Torn

Diversions and surprises

Nevaeh was already a bundle of nerves when they arrived in Japan with the prospect of Seb getting back into a Formula One car for the first time since his accident in Russia.

Seb himself had landed on Wednesday afternoon and felt good after being checked over by a doctor in Italy during a couple of days in Maranello. But it wasn't just being cleared to race that had lifted his spirits, it was the prospect of seeing Nevaeh, the thought of stealing time and moments together. Any hopes of seeing her today however, had been dashed when Britta had presented him with his media and promotional schedule. Getting over any jet lag was going to have to wait too as they only had time to check in and change in their logo'd uniform before heading to an evening event for Shell. Sitting in the back of a black Nissan Elgrand people carrier, he checked his phone and then laid it in his lap. After a couple of minutes he did it again and then again, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by Britta or his teammate, Charles, who sat the other side from him.

Britta bit her tongue, unable to mention Neev in front of Charles and his press officer but as Seb checked his phone yet again, she really wanted to tell him to stop.

"Has she not text you back?" Charles asked suddenly.

Seb's head shot up and he looked at Charles in alarm. What did he know? Had they been seen in London after all? There'd been nothing in the media and they were convinced that they'd got away with their meeting in Costa.

"You've obviously got a new girlfriend, why else would you constantly be checking?" Charles pointed out with an 'I caught you' kind of smirk on his face. "It's not Nevaeh is it? She was quite upset when you crashed in Russia." He added jokingly.

Seb's eyes darted to Britta, silently begging her for help but she was now staring at her phone, not looking up once. Making a point of shoving his phone in his jeans pocket, he gave a disgruntled mumble, "Of course it's not her, she's my ex and Alonso's fiancée."

"So it is a woman then." Charles leant forward, peering at him past Mia, his press officer.

"You know I don't like to talk about my private life." He muttered, picking at a white bit of fluff on his team t-shirt.

"You should, that's why there's so many bull shit stories that do the rounds, because no one knows anything about your life away from racing. If they knew more....."

"I am not going to start letting everyone pry into my private life, you know I have a daughter to think about now." He snapped, getting more and more agitated by Charles' probing.

"Yeah and once the news got out there, it was over in a flash and they moved on. I don't know why you're so defensive." Charles sat back with a huff while the two women both gave each other a sympathetic grimace. These two men would never truly get on with each other. They tolerated each other and that's as far as it went.

Loosing patience, Seb pulled his phone from his pocket and composed a message to Neev. After photos had emerged of her and Fernando reuniting in Madrid airport following her return from London, he'd been keen to keep in touch with her. The intimate looking images had shown the couple embracing and kissing and then walking out of the arrivals terminal hand in hand. Although it felt like a slap in the face, Seb couldn't get rid of the nagging suspicion that Fernando was behind these 'leaked' photos and had tipped off the local paparazzi on purpose, something that Neev had refused to believe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Another text?" Fernando asked as he emerged from the bathroom of their hotel room.

"It's Harmony again." Neev smiled. "She keeps sending me updates on what Delilah's been doing." She unlocked her phone and the butterflies burst in to life as she saw Seb's name on her screen.