Once Upon A Time In... | Toto Wolff

Chapter Three: Monaco

WEDNESDAY PM

You arrived in Monte Carlo on a bright and sunny Wednesday afternoon, having enjoyed a whistle-stop tour of Brackley the day before. You'd been pleasantly surprised by your office space, it was roomy and modern and you'd feel right at home there- if you ever got to stay in the UK for more than a few days.

As promised your office was right next door to Toto's, something you weren't sure was a blessing or a curse. The tall Austrian was still an enigma to you, sometimes he was warm and friendly, almost flirtatious, then the next minute a mask would go on and his demeanour completely shifted to cold and distant. You weren't sure which one was the real Toto but suspected he was somewhere halfway between the two acts.

The rest of the team had been brilliant in welcoming you into the role, with endless patience for your questions. You were pleased with the way that your department functioned and so far had no major red flags to report to the board. You were a little apprehensive about the impending UBS dinner but reassured that Toto would be there and that he had a close relationship with one of the stakeholders. They were the sponsor who offered the most in return for the least so an important company to keep on board for next season.

Your hotel in Monte Carlo was the best one yet, with a small balcony with a beautiful view of the famous harbour. It was a truly pinch me I'm dreaming situation.

As you unpacked your phone buzzed, it was Lara.

Hello. Hope you had a safe flight. TW will pick you up from your hotel at 19:45 for the 20:00 dinner. Thanks, Lara.

Surprised he would be driving himself you hurried a reply.

It went well thank you, Lara, sounds perfect. Thank you for organising.

Glancing at the clock and seeing it was just past six o'clock, you realised you had plenty of time to unpack, find an outfit and answer some emails.

——

You'd packed a few different outfit options having done a deep-dive stalk of the restaurant on Instagram, trying to decide what would best fit the vibe and the clientele. It was an upscale hotel restaurant with a panoramic view of the harbour and seemed to attract all sorts, from glamorous tourists to lowkey locals. After much deliberating, and a few texts to your trusted girlfriends' group chat, you settled on your favourite slip dress, paying special attention to your hair and make-up, keen to make a good impression and represent the team in the best way possible. 

At 19:40 you decided to head down to the lobby, not sure where Toto would be collecting you from. To your surprise he was already waiting in the lobby, looking incredibly dapper in a navy linen jacket, white shirt and crisp beige chinos. He was a striking man and you could see why he garnered so much attention in the paddock, standing head and shoulders above most of the other Team Principals. You saw him do a double take as he clocked you crossing the lobby.

"Good evening, you look beautiful," he said leaning down to kiss you on each cheek in the traditional European custom.

Slightly blushing you replied, "Thank you, and so do you."

He chuckled, "Thank you. I try. I've parked the car with the valet, let's go and grab it."

You followed him out of the lobby, more than aware that he was attracting curious stares and trying to ignore them.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long, Lara told me 19:45 so I thought I was early," you said apologetically.

"No, not at all, I was early. We're obviously on the same timing." he smiled as the valet went to fetch his car, "So, have you been to Monte Carlo before?"