Pretending | Max Verstappen

- 01 -

Zoe

Last week was the car launch and my first meetup with Verstappen. To be fair Christian wanted it to be our first meeting but Verstappen didn't really paid much attention to it and just quickly looked at me and nod at Christian explanation.

Before that I had some conversations with the team principal and I had to admit that he is more friendly than I thought and he said I can come to him whenever I need something when we are on the road. Yes, I would be out there traveling from one race to another, what I never wanted to do but now I had to. For this arrangement Christian swapped my position with another worker from the team, who now will be working from Milton Keynes during the season while I would analyse the data from the cars during training.

"Are you ready Zoe?" Christian asked me while I was standing outside the jet looking at it.

Today we would be flying from England to Bahrain for the pre-season tests and I would be in a plane with Verstappen the next hours. The last time i met him a couple of days ago he didn't even pay attention to me and I already was annoyed by him. But I was afraid that I would lose my job if I say something against it and ok I had to admit I was a bit curious to experience formula one close up.

"Is Perez also flying with us?" I asked my boss while following into the jet.

"No, he is already there. It will only be you, me, max and his manager, who came up with the idea."

Oh. Now I know who had this fabulous idea and I was sure I wouldn't like him, because he put me in such a situation. Inside it was very comfortable and the RedBull driver was already sitting in one of the chairs across from his manager Raymond Vermeulen, who I had never met in person until now.

"Hey Christian who is this?"

I sighed quietly because his arrogant voice got already on my nerves. Verstappen looked weird at me while I took my seat across from the team principal.

"This is Zoe Graham, your girlfriend, for the media, you remember?"

It looked like he was thinking before he quickly looked at his manager who just nodded before he turned once again towards us.

"Yeah right I kinda remember you said something but I thought she would be a model or something."

Ouch. Okay I maybe wasn't the thinnest and prettiest but I wasn't ugly. Especially in my RedBull clothes and during work I didn't put much effort in my style despite nobody would see it. Like now I often wear my hair in a pony tale together with my glasses. When I was in school I often wear contact lenses but during work I found it more comfortable without them.

"She works for us, usually in the headquarter but she will support us on site. But the main focus is to show the media that you aren't a violent boyfriend so everybody focus on your racing again and our success."

"From the looks of her, it won't be easy to convince the media that she's my girlfriend." mumbled Verstappen while he leaned back in his seat.

My jaw dropped but nobody else had heard it, his manager is reading the newspaper and Christian had taken out his laptop. Shocked I shook my head and turned to the window where I only could see grey clouds.

I thought it would be a bit fun, of course it was clear to me that we would probably never be real friends or something but I thought we might get along with each other. But after his comments and his looks I was sure that it wouldn't be as imagined. On the contrary it would be horror for me but I hoped that at least the work on the road would make fun.

After two hours of doing nothing and thinking too much about the next weeks and months Raymond put the newspaper away and looked at me.

"Okay so lets set the appointments where you have to be present."

I sighed hoping it wouldn't be to much and to fancy because I was still a person who doesn't like the public too much. A picture together on Instagram or a hug while I was working was enough for me but I was sure they had something different in mind.

"For testing it is enough if you arrive at the same time as Max and walk next to him into the garage, so the first rumors start. At the first race I want you two to hold hands while entering the paddock and after the race of course go out together in the evening so people will see you."

Despite he was looking at his phone Verstappen heard every word from his manager and groaned in annoyance because of it. I sat there on my seat and couldn't get a word out why I just nod my head in response. The Dutch looked up from his phone because he didn't heard something from me. Than he looked at his manager.

"Why do we have to do this again?"

Raymond sighed once again and looked between us.

"Because everyone thinks you are violent and hurt people around you, have you forgotten?"

Verstappen laughed obviously fake and brushed trough his hair.

"Of course not, I see it every day in the media and get texts about it. But I don't get why with her, couldn't you have get me model or actress or something but not the last shit from our headquarter." he yelled and my jaw dropped once again.

Luckily his manager was also not happy with his tone and he looked strictly at Verstappen.

"Keep your tone. She is a really good data analyst and really important for RedBull. We picked her because she isn't present in the media and therefore would not draw to much focus on her."

I thanked Raymond in my mind and looked from him to the Dutch again who now starred at me.

"Okay fine but I don't talk to you if I don't have to. I warn you, don't fall for me. And don't think I will like you or ever fall in love with you."

I laughed inwardly and just shook my head at his statement, as if I wanted that. I could never like a person like him.

"You don't need to Max. It's just for the media and just for one season, maybe shorter."

Nobody said another word and everybody went back to their activities. Still confused with the whole situation I leaned back and watched outside while the plan was landing. The next days would be firstly very exciting because I was more than curious of my new work place and the garage and the car in action. At this thoughts the thing with Verstappen wasn't as present in my mind and I was glad about it.