Hollow River

5.

It was late and I was still walking around in this paddock. Why?

Why was I still here? Maybe because I actually didn't mind being here and I had to find a job now Lando took his card back.

How much I hated this, I had to ask Christian to give me a job.
I could already see the smirk on his face.

God I hated this.

"I need a little favor" I smiled at Christian. He probably already expected me to come to him.

"You want to go home?" He laughed. "I want a job" I interrupted his laugh.

"You want a job" he stared at me. I nodded but he still didn't say anything. "Yes Christian" I tried to knock him out of his thoughts.

He smiled a little. "I knew you would like it here"

No Christian. I just need money and I couldn't use Lando's anymore.

"I love it here" I said sarcastically but he didn't pick up on it. "Well, you like writing, don't you?" He said as he pointed at my notebook.

I nodded.

"Well you can walk with our social media manager for a while" he suggested.
I tried not to frown, but did he really think you needed writing skills to do that?

You needed to be funny, witty and probably love F1 to do that job. Everything I wasn't.

I still nodded. I wasn't gonna throw this opportunity away. Walking with their social media manager shouldn't be too hard.

Easy money.

"You can start tomorrow, be on time" he said as he grabbed his stuff.
He had a smile on his face as he walked out of the hospitality. He probably couldn't wait to call Geri and tell her everything that happened.

I grabbed my stuff as well and walked out of the paddock. Everyone left already, everyone except for Lando.

Why was he still here? Out of all people, why him?

"Goodbye River" he said as he scanned his pass and walked out. "Yeah see you tomorrow" I smirked.

He was probably expecting me to go home and never come back.
He was so wrong.

"Are you visiting the entire weekend?" He almost groaned. "I am" I smiled as widely as I could. Just to annoy him.

He rolled his eyes as he walked to his car.

I wasn't offended by his reaction, I actually thought he reacted pretty well.
He let me use his money for five months and just asked his card back when he saw me.

I kept staring at him for a while. He was laughing with someone, his trainer I assumed, as they were walking to his car.

His laugh was pretty contagious.

"You're staring" someone said as she bumped her shoulder against mine and laughed. "Dating an F1 driver is hard work, so think before you go there"

"Oh uh no, we hate each other" I said as I looked at her. She was beautiful. She had long brown hair and even though she was almost wearing no makeup, she was still one of the prettiest girls around here.

She frowned, as if she didn't believe me. "Anyways, I'm Charlotte"

"River" I introduced myself. "So you're dating one of these drivers?"

She chuckled a little. "I am dating Charles. The cutest one on the grid"

Cuter than Lando? He must be very handsome, which didn't surprise me because she was beautiful as well.

"Lucky you then" I laughed. I walked back to my hotel with her and we actually had a nice talk.

I was happy she was the one who caught me staring because for some reason, I could see us become very close.

———————

Before I went to sleep, I reread the kind words of a stranger.

I grabbed my pen again and started writing again. This time it wasn't my feelings which I wrote down.
I was writing directly to the stranger.

I was gonna leave my notebook on the same table again, maybe he would write me back.

I don't know why it made me excited to go back, but it felt as that person actually listened to me, he read my words and decided to write something to give me strength.

Thanks.
I needed those words.

Soooo, do you work here? I just started my job and I could really use some good advice.