Mystery in Red

Chapter XIV - Perfectly ruined

19. Mar – Second race of the season – Saudi Arabian GP

The team meeting after the qualification went well. For a first time ever, Vasseur and Mekies congratulated me in front of the whole team on the job well-done with the strategy and I was proud of my success. I could tell by the faces of Charles and Carlos they were also happy for me - looking at me with satisfied smiles. Because of my great performance today, the team principles and the Chief Strategist allowed me to lead the race communication tomorrow and to make the strategy for the race. Touché! Finally, I was supposed to do the work I have been hired for, not only staying aside just watching the game. I was going to be a direct participant in it and that was awakening the predator in me.

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The night passed, the sun rose, tenderly touching with its rays every corner of the Saudi land. It was the morning of the second race of the season. I woke up from my alarm at 8am, with enough amount of sleep and excitement in my soul. After successfully passing the test, I was put through yesterday, our drivers took good positions in the starting grid for the race, and I was satisfied with their performance. Even if Charles had a ten places penalty for today – from P2 to P12, it wasn't that impossible for him to do some overtakes and take the podium. He is very talented, and I believed in his perfect driving skills.

My heart started beating faster the first moment I opened my eyes and saw the date on my phone screen. The race was about to start at 8pm, so the whole day was at my disposal. As a main strategist today, I had to be with a clear mind and good physical condition before going to the circuit. My workday at the paddock was about to start at 3pm and I've decided to use my spare time only for myself – to calm my soul, unlock my chakras and motivate myself for the upcoming event, to be able to create the best strategy to take the podium. That's why I started with my daily beauty routine in the bathroom, then I changed into some sport clothes – leggings and a hoodie all in black and went to the gym in the hotel for a light workout.

After a two hours training session, I went back to my room and took a long hot bath. While lying in the bathtub, covered in lavender scented bubbles, I was drinking some coffee, reading about Saudi Arabia in an interesting National Geographic magazine, which I have found under the table in the living room.

When I finished my reading, I washed myself and got out of the bathroom. While I was curling my hair with a hairbrush and dryer, I started to think how weird was that I didn't catch any of the drivers at the hotel this morning. Neither Charles nor Carlos had written me messages today and that was even weirder. But I didn't want to bother them - they were probably still sleeping or somewhere doing meditation and yoga to boost their concentration before the race.

Ready with all my beauty procedures, I had enough time to sit on my bed and start creating a strategy "masterpiece". I wrapped myself in one of the hotel robes, then opened my notebook to revise the notes I took from the three free practice sessions, and the qualification, then searched for the weather condition today – hour by hour and suddenly I got the muse.

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I don't know how much time has passed but my alarm clock reminded me that I must leave for the circuit soon and brought me back to reality. Before getting up from my bed and begin dressing up, I looked over my notes again – I couldn't have made it more perfect.

Confident of the chances we had, I stood up from my place and began the preparation for the race. Because I couldn't betray my rebellious soul, I put on high–waste dark-blue jeans and only the red T-shirt from the uniform. Then I added gold jewelries – small coral earrings, a necklace with a coral gold luck horn, a ring in the guide star form, and a bracelet with other traditional Italian amulets – the "Figa" good luck pendant and the gold horn pendant - against evil eyes. Eighteen karats pure Italian gold all over me and full of positive vibes. I have been looking for a very long time for a special amulet to add in my collection – the "golden hunchback", but never found a proper one, or at least some that I will fall in love with. So, I had to settle only for two lucky charms on my wrist. Every single one of these jewels had its meaning, but the most important was the coral horn necklace. It was from my grandmother, and I would never leave my house without it, especially when I had important events to attend on. I made the mistake of forgetting it twice – on the previous race and the day of my first job interview at the Scuderia, and I believed that was the reason everything went so wrong since then.