LIGHTS OUT - A Lando Norris fanfic

Chapter Seven

Florence settled into her seat at a quiet corner table in the bustling café, her laptop open in front of her. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the virtual interview that awaited her—a chance to prove herself for the role of Branding Manager at the McLaren Technology Centre. She'd already gone through a couple rounds of interviews, one with a senior manager and another presenting her case studies to a senior director.

As the video call connected, Florence found herself face-to-face with a panel of Marketing directors, one of whom she'd met already, Kristina. The others she knew from her research were Jon and Nikhil. Each one was now scrutinising her with keen interest. Her heart raced as she adjusted her posture, striving to exude confidence despite the nerves that churned in her stomach.

The questions came fast and furious, each one probing deeper into her experience, her creative vision, and her ability to drive results. Florence met each query head-on, drawing on her years of expertise and her passion for brand and marketing to articulate her ideas with clarity and conviction.

"Can you tell us about a time when you had to navigate a complex branding challenge and how you approached it?" one of the executives asked, his tone measured but expectant.

Florence paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts before launching into her response. She recounted a recent campaign she had spearheaded, a collaborative effort to reposition a struggling brand in the fiercely competitive automotive industry.

As she spoke, Florence felt a surge of confidence wash over her, fuelled by the knowledge that she was well-prepared and well-suited for the role she was pursuing. And as the interview drew to a close, she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope flickering within her—a sense that this opportunity at McLaren could be the fresh start she had been searching for.

After the virtual interview for McLaren Racing, Florence headed to her next few interviews. She had had a week lined up with them one after the other. She met up with Piper later, back at their favourite café, eager to debrief and decompress after the intense experience.

"So, how did they go?" Piper asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she sipped her latte.

Florence let out a sigh, the tension melting away as she recounted the details of her interviews. She shared her excitement about the position and her hopes for the future, the warmth of Piper's presence a soothing balm to her frayed nerves.

"I think they went well," Florence admitted, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Not to toot my own horn, but I should hear back from at least MTC and Eulogy soon, both definitely my top contenders for the week."

"Which would you take if you got an offer from both?"

"There's no point thinking about that yet," she replied , "it's difficult though. On the one hand it's an amazing job a career jump definitely at Eulogy, right down the street from the last agency I worked at. It's very similar to the job I had before, and a step up, it's safe but.."

"..but safe is not always a good thing," Piper finished for her.

"Safe is not always a good thing," Florence agreed nodding her head. "I think I need change. And how incredible would it be to travel the world? To push my self to do the work I enjoy most, the branding of it, speaking to the kind of luxury brands I had no access to when working with influencers, but I would get to with the famous formula one drivers. Even saying that out loud sounds crazy though, Daisy and Isabel would kill me for even considering another option," she laughed. "You haven't told them have you?," she added with concern.

"No I wouldn't dare," Piper answered, "I don't want my head bitten off thank you. You're right though Flora, it would be an incredible experience and really allow you to open so many doors for the future as well. I would miss you of course but I think this would be the perfect thing for you. I can really see you flourishing in that kind of world."