Veni Vidi Amavi - [Daniel Ricciardo]

0.1

     Gudrun Caulder moved through the tables of the busy restaurant, balancing the plates on her arms as she quickly stepped passed everyone. The weekends were always the most busy. She loved and hated it at the same time. She had a lot of interaction with the guests, but the chance of making mistakes when the whole restaurant was full was bigger then too. She politely smiled as she put the plates down on the table, walking back to the kitchen to dap her forehead with a washing cloth as she was warm and sweaty. "Two more of the salads, table 4. Gudrun?". The cook looked at her and she nodded, taking the two bowls and moving out of the kitchen again.

"Hey!". Gudrun smiled as she was surprised by the sight of two of her friends at a table. "Hey girl". Michelle replied with a smile. "I didn't see you sitting here at all, sorry if I didn't say anything". Gudrun apologized as she placed each of the bowls in front of the girls. "It's fine, you're working. Don't think your boss will like it if you're chatting with us the whole evening". Fallon giggled and Gudrun shook her head with a chuckle. "Not really. Enjoy your salads!".  Michelle and Fallon watched how she sped away again and they looked at each other with a hint of sympathy in their eyes. "She's such a hard worker". Michelle softly said, starting to poke her fork in her salad bowl.

"She really is. I really don't understand why she's not settled with a cute guy or something like it. I don't want her living on her own at this age". Fallon looked over her shoulder as she saw Gudrun already walking back and forth again. "She deserves the hottest guy on this fucking planet". Michelle shook her head at the thought of Gudrun all alone in her apartment close to the beach. Gudrun was indeed single, she liked going out and she surely had boyfriends before, but she somehow wasn't in for a longterm relationship. She was working at the restaurant almost every day it was opened and she was saving her money to make the trip to the United States she was desperate to make.

Gudrun smiled at her friends as she walked passed their table to pick up some empty plates. She had met them at high school, when she was a shy teenager. Gudrun had been bullied for her accent and her name. Coming from Scotland, she apparently sounded very funny to the Australians and not everyone could keep their mouths shut about it. Fallon and Michelle had been there for her ever since and she couldn't imagine herself with another friend group. However they started spending less time with the three of them. Michelle was just engaged and Fallon has a boyfriend for three years already.

Gudrun liked their partners, however she wasn't in for feeling the fifth wheel on a day out, so she often said she didn't have time to come. She didn't mind them spending time together as they could discuss their relationship problems with each other and have a double date and stuff. Michelle and Fallon had tried a lot of things to get Gudrun a boyfriend, but nothing worked. Nights out and letting her hook up with someone always resulted in Gudrun blocking the guy because he was getting on her nerves. She rarely found someone's character nice enough to talk to.

"That program you always watch, love at first sight alike thing, what is it called again?". Fallon asked and Michelle rose her eyebrows. "Married At First Sight, literally". She laughed, not understanding why Fallon couldn't remember such a simple name. "Isn't that something for her?". She continued without being bothered what her friend said. "It's a spontaneous thing and Gudrun is very spontaneous". Michelle added to her suggestion. Fallon nodded and looked over her shoulder at their Scottish friend. "I think we should just do it". The girls giggled and one of them took her phone out of her bag.

Her fingers quickly moved over the keyboard to search for the website and how to enter someone. "Done". Michelle contently placed her phone on the table. "She's either going to hate us or she's going to love us". Fallon chuckled and took a sip of her water. "I wish we knew what kind of men would enter it too. Like I want to pick someone for her, but that's not the purpose of the programme at all". Michelle laughed. "No, we shouldn't do any more than this. We tried our best to get Gudrun a man". They nodded at each other. "Let's toast to Gudrun and her new, unknown husband". The girls clinked their glasses of water together.

     Daniel Ricciardo on the other hand just took a nice run and came back home before the sun would dip behind the waters and let Perth soak up in the darkness. He wiped his forehead to prevent the sweat from falling passed his thick, brown eyebrows. He took a deep breath before unlocking the front door of his house by the keys that were oh so subtly hidden beneath the flower pot. He walked inside and kicked his running shoes off under the coat rack. Daniel moved into the kitchen and splashed some water on his face before grabbing a glass out of the cabinets and pour some water in it.

He had been away for two hours and it was just to relax. The last couple days of November had been intense and he wanted to clear his mind fully and get into the new Formula 1 season with a fresh mindset and a healthy body. Daniel drunk the water in his glass and placed it back on the counter. He frowned as he saw the mailman at the gates of his house, putting something through the mailbox. It must've been too hot to deliver the mail during the afternoon, Daniel could understand. He grabbed the key and made his way outside, putting the shoes he just kicked off between the door and the threshold so it woudn't all close.

Daniel unlocked the metal mailbox and got some advertisement papers out of it, with some envelopes between them. He globaly looked them through before closing the front door behind him again. He moved through the living room to sit down at the kitchen table, wanting to open the envelopes first. He tore the paper edge carefully and grabbed the letter inside. He smiled as it was a note of some friends from Monaco who send him a holiday card in advance with a note to congratulate him with the results of the past Formula 1 season. He grinned as he thought back of the amount he had been able to climb the steps of many tracks.

He moved to the second envelope and he frowned as he didn't recognize the address on the back of it. Daniel opened it on the side and slid the paper out of.

Dear Mr. Ricciardo,

We gladly got your registration for our programme Married At First Sight. We received your information and a couple pictures and we're busy matching you to a wonderful bride. Based on your genetics, we will be able to find someone for you.

By entering our programme, you automatically said yes to be Married At First Sight. You and your bride will spend a honeymoon in a beautiful destination that has of course all the comforts and will be fully financially supported by us.

We would like to see everyone that's participating this project on the 15th of December. You will marry your bride and see her for the first time. We cannot guarantee that you will find the love of your life, but this programme is all about trying. If you don't shoot, you'll always miss!

Kind regards,

direction of Married At First Sight - Australia

Daniel read the letter with a frown on his face, each word making his eyebrows furrow further together. He didn't understand what they were trying to tell him. He didn't sign up for anything. He... was signed up for this. His jaw clenched and he groaned as it must've been a stupid, drunken decision of his great friends. He loved them with his whole heart, but god he would do anything at the moment to wrap his hands around their necks. Daniel stood up and grabbed his phone, dialling Nick's number. He gritted through his teeth as he heard his friend's voice chirping through the phone.

"Daniel, my friend". Daniel rolled his eyes. "What the fuck is this?". He asked immediately and Nick chuckled on the other side of the line. "What the fuck is what?". His friend innocently asked. "Dear Mr. Ricciardo, we gladly got your registration for our programme Married At First Sight". Daniel read out loud and Nick started to laugh. "Oh my god, you're selected". Nick didn't even tried to hide the fact that he was the one who signed him up for it. "I don't want to be a part of this!". Daniel complained. "Come on, Dan. The girl doesn't have to be the love of your life, you just have to marry a day, go on a trip and maybe she's nice. Have some fun for once, okay?". Nick