Her fingers and shoulders were sore from all the notes she’d made today. It was a good thing she had an above average intelligence and could absorb a lot of what she’d learned in a hurry. Which was what had made her an invaluable asset to Senator Preston’s team, and would serve her well getting up to speed on Gray Preston, owner of and driver for Preston Racing.
She had made her way back to Gray’s trailer while he went to yet another meeting with his crew to discuss some oil pressure problem with Donny’s car. They had gotten deep into mechanical issues, so she decided to take this time to organize her notes and develop a social media plan for him.
She was fully into her outline when she heard a knock at the door. Since this wasn’t her trailer, she debated whether or not to acknowledge the knock, but finally got up and went to the door.
A beautiful young woman was at the door. And she looked decidedly pissed off.
“Gray’s not here. Are you looking for him?”
“Damn straight. Where the hell is he?”
“In a meeting.”
The woman frowned. “Who are you?”
“I’m Evelyn Hill. And you are?”
“Stacie. I’m Donny’s girlfriend.”
“Oh. Would you like to come in?”
“I guess.” She brushed past Evelyn, the scent of something strawberry filling the room as she turned and crossed her arms. “Do you know where Donny is?”
“I’m afraid not. Is there a problem?”
“Yeah, a big one.” She looked around, and Evelyn could tell Stacie was highly upset. She sure was pretty, with long dark hair that spilled down to her waist and the most unusual gray eyes. She was slender, wearing short shorts and a belly-baring tight top that made Evelyn envious since it was very warm outside today.
“Why don’t you have a seat? Would you like something to drink?”
“Is there any pop in the fridge?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll look.” Evelyn went to the refrigerator. “Diet or regular.”
“Regular is fine.” When Evelyn brought a can along with a glass filled with ice, Stacie gave her a once-over. “You’re nice. Not at all like the chicks Gray usually dates.”
“Oh, we’re not dating. I’m working for him.” She wondered what kind of “chicks”
Gray dated. Not that it mattered to her on a personal level, but image was everything in politics. She’d have to do some research into his social life.
“No wonder you’re so nice. And you’re pretty, too.”
Evelyn arched a brow. “Thank you. I assume the women Gray dates are pretty, too.”
Stacie shrugged and poured her soda into the glass. “If you like the trashy pit viper type.”
“Trashy?”
“You know. He has a thing for blondes with huge tits.”
“I see.”
“He doesn’t keep them very long. I think he picks them out just to get laid, and then they’re on their way.”
Well, wasn’t she refreshingly honest. Either that or she liked to gossip. “So, Stacie, do you live around here?”
“I live with Donny, who’s a giant pain in my ass right now. I should have known better than to agree to follow him on the circuit this season. I could have done another semester of school instead of putting up with his shit.”
“School being college?”
Stacie laughed. “Of course. Why, do I look underage?”
“Kind of.”
“That’s funny. I get that a lot, I guess because I’m kind of short and skinny. I’m twenty-two, though. I’ll be twenty-three in a few months.”
“I’m relieved to know that.”
“I like you—Evelyn, is it?”
“Yes.”
“And how old are you, Evelyn?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“Married?”
“Single.”
Stacie took a couple drinks of her soda, then leaned back against the booth and glanced at Evelyn’s laptop. “What kind of work are you doing for Gray?”
“Actually, I work for his father, Senator Mitchell Preston.”
“Is that right? And you’re working for Gray now, too? That’s so . . . interesting. Is Gray getting involved in his dad’s campaign? Because I know he’s not leaving racing to run for congress or anything.” Stacie leaned forward, a worried expression on her face. “He’s not, is he?”
“That’s really not for me to say.”
“Good answer,” Stacie said with a grin. “Makes me miss school and all the public relations courses I took. Which, if I hadn’t agreed to accompany my moron of a boyfriend this year, I could still be taking.”
“Is that your field of study?”
“Yes. Public relations and marketing. Which would be a perfect degree to assist Donny. If I don’t dump him first.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
“You could say that. He often has his head up his ass.”
“That’s pretty vague, Stacie. Would you like to talk about it in specifics, or would you like me to mind my own business?”