Pretending | Max Verstappen

- 29 -

Zoe

My jaw dropped instantly as I saw the picture in front of me.

Max was standing a couple of steps in front of me, holding a big cake in his hands. Unsure he half smiled at me but I wasn't able to react in that moment. Behind him and around us were all the other members of RedBull standing, all my colleagues.

As they all started singing happy birthday a little tear rolled down my cheek and for a moment everything bad was forgotten. I was just in this moment, feeling a sudden happiness building up in my stomach, which was also caused through the two blue eyes that were still looking at me.

After they had finished I turned to Christian, who was standing next to me, because after all he was the only one who could knew about my birthday.

"Why, Christian?"

He started grinning and I wasn't sure what he meant with it, but before I could ask again, someone interrupted me.

"It was my idea."

My head flipped around and I looked at the Dutch, who was now standing right next to me. The cake had found a place on some desk near by so his hands were free now.

"W... What?"

"Remember when you told me all cheeky that you wouldn't have time for pretending here in Zandvoort because it was the weekend of your birthday?" Max said and I tried to think back but I couldn't remember, probably because it was just a quick comment.

But he remembered it.

"I know, a lot happened between but I planned this a long time ago and even if you really wanna leave tomorrow and can't accept me any longer, which is understandable with everything I had done, I hope you like it at least a bit."

I couldn't hold my tears back any longer and started crying in front of him and Christian. His words just meant so much to me, even if it hurt to hear him say such things about himself. He didn't have any fault in this, why did he still thinks that?

Without saying anything I threw my arms around his neck and pulled me into a hug. Immediately I felt his hands on my waist and a warm and good feeling went through my body, god I had missed that.

As I didn't move, Max let his hands wander to my back after a while and he pulled me even closer while breathing in my hair. I could hear his breath trembling and I myself started shivering a bit.

"I am so sorry Zoe." Max whispered and I could feel him giving a kiss to my hair line.

"It's not your fault, it's mine." I returned quiet and leaned back in his arms so I could see his face, which was also covered in tears.

"It's not your fault either, it's my father's."

"But I should have told you earlier, because then it wouldn't have come to that point." I mumbled and looked away, "You wouldn't have fallen in love and it wouldn't be such a mess, you would just can go racing and date models without a care in the world."

"But I don't want that." Max interrupted me, "I want you. And I hate the fact that I can't have you, I'm not good enough for you."

His words caused me to laugh and I stepped back so his arms fell back down, next to his body.

"You not good enough for me? I am the whore and you are the famous racing driver, so if someone is not good enough than it's obviously me."

"Don't see yourself like that, it's your past and you are so much more than that!" Max said a bit louder and I got a bit scared, which was why I stumbled back, until my back hit the garage wall.

Luckily nobody looked at us or more me, everybody was back at work, or chatting while eating the cake. Max had followed me and was now standing only inches away from me.

"I don't see you that way and you should also do that, you are so much more than your past Zoe." he whispered while placing a hand back on my waist.

"But I can't do that." I said and the tears started running again, "What am I besides a cheap girl, who... who"

I couldn't finish the sentence as I wasn't sure what to say, but on Max's lips grew a smile as he started talking again.

"You are a beautiful and gorgeous woman, both ways. The RedBull cloths look as hot on you as the fancy dresses you wore during the celebrations. I remember the first time I saw you all dressed up in that red dress and at that moment I was sure that i had made a mistake in that plane for telling you not to fall."

Max made a short break and looked me deep into the eyes so that thousand of butterflies started flying in my stomach.

"I loved our little arguments and how sassy you could get." he continued and my jaw dropped.

But Max laughed and brushed a tear away from my cheek.

"It was cute and incredible hot at the same time."

"I hated it but you are right, it was another reason for me to fall for you. I am sorry that I broke the promise, I really tried." I blurred out and Max's eyes widened.

"Never listening to me, I see." he teased me and we laughed, "Like always."

Then we fell silent as nobody knew what to say next. Max's hand was still laying on my waist while mine had found their way to his chest.

"I really tried." I repeated more t myself, before I looked up at Max, "But that evening in Monaco, the dinner Christian arranged, that was probably the point where the line between pretending and real feelings blurred for me."

Max's eyes widened as he seemed to remember that moment.

"Fuck yeah, that moment in the bar was damn hot. I was so close to just taking you and confessing my feelings to you. All the tension from the months before almost exploded in me and your touch didn't exactly contribute positively to it."

"But your ex showed up." I said and rolled my eyes, thinking back at that moment.

"Yeah and unfortunately we quickly left after that but god, you don't want to know what I was thinking about in bed that evening." he laughed, clearing referring to him jerking of at the thought of me.

"Oh my god, Max!" I yelled and hit his arm while turning bright red.

The thought of him cumming while thinking about me didn't disgust me, it was hot some how.

"It's not my fault, you're the one looking fucking hot, especially in that dress with the long slit on the side, were I could brush my hand" he mumbled while getting more quiet with every word, still grinning.

I just rolled my eyes at his comment but on my lips was also a big smile.

"But you're smiling again, I like it. Mission accomplished."

For the second part I hit him again before I freed myself form his hand to step away. I didn't want him to see that he was making me blush. He was cute and I couldn't deny that, neither could the feelings inside my body.

"Hey Graham, don't I get a 'thank you' for the cake?" Max shouted after me and I rolled my eyes while smiling.

"Only if you win today, Verstappen." I winked at him before he got called by his engineer and left my field of view.

With the big grin on my lips I stepped over to my colleagues and the cake, because I wanted to know what max had picked out. Of course it was a chocolate one, my favorite. This man really remembered all my details, another thing why I was falling for him.

"Hey Zoe, happy birthday." Timo said a little while later.

We always had could speak normal with each other and also started a little friendship, even though I had to admit that we hadn't spoken in a bit now.

"Thanks, how are you?" I asked him as it was just us, standing in the back of at the garage next to the cake.

His smile faded and he lowered his voice.

"How are you, I mean being a little whore, throwing yourself at Max Verstappen even though he broke up with you races ago. You shouldn't be here, this is a winning team and not some place where we need cheap bitches like you."