The Formula 1 Series - Part I: Liz & George

Tapas

I rushed back to the hotel and took another shower and brushed my teeth. I dried my hair and was unsure what to do with it and put it in a high bun in the end. Naomi and I have decided on a black tight turtleneck shirt with open back but long sleeves and wide cut elegant pants with pumps. It was elegant and did not show any skin apart from my back. The main reason for the trousers were the fact they had pockets and I wouldn't need to carry a bag. It was 8:04PM when I was ready to leave the room and decided to walk as I had plenty of time for it. It wasn't far to walk to the restaurant and getting a glimpse of Barcelona while strolling by sunset was a nice idea. I entered the Tapas spot probably 20 minutes later and was unsure under which name he put the reservation and tried just George. The hostess seemed satisfied, said I was first of my party and brought me to a table in a more quiet corner of the restaurant. Someone was playing piano and the restaurant was nearly full, but from our table it felt intimate. I decided for the seat on the wall as most girls would probably choose. As soon as I sat there my thoughts started rambling again and I realized my lack of according nervousness so far. On my way here I thought about how to start the evening but I was quite sure I would arrive before him and therefore my nervousness hasn't fully developed. I had a look at the clock on my phone. 8:33PM. He should arrive any minute now. My heart started racing and I heard my pulse louder than the piano. This kind of reaction was more typical for me and it kind of affirmed me in some weird way. I was staring into the table for a while when I felt a gaze on me and shivers went down my open back. I turned my head to the right and saw him smiling while walking towards me. I stood up and came around the table. I regretted to not have thought more about how to greet him but there was no time left.
"Hi, El." He said with a shy smile and opened his left arm.
"Hi." I said and probably sounded even more shy than him. I leaned forward into his half-hug and smelled musk and leather again. I have missed his smell and it took me back to our trip and all the close moments we shared. I got dizzie and only realized from a far distant state of mind that my check touched his briefly. The hug was short, but I felt my skin on my back and cheek where he touched me tingling for a while. I sat down again and took a deep breath. He got on my opposite side and didn't stop smiling. I tried it as well but my nerves made it difficult to manage. He was continuously looking at me and finally said.
"It's so good to see you. I nearly forgot how beautiful you are."
If I wasn't fire red by then I definitely was now. I closed my eyes and he started laughing. I opened my eyes in confusion and starred at him. Why was he laughing at me?
"It's so cute when you get uncomfortable. It was cute on the phone but it's even more cute when seeing your face."
"You look good as well." I said to notnhavebto respond but he laughed even more.
"Thanks. I tried my best." And he probably really did. I could tell he did something with his hair and he wore jeans and a slightly oversized black thick shirt, that matched the vibe of the restaurant and Spain in general.
"So how was your first day of work?" he asked and I started telling him all about it. He asked a few questions and really seemed interested. The waitress came before we even had a look at the menu. George asked her to give as a few minutes and just ordered a big bottle of water for now.
"Shall I ask for a Tonic for you?" He said smirking.
"It's way too late to pretend drinking alcohol for you, don't you think?" I said smirking as well. "Though I must admit I had a shot with Carlos last Friday." I said and watched his reaction with full attention. His eyes went big for a second and I could see him trying to put it together. I grinned.
"I see" he said in the end and opened the menu card. "I knew about Charles but Sainz as well? The older blond one probably, right? Naomi probably wouldn't even look at him." He meant Sarah and that was probably the most neutral distinction between Sarah and Elsa I have ever heard. People usually make it about other stuff. I also was quite stunned he remembered Naomis name and put it that well. Carlos was probably the opposite of Samuel.
"Yes, Sarah." I said and wondered if she or Carlos had anything against me telling George.
"Did he fly to the states? Man, he doesn't make me look good here. Now I am even more sorry to haven't spent more time on you."
"No, don't be. This is not at all what I wanted to imply."
He grinned. "Yeah sure. I am sorry, I'm not a good texter or caller. I prefer to keep most of it in person. Though I must admit flying over hasn't crossed my mind. I don't know how Carlos has time for it." His grin got even deeper. "Though I bet he envies me once he sees you in the paddock."
"So you got me this job to be around you?" I said jokingly. His face got serious this instant and he leaned forward.
"El, I didn't get you any job. You did yourself. Don't think anything else no matter who jokes about it, okay?" He looked into my eyes and searched for confirmation. I quickly nodded and my flirty vibe was gone. I swallowed because of his sudden seriousness and he must have felt my changing mood, because he leaned back, looked into his menu and said smiling: "Come on, let's order before she comes back another time. Everybody picks a few and then we share everything, what you think?"
"Sounds good." I said and tried to loosen up again. "Any allergies?"
"No not on my side. I have a tilted neck though."
I started laughing. He was funny. "You are unbelievable." I giggled for a bit and his smile also got bigger.
"You are even more beautiful when you laugh. You are not laughing that much I just realize." He was right. And my current episode of laughter stopped instantly. "Yeah, I think I think too much to be easy-going and full of lightness and laugher." I said half honest half in irony.
"Seems fair." he replied. "Now please tell me about your allergies before I order glazed walnuts or anything dangerous."
I grinned at him. "I don't have any either. But I don't like shrimps and stuff like that."
"How comes? The meat is amazing." He asked with honest interest while studying the menu.
"I don't know. Anything that crawls under the sea reminds me of huge insects." I said and tried to decide for some dishes.
"So you are scared of spiders I assume?"
I looked at him. "Yes. Always have been always will." I said serious.
He smiled again. "My little niece is super scared even of the tiniest spiders and it's the cutest thing ever." His eyes sparkled with pure love and I had to smile. "I'm her hero whenever I catch them with a glass. She wants them gone but not dead. It's so cute."
I looked at him and could imagine him being a really good uncle. A young one but a caring one.
"Have you decided?" He asked and I saw the waitress heading our way.
"Umm, yeah two things. You can order the rest okay?"
"Okay no worries." He said and started talking to the waitress. He ordered plenty of dishes and I was thinking of intervening because we probably would not be able to eat all of it.
"And what else was it?" He asked facing me.
"The fried baby squid, please. Thank you." I smiled at the waitress.
"And you wanted something else, right?" George asked.
"No, it was Olives, but you ordered them already, right?"
"Yeah Olives are on the list." The waitress said. She ran through the list again and we confirmed before she left.
"So shrimps are a problem because they look like insects but squid with multiple tentacles are fine?" He grinned.
"Yeah, I guess. They don't crawl on the bottom of the sea, you know?" I closed the menu and leaned forward. "What are you scared of Mister Russell?" I asked to bring the topic to him.
"Not much, I guess." He simply said and took his glass of water. "Probably losing my seat and stuff like that." He took a sip. I thought about it. There was a lot of pressure on him, but I think his contract lasted for at least another year if I remembered correctly. "Oh, I am scared of butterflies." He said happy to have found something but then probably noticed my confused look. "When I was a child, I touched one and then it didn't fly anymore. I was devastated." He said shyly and I giggled.
"So now you are scared you will hurt another one?"
"I guess. It still haunts me in my dreams." He said now smirking. His eyes were sparkling and his smirk was infecting.
"Butterflies." I said while raising my glass to my lips. "Interesting." I took a sip while looking into his eyes. His wandered off to my lips when I put down the glass. I played with my glass as his gaze made me feel uncomfortable and I didn't want to blush. I felt my lips tingling and thought back to our kiss in the elevator. We both got torn from our thoughts when the waitress put the first dishes onto our table. We both thanked her after she stated the names and George then said which ones were his favorite.
"Have you been here before?" I asked while we started eating. I tried the chorizo first.
"No, no. These are just my go-to Tapas in general." I tried a few different things and we went quiet while both enjoying the food.
"Actually, I think Carlos recommended this place. I texted him and a few other Spanish friends, but I think it was him recommending it." He said after a while.

