Pretending | Max Verstappen

- 03 -

Zoe

"I have things to do, we will meet at the location." I heard Verstappen shouting after me as he wanted to leave the meeting room.

Quickly I went to my room and collected my things before heading out. It was round four and today we had raced in Baku. Unfortunately Leclerc had won because RedBull had problems with the car but Verstappen still managed to get P2, which was pretty good I thought.

As I wanted to leave the hospitality I crossed my way with the Dutch once again. Friendly I nodded towards him and said a quick good bye like our conversations had been exactly like this the last weeks.

"Don't wear something shitty again please, people will actually see us."

I froze when I heard his comment and turned around in horror but Verstappen didn't bothered and left without looking back at me. How could he say something like this. I mean it was a normal Verstappen and his comments had always been not brilliant but since the start of this week I thought it stopped or gone back but unluckily it didn't look like it.

In Jeddah there was a team dinner on Sunday evening and since it was just with people from work I didn't dress up much just put on some elegant trousers and s nice blouse. I had to say I was really satisfied with my look back than but somehow my "boyfriend" wasn't. Since it was a team event we didn't had to do much extra stuff beside sitting next to each other.

Apart from that we walked in holding hands and chatted in front of the garage about work stuff but never alone. Verstappen also said in an interview the other day that we would separated work and private live so people wouldn't see much in the paddock. Tonight was the first time we had an appearance in the public together since some drivers were heading out to a club.

Sorry my interviews took to long. I can't reach Max but are we guys driving together?

I smiled at the message while heading to my room on the sixth floor. Over the last weekends I became somehow close with Lando Norris. It all had started when we bumped into each other at the hotel corridor at night actually. After that we had spend some free time together, grabbing some drinks or just talking.

Lando was really funny and we got on very well. I was happy that I found someone in the paddock who I could talk to. Of course I had my team and they were of course all very friendly but we mostly talked about work. With the British I talked about god and the world and sometimes even Verstappen was there. Okay, these conversations took mostly place in the paddock when the Dutch and I arrived together.

The fact that I was Verstappens girlfriend didn't bothered Lando and he always made fun of how I could stand him. I always sighed when he brought this up, because I obviously couldn't tell him the truth even I wanted to, because we became really good friends over the last couple of weeks.

No problem and he is busy so I will drive alone but you can pick me up if you want ;)

I put my phone down and looked at my open suitcase. Some piece directly flew into my eyes but I shook my head. I wasn't thinking when I bought it but it was just so beautiful but absolutely not my style. But I somehow wanted to impress Verstappen today so he wouldn't say something mean again. 

Without thinking further I grabbed the dress and ten minutes later I looked at myself in the mirror. It was perfect, especially the color. I wanted to provoke him a bit for the last weeks and how he treated me because that had definitely not been okay. I was helping him and all I got in return were insulting comments and looks.

My gold necklace and earrings matched perfectly with the red of my dress, Ferrari red. I knew how much he was annoyed that Leclerc had won today and so I would rub it under his nose even more. A smirk appeared on my face when I though about the face he would make, but this was my revenge.

Suddenly a knock was on my door and when I opened a good looking Lando was standing in front of me.

"Oh lala Zoe, you look stunning. I never have seen you with your hair open it looks beautiful."

I hugged him quickly and thanked him before letting him in my room. While grabbing my watch and throwing last things in my purse Lando was looking at me the whole time.

"Do you wanna make Max a little hot tonight?" he asked and laughed at his own words.

In horror I stopped my movements and turned towards him. How I would have liked to tell him the truth about my looks at that moment, but that would reveal the complete secret. So I had to improvise and just nodded while grabbing my phone from the table, before I stood in front of Lando, waiting for him to start going.

"Than you also should change these to contact lenses, do you have some?"

While speaking he carefully took of my glasses and placed them on the table. I sighed and disappeared into the bathroom, but the idea became somehow better. Looking even better to showing this arrogant man what he's missing was pretty good idea I thought. When I looked up into the mirror at the end I was surprise.

It was years back when I dressed myself up like this but I actually liked it and maybe I would try it out more often in the future but first there was tonight and I had a plan to show Verstappen what kind of person he always insults and also to make him a little jealous. Of course he didn't like me so he couldn't be jealous but with my outfit I would draw some looks and I wasn't so sure mister I-need-attention would like it that much.

"Okay, now I'm in love with you. If I wasn't gay and you weren't Max's girlfriend, I would immediately ask you to marry me."

I felt how my cheeks turned red and for a moment I faded it out that he though I was Verstappens girlfriend.

"Oh Lando shut up." I just said and boxed against his arm.

The British just laughed and offered me an arm where I thankfully linked in. Together we left my room and went down to the taxi, which was taking us to the club. Verstappen hadn't texted me or anything but I was sure I would have some fun with Lando and maybe the other drivers since he would come.

Inside the club there were already many people and I wondered why I had to be present at this event, there were clearly too many people for anything relationship related. But my mood instantly changed when Lando introduced me to Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who were sitting in a corner of the club at some sort of couch.

"So you are Max's new girlfriend." the Spaniard said suspiciously while Lando headed towards the bar to get us something to drink.

"Yeah that's correct but I also work for RedBull, usually at the headquarter and this season on the site." I mumbled while trying to avoid eye contact with one of them.

"So they take you on road to show the world that Max isn't a violent person, at least I didn't see any bruises on your arms."

Shit. Charles was smart, he almost figured out why I was here.

"I am fine don't worry." I said and put on a smile, "But working from the garage is much more fun than in the office in Milton Keynes."

I winked at them and they also laughed as Lando came back with some drinks. Quickly I moved aside so he could sit next to Carlos. I noticed that some fans were shipping them but Lando told me that they were just friends, which I strongly doubted.

The next hour we spent talking and drinking before Charles spotted Pierre and Yuki on the dance floor and we stood up to say hello to them. Lando quickly introduced me once again and ether it was the alcohol or the really don't cared but none of them said something Verstappen related it, just Pierre opened his mouth.

"The dress is really beautiful, you look stunning in it."

"Yeah right, especially the color." Charles added and winked at me.

As soon as the music got louder and we had another drink my thoughts of Max disappeared completely despite wondering where he was. But suddenly we were back at the dance floor and I found myself next to Pierre and Charles. We moved our bodies to the beat and laughed at lot when my eyes wandered through the club.

My eyes froze when I saw two men at the entrance who seemed to be looking out for someone. When my eyes locked with the ones from the Dutch my mind went off for a moment. But somehow, maybe it was the alcohol, I remembered why I was dressed up like it and without thinking I laid my arms over Pierres shoulders, while still looking at Verstappen.