Collision Course (A Daniel Ricciardo fanfic)

6. Opportunities

Note: this probably makes no sense, and I'm too tired to re-read it tonight but I AM back and I'm so sorry it's taken this long to return. E x 

"Lindsey!"

I paused mid-stride, not expecting to hear Christian Horner's voice echoing through the empty foyer. Turning I fixed a smile on my face and allowed him to catch me up, curious to know what he wanted.

"Will we be seeing you next race?"

"I dunno" I shrugged, still puzzled. "This was just supposed to be a temporary thing - tag along for a couple of races, provide a bit of moral support, make sure he didn't fu..make a mess of things." With relief I caught myself before the swear word could slip out. 

"And you've got your own life to lead too of course"

"Not exactly" 

I may have said it without thinking but it wasn't a lie. Home and the garage had never felt as far away as they did now. Or as unsatisfying. 

"Really?" Christian raised an eyebrow and waited for me to continue  but I was tongue tied, suddenly faced with a conversation that was uncomfortably close to the bone, and with the Team Principle of all people. 

"What did you want to do with your life?"

"Racing driver, the usual" I offered casually

"Oh yeah? What stopped you?"

'You...or men like you' hovered temptingly on my tongue but I kept quiet. It had become clear from our previous meetings that neither my name nor my face meant anything to him beyond belonging to the sister of his latest protegee. 

"Seriously though, if you want to come along to a few more races I'm sure we could work something out for you."

The offer sounded sincere and for a moment I considered it, before slowly shaking my head.

"I can't live off my brother Christian, and I'm not even sure he wants me around after what happened this weekend."

"You might just have won him some extra points"

"Won him some race points but lost him some man points" I pointed out drily. 

Tempting though the idea was, a misplaced sense of pride was keeping me from accepting it. Out of the two of us it was always me that was meant to succeed in life. I was the one with the the brains, the work ethic, the drive....yet NOT the drive...

"What if we let you earn your keep?"

"HOW???" I scoffed, forgetting once more who I was talking to "I'm not exactly built like a promo girl".

I tried to ignore the briefest flicker of Christian's eyes as they left my face for a moment and travelled...elsewhere. I guess I'd asked for that. 

"Ever waited tables? Worked a bar? Anything?"

"I was a student - all of the above plus a little event work"

"Well that's settled it then - you can report to hospitality as soon as the team arrive in China"

I stared at him incredulously.

"Don't you have to ask someone, whoever's in charge of that sort of stuff? You barely even know me - I might be terrible!" 

"Are you?"

"Well....NO" I spluttered "but I might have been"

You just leave the technicalities to me" Christian insisted "I'll sort you out with a proper introduction".