letters [max verstappen]

13

Budapest, Hungary

Gianna and I were walking from the GP3 paddock like we normally did after I finished a GP3 race. I would meet with the Campos team for a debrief and then freshen up, then after she would meet me with some food and we would walk back over to Toro Rosso together, where there was always more work for me to do. I had finished in the points and usually Gianna would be happy to chat about the race, but today she wouldn't stop bugging me about Max.

"You two have been spending a lot of time together." She said suggestively.

"Yeah, we're friends." I muttered. Max and I had agreed there was no need to tell anyone about our true relationship. There were a few engineers and mechanics in the garage who likely had their assumptions due to a few slips on our part, and of course Carlos, and Tabatha, Max's PO but no one else in the team.

"Friends don't spend that much time together." She remarked.

I frowned. "We do when we're the only two seventeen year olds in the paddock."

"Maybe, but have you seen the way he looks at you? It's like he's in love."

"He's not." I scowled.

"How do you know? Have you asked him? Boys don't just say their feelings out loud." She said.

"I just know, Gianna." I sighed, exasperated.

"Ok, I was just asking. You're being very touchy about the subject, someone would guess you're hiding something." She continued to press.

For some reason that blew me over the edge. I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a narrow space between two big trucks. "What do you want me to say, Gi? That we're dating and we just want to keep it quiet, for this specific reason? We don't want rumors?" I snapped.

Her mouth was gaping. "So you are dating?"

"I- yes." I sighed. "I know your job is to spread and grow these things, but please, for my sake try to keep it under wraps."

She noticed my heightened concern about the situation and her tone changed. She raised her hand to her mouth, mimicking locking her lips and throwing away the key. "Your secret is safe with me, mia cara." She said softly.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"This really means a lot to you, huh?" She asked as she hooked her arm in mine, and we continued our walk.

"Yeah, it does." I said quietly, chewing on my lip. "Let's just say it took me a long time to be comfortable with us being official, and I'm still really worried about what other people's reactions will be."

"Well, if it helps, my reaction was happiness and excitement." She admitted. "I meant what I said about the way he looks at you. I'm sure you guys are wonderful together, and I bet everyone else would think the same."

Those words of reassurance did help to settle the butterflies, and I let out a deep sigh as we reached the point where I had to turn towards the garage and her towards the hospitality. "It does, thanks Gi." I smiled, and she squeezed my arm.

"You're welcome. I'll see you around?" She asked, and I nodded as we went our separate ways. I walked into the garage, apparently still with a frown on my face as James walked up to me.

"Are you ok? Relationship troubles?" He asked a bit quieter.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you know too. No, just chatting with Gianna."

He hummed in understanding. "Well, if you're ok then you can take this data up to Lucas, he's in the engineering room. Then we've got pre-race checks, and you're on the grid with Nico and the guys, I want you to run through the chain from 8 to 11 with Carlos."