Racing Love

Chapter 1

The car pulled up in front of the factory in Maranello. The Father switched off the car, while the daughter looked at her workplace with nervous eyes. 

"So, ready for it?" he asked. She gave out a sigh. "I hope so," She said softly, looking at her father.

"You sure you don't wanna come inside? Fred seems to be a nice guy. I'm sure he wouldn't mind a tour-" he cut him off.

"Nah. This is your time. Mine is long and gone" he said in a sad tone. Working in Formula 1 has been a dream for her father. Though she felt sad looking at him as she felt he had a range of memories hitting him, she was happy that she was able to fulfill the wish. That too in one of the big guns in Formula 1, Ferrari.

"You think I'll survive?" she asked in a sad tone. Her father took her hand and squeezed it. "Victoria Hunt. Listen to me carefully" he said getting his daughter's attention. "You will go in there and kick ass. You will not stop for anyone or anything. Am I making it clear?" he said with steady eyes.

His daughter also gave him a serious look. "I will Dad. I promise" she said with a little confidence. She opened the door. 

"Thanks for coming Dad," She said. Her father was taking a flight back to the UK today. He made an effort to come with her for her first day. "Anything for you, cupcake," he said. She leaned forward and gave him a hug which he returned.

She jumped out of the car and and took a box from the back seat which had her belongings. She walked towards the main door. She turned around and looked at her father and he stood at the car's door with a thumbs up.

She entered the building and walked towards the reception. "Hello!" she greeted. "Ciao! Come Posso Aiutarti? (Hello! How can I help you?) " came the reply.

"Um..I..I cannot speak Italian" Victoria said. The receptionist gave her a pity look. "How can I help you?" she asked again with a thick accent.

"I am Victoria Hunt. Starting here today as a Junior Engineer" She replied. "Ah! Ms. Hunt. Mr. Vessuer told me that you will be here. Let me show you your office where you can wait till I get him" she said.

"Sure" Victoria replied as the ladies made their way more inside the building. They took the elevator. They reached the 3rd floor and the doors opened.

"Take the left and the 4th room is your office. I'll let inform Mr. Vessuer" the receptionist said. Victoria walked out and gave a thankful nod. The elevator doors closed as she made her way to the informed room.

Carlos looked around his room which now he was shifting off as he was informed it was for a new engineer joining. He looked around to see if he had missed anything. It was a bit sad for him. He likes the room. It is where he showed all the emotions after a race weekend. Be it a happy one or a sad one.

He took one last look at it and turned around to make his way out. He opened the door and was about to walk out when he bumped into a person with a box. Both jerked a bit when a photo frame fell from the box.

Carlos caught it and looked up at the person he bumped. "I am so sorry. I thought-" With the jerk from the bump, strands of her hair came loose and fell on her face making it a bit difficult for her to talk.

"Oh my god," she said flicking her head up in attempting to push the hair out of her face. A small smile formed on Carlos's face looking at her. He silently took the box from her hand. She was a bit taken aback by the gesture but swiftly took the hair band from her hair to redo it. She tied it in a swift motion and looked at the driver in front of her.

"I am so sorry. It's my first day and I am a bit shaking-"

"Ms. Hunt" Fred walked in the corridor along with Charles. "Nice to meet you. Looks like you have already met one of our drivers Carlos" he said with an energetic voice. Charles raised his eyebrows at his teammate and looked at the box in his hands.

Victoria noticed it and immediately took her box in her hand. "Sorry," she whispered to the Spanish driver and turned towards the team principal.

"Mr. Vessuer. Hi! Nice to see you too" she said. "Charles, Carlos, this is Victoria Hunt. Our new junior engineer for the team" he introduced.

"Hello, Ms. Hunt" Charles putting out a hand. She bent down slightly and caught his hand balancing the box in her hand.

"Hello, Mr. Leclerc. Nice to meet you too" The two drivers shared a small smile at how she behaved. Awkward and innocent, but cute. She then turned towards Carlos. He just gave a wave to her.

"Settle yourself up. We'll have a team meeting in about 30 minutes where I can introduce you to everyone" Fred said. She nodded.

"See you in 30," Charles said. "Yeah," She replied when the three men walked away. She walked into her office and placed her box on the table.

She closed her eyes and leaned on the table with her hands for a bit of support as she streamlined her breathing. "You forgot this" She heard the Spanish driver again entering the room and handing out her photo frame. She got startled a bit again and took hold of the photo. As she pulled it Carlos took a closer look at it. It was her as a girl maybe 6 or 7 in a Ferrari jacket.

Carlos smiled a bit noticing it when she yanked it off his hand. "Sorry," she said in a bit embarrassed tone. He now gave a big smile looking at her.

"Save some of that sorry. Could come in handy some other time" he said. She gave an awkward nod which she does a lot he seemed to notice.

"Sorry," she whispered again with a helpless look. Carlos gave one last nod to her and made his way out.

She covered her face with her palms. "Great start Vikki! Great" she huffed to herself. Outside Carlos still had a big smile on his face thinking about the girl.

"You seem smitten," Charles teased him with a grin. "Shut up. She is just cute" Carlos said. "That she is," Charles said when they walked together towards the food court to eat.

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The team gathered around in the meeting room. "Thank you all for coming. I would like you all to meet Ms. Victoria Hunt. She is joining us as the junior driver. She is ranked highest among your set of engineers who graduated this year. She worked under James Allison for her college project a few years back" Fred explained. Victoria gave a big nod thanking everyone as they gave applause.

"I'm sorry. A few years back, meaning?" Charles asked. "I worked at Mercedes in W11," she said. Everyone in the room raised their eyebrows a bit. That was the fastest car in the history of Formula 1.

"That is impressive. But why Ferrari?" Serra, the technical head of the team asked her. "I know how that team works. I wanted a challenge. And when the offer came up, I took it. Hope I get to know every one of you. Have fun and win races" She said.

"We hope it too. Come with me. Let me show you our workplace" Serra said as the two made their way out. She gave a shot nod to the two drivers and the team principal.

"I'm sorry. We offered her a job?" Charles asked his team principal. "Yup. You have no idea how much the paddock hunted her" Fred explained.

"Isn't that a lot of pressure?" Carlos asked. He was a bit taken aback and shocked after knowing about her. He thought she was gonna be a normal girl trying out Formula 1 and then crumble in the pressure.

"She seems to just absorb everything in," Fred said when his phone rang. He excused himself and walked away.

"Sopravviverà?" (Will it survive?) One of the mechanics asked the other. "Nemmeno una possibilità" (Not a chance) the other one laughed. The drivers heard it and looked at each other.

"That is a lot of pressure," Charles said.