He's my teammate

16 - July 7th

July 2023 - Austrian Grand Prix

There was tension between the two Red Bull drivers, and everyone could tell. Fans, reporters, mechanics, engineers, and especially Christian Horner. Red Bull's team principal. Since their fight wasn't exactly quiet, so it had traveled through the team like wildfire. Everyone knew they had fought, but the reason, thankfully, no one knew for sure. There were rumors, but no one confirmed them, which had been Christian Horner's idea. After he had called the two drivers into his office demanding to know the reason, it was his idea to keep it quiet. Not that either of the drivers wanted it broadcasted.

If it hadn't been for the style team, Max wasn't sure if he would have been able to put a decent suit together on his own. He probably wouldn't have gone and made some excuse, which everyone would have seen through, and Horner would have been upset. Which is probably the biggest reason for the style team. Usually, he could dress himself. Usually.

By the team he headed down to the cocktail party he was fashionably late, to say the least. He had made it mere minutes before he was needed on stage to welcome everyone. He was cornered almost immediately by a Red Bull rep who escorted him to the backstage area where Lando, Christian, and Helmut, Red Bull's team advisor and head of the driver development program. Both he and Christian did not look impressed, Lando hardly looked at his teammate.

"You're late." Christian commented and Max just shrugged.

"Sorry." He didn't have time to think up an excuse, nor did he even try to.

"It's fine, just act like you don't hate each other for the next few hours, can you manage that?" He looked at both drivers.

"Of course." Lando responded first, giving Christian a reassuring smile. Max gave a nod, which wasn't convincing, but Christian took it.

Before stepping on stage Max shook out his arms and tried to get rid of the chip he had on his shoulder about the whole thing. Lando gave him a small nod as if to say that he would do his best and Max returned it.

When he stepped out onto the stage he smiled focusing on the fans and trying his best to keep his mind free of any of the emotions that had caused him to be late. It was easy when people were cheering and clapping for him. Christian did most of the talking, then passed the microphone onto Helmut. The entire time Max scanned the crowd.

His eyes found her as she walked in through the doors at the far back of the room. Her dirty blond hair fell around her face and shoulders in a mess of curls and the dress she wore left nothing to the imagination. It cut across her shoulders and wrapped her body in a red wine-colored long-sleeved dress. The skirt was short and tight, but not short enough to be slutty, just short enough to make it impossible not to notice her. Arabella looked absolutely stunning. In every possible way.

She wasn't looking at him, instead, she was scanning the crowd for someone else, whomever she came with. Her earrings swung as she turned looking from side to side. In fact, she didn't pay any attention to the stage, didn't even give it a glance. As if she didn't care.

He watched as she smiled, finding whomever she was looking for then crossing the room towards where Katie, a snowboarder who competed with her, and a man were standing. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, and looked decent in a suit. Max could tell he wasn't as comfortable in his suit by the way he kept fiddling with the buttons and the hems of the sleeves. That or he was nervous.

Nervously talking to Arabella.

His hands balled into fists so tight that his nails started to dig into his palms. He lowered his eyes to the stage, trying his best to focus his breathing, trying to regain his composure. Max's attention shifted from the floor to Christian Horner who was talking about the Red Bull legacy and how proud he was to be a part of it. He didn't dare look at Lando, refused to even follow Horner as he stepped towards the young driver and put his hand on his shoulder.