straight-faced.

Kimi choked on a laugh. "Oh my God—"

Naomi was laughing too hard to keep the professional tone. "Care to explain?"

I grinned. "Everything in my life is easier if I blame Paul."

Kimi shook his head, still laughing. "She's not lying."

The segment wrapped on that note, the lighthearted bickering earning exactly the kind of viral clip Mercedes loved.

But when the cameras switched off, I felt that sting again. Because even when I joked about Paul... he was still there. Always.