𝐒 𝐏 𝐑 𝐈 𝐍 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 [max verstappen x oc]

seven

Lena was the last person on the bus by the time she arrived. The bus driver glanced warily at the deserted area around them before turning his attention back to her as she shuffled out of the bus. 

"Sei sicuro di essere nel posto giusto?" He asked. 

Lena smiled and assured him she was fine. Her feet landed on the concrete road as she checked her phone again, double checking that someone was going to pick her up. Just a young women standing alone in the middle-of-nowhere Austria, definitely safe. Surrounded by forest with a few dirt-gravel roads wasn't promising, but Lena gathered her courage and dropped to the ground, deciding that she might as well get comfortable.

She didn't know how long she was sitting on her duffel bag for, but eventually she heard the crunch of gravel. 

A black Honda drove out of the gravel and she shot to her feet, smoothing her jeans and shirt to look as professional as possible. The car came to a stop and the driver door opened, revealing a head. 

"Angelena Augustine?"

She hustled over. "Yes, that's me. It's just Lena." The driver nodded and motioned for the passenger seat. Lena didn't wait for him to say anything before she hopped in and pressed her bags against her chest. 

They made their way back where he came from and she was handed an ID to wear around her neck. "Wear this at all times. It will let you in to checkpoints."

Lena accepted it gratefully and slung it around her neck. "I hate to be a bother but, uh, where am I supposed to go?"

The driver looked at her in disgust. "Peter never spoke to you? Have you not been getting his emails?"

She stayed quiet and grimaced. 

He groaned as if she was taking years off his life by just being in his car. "You're going to the media department. Third floor, walk down the hallway. Peter and Lilah should be waiting for you there."

"Thank you." Lena said as genuinely as she could. The crunch of road beneath her made her stomach jolt, but the enormous glass building that came into view as the woods cleared made her stomach drop. 

She let out an audible gasp as the sheer size of it made her eyes wide. 

The driver raised an eyebrow. "You've never been here, have you?"

Lena shook her head, eyes still fixated on the building in front of her.

"Well," the driver waved his hand. "Welcome to RedBull Racing Headquarters."

__________________________________

"Angelena!" The elevator doors opened to a perky redheaded man standing in front of her with a folder in his hands. "You have no idea how happy we are to have you!"

She was caught off-guard and mustered a smile. "I'm happy to be here, uh...."

"Peter! Peter Robinson. Head of Social Media and News." He stuck out a hand, which Lena shook lightly. "We've heard great things about you, Patrick was very generous in his recommendation. Come, walk with me. I'll show you around."

"That's Patrick for you." She smiled. Maybe she was going to like it here. 

"How was your trip?" Peter led her through the floor, passing by desks and conference rooms filled with people of all kinds. "Sorry we couldn't book a flight, I hope the accomodations were alright."

Lena shrugged. "I've been through worse. I'm here now, that's what matters, right?"

"So true!" Peter had a lot of energy, it balanced out with Lena's laid-back demeanor. Her anxiety was slowly dissapearing. "So today is just about introductions--you're going to be meeting the head of media in your specific department, that's Formula One Motor Racing by the way, and then you're going to be meeting your colleagues. We'll see if you can talk to the drivers today as well since you'll be working pretty close with them."