"Maybe he brings Sarah here as well." I said.
"Yeah, would be funny. If this happens, I call Charles to bring Elsa." He said. I wondered why he could remember her name and felt a bit of jealousy crawling into my mind. He didn't remember Sarah's. That usually doesn't happen unless someone was into Elsa. A glimps of jealousy expanded in my stomach and I stared into the table while chewing. On the other hand, I was sitting at dinner with him and he clearly knew Charles had an interest in her. Maybe they talked about it. Pretty sure they did as he mentioned something in that direction earlier.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked.
"Mmh? Oh no nothing. Just wondered what you know about her." I said too honest and regretted it immediately.
He raised his eyebrows and started smirking. "Charles and I talk quite a bit." He poured water in our glasses. Seems like you don't know much about their - situation?" He asked. We continued eating and I thought about it. How shall I put it?
"Well, Elsa never talks much about these things. Sarah is more open but I think they talk with each other or Naomi. I am not the best person when it comes to talking about these kind of things." I smiled at him and thought how to phrase it. "I tend to overthink issues and people probably think that's not helpful at all."
"Who are you talking to most?" He asked and speared some baby squids on his fork.
"Naomi for sure." I said while watching him, but my mind wandered off. "Has historic reasons." I thought about the countless nights we spent talking about Nate. She really was my best friend and I had no secrets from here. She knew about all our issues and she is the one who has tried to push me to dating other man and finding someone better. I continued watching his massacre with the baby squid until it ended at his mouth. I looked him in the eyes and realized my weird behavior and his confused look. I shook it off and smiled. "Anyway, they are all amazing. We have the best times. But tell me what you tell Charles. I'm invested." I tried to change the subject to him and smirked at him.
"Mh, nothing special." He leaned back. "I told him about a girl the other week." He looked at me. "I think I am falling for her."
My smirk dropped and something dropped with it in my stomach. I just starred at him. Why would he say something like that? He took a sip of water and seemed to stay cool. Probably he said things like that often. I continued chewing, swallowed and said: "How often do you think you fall for someone?"
"Rarely."
"Mmh."
"Any advice?"
"Huh? Mmh, no. I mean, I overthink a lot and would probably be of no help." I thought about it and decided to play his game. "What advice would you need?"
"I don't know. I normally don't rush things, you see? But I want to with her."
"Why don't you want to rush things?"
"I am British you must know. Gentlemen behavior was indoctrinated into me since I was a young boy." He smirked again.
"Mh, I see. And why do you want to rush things with her?"
He painted with his fork and oil on his plate.
"Well I kissed her once and can't stop thinking about it."
I swallowed despite I had nothing eaten since this game started.
"Mh, I see." I said again and looked him in the eyes as his gaze met me. We starred at each other until some voice next to us said: "Everything alright?" Both our heads turned to the waitress and we nodded unisono. She took some empty dishes and we watched her. My mouth was completely dry and I felt a pulling inside me. I needed to freshen up.
"Will you excuse me for a second?"
He seemed worried and his voice was full of uncertainty. "Yeah, sure."
I did not care what his impression was me leaving this table right now. I needed to take a break.