Deep Breath | Daniel Ricciardo

Part Twenty-Seven

It had been a long, busy day. I had been on my feet for what seemed like an eternity. Thursday, media day, was known to be like this, it was my busiest day of the race weekend. So, after the last interview had wrapped up I'd made my way back to the hotel, Daniel giving me a lift. My heart was so full when I was with him. He took moments out his day to check on me, the smallest touch of the small of my back, a quiet kiss on the cheek when no one seemed to be looking. Everything had fallen into place.

We headed into our hotel rooms though the dividing door between them hadn't closed in the whole time we had been here. We talked about the day and how he felt the weekend was going to go. He glowed, he was at his happiest, in a car that seemed to be part of him. I glowed with the happiness in my life and seeing this man, who I felt so much for, achieve so much.

"Are you sure you don't want to come out with the guys tonight?" Daniel asked for what seemed to be the 100th time today.

"No. You are going with just drivers and their friends, they won't be bringing their colleagues with them," I said smiling back at him.

"But you are so much more than just a colleague. So much more than just a friend." As he slid his hands down my chest pressing himself against my tense back. We break apart as my phone begins to ring, saved by the bell. I was ready to give everything to this man, I'd decided when he came back I was going to be in my sexiest lingerie and I was going to have sex with him. I was ready to take that last step, and if I wasn't careful I wasn't going to hold on till tonight.

"Hi, you okay?" I answer the phone while smiling widely at Daniel.

"Lib, are you alone right now." Lauren's voice was sharp and cold.

"Erm, not right now, is everything okay?"

"Are you out with Daniel tonight? I need to talk to you"

"No I'm staying in, Danny and some of the drivers are going out. I was just going to have a chilled night. I'll come round... movie and takeaway?" I asked slightly concerned, shrugging my shoulders at the look on Daniel's face.

"Er... yes sure whatever. I just really need to speak to you. Can you come now?"

"Yes I'm on my way." I end the call with a slightly confused look but smile when I look back across to Daniel who is watching my every-move. "Go on your going to be late," I smile ushering him out the door.

"Everything okay?." He asked

"I don't know, it doesn't sound good. Don't worry probably just girl drama." I smiled following him out the door. As I headed to Lauren's room I felt the urge to look back and get one last look before leaving him for the night. I turned and saw he felt the same. Our eyes lock and I smile, while he pouts his lips and blew me a kiss.

🎵 Moral of the story - Ashe 🎵

Lauren was hectic when I arrived at her door. Pacing, saying odd words that didn't seem to really form any kind of sentence. I held her by her shoulders and we sat down on the edge of the bed together.

"What has gotten into you," I smiled looking at Lauren.

"There is something I need to talk to you about." She took a deep breath. "Have you stayed with Daniel again this trip."

I smirk, so this was just another dig for information and for her to take full advantage of the mess that was my love life at the moment. I hadn't even told her everything he had said to me yesterday, how I'd finally let myself fall 100% into him, let alone the fact I was ready to have sex with him. And that I was  planning on doing it tonight.
But she didn't smirk back.

"Erm, yeh well we have adjoining rooms like we have before. Actually I wanted to talk to you about it, we talked like you said last night and he ... "

"But he's still flirting and leading you on?"

"Well we've been having fun. We talked about it and he shared some real feelings. I came to tell you about it but... I'm not sure what your getting at here Laur." I looked to her confused, was she grilling me, taking the mick. I couldn't gauge her angle. "He told me that he feels the same way about me. He said he wanted to keep it private for now but that he had real feelings for me" I glowed with happiness.

"Oh Lib," she looked down her eyes not meeting mine. Filling with... was that tears.

"look I need to tell you something," she got in before I could interrupt. I sat quietly looking at her.

"Jamie overheard something in the garage today." She looked at me holding my hands. I was so confused.

"He overheard what I strongly believe was meant to be a very private conversation. Max, Daniel, Michael and someone else from max's team were in a corridor leading to the garage. They were in a space that kind of tunnelled their voices and it was louder than I think they would have realised."

"Lauren what are you talking about." I pulled my hand away slightly but she tightened the grip.

"They were talking about you," we made eye contact and her eyes filled. "Well not you exactly but"

"Just spit it out Lauren!" I raise my voice slightly. I feel panicked. What could they have possibly said.

"They were talking about a bet that had been made. How Max wanted to change the rules because he couldn't get Isla to even look his way never mind get her in bed." Silence. I just watched her face waiting for the next line to hit. Waiting for the spiral that was going to follow.

"Go on."

"He said he was impressed with the progress Dan was making and how he thought you'd be an easier shag. That you... ...looked ready to take him the first day you met. " my eyes filled with these words but I couldn't loose it yet, I felt the stab in my back, I needed to hear it all.

"What did Daniel say." It came out quiet and sounded as pathetic as I felt.

"He said... well." She looked at me, she knew she was about to break my heart. "He said he should get extra points because he had to put the work in to get you the job to work with him in the first place. That he wasn't far from closing the deal."

And there it was, my heart ripped out and crushed all at once. Tears poured down my face. We sat in silence for a while, "So it was all a game, just lies to win over Max again."

"I'm sorry Lib, I couldn't not tell you,"

"Thanks for letting me know." I said pulling Lauren into a hug. I held all my emotions in, buried them deep down. "I'm going back to my room, I just need to be on my own right now,"  She tried to get me to stay and talk but I insisted in leaving her room and going back to be on my own. I told her I would be fine, that it was just what boys did.

It was stupid to even think about Daniel in the way I did, I was just another fish in the sea to him. And he had an ocean full to choose from. Deep breaths