Heartdriven

28. How The Turn Tables

After her conversation with Sebastian, Alice had decided to take his advice and not let Fernando get in her head. She had let him influence her mood, her behaviour. That ended now. He wanted to play games? She was going to play along.
Ferrari had again not given her a visitor paddock pass, making her realise maybe it was just a welcome for the first race, so she stopped asking for it. Same with the hotel, she was put together with the Ferrari team once more, and didn't get to stay at the same place as Daniel. She was missing his company and their rides back and forth from the circuit, now being replaced by Fernando.
He was easier to be around when you just gave in to his antics, so she did.

Walking down the paddock together, Fernando grabbed her bicep, "How much do you bench?"
Alice lifted up her arm, looking at her muscles. "Bench? Do I look like someone who 'bench'?"
He moved his grip to that of her camera bag strap, "How much do these things weigh? You walk around with them for hours every day."
She shrugged at him, "It's not that bad, you get used to it."
He puts his fingers between the strap and her shoulder. "Don't they dig into your skin?", he pulled it off her.
"Not more than a bra," Alice joked and gave him a nudge with her elbow.
"Okay, let me try." He put the strap over himself and made a movement as if it was pulling him down. "This is why I prefer racing cars, he-he."
As they reached the end of the paddock, she noticed Sebastian, and smiled at him. He looked back at her with a frown, and her eyes moved to Fernando who was running off into the garage with her camera bag, she had to pursue to make sure it didn't get lost for her.

Over the next while, she felt Sebastian distance himself from her. Maybe it was working for him. He won the race, he hadn't spoken to her. They went along to India, same routine. Sebastian won the race, he had still not spoken to her.
It was concerning her, at the same time the atmosphere within Ferrari was intensifying. Every time Fernando left a debrief and they headed back to their hotel, he seemed frustrated. It was getting harder to cheer him up, but she did her best to keep their banter intact. Of course he covered himself up, no one would ever know what this season was doing to him, perhaps he didn't even realise it himself.
The following race, she finally felt the glimpse of the Fernando she knew. It was qualifying, and Sebastian had stopped on track. Everyone in the Ferrari hospitality were impatiently waiting to hear the news they were hoping for. Sebastian had been disqualified from qualifying due to not being able to provide a fuel sample from his car, meaning for tomorrow's race, he would have to start from the pitlane.
Fernando's devious smile returned, and you could feel a newfound optimism within the team. He himself knew how hard it was to overtake in Abu Dhabi, having experienced it two years prior... the first time Sebastian won a championship. Fernando lost the championship because of it, and now he could feel it back in his hands.

Fernando had asked Alice to dinner again, but this time it felt different, she didn't feel blindsided. They had spent many hours together by now, driving back and forth from the circuits, it was just like another moment of that, they were hanging out and she let her guard down.
"So, are you going to win the race tomorrow?", she sipped at her drink.
"We just need to score the most points." He winked at her and she took another sip.
"The most of any... or more than Vettel?"
He lifted his hand towards her, "Both works."
Emptying her glass, she let out another stinger. "Maybe you should have had this attitude earlier."
His face froze at her.
"Maybe you have had enough to drink."
She put down her glass and sat embarrassed, not wanting to look back at him. She never drank and she had enjoyed the evening... and the wine.
"I'm sorry." She put her hand on her neck and looked down.
"Let's get dessert," he waved at the waiter who arrived with the menus, which she refused.
"No, that's okay, I'm full. We should probably head back, big day tomorrow."
He got up and paid the bill for them... but this time she added her own money.

Alice was uncomfortable because of Fernando's comment, but he wasn't acting any differently on the car ride back to the hotel. Maybe she had crossed a line. It seemed like a sore spot for him, Sebastian. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed him on it. She wanted to apologise again, but maybe it was best to leave it be. Focus on something else, try to start a conversation, get away from this mood. Anything. Anything. Think.
"I'm sorry about earlier, I usually don't drink. I'm sorry." Fuck.
"Alice, you need to stop apologising."
He laughed at her and she wrapped herself in her arms, "What?", looking towards him in confusion.
"If we had to say we are sorry every time we made a joke, it would kill it and we would never stop apologising to each other."
She relaxed in her arms. "I thought I offended you..."
He looked quickly towards, reading her face, "You made a joke, I made a joke, let's call it even."
She paused for a moment, still looking at him in confusion. "A joke?"
He made the corner to the hotel, finishing off the topic. "You knew that, yes?"
She leaned towards the window, grabbing the tips of her hair on her chest, tightly. "Yes. Yes! Of course. Yes... it was funny. Ha-ha." She didn't laugh.

Fernando was walking cautiously next to Alice through the hallway to her hotel room, clearly questioning her intoxication with his gaze. In retrospect, tripping up the lobby stairs was a bit suspicious, but surely it was just her natural balance failing her.
"You take care now, yes?" he squeezed her shoulder while she unlocked the door.
"Dude, chill." He looked at her with question in his eyes. "I'm sorry," she looked down, but he gave her a smug smile,
"Not again, Alice," shaking his index finger at her.
"Good night, Fernando."
She went inside, closing the door behind her, letting go of her purse to the floor and walking out of her shoes, not bothering to not make a mess. Sitting in the bed and leaning back to land fully, that minibar fridge caught her eye... wondering what was hiding inside.