One Day // Daniel Ricciardo

CHAPTER 5

I managed to avoid Daniel for a whole three months. We went through meetings where I was blunt and kept it professional the whole time, I worked my 3 days at home and planned my two days in the office for when he wouldn't be there. It wasn't too difficult to do, especially when races started. He had sent me a few messages asking to talk, how I was, if we could see each other, all of which I ignored. Any meetings I had with the drivers about the seasons car I did with multiple people from my own team present. It was starting to becoming more normal for me.

The only difference now, Hallie was six months. She was at the age where I said I would start travelling to races, the company had agreed to funding a nanny who could travel with us.

I missed the thrill and excitement of races and truthfully, I missed being so involved at my job.

"All play and no work?" I joked, walking in to the break room and finding my whole team sitting around the table.

"When you're not here to make us work nothing gets done." They joked in return. "But we have the trends from the weekend, it was mainly Danny's car giving the problems Lando didn't have the same issues."

It took me a moment to realise Danny and Lando also sitting in amongst them, it was like a school boys lunch table with the joking and shouting going on.

"Are you dressed up for another interview?" One of the mechanics asked, referring to my lack of uniform and the more formal outfit and heels I was wearing. "If you don't like us, just tell us but stop threatening us with job moves."

I laughed lightly, pouring myself some water in my cup "Not a job this time. Personal meeting, apparently appearance is key."

I had a meeting with an adoption lawyer but I couldn't tell them that, I'm a sharer of information but I definitely didn't want Danny to find out and feel like he had to be involved. He would find out on a need-to-know basis and right now it wasn't a need-to-know basis.

The meeting with my lawyer was long, a lot of dirt was dug up about everyone in order to prepare for the court case. By the time he left I was exhausted, I had a good case but it was going to be long and difficult. Not to mention it couldn't start until my sister was actually awake and had recovered.

I opened my emails, knowing Id have racked a few since I went missing three hours ago when there was a small knock on my door. I stayed silent, not really wanting to be found unless it was urgent but the door cracked open and Danny stuck his head in.

"It's been three months Jess; you can't avoid me forever and its starting to really piss me off."

"You're right, I wanted to talk to you about your car actually I've been looking over your performance the past few weeks and I think we can fix the problem if we make some adjustments to-"

"Stop."

His voice was stern and almost made me jump a little. My mouth stayed slightly open in shock when he pulled the seat out across from me and sat down.

"I know you saw that article, that wasn't fair."

"You're right. The funny thing about that article was in the picture of us you were telling me about how there's nobody else, how it's always been me and the article itself was about your secret girlfriend coming to London." I rambled, "But beside the point, I wasn't annoyed at you having a girlfriend, I can't say I was delighted or even happy but I wasn't angry. I was angry at the thought of you telling me all those things in the cafe and then living the opposite life."

"It was a publicity stunt; I was contracted a while ago to be seen with her every so often. It was never a public open relationship, just enough to stir the pot every so often and make it look like we had a little relationship brewing."