𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐃 || 𝐹. 𝐴𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑜

.04

The sun is setting over the streets of Spain, and Eloise fixes the collar of her white and orange race suit, waiting with Fernando and Lewis to be shown to where they are supposed to be. The McLaren marketing team members and interns hustle around the three in a show of what looks like complete chaos as the final important details of procedure are ironed out and everyone prepares for the car launch to officially begin.

She had been informed by Maria that the three of them were to ride in the back of a new Mercedes SL55 in a sort of parade through downtown Valencia to kick off the car launch, and then there would be a few interviews while some performances went on the stage before the drivers were introduced and Fernando and Lewis would reveal the car. To kick off the night the the two boys would do some laps around the streets and show off the new McLaren MP4/22.

And, while Eloise was a bit disappointed to learn she would not have the chance to drive the car here in Spain tonight, she was quickly reassured that she would do some test laps back home in England and would get plenty of time to adjust to the car during pre-season testing in Australia. Besides, by the time she had her race suit on and was being ushered to Lewis and Fernando, her bitterness had been long since forgotten, and as she did one last check in the mirror she promised to herself that she was going to put on her best smile and prove to all the little girls in the crowd that dreamed of sitting in an F1 car that they could do it. She wanted to be role model, an inspiration. She wanted to leave a mark, even in a small way, even as a test driver.

She folds her phone back into her bag and sits it aside with one of the interns as the sleek black Mercedes sports car comes rolling up and Maria tells the three drivers to get into the car. The driver opens the door to the back seat for the three, gesturing for them to get in. They share a look for a moment, not exactly sure if there is any particular order they should be sitting in. It seemed that everything had been planned down to the very last detail, so Eloise assumes that they must want someone particular in the middle, though Fernando just shrugs it off and gestures to the car with a joking:

"Ladies first, right?"

At first you want to decline, but with Maria or any of the other marketing team nowhere in sight and the driver urging the three to hurry up, she shrugs it off and gives into Fernando. She slides into the black car, climbing over the seats to sit up on the trunk. The top is down and as she slides to the far right of the vehicle she can practically hear the cheers of the crowd, can practically feel the Mediterranean sunset shining in her eyes. It really is exhilarating.

Fernando slides in next to her, and Lewis on the other side. It is a bit of tight squeeze with the three drivers all awkwardly trying to share space sitting up on the trunk of the car, and Eloise can feel Fernando's thigh pressed against her own. However, it really isn't that uncomfortable at all, and she is so caught up in the thrill of the launch that she barely pays him any mind anyway. It will be even better once they are in front of the crowd, she thinks, dwelling back on her podiums and wins from the junior series.

But not all goes as plan, and just before they are about to take off Maria comes speed walking over, waving her hands and declaring that everything is all wrong. Everything being the minor fact that Fernando was in the middle and she had imagined Eloise being in the middle and guys on either side.

"I told you all this earlier," she explains, her face flushed red as she pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Boys on either side and ladies in the middle, with you all sitting like this all the photo opps are completely destroyed!"

Eloise shares a confused look with her Spanish counterpart, who only manages a small shrug and an annoyed look at how much this is being blown out of proportion. Lewis, luckily, saves the two, managing a sympathetic and apologetic smile at the frustrated media director.