Red Silver

S2.C21 - Silver stars (Abu Dhabi, part two)

On Saturday morning, Isabelle and Lewis arrived at the track together, matching yellow outfits and a huge smile on their faces, they were ready for the last qualification of the year.

During the last free practice session, the cameras kept going on the young woman in the silver garage, the eyes focused on the screens in front of her and her voice clear on the radio with the two drivers of her team.
"They are looking at you" whispered Toto sitting next to her.
"I'm sadly getting used to it"
"Sadly? You are loving it"
She smiled "yes but not always"
"But cameras on you in the garage are fantastic, aren't they?" he smiled at her facial expression "god you really are like Lewis"
"You hired me for that"
"Esattamente" [of course] he answered in Italian "are we good for this weekend?"
"Race pace perfect, balance perfect, speed higher than everyone else"
"Let's close it in the best way"

"Satisfied with this qualification session?" asked the reporter to Isabelle.
"Yes, of course, front row" she smiled, fixing her team shirt, she was still nervous when she was the one talking for the whole team with the press.
"Are you going for another win?"
"Absolutely! We want to close it well, we want to deserve those championships completely"
"I don't think there are doubts about that"
"I don't either" Isabelle laughed softly, she turned around at Lewis voice on the other side of the TV Pen.
"Another thing that everyone is loving is seeing you and Lewis together"
Isabelle smiled and before walking away she said "Not everyone likes that but they'll have to live with it"

Isabelle finally entered the motorhome to enjoy the first break of the day, she ordered a salad and a coffee at the cafeteria and sat down in one of the sofas in a corner of the room.
T- Conference room 2. Now. Toto- Isabelle looked at the phone and put down the coffee she was drinking.

She entered the room and saw other four engineers and the two drivers, she walked to Lewis and gave him a quick kiss "why are we all here?"
"I don't know"
"No idea" said George by his side
"Bad news, they got us 10 places grid penalty for tomorrow" said Toto
"What? Why?"
"I'm waiting for the explanation"
"But but what" Isabelle started to feel another panic attack coming Abu Dhabi got a curse on us
Lewis saw her panicking "hey, hey Isabelle, look at me" he grabbed her face and their eyes met "it's ok, it's ok we are winning tomorrow anyway"
"They are doing it again" she whispered
"No they are not, don't worry ok?"
Isabelle looked at him, he was calm, he was the one who went through it in 2021 and now he was the calm one.
"Ok" she trusted him.
"You know what we are going to do now?" He smiled "we are going to the engineers room, I'm going to sit next to you and we are going to analyse every detail together, ok?"
"Ok"
"I'm going to get us something to eat and we'll meet there" he gave her a little kiss on the forehead before exiting the meeting room.
Isabelle turned around, George was discussing with Toto.
"They can't do it"
"It looks like they can, I told you George we are waiting for the papers"
"I'm so -"
"George" the girl's voice interrupted him "do you wanna join us in the engineers room?"
"Third wheel?"
She smiled trying to look convinced and trying to cover her panic "no idiot, we are reviewing for tomorrow. They wanted to play the grid card and we are going to play the race card"
George smiled "alright miss, I'm coming too"
"Trusting you on having no strange penalties here didn't work but I trust you on track and that's what is really important right now"
He smiled and hugged her "my Italian girl"

It was the last Sunday of the season, Isabelle looked at the outfit on the bed, beautiful black Valentino long high waist trousers with a white and black corset by Dior.
"What are you going to wear?"
"A black suit"
"Like?"
"I show you" he said grabbing his outfit and entering the bathroom.
When he exited she gasped, he was wearing a black suit opened in the front, his abs showing, the trousers long enough to cover his shoes and the jacket was not a regular one but it was long. He grabbed the police sunglasses on the desk and put them on "so little star, is it enough for the last show?"
"Breathtaking"
"It will be a hard competition for people to choose who to look at" he said touching her corset and continuing with his hands on her naked shoulder making her shiver.
"God, you are so fucking beautiful"
Her eyes were looking straight to him, the green was unbelievably clear that morning and the gaze was ice cold "Last dance"
"Last fight"
Her lips formed a smile and she got closer to him, their lips touching as she said "Let's show them for a last time who they tried to destroy and failed"
Lewis put a hand on her neck and pulled her close for a kiss.

Lewis entered his driver room just after the drivers parade, he took off his clothes and put on the race suit, the fireproof smelled like Isabelle, he put it in her luggage every race to have her in the car with him on Sunday. He smiled and grabbed the little box on the table, the FIA paper behind, to bring jewels with you in the car you need approval so he asked for it, the took it off the box and put it in a pocket of his suit. He had just one target that day: win.

The cameras were all on the Italian girl next to the two Mercedes in the sixth row, Isabelle was standing between them, her hands behind her back, the gaze on the ten cars in the front, she was analysing every possible scenario for that race, every possible strategy, every possible mistake. Lewis and George arrived together on the grid, they went straight to their car in their eyes the anger for the FIA decision was visible.
"Quante strategie possibili?" [How many possible strategies?]
"Eight" Isabelle answered but didn't turned around, she was too focused. Toto smiled and touched her shoulder to make her exit the trance state she was in.
"Like the title Lewis is bringing home"
She smiled "Add one and you have the title we are bringing home"
"Champagne is ready"
"I want the first place bottle"
"We'll have it"

Isabelle walked to George and hugged him, she then walked to the 11th grid position and looked at Lewis who was talking to Bono. She waited for him to finish and then she gave him a little kiss on the helmet, she stayed a moment with her forehead against the helmet, her eyes looking into his eyes "I love you"
"I love you" he answered and with that she put the visor down so the show could begin.

The race was a show under every aspects, the beautiful overtakes the two Mercedes did were one less predictable than the one before, Lewis and George were just monsters and in a couple of laps they already were half way to the top. Isabelle wanted to make something unforgettable so she did, calling a strategy that was the riskiest she could, Toto and the team trusted her and the night she spent with the two drivers in the engineers room was enough to make them follow her instructions without questions.

"Lewis Hamilton takes the checkered flag as P1 here in Abu Dhabi followed by his team mate George Russell P2! It's a 1-2 for Mercedes! It's a double championship for the team! Ladies and gentlemen I present you the world champion, the record is broken, Lewis Hamilton is an 8-time champion of the world! Mercedes did an unbelievable job and takes home the constructor championship with the most perfect car this sport has ever seen"
As the reporter was shouting, the whole team was running to the Parc ferme, Isabelle hugged Toto before following them with him by her side.

Lewis exited the car and celebrated together with George. Isabelle pushed to make her way through the crowd, Lewis took off his helmet and heard her voice shouting.
"Isabelle!" He said seeing her smile exiting the crowd, she jumped over the barricade and ran to him.
He lifted her up and she hugged him tightly, her face buried in his neck. He took a minute to silence the world and just look at her, she got some sweat in her face due to the heat weather, her eyes were showed a bit of tiredness but they were shining , the most beautiful green he has ever seen. The white team shirt was into the black Valentino trousers, her tiny waist underlying by the black belt.
"Isabelle" he said, she looked into his eyes "sposami" [marry me]
She looked confused at him, he kneeled, from a little pocket in his race suit he took off a ring, it was a silver ring with a diamond "This is made with last year car materials, I know it is not traditional but we have never been traditional, am I wrong?"
"Lewis, I..." a tear ran down her face as her lips formed a huge smile "Yes, yes, yes! Oh my God yes!"
He got up and hugged her, the crowd still trying to see what was happening in the parc ferme.

Isabelle turned around seeing both their families watching them, George was just in front of them crying and applauding.
"Oh Georgie"
"I'm so happy" he said hugging them.
"I see you're crying"
"You're crying too" he answered laughing.
"Quick on the podium" said Toto from behind interrupting them.
"It is your turn, Toto" Isabelle screamed
"No, you go, it's ok Isabelle, I think they want you on the podium"
Isabelle turned around to the crowd of her teammates and they all smiled at her, Bono pointed at the podium and screamed "C'mon, go show that trophy and that ring!"
She smiled and followed Lewis and George in the under podium.

Finished the champagne of her bottle she sat on the step of the podium, her clothes drenched in champagne, confetti stuck on her skin, the bottle in her hand and the trophies beside her. Lewis was spraying the team and George was emptying the bottle on his team mate, the screams were filling the air. Happiness, victory, revenge, Isabelle was trying to elaborate all the feelings she was having in that moment. Max after spraying a bit of champagne went back inside, on the podium there were only silver stars, only black uniforms. She looked up at the sky, it was just like the podium, full of stars, she smiled and closed her eyes.
"We made it."