"Now, the paddock can be overwhelming at times, so it's important I tell you three a few things before I set you loose." Our hostess, a young woman that can't be much older than twenty, is a no nonsense type of girl. She also seems entirely determined to 'set us loose' as she just phrased it.
It's probably because of Elsie, who's waving at every person that goes past. She thinks it's because they're her friends...which, to be fair, a lot of them are in Ferrari gear... but it's probably more so because of her outfit.
This morning, as Carlos was getting dressed, Elsie had insisted on wearing one of Carlos's polos. It's obviously several sizes too large, practically swallowing her whole, but she's been giddy all day because of it.
The hostess fixes her clipboard, reading through a page or two of whatever documents she's got there before beginning. "First, do not interact with any photographers. Second, do not respond to any calls for interviews. Third, do not interact with any fans because," I raise my hand, making Amira giggle by my side.
"How long have you worked in public relations?" It's a shot in the dark.
"I started a year and a half ago." A shot in the dark that I hit right on the bullseye.
I smile, lifting Elsie into my arms as soon as she begins to tug on my jeans. "And have you ever heard of Oceá Creative?"
"Of course I have. They're huge."
"Well," Amira hands the hostess one of my cards, just as giddy as Elsie, "I run Oceá. So trust me when I say, you have no need to worry about what I may or may not say to members of the media and the fans while here."
From there, the hostess is half excited to get rid of us and half disappointed to let Oceá Creative's CEO go without at least a request for a job interview. I briefly consider calling her back over to do just that, until I remember that I'd much rather go meet with my sort-of boyfriend in his garage.
With it being a Friday, and not race day, things aren't quite as hectic as they'll get this weekend, but it's still enough for me to keep Elsie in my arms as we make our way through to the garage.
There's still another two hours before the first practice session, thankfully, so we're brought into the garage with little delay. Carlos is already there, seated in his car going over a change made to his seat configuration.
Caco is the one to spot us first. Since our impromptu wine night, Carlos's cousin and I have begun to grow closer, especially once I told him that I knew about everything. He's got the same attitude as Carlos, determined to grow close with Elsie and I as we prepare to fully integrate into his family.
"Lucia Christine, ¿que tal?" The other thing he's determined to do, it seems, is to re-accustom Elsie to her full name. He kneels in front of his...first cousin, once removed? Carlos walked me through his family tree last night, after I'd asked, but it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
Elsie is stoked to see Caco again, running circles around him as she tells him about her day so far. Happy to see her happy, I skirt around the bouncing four year old to approach Carlos's car.
"Hola, guapo," With a nod from his engineer, I lean against the bar over his head, "Estoy buscando a mi novio, ¿lo has visto?"
Carlos smiles, reaching up to push himself out of his seat, "Es un hombre afortunado." I step to the side as he begins to fully exit the car, watching as he climbs out on the right side, closest to me.
Once he's standing right in front of me, I move back into his space, nearly melting as he pulls me into him by the waist. "I think I'm pretty lucky too," I whisper as he presses a kiss into my hair.
"After the race on Sunday, I was thinking we could," our conversation is cut short by Caco calling for us, looking frantic.
"Me giré un segundo y ella salió corriendo." Caco points out of the garage and to the pit lane. "The mechanics are looking for her right now."
I curse under my breath, separating from Carlos to hurry down in the direction Caco had pointed. At each garage I pop my head to, I get a variety of odd looks. Their reactions only get worse once Carlos catches up to me, rushing by my side and occasionally running ahead as we try to find Elsie as discreetly as possible.
"I swear to God, I'm gonna buy her one of those leash backpacks."
Carlos gives me a look, one that tells me there's no way in hell I'll be doing that. "I used to run when I was her age."
"I feel sorry for your mother," I grouse as we get to the last of the garages. I nearly collapse when I spot Elsie in there with someone I assume to be a driver.
The driver, noticing our arrival, greets Carlos with a friendly nod and a smile before turning his attention to Elsie, his curiosity piqued.
He's all smiles as he kneels beside my daughter, holding out a hand for continuous high fives. Whoever this guy is, he's damn good with kids. "Carlos, is this your little one? She seems quite interested in what we're up to here."
With all the careful media training he's been inundated with these last few weeks, Carlos shifts the conversation with grace. "Max, meet Mara, my girlfriend. And this delightful little lady is her daughter Elsie."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Max. You've got a knack for kids...do you have any of your own?"
Max shrugs, easily dodging Elsie's swinging hand when she misses her target, "My girlfriend and her daughter live with me...how old is Elsie?"
"Four, turning five in December," So far, Carlos hasn't left my side, standing at the entrance of the garage with his focus entirely dialled in on Elsie.
"I hope P is like this as she gets older. Right now, she's got zero interest in racing."
Carlos and I share a laugh, "I don't think she has an interest in racing quite yet...right now, she's all about running off when she shouldn't."
There's another shrug from Max, who finally rises from his squat beside Elsie to shake my hand. "Give it time. She's a Sainz, she'll race eventually." Dropping that bomb of a statement, Max claps Carlos on the shoulder and gives us a wave. "I'm off. See you at the briefing, Carlos!"
"What the fuck was that? Is he some kind of mind reader?"
My boyfriend shakes his head, "Nope, just Dutch."
"What's the difference?"
YOU ARE READING
solo / carlos sainz
Fanfiction'you're allowed to be more than just a mummy' above all else, mara walsh is a mother. for as long as her daughter's been in her life, she's raised her all on her own and done a damn good job of it. so what happens when carlos sainz comes into her li...
