6. The best interview

CAMERON'S POV

At this moment, we were on the main straight of the circuit, the three of us in line, but with Lara at the other end. We're going to go around the circuit, which would take us a while, I'm sure of it. 

"Okay guys, when you want, we can start." Zara said, looking at the two of us. "I'm done." I answered and Lara nodded "Me too." Zara's smile widened and she clasped her hands. "Okay, perfect. If a question bothers you, you don't have to answer it." 

We both nodded and began to walk the track. While she was introducing us and what we would be doing, Lara's photographer and video editor went ahead of us to take some shots of the three of us together. 

At some point I could hear how she said she would interview the pilot who has the most titles on the track at this moment and the pilot who had made history a couple of months ago, which was true. 

"Of all the people you could choose from, why did you choose Lara to do this interview?" she asked me "As you just pointed out, Lara is the first woman to win a world title in a sport basically for men, but she's the spitting image it's not like that." 

"Do you wish there were more women on the grill?" she asked, and I could see her curiosity "Of course. Throughout her career, Lara has shown a woman is equal to nineteen men and she's the best. But despite all, she's the one who has to work hard to achieve that." 

"That's right?" she asked looking in Lara's direction "I'm not going to deny it, because it is." Lara responded with a shrug. "Could you explain?" Zara asked "As Cameron said, this sport is considered for men, and let's say at first, I wasn't well received by a large part of the grid for the simple fact of being a woman. My teammate always had the improvements on the car, the best strategies, leaving me against the bottom of the table." 

"Are you referring to your first team in F1?" Zara inquired and Lara smiled "I'm not going to say yes or no. All I'm going to say is, initially, I didn't have what it took to do my job. The following year, I managed to improve, and I think I finished fourth or fifth in the world championship." 

"You finished fourth." I said and she nodded "Something like that. I have to say Eric helped me a lot with that. He's the best pilot someone who has just entered the competition can have, because he teaches you everything he knows, what you must improve and sometimes he even trains with you in computer simulations." 

"So, are you glad that Amelia is with him on the team?" Lara nodded "She couldn't have a better driver to learn from." replied "She could learn from you…" 

"Of course, but I haven't been in F1 half as long as Eric has. She can learn more from him right now than from me, but still, I'll teach her things whenever I can." 

"Do you like the idea of more women wanting to join this competition?" Zara asked, and I nodded because I think there are girls who want to race this car and are good at racing "Of course. I'm completely sure Lara appreciates more women joining the competition. Being around so much testosterone for much of the year can't be easy." 

"I really don't care. Most of the time I hang out with Bianca, training or walking around." Lara replied as if it were no big deal "Don't you mix with other pilots?" Zara asked curiously. "Apart from Eric and Joe, no, I don't usually hang out with other pilots." 

"Not with Cameron?" she asked confused "Well, with him too." I couldn't help but laugh, because that little detail had slipped out of her mind that easily and I don't know if she hadn't done it on purpose or what. "I've been watching some videos since you've been in F1, and I have to say I've never seen the two of you spend as much time together as you've seen this week. What has made you spend time together?" 

"Cameron helped me in a personal moment, and it can be said since then, we have been able to tolerate each other a little better." Lara said, and I could almost be sure she was joking. "So, you couldn't stand each other before?" 

"Of course, I do, but apparently that man to your left loves to tease me, which is why he drove me crazy a lot of the time. Let's just say my patience can be limited." She answered honestly "Why do you like to tease her, Cameron?" I wonder. 

"Because apparently the only way to get Lara's attention. Since she started in F1, she was always walking with her headphones and scooter around the pit and track or looking at data on the car or helping to assemble the car, she never had time for anything else." I replied, looking in Lara's direction. "That's not quite so." Lara defended herself. 

"It may be after you did all those things you had time, but those moments in my case, I didn't see you. Whenever I saw you, you were busy doing something, so one day I decided to do it, and that was when I realized it was the best way to get your attention." I replied with a shrug. "So, you were just doing it to get Lara's attention." 

"Something like that." I replied "Now that's sincerity. But changing the subject a bit, what is your favourite track? Zara asked, "The one at home, it's always the best of all." I quickly replied, "Silverstone I would guess." I agreed, because it was true "Yes, also, I think every pilot likes the ones from home." 

"I prefer the urban ones, I couldn't choose one for my favourite, but the ones on the street remind me of home." Lara replied, and we both turned in her direction, surprised by her response. "So, you don't like the Spanish Grand Prix?" 

"It's not that, I like all circuits, but I prefer narrow ones where it's difficult to overtake." She answered "The ones you're better at..." I answered realizing they were the ones she's better at "Not because I'm better at running in them or not, they remind me of home and when I was little." 

"In what way?" Zara asked, taking the question out of my mouth. "Me and my father shared a passion for cars, so much so that one day he decided to take me go-karting. One of the best afternoons of my life, and he knew it, so since then he took me whenever he could. I don't know how he did it, but he convinced the whole village it would be good to have go-kart competitions and in which both children and adults could have a good time. In my village there are no roads with two lanes, no. In my village in tracks, very rarely take two cars sideways…" 

We had covered half a circuit, but at this moment I couldn't focus on anything other than Lara and her story. I could see she loved that story, and her eyes had the same sparkle as when she told me about her father, and if it were up to me right now, I would stop just to look at Lara. 

"Are you still doing it?" Zara asked and from the sad look on her face, I guess they weren't doing it anymore "I'd love to, but no, we stopped doing it a long time." I'm pretty sure they stopped doing it the moment her father died, and despite not knowing anything about this man, I have to say I aspired to be like him one day, a dedicated father and would do whatever it took to my child be happy. 

"That's a great story." I answered and she nodded "Yeah, one of the best." she answered and if it was me right now, I would be giving her a hug to comfort her "How did your family take you joining F1?" 

"They were very happy for me since they knew it was one of my big dreams. They supported me and even told every person who passed the door or wherever they went. They're my continuous support and I know I can count on them for whatever." she said more happily "That sounds great." 

"It is, the best thing can happen to someone." she assured, and I agreed "Now another thing to which you don't have to answer, how's your sentimental life?" Zara asked and I looked at Lara waiting for her answer "Well, right now I don't have any of that so I can't answer." 

"What about you Cameron?" she asked now, turning in my direction. "Me waiting for the woman of my dreams." I replied, and even surprised myself, because it had never been something that crossed my mind. "Anyone on mind?" Zara asked again "Clearly, but she doesn't know it yet." 

"Will we ever find out who that mystery girl is?" she asked, and I looked in Lara's direction "After she knows, of course, you'll be the first one I tell." I sincerely said, "And what about when you retire?" 

"Very far." We both answered at the same time "I hope so, but what do you have in mind for that moment?" she asked. "I really haven't thought about it yet." Elisabeth always insisted it was something I should think about, but the end of my career was still far away, so I hadn't spent much time on it "And you, Lara? Do you have something in mind?" 

"Going back home and being able to help anyone whose dream is to get here or any car competition." she answered, and by the sparkle in her eyes, I could see it's something she's excited about "That's a great idea, I'm sure you'll help a lot of children." 

"That's the intention." The rest of the interview asked us what we considered to be the most difficult part of the circuit and more from today's race. Not much later, we ended the interview and while Zara thanked us a lot for giving her the interview, we told her it was the best interview ever, strange as it seems we agree. 

While Lara's photographers sent their shots and images to Zara, we continued skating through the pit lane, but slowly, so much so we were almost walking. 

"So that's why you're great at narrow tracks, huh?" I asked, unable to help the smile on my face. "Not great, but I handle them." Lara answered, "How long has it been since you did those competitions in your village?" I asked, intrigued by the story "Since I was eight years old." 

"Because of what happened with your father... right?" I asked and she nodded "I would have loved to meet your father... all the stories you tell about him... he was a great man." I said honestly "I'm sure he would think the same of you regardless." 

"Why?" I asked curiously "The intentions you had with me." she said with a smile on her face "Intentions? Do you think I want to be inside your pants, Gallego? 

"I'm still not clear about your intentions, but what I mean is, if my father were to see all the news came out about you like four years ago, he would wonder what your intentions were with me, and if something didn't my father permit, is a boy would hurt me, I can assure you." she said with a big smile planted on her face. 

"Every parent's mission in the end, right?" I asked and she shrugged "I guess" she shrugged, and something told me there was something else behind all this "Have you ever had your heart broken?" I asked and she shrugged again. "What if I tell you about the time, I got my heart broken?" 

"Did the great Cameron Edwards ever get his heart broken?" she asked with a smile planted on her face "Of course... She was a girl from the north of the peninsula I don't know what, with a very noticeable accent and who would attract anyone... Of course, don't be with her when she gets angry because she starts talking their language and no one understands her... I want to assume only people who speak the language or at home will understand her... They nickname her the Galician in the corridors..." 

With that, I received a blow to the arm, but I'm completely sure it was neither as strong as she could hit me nor that he had taken offense, what's more, I'm completely sure she knows is a joke, which is not so much. 

"And I thought the British were dull." she said laughing "Well, I'm living proof we're not. Are Galicians all like you?" I asked, even though I knew they weren't "Like me in what way?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "Punching people in the arm and laughing at their feelings?" 

"I would say I'm one of a kind, because Bianca isn't like that, I can assure you." Lara replied honestly "Then I must assume you like being tough, or into BDSM…" I said without finishing whatever I was going to say "Don't say stupid things. I wouldn't be surprised if you were involved in these things, because apparently you like to get hit." 

"Oh, you give me an erection when you talk dirty like that." I said jokingly "You don't have the slightest idea I talk dirty to you..." she replied, and I really didn't expect it "Is that a proposition, Miss Gallego?" 

"Take it however you want." she replied laughing at me, of that I was completely sure "Wow, what a way to break the heart of this handsome British, surrendered at your feet..." 

"I think once you retire you should dedicate yourself to drama, you're great at it." she said and we laughed, and honestly, I loved hearing her laugh, it made my chest expand with pride, because in all the time she's been in the competition, I hadn't seen her laugh like that with any other person not counting the people who knew her. 

"Seriously now, what if I wanted to ask you out one day?" I asked, "I wouldn't have a problem, apart you get my attention by teasing me, these days I realized you're a good guy, and you make me laugh more than anyone." 

"But that would be as friends." I said trying to see where I was going "Of course, what would it be like if not?" she asked confused "What if I were speaking in another way? Something like a date? 

"A date? What about the girl you are interested in?" she asked even more confused "As far as I know I never said the girl's name. Who tells you I'm not talking about you? 

"Are you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. In the last couple of days, I had noticed she tended to do it when she didn't believe what she was told or a way of challenging "Maybe so... or maybe not." I said vaguely, but with a smile on my face, "You're definitely up for drama. You should become an actor or something." 

We got to her box and said goodbye. I stared in her direction for a couple of minutes until she was completely out of sight. Reproducing the sparkle in her eyes as she talked about her father, her laughs, everything about her caught my attention and every time I heard about her like about four years ago, my heart raced without further ado. She thought I'm joking, but what she doesn't know is I'm as serious. I'm beginning to have strong feelings for Lara Gallego.