We are like diamonds in the sky

Beauty and a beat

(The chapter titels will this time be song titels. You can find all of them in the story playlist, link at the end of chapter 1)

* Helia*

"Helia, may I introduce you to your race engineer?", Christian Horner was showing me around the pits when a familiar face finally met my eyes.

"Nio!", I rushed towards him full of joy.

The Italian laughed heartily before catching me and wrapping me tightly in his arms "Uccellino!" (little bird in Italian) he laughed, stroking my back "I couldn't believe it when they told me they were coming for you. My heart almost burst with joy and I knew I had to have the job as your race engineer."

"Wait you volunteered?", I laughed, he nodded with a grin "You do know what you got yourself into though?", I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. But I can't put anyone else through that, can I?" he put his arm over my shoulder with a grin.

"I see you two are getting along.", Christian smirked "It was important to me that you have someone to harmonize with. We have some catching up to do. And when Antonio told me that you already worked together at Indy Car, it was clear that he would get the job. It's his first year here as race engineer, but I think with a driver he knows, it should be successful," he smirked "I'd just leave you in his hands right now too. Your coach doesn't arrive until tomorrow. Heikki Houvinen, does he mean anything to you?"

"Wasn't that Sebastian Vettel's coach?", I asked.

"Yes, exactly. We got him based on his good experience with Seb," Christian explained.

He made everything sound so expertly professional somehow.

"Cool. I can't wait," I nodded.

"Max isn't arriving until tomorrow, either. So today the pit is yours.", he said goodbye with a wave, my gaze immediately went to Antonio.

"Do you want to see the car?"

"You're still asking that?", I couldn't suppress the wide grin.

He smirked and then pushed me toward the pit. This was the part I had been waiting for all along. In one fell swoop, it was forgotten that I was actually completely overtired and had a complete jet lag. Now I finally wanted to see the new Red Bull. The real thing.

MY Red Bull.

Well, if you were really precise, the car was made for Checo Perez when it was designed.

But it was no secret that the relationship between Max and Checo had not been the best since Brazil last season. And a few days ago it had come to a falling out. He had left and taken the open cockpit at Aston Martin. They were happy to have someone they already knew at Lance's side and Checo had publicly wished his successor good luck with a team that shits on its second driver.

They had been harsh words.

But even at that point I didn't think I had a chance.

I knew I was being watched and had already been considered for the seat next to Max Verstappen, but then the idea had been dismissed. This time, like probably everyone else, I had firmly reckoned that Daniel Ricciardo would get the seat. But he had declined and wanted to take at least one more year off. And so I had slipped into the position.

Christian Horner had called me two days ago. Thanks to the time difference to Australia, his call had reached me in the middle of the night and at first I had thought the whole thing was a dream. But when I realized what was happening, everything happened very quickly.

In the last 48 hours I had hardly slept.

I had been incredibly excited, could hardly wait and now we finally entered the heart. The garage.