This Love

19

As I'm packing my suitcase the next morning my phone vibrates so I stop what I'm doing to grab the device from my pocket. I see that I got a new Instagram message from Nico, I smile as I unlock the phone going into the app. The photo that greets me in the message makes me grin, "Dan come here" the Australian looks up from his own bag before walking over to me. I show him the photo Nico sent which is of us after the win yesterday, "wow who would've thought, he's a driver and a photographer" I shove him earning a laugh, "it's such a great photo" he wraps his arms around me gently, "it is, send it to me too?" I nod and he kisses my cheek before going back to packing. I watch him for a few seconds before finishing gathering my belongings for my plane ride back to Toronto.

Once I zip up my bags I bring them next to the hotel room door. I sigh turning away from the bags, "I'm going to miss it here" Dan looks up at me, "come here Cal" I pout as I walk over to him. Dan wraps me in a hug making me sink into his arms, "I'm going to miss it too, but now we have other places to be" I lean away from him slightly to look up, "yeah you're right" he presses a quick kiss to my lips then to my nose making me giggle. "Time to get out of here Cal" I let go of him and we grab our bags leaving the hotel room where so many memories were made this past weekend.

——

The two of us walk into the airport and my calm composure starts to crack realizing that it's going to be awhile until I see Dan again. "Callie, it's gonna be alright" I peer up at him feeling my eyes blur with tears. I lift my glasses to wipe my eyes before any tears escape, Dan pulls me into his arms pressing his lips to my temple letting the kiss linger as we stand there for a few extra seconds. "I'm going to miss you Danny" I say into his shoulder, "I'll miss you too Cal" he replies. I sniffle and pull away from the race car driver knowing that I can't miss my flight. He pulls me back in for a kiss that seems to last forever, but maybe it's just the fact that we'll be apart for so long that makes it feel that way. When we pull away from each other I give Dan one last smile, "see you later" he nods a grin on his face as I turn around to start walking towards security. I bite my lip as I turn back running to the Australian, he watches me confused but I just pull his lips down to mine when I'm close enough. I pull away quickly, "okay now I have to go" he chuckles and I turn back around to walk away.

My phone vibrates in my pocket so I take it out to see a text from Dan.

Daniel🥰
Cute butt

I roll my eyes a smile on my face,

Callie
Ditto

I look back up as I move forward in the security line. My thoughts stuck on the dark haired Australian that is about to fly to France while I'm going back to my life in the junior hockey world.

——

Almost an hour and a half later I'm sitting in the backseat of Jill's car. I let my head fall back against the headrest while my eyes close. "So should we talk about the kiss now or later?" My head snaps up and my eyes open, "what? How did you know?" I ask alarmed knowing that I never got around to telling anyone about what happened in Montreal. "Well it's kinda all over the F1 fandom" Jill explains from the drivers seat, "WHAT!" I squeak, Lexi turns to me as she scrolls through something on her phone, she hands me the device and my eyes widen at the headline of the article.

Daniel Ricciardo is off the market? Who is the woman that finally scooped up the Aussie?

The photo under the headline is of our first kiss at the track after Dan won. "Shit, this isn't good" I say to my friends as I bring my fingers to my hair tugging at the strands anxiously. "On the contrary that photo is the cutest thing I've ever seen" Jill says while smiling at me through the rear view mirror, "but I don't know if he's okay with this, what if he ends it?" Lexi gasps, "wait you guys are together together?" I blush handing her device back, "he really wanted to try this, us, out and I said yes" I cringe at the squeals that come from my friends. "When we get home you're telling us everything" I nod but still feel like throwing up about the stupid article that invaded our privacy.

Once we walk into our house later I leave my bags by the door, quickly going to my room to change. I slide on my comfiest sweats and walk back to the living room with my phone in my hand. My friends are basically vibrating with excitement on the couch, I hold up a hand, "I need to call Dan first" they nod and I go to the kitchen for some privacy. My finger quickly taps the phone icon under Dan's name and I bring the phone up to my ear hearing it ring a few times. "Callie, I'm so sorry" I shake my head, "it's not your fault, I was just surprised when my friends showed me" he sighs, "is this gong to be a problem?" I add nervously as I pace, "no of course not, I still want this, I still want you" I smile at his words, "I just don't want the fans to be mean to you because you're in a relationship with me" I stop pacing and sit at the kitchen counter. "I mean, I'm still the mystery woman so right now there's nothing to worry about but maybe later on it'll be different" he groans, "I hate this, I don't want you to suffer Cal" I shush him, "focus on racing, I can handle it Danny" I hear a door closing on his end, "if you can't you'll tell me right?" my heart warms at his concern, "yes I'll tell you" I say and I hear him blow out a breath, "Lexi and Jill are about to explode from not knowing about us sooner so I've gotta take care of that okay?" Dan laughs, "yeah put them out of their misery" I smile, "talk to you later hotshot", "bye gorgeous" I hang up and turn to the living room preparing to tell my friends about the weekend's events.

"Did you guys do the deed while 'cuddling'?" Lexi asks while wiggling her eyebrows at me. I blush a deep red looking away from their intense gaze, "no of course not" they get silent so I look up, "you didn't tell him did you" I shake my head and bite my lip, "Callie I'm sure he doesn't care that you're a virgin" Jill reassures me, I shrug while fidgeting with my fingers. "No don't get stuck in your brain, it's not good for you" Lexi adds before pulling me into a hug, "I'll try not to" she kisses my cheek making me smile, "lets fire up the TV and watch some Harry Potter" Jill exclaims making me pull away from the hug to sit up. The rest of the day we stay in the living room slowly getting through all of the magical movies.