Friends with Benefits - Daniel Ricciardo

14.

DANIEL

Saturday was hot, way hotter than what we expected. Practice didn't really go that great and I was getting fed up with myself. There was no way I had lost all my driving ability. Walking around the paddock between FP3 and quali I saw Sophie having a conversation with Charles Leclerc right outside the Ferrari garage. I could see how she blushed under his stare. I could feel my blood boiling. My little peanut, not so little anymore, was being flustered by another man. A man I knew very well.

-"Someone is looking for you in the Pirelli hospitality" Michael said interrupting the mental tantrum going over in my head 

-" Who is it?" I asked not too interested in knowing the answer. He raised his eyebrows and looked at the direction my attention was directed to

-"Brother, your little cupcake is flirting with Leclerc" Michael said with a smile on his face "Barbara Gomes is looking for you" he finished finally getting all my attention 

-" Sophie is not food, don't call her that" I said hitting the back of his head playfully before walking towards the Pirelli's hospitality. 

-"But you call her peanut!" He yelled from far making me laugh "Where are you going?" 

-"To the Pirelli hospitality" I replied turning back to look at him with a smile on my face. Barbara was a model. One of many. But she was the one here. A Portuguese beauty was all I needed to forget about Sophie. About her kisses and her eyes. Barbara would be enough to get Sophie's moans out of my head. She would calm the need I had to have Sophie in my bed. She would especially make me forget about Leclerc flirting with her. 

After a good chat with Barbara I managed to get her into the Mclaren garage as a guest hoping the press would assume she was invited by Mclaren. However, I did introduce her to most of the team. Including Sophie.

-" Good luck buddy" I heard her say with a smile on her face before I got on my car for quali

-"Thanks peanut. I'll do my best to make you proud" I replied

-"I'm always proud of you" she said almost in a whisper but I could still hear her. Looking through the visors into my eyes she said one last thing that made me smile "No matter what" and with that, quali had started. 

I felt out of shape. Covid had a big toll on me. The heat was not helping either. I felt I was probably in the worst shape of my life. Q1 was a disaster so say the least. I qualified P18 and now I had left was hoping to have a decent race day tomorrow. Getting off the car the first person waiting for me was her. Her green eyes were screaming sorry and I just felt guilty. I didn't want to disappoint her, ever. I walked straight to my driver room and I could feel her following my steps carefully. 

-"Dan, it's just the Covid. How are you feeling?" she said cautiously before closing the door behind her. I just looked at her and tapped the spot on the couch next to me. 

"Talk to me" she begged sitting next to me and caressing my hair 

-"How much is the fine if I don't talk to the press?" I really didn't want to be questioned about nothing. It was the first official weekend of the season and I was already done. 

-"Dan, it's better if you talk to the media. It's going to be a bigger deal if you don't"  it was her job to get me to the media after all 

-"Please" was all I said for her to agree. She helped me go out through the back of the paddock and we agreed to meet at my room once she was done with the media. A good movie night with my peanut was going to make me feel better before tomorrow's race. 

Laying in my room I was checking social media just to see what she had told the media. I felt bad I left her alone with all that but I couldn't take the humiliation I felt. She looked so cute on those videos. She was very defensive of me and I was so glad to see her finally leaving the media section. A knock on my door got me out of my thoughts. A smile grew on my face just thinking of Sophie's face on the other side of the door. 

-"Danny baby! Why don't we order room service and have a good time?" said Barbara coming into my room and leaving a peck on my lips

-"Hey Barbara I" I didn't even know what to say when in the middle of my sentence she just jumped in bed "I didn't have a great day and I need to be focused tomorrow" I continued talking. She grabbed the room's phone while looking at me "Why don't you go to your hotel and I'll see you tomorrow? We can go for dinner" 

-"Danny, what do you want to eat?" she hadn't heard me at all. I was getting annoyed. The fact that this was the type of girls I always went for was back firing me. Barbara was really hot. Any man would want to spend a night with her. But she was the most self-centered girl I had met. 

Another knock on the door. This time there was no smile coming from me. I very well knew who was on the other side of the door and I could feel my muscles tense up. I was aware I didn't owe Sophie any loyalty but we did make plans to be together, by ourselves. I really didn't want her to think I had forgotten about her and just brought another woman to my bed. 

-"Hey Soph" I said blocking the entrance to the room. Her hair was on a pony tail and she had gotten rid of her Mclaren uniform. White sweatpants and Ric3 collection sweatshirt were her choice for movie night. She looked really cute. 

-"Ready for a good movie" she said with a smile on her face 

-" I am. There's just a small problem" I said trying not to be loud. I was about to explain myself when I felt a pair of hands around my shoulders. 

-"Danny I ordered us an amazing dinner"