Heartdriven

5. Work Bitch

The next day started as the one before with an early arrival at the circuit. It was easy to tell from everyone around her, that this was routine and she would soon fall into it with them.
Learning step by step, the first she had taken while getting some rest in her hotel room the night before, was trying to get acquainted with the drivers. She had looked through the official FIA document of the driver standings, and familiarised herself a bit with some of the names, numbers and teams.
Today was going to have cars on track, which was the best usage of her camera. Working more freely for the bureau, she had to bring her own equipment and had opted for an all round option within the sports category, for high speed and long distance, fitted with her lenses and an extra quick cheat lens for portraits in case of emergency. A bigger budget from a tenure would open more opportunities for her to expand her gear and invest in the profession.

Another lesson she had learned from the day before, was fitting her clothing to the high noon Spanish sun, entering the circuit in a bit skimpier clothing, covered in sunscreen. With sunglasses. What a pro.
Oozing with that confidence, she walked down the paddock, headed towards the end, hoping to get a quick greeting from John before his work in the garage began. It would have to be by luck again, because how could she ask for him?
Maybe that should be their next topic of discussion... maybe she could ask him to lunch or dinner... maybe they could share the most apparent information from their personal lives; their names.

Sticking her head through the door of the Red Bull hospitality, she gave a quick look around, if not seeing John, maybe someone who could guide her in the right direction, the blonde woman or Mark. But the room was almost empty, except for a curly haired and smiley guy sitting at a table across the room, scrolling or texting on his phone.
He looked up at her presence and she caught his attention with a smile and he waved back with his arm stretched in the air. "Hiya!" he shouted too loud from the distance they were at. She approached his table with slow steps and he jumped up from his chair, putting the phone in his pocket.
"Are you looking for Mark? I saw you doing a photoshoot or something other with him."
Blinking a few times and seizing the opportunity to nearing her target, "Yes," she bluntly replied.
"Yeah, the big drivers already went to the garage to have their prep with the engineers and mechanics. Are you here to take some more photos?" Her reached his arm out in suggestion to her camera bag.
"Not of Mark, no, I have to photograph the track action. So I should get going again."
She turned around and he danced around her, not to stop her, but to interrupt her exit, "I can show you a great spot for the coolest shots, if you are interested?"

His name was Daniel, a Toro Rosso driver and a bit too low in the standings to have reached the recollection of her list just yet. He was quite talkative. She didn't mind the distraction as long as it didn't delay her, but he had quite a sprint in him, surely as he himself had to head back to his own garage before the first practice session.
He had guided her to the opposite side of the pitlane, across the track, at the bottom of the main straight, just at the finish line.
"Now see here, you can get all the cars as they come across, it looks awesome." He stuck his head out through the gap in the fence, to show the space or show off.
"This is wonderful, thank you so much, Daniel."
She gave his bicep a light squeeze, and as he went away threw back at her, "My pleasure."

Looking at the clock above the scoreboard across the track, she could match pit alarm of cars in the lane to the approach of the beginning of practice. She was ready. Zooming to the pit exit with her lens, she could just catch the glimpses of the car exiting around the corner. Not for photographing yet, but knowing they were there. Not that there was any question by that unmistakable sound.
Oh God. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck when the screams echoed into the grandstand. Looking around to some of the audience members, she could recognise the same reaction as her own, like the crowd was a mirror of her own reflection.

Her camera was adjusted to just the right setting and she could see each car cross the finish line clearly through her photographs but could not catch them directly with her own naked eye, the speed was getting to her, her reaction would have to improve. Don't click then, click now. No, now. Now. Next one, click here. When. When. NOW! Perfect. Getting better and better.
She had tried to get each car before the end of the session, but couldn't be sure until she could look them through later. All the bureau cared about was Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull, anyway.

The sounds died down as she headed back to the paddock, looking for John and ask him about that lunch. But, boy, was it a busy paddock. People running back and forth everywhere. If this is what it's like between practice sessions...
She questioned herself if it was right to bother John for his time now and changed her mind. Not for lunch this time, just for quick hello, and she would be on her way again.
Once again using the manoeuvre she found effective earlier, quickly popping her head in, this time trying it out in the garage. Lots of mechanics working, she really wouldn't want to bother anyone. She felt a hand grab her shoulder and gently pulling her away from the garage and to the side of its entrance.
"Hey-hey!" John put both his hands on both her shoulders and rubbed a bit before letting go.
"Hi, I just wanted—" he was in a rush. "I'm so so sorry, I really can't- I don't have time today, can we talk later? Tomorrow! After practice, before qualifying? Just meet me at the bench and we'll talk?" He touched her hand and held on to it as he walked away, not letting go until she nodded, and he ran into the garage.