Something Gained

Chapter One

Walking into the busy paddock for the first race of the season is just pure excitement, the buzz, the atmosphere everything about it just makes you feel happy. This is my second year working with McLaren, second season and I'm ready. Bahrain was beautiful, it was warm, thank god the uniform was easy. I had my jeans on with my vans and the McLaren orange polo shirt and my identification badge around my neck.

"Alex, my favourite press officer" I walked into the hospitality trailer to find Lando to get him into the press ring for some interviews.
"I'm the only one you have Lando, come on. And where is Daniel?" I said, sipping a drink I'd picked up.
"He's in his room, have you met him yet?" We walked out into the paddock towards the McLaren trailer
"I haven't, not properly. Obviously I know who he is" I replied. Daniel had moved to McLaren for this season, I'd already worked with Lando last year. I was responsible for getting them to conferences, meetings, prepping them for media all those bits and pieces, and now I had to look after Daniel, I knew he was a funny character, a great driver, but not spoken to him or seen him myself properly. But here we are.

*knock knock*
The door swung open and I was greeted by a tall man that wasn't Daniel.
"Hello, I'm Michael, Dan's personal trainer" the man reached out to shake my hand
"Hi, I'm Alex, all things communications,
media, friend, advisor all that jazz" I said shaking Michael's hand. He opened the door and myself and Lando walked in the room. Lando and Daniel were already good mates and gave each other a hug, Daniel turned to me and smiled
"G'Day, Alex was it?" He come over and gave me a hug
"She's not one for hugs" Lando laughed behind Daniel
"With me around she will be" Daniel laughed letting me go
"We'll see, anyway guys we got to get going, the media waits for no one" I said, turning towards the door with both drivers in tow.

We walked down towards the media pen and I could tell these two were going to be a handful, they didn't stop messing around and laughing the whole time. I had a schedule I had to keep them to, and something told me it was going to be more difficult than just dealing with Lando. I directed them both to some reporters and stood back but listened in, overseeing what they were saying.

Once they all finished up I gathered the boys up and we walked up to the conference centre.
"Right, you've both got the drivers conference in about 10 minutes, then you can grab some lunch, then we've got some prep and some bits to do, then get you changed and then you're going to the garages for practice" I listed as we walked
"Busy day, do we have time to go for a wee" Daniel laughed
"Don't get on my bad side Ricciardo" I scolded while laughing, I ushered them into the building and we stood waiting outside the room, again they were messing about, I rolled my eyes and took out my phone responding to some emails and checking in with any issues we might have to address.

"Daniel, number please" I said, knowing I'd have to contact him to sort things out here and there
"Oooh moving a bit fast this is" he replied in his thick Aussie accent, enough to make anyone swoon. I stared at him holding out my phone, "this better be your personal phone" he continued
"Sorry honey, just the work one" I could tell we were going to get on, Lando and I got on very well and it's nice to have such a good relationship with the people you work with, especially when I'll be travelling the world with these people. Dan laughed as he tapped in his number and handed me back the phone before they were both called into the conference.