Heartdriven

15. Dangerous Liaisons

Daniel looked at Alice as Sebastian walked away from their table... her eyes were following him, and he chuckled, "So, what was that about?"
Alice blushed looking back to him, "What do you mean? Uhm... I don't—" Daniel cut her off and leaned forward with interest.
"Don't give me that. Yeah, I did catch that spark there," he nodded at her repeatedly. She hid her face in her hands as she began reliving their story to Daniel.

"You can't be serious? How could you not recognise him?" Daniel was enjoying this so much.
"Well excuse me, I didn't expect to meet a Formula One driver at an anonymous dating event. Not to mention a few weeks ago my F1 knowledge amounted to Michael Schumacher."
Daniel laughed at her, "This is too good. So what are you gonna do now?" he bounced his eyebrows at her.
"I'm not gonna do anything. I'm just gonna focus on my job. That is the important part. I really like this and I don't want anything to get in the way." She placed her palms on the table, assuringly.
Daniel shook his head, still a full grin on his face, "Nah, you can't leave it at that. Come on, Alice." He rested his elbows on the table and placed his chin on his fist. "Don't pretend I didn't catch that moment earlier in the paddock either, Seb had his eyes all over you. Over us in fact." He pointed a finger at her, as if a lightbulb lit up over his head, "Y'know what we should do... we should take advantage of this."
Alice's familiar frown reappeared between her eyebrows and she looked at him with confusion, "Explain yourself."
Daniel leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms before closing them in to flex his muscles. "I'm gonna play matchmaker for you. Yeah. We should make him jealous."

Daniel laid out a plan. He didn't suggest anything crazy, just a little more over the top than their relationship had already become. Just hanging out a little bit more, walking a little more closely... maybe throw in a few more hugs and kisses on the cheek. Whatever she was comfortable with, he would let her be in control.
"Daniel... I don't think this is a good idea."
He had been very pleased with his plan, "Why not? Do you want him back or what?" He almost looked serious for a moment.
"I do. I do want him. But I want him to... I want him to know that he hurt me," she looked down at her hands, fidgeting, "I want him to make up to me... I guess I want him to win me back," she looked back at Daniel and shrugged. He reached over and quickly comforted her hand.
"Yeah I get that, Alice, I do. But sometimes guys just need a little push in the right direction".
She shook her head and stared at her plate, "I just can't do it."

Finally rounding off the evening with the Dumb And Dumber movie night they had planned the evening before, Alice went back to her room. Toro Rosso had helped her set up a system that would send the photos directly to the bureau, so they could approve them first, meaning she didn't need to go through them every evening. But she did anyway today.
As the camera transferred the photos to her computer, she sat and glided her finger slightly across the camera. How could she not be reminded of him by its sight. He was the reason she was still here.
It was getting a bit late when she reached the end and the photos restarted to the driver arrivals, but her tired eyes caught something she had missed the first time.
There he was again. Stupid Red Bull driver, walking in the back in one of the photos. Pausing for a moment on the photo, she closed her laptop and picked up her phone. "Okay. Let's do it."