Mystery in Red

Chapter XXVI - The invisible helper

28.Apr – FP1 and Qualifying Day

It was finally Friday, and the race weekend could officially start. I was excited being the main responsible for the race days and as a result my heart kept beating faster than normal. The task entrusted to me by the team principals was a double-edged sword and everyone from the team understood that pretty well. The weekend had a completely new format, with which even the experienced teams were working for the first time. I suspected that I had been deliberately thrown in the deep end and there were two options. I would either float or drown.

But the day was full of important events and not only on the track. One of the most important people in this team had a birthday today and this was Laurent Mekies. When I and Charles were traveling back to the hotel yesterday, the Monegasque shared with me an information that next year Mekies wouldn't be part of the team anymore. He was going to Scuderia Alpha Tauri and with this my connections in the leadership team were running out. I also realized that no one had taken care to organize anything in his honor, after all it was his last birthday with our team. And because I am a grateful person, I've decided to take it on myself. Before we got to our temporary home, I managed to find a working patisserie that would agree to make a custom French Biscuits and Walnut Cake for 200 people in less than 16 hours and to deliver it to the circuit, where before the FP1 we were going to surprise the Deputy team principal. It wasn't that hard to organize these things at all. Once Charles just walked into the store, smiled at the lady at the counter and said his name in that sweet French accent, everything was done. He knew very well when to use it. Even my legs twitched when I heard him saying it. After that he sent a message to every person of the team with the hour and the place of our surprise, and everything was done. He was right – we both were a good team. And I realized I started to get used to do some things together with Charles and I liked to spend time with him... But was that right?

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With the ringing of my alarm, my torment began. As soon as I opened my eyes, my heart skipped a beat and my stomach curled into a ball of worry. I realized that my work would be scrutinized and even the smallest mistake could cost the team dearly, as well as myself. After the conversation with Charles yesterday, I made it my goal to do everything I could to make this weekend one of the best for him. However, Carlos' words that he felt bad about always being behind kept popping into my mind, so as much as I still didn't have good feelings for him, I had to deal with the car and his performance. Everything was so complicated – there were only three seats in the cool down room and two of them seemed permanently reserved for the Red Bull drivers. I had to find a way to break the hegemony of RB, but there was no way I could beat the team from Milton Keynes on my own. I needed the Scuderia to be reunited. The driving objective now was more points in the drivers' and constructors' championships, not who would finish ahead of the other. The top 4 brought the most points and even the motorhome cleaner had to do her best to help us achieve the good results we all needed.

It was 7am – the perfect time to get up and start my preparation for the day. After my daily routine at the bathroom, I dressed myself up in the Red Uniform and stood up in front of the mirror. I put all the lucky amulets I had on, as always – they became an integral part of my outfit, especially after I started believing they saved me from a kick out. Then I put my hair in a fish bone braid and finished my appearance with light make up, and my favorite perfume. I looked at myself and smiled. I was proud that I ended up here – preparing for one of the most important days in my life and hoped that I would finally prove my worth. I hope to be accepted from now on. I ran my finger gently over the prancing horse emblem on my chest and bit my lips to keep myself from crying. I became so emotional so far, it wasn't typical for me.