The Limit (Sebastian Vettel)

71. Lake Como

Lily felt like an extra from an episode of the Walking Dead as she boarded the aeroplane the following morning.

Despite her exhaustion she'd only managed a couple of hours sleep. For once it had been nothing to do with Seb, she'd just been far too hot to sleep comfortably. The air conditioning hadn't been working, and when she'd reported it to reception she'd been told it would be fixed in the morning. Fat lot of good that was to her!

She just hoped she'd get the chance for a nap on the six hour flight that was ahead of her.

She located her seat, took her air pods out of her backpack and then put the backpack into the overhead storage rack.

Finally she sank down onto her seat and made herself comfortable.

Charles sat down in the seat next to her and gave a loud sigh. "I can't wait to go home!" he said.

"You heading there tonight?"  They we're both heading straight to Maranello for a couple of hours after they landed in Milan. 

"Yeah, I just want to sleep in my own bed.  I've been away far too long.  And I miss Charlotte."

Charlotte, Charles' girlfriend had been unable to come to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to work commitments.  

"Are you going to your new place tonight?"

"Yeah, not that I have anything there.  Well, I have a bed.  My landlord took delivery of it for me, along with the bedding and assembled it all.   For a hefty fee might I add."

"At least you won't have to sleep on the floor."

"That's true.

"When's all your other stuff arriving?"

"Well, luckily the house already has its kitchen appliances. I've ordered all new furniture and stuff, it's arriving Wednesday. Makes sense to leave everything in the U.K. house as we can use it as a base there. And I might decide I don't like it in Italy. All the stuff we are bringing, like clothes, books, and so on, Joel's arranging all that. It's being collected by a removal company on Wednesday, then Joel is flying out on Thursday afternoon."

"Well I hope it all goes smoothly. When are you going to Maranello again? After today I mean."

"Friday. Then Sunday I'm flying out to Melbourne. Gonna meet up with some of my sisters."

"Ah of course, it's another home Grand Prix for you isn't it?"

"Yeah." Lily sighed. She knew she should go and visit her father's grave, but she still couldn't face it. 

"Well, hello there."

Lily thought she was dreaming at first.  Was she that obssessed with Seb that she'd started imagining his voice everywhere?  

She realised that she hadn't been imagining it when Charles turned round and began speaking to him.  If Charles had heard him he had to be real, right? 

She turned her head and there he was, as large as life, sitting in the seat directly behind her, a big grin on his face. 

"Seb, what on earth are you doing on a flight to Italy?" Charles asked him.

"I'm filming a commercial for Peroni in Milan."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him. He was on her flight and he hadn't thought to tell her? 

She didn't know whether to be cross or elated. 

She sat in silence while the two men chatted away.   Soon it was time to take off, and when they were in the air Lily found she was struggling to keep her eyes open.