The other woman

Trying

You stupid bitch!! Way to go Alex! Not even two weeks and you've walked! She slumped into a chair in the staff canteen, making sure to pick a table in the corner in the hope that no one would disturb her. She was sure that she'd blown it. Seb had specifically said in her interview that longevity and loyalty were important to him, he didn't want someone who would run when things got tough. She'd fell at the first, tiny, hurdle and all because Seb had wanted to get to know her a bit better. She slumped forward and leant on the table, hiding her face on her arms.

"Hung over are we Alex?"

She groaned inwardly and lifted her head to see Jake looking down at her. "No and I'm Aleksandra, not Alex."

"Oh, ok." He was going to sit down opposite her but sensing her frosty mood he decided against it. "Had a good night last night though?"

"Yeah." She leant back in her seat until her head hit the wall behind her with a soft thud.

"So what's bugging you? Having a bad morning with Seb?" Jake dug the toe of his trainer into the hard floor as he spoke. "Or is it that guy from last night bugging you? Did you and him...." He whistled and made a suggestive sexual gesture with his hands. ".....last night?"

A pointed cough sounded from behind him and Jake spun round to see Seb standing there. "Can I possibly have my PT back?"

Alex puffed some air through her nose and sat upright. First Seb was being nosy and now he was coming across as possessive, it was almost as bad as it would be being married to the guy.

Jake took the hint and wandered off, leaving Seb to scoot into the seat opposite her. For a moment he just looked at her. She'd come across as confident and maybe even ballsy most of the time; she obviously went for what she wanted and got it, that's how she'd pulled last night but then she would contradict herself by wanting to keep people at arms length. She'd ooze the confidence and arrogance needed to survive in F1, she gave the impression that she could handle everything herself but at the same time there was a kind of vulnerability about her. He could see it in her eyes; there was still that coldness to them but also a vulnerability. "I'm sorry." He spoke just as she opened her mouth to speak first.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. You wanted longevity and loyalty and I run at the tiniest hint of trouble. If you want me to go......"

"No, absolutely not." Seb waved his hands, dismissing the idea completely. "I should never have pushed you to talk. I know what it's like to guard your private life and it was wrong of me to push you on it. Your personal life is just that - personal and I fully respect that. If you want to keep things to a strictly professional level then I'm willing to try things your way. After all, it worked for Oscar." He finished with a smile, he wanted to give Alex a fair chance, he was still sure that eventually they could forge a deeper working relationship like he had with Antti, Britta and Heikki. "Forgive me?"

His smile made the ice around her heart thaw a little and once more she found herself having these feelings again, feelings that felt good yet strange and scary. There was something about Seb that ran far deeper than his good looks. "There's nothing to forgive and thank you for choosing to try things my way."

"We're both still getting used to each other, we'll get there." He wanted to add how relationships (professional of course) were built using a bit of give and take and compromise but left it, thinking that she'd only take that as a hint for her to talk. Instead he got up and nodded his head towards the exit. "Shall we get back to it?"

"Yeah, of course." She stood up and followed him out. He was being so nice and so understanding, something that she hadn't been used to in a man for a while. He seemed like a breath of fresh air, the total opposite to Soren. Maybe they weren't all weak, treacherous, heartbreaking, abusive bullies after all.