Something Gained

Chapter Fourty-Eight

We had our briefing and soon enough, Daniel, Lando, Michael and Jon were out walking on the track, it was raining so we had umbrellas, I had my own one but I was listening into their conversations, there were fans in different parts of the track waiting for drivers to come along.
"You guys can stop for a minute if you want, we've got time?" I said, they both smiled and walked over, they loved being able to see and speak to their fans, they signed things and took pictures before I swept them away to go. I knew there would be more fans around the track, so as long as we can walk the track at a decent pace, they would be able to stop and talk to more of them. I saw Lando duck out from under the umbrella Jon was holding over himself and Lando and he come running under my one. He took the umbrella and held it himself and linked arms with me.
"What's wrong?" He asked
"I've just got a headache I'm okay" I said, nearly repeating the exact same words muttered to Daniel earlier, I was fine, or I would be. But I had a migraine not a headache which was worse because it affected my whole body. The light hurt my eyes, any small sound hurt my ears, my body ached and was so cold, I had no energy and I thought I was going to be sick, but I didn't want them worrying. They had their own stuff to focus on, I would just keep taking painkillers when I could and hope it would ease off a bit.
"Are you sure because you're so quiet today. Daniels worried, im worried" he said, he looked at me full of concern
"I promise, I would tell you if I wasn't" bit of lie but again they had to focus on their jobs not me. I just had to get through the day and I would be okay. He nodded but didn't look convinced. I was just going to dive into my work, we continued walking and they stopped to say hello to some more fans before we turned to the garage.
"5 minutes" I said as they went and spoke to their engineers about some bits on the track and setup with cars.

I walked the guys up to our media room where some of the guys had set up cameras and were waiting. They got the boys sorted with what they were doing and I sat down overseeing everything, which was now my job to make sure the media guys were doing there thing. I sipped my water constantly and then popped some chewing gum in my mouth, I had just come back from the bathroom and I wasn't well at all, I didn't just feel sick, I now had been sick.

We were onto the next thing where they were painting T shirts to raffle off to raise money for Mind. I sat on a sofa in the corner tapping away on my laptop to emails, I glanced over at them painting which was quite funny to watch.
"Alex are you going to do one?" Lando asked, I shook my head
"Oh yeah Alex that will be great" Sam said, Sam was the head media guy. I realised the camera was still on which wasn't fun for me
"Im working" I said quietly
"Come on, do a t shirt, it's for a good cause" I rolled my eyes at Daniels words. Thanks, it's not like I could say no now.
"I'll only film a little bit to show you putting the guys in their place" Sam suggested. I rolled my eyes again and huffed
"Fine" I muttered, i took off my glasses and I walked to the table and Daniel and Lando stood watching as I got some paint and things
"Look at the way she holds the spray gun, great technique for painting" Lando said to the camera
"Am I being judged here or?" I said
"Yes. Yes you are" Daniel said. I got engrossed in what I was doing and did a colourful t shirt with McLaren written on the back "Beautiful artistry" Daniel spoke, I looked up and laughed at him
"Right you both have to sign it then" I said, they nodded and come over, Lando took the spray gun and scribbled his signature on the back and then Daniel did the same
"Wonderful work" Lando said
"Who do you think did better?" Daniel said as he held up his t shirt and then Lando did the same, I held up mine as Hannah walked in the room
"Hannah?" I asked. The camera panned to her and she laughed
"Definitely Alex's" she confirmed. The boys looked heartbroken as we all laughed which hurt my head. I tried to smile through it as the camera was still on. Daniel finished off talking about Mind before Sam cut the camera off.
"You can edit out me huffing at them" I said as I sat back down to type away at my computer
"You've got one more to do, a ping pong challenge?" I directed the question at Sam
"Yep, outside, but it's sheltered so you'll be fine" he replied. The boys and Sam went outside while I stayed at my computer putting my glasses back on.

"Food?" Hannah asked, "you don't look okay" I nodded at the food comment and ignored the other one. It was already 2pm. We had a photoshoot soon and then we were done for the day. I took some more painkillers that were in my bag and walked down to the cafeteria with Hannah. I was responding to emails while eating when Daniel and Lando turned up, they also got some food and sat down with us.
"So this photo shoot now, what is it?" Daniel asked, he sat next to me and put his arm round the back of my chair
"New launch for McLaren shop" I told them, they nodded
"I'm gonna go down to the garage after this, you're good aren't you?" Hannah asked, I nodded again
"Ooooh to see Liam" Lando said winding her up. Of course he knew, I had told him and Liam was his mechanic. Hannah blushed, I put down my fork and started typing an email, my phone was snatched from my hand
"Eat first, work later" Hannah said getting up and handing my phone to Daniel. I scowled and rested my chin on my hand feeling like a child that had been told off
"Yes mum" I mumbled, as she smirked and left the cafeteria. I carried on eating while Daniel pocketed my phone, "I'm going to need that back" I said turning towards him and holding out my hand
"Not right now you're not" he said
"Fine, no sex for a week" I said and he whipped out my phone and handed it over
"Damn Danny boy you're whipped" Lando chuckled. I put my phone in my pocket and finished my lunch. "Are you still okay?" He asked. I nodded and rested my head back on my hand. I got up and ushered them out of the McLaren trailer. We walked down the paddock to the cars to go to where they would be shooting for the launch.