I'm going crazy, how am I supposed to fix this issue? Ah I hate this, 6 hours in the office and now I'm back home, I should be packing but no, tyres issues again. Pirelli stats and our car just don't go along on paper or on track.
I'm going to finish this tomorrow on the flight to Melbourne, I need to finish my luggage if I don't want to miss the flight and I also need to get some sleep.
L-Hi, you're probably sleeping but I wanted to know if you're up for a little chat and a nice smoothie in Melbourne this weekend-
I completely forget that I agreed to meet Lewis, we talked a lot in the last two weeks, lots and lots of texts. He is such a nice guy and I like to have a friend that is inside and outside F1, hard to explain. He looks so untouchable from the outside and I'd never thought he could talk to someone like me.
I-Sure, I'll text you tomorrow when I know my schedule for the weekend-
Ok, now, sleep and tomorrow we go to Australia.
Just landed in Australia and I'm so excited, I've never been here. The bus for the Ferrari team is already here and we are all so jet lagged that some of us fall asleep before reaching the hotel. Fortunately I got a room at a high floor, I'm scared of spiders and I have this stupid idea that they don't reach higher floors.
I-Just landed, I have some free time before dinner-
L-Perfect, I got here yesterday so I'm in, let's meet at this place, I'll send u the address-
I-Got it, see you there-
I put on a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans, I try to squeeze everything in my little purse, I can't bring my Ferrari backpack it'll be too recognisable.
At 4 pm I leave the hotel and I take the bus to the place Lewis sent me, when I arrive I'm amazed, I was expecting something...else. It's a cozy cafe near the beach, just outside of the city, there are just 2 other clients and an old nice lady behind the cashier.
"Hey"
I turn around and I see him, he looks so normal with the ponytail and without the race suit. I recognise the guy I've been texting for the last two weeks more than the racing driver superstar.
"Hey, this place looks amazing"
"I found it a couple of years ago, no paparazzi here so we can just relax and enjoy their amazing smoothies"
He orders for the both of us and we sit in a little table in the corner of the room.
"Ready for the race?" I ask.
"Kinda. I'm always ready to race but this car is awful" he laughs.
"I've always admired Mercedes, you have a great team, they are going to fix it"
He smiles and keeps drinking.
He got a strawberry smoothie and I got a vanilla one.
"First time here?"
"Yes, I've traveled a lot but never to this part of the world, guess my phobia for spiders didn't help"
"Are you afraid of spiders?"
"Oh yes, I'm so glad they gave me a room at the 8th floor"
He laughed and I look at him offended.
"No I'm not laughing at you, I have the same phobia and , someone said I'm ridiculous for this but I believe the same, that there are no spiders at higher floors"
"You are joking..."
He does a serious face and I start laughing.
We talked for a while and all I can get from the conversation is the need that we both have of a friend, it's so nice to have someone to talk about on race weekends, I love my colleagues but technical stuffs always pop up when we are talking and it's a bit annoying. With Lewis everything is smoother, we spend two hours just chatting about random topics.
I almost forgot we are here for work until he checks the time on his phone and says "Fuck, it's late, can I take u back to the hotel?"
"I...yes it'll be nice, I don't like walking alone in a new city when it's dark"
"I wouldn't have let you" he said guiding me to the car.
I didn't see the car he came with, it's a Mercedes AMG, brand new. He catches me staring at that beautiful car.
"I know, a cliché, but they gave me this car, you know it's race week and I have to go around in a Mercedes" he smiles, a bit uncomfortable.
"Oh c'mon Lewis, I dreamed about even touching an AMG, I will ask you for more rides"
He smiles and we get into the car.
We are both very late so I jump off the car and scream a "bye" while running into the hotel.
Shower and elegant clothes, I do a simple make up because I have no time. I spend the rest of the night at the launch of the new Ferrari walking around the room with the clients asking for informations about the car, when I finally get back to my hotel room I lay on the bed and fall asleep with all my clothes still on.
The press day pass by and I don't even realise that the cars are already on track for FP1.
Everything is perfect. Carlos is amazing on track and Charles looks like he is flying.
Between the two FP I go to the hospitality to have lunch with some of the other engineers. They are talking about the amazing tyre management that Carlos showed earlier that morning, I get distracted by a huge crowd running in the paddock, who is there?
Lewis appears with his race suit tied up on his waist, sunglasses on, he's trying to reach the Mercedes garage and at the same time he is trying to sign as much caps he can. I looked at him and shake my head, he smiles, ok he saw me.
"If we see each other in the paddock we can't say hi so just shake your head" he said laughing the last time I saw him.
I finish my lunch and go looking for Carlos.
"Hey Carlos aspettami" [Hey Carlos wait for me]
"Ciao Bella" Carlos as the others Italian colleagues doesn't like my French name so the just call me Bella, like the Italian translation of my name Isabella.
"Dobbiamo parlare del cambio, ho bisogno di un feedback sul nuovo setup" [We need to talk about the gearbox, I need to have a feedback on the new setup]
"Vale" [ok [spanish]]
I like talking to Carlos, he is such a nice person and a really smart driver, he knows a lot of technical things so it's a pleasure working with him. He was the first person I met on my first day of work and since then he has been so nice with me.
"Sicuro di star bene? Mi sembri agitato e tu non sei mai agitato" [are you sure you're ok? You look anxious and you are never anxious]
"No no sto bene" [no no I'm fine] but I don't trust him.
Saturday quali passed really quick and I don't even realise it's race day. Carlos is still a bit anxious even if I don't get why.
"Buena suerte Carlitos" [Good luck Carlos[spanish]] I say to him smiling when he gets off his driver room.
"Grazie" he smiles and runs down the stairs for the national anthem.
Disaster. A disaster. I watch Carlos car spinning and gasp when I see him stuck in the gravel.
"Merda" [shit] I say.
When he got back to the garage, I leave the engineer room, as I'm only a Carlos engineer I don't have to take decision for Charles so my work is done as Carlos race.
"Mi dispiace" [I'm sorry]
"Tranquilla, brutta sensazione tutto il weekend come avevi capito" [don't worry, I had a bad sensation the whole weekend as you knew] he smiles but he has sad eyes "three races. Three. E già un DNF" [and already a DNF]
"Carlos succede. Vedrai andrà meglio, andiamo di la a vedere il resto della gara?" [It happens Carlos. You'll see it'll be better, why don't we go watch the rest of the race?]
"Vai pure, mi cambio e arrivo" [yeah, you ho, I change my clothes and come there]
I sit in the garage 55 on the floor and take a pair of headphones. Now we focus on car 16. Or at least that's what I'm supposed to do but I also watch the 44 and he is struggling so much, fuck.
The race is over, another flag comes to Maranello. Everyone is cheering in the garage and even Carlos has a smile on his face.
"Sono così contenta per Charles" [I'm so happy for Charles]
"Se lo merita quel cabrón" [he deserves, that cabron] Carlos says laughing.
We run under the podium and sing, or better scream, the Italian anthem. I'm happy. And there's a Mercedes on the podium, good signal for Lewis. Lewis. I look around but I can't see him. As the ceremony ends I go to the back parking where the other 17 cars are and I spot him, there's no one in the parking just him watching his W-13 with a hand on his back.
"Hey"
He sees me and forces a smile "hey"
"Are you ok? The proposing was awful today but you still manage to get P4"
"Mh good"
I don't really know what to do.
"Thirsty?" I say with a smile
He smiles "no, not this time"
I see some people approaching so I whisper a "bye" and walk away.
L-Got some time for a last smoothie before the flight?-
I watch Lewis text and smile, even if Ferrari won my driver Carlos had a bad race and that means I'm having a bad day.
I-A quick one-
L-picking you up in 10 minutes-
I smile while I change my clothes and close my luggage.
YOU ARE READING
Red Silver
FanfictionSEASON ONE "You're like red silver" Toto says. "What do u mean?" I am confused. "You have always been silver, just red painted at the beginning. The paint is gone and you're one of us now, a silver star, Lewis favourite silver star" he smiles. SEA...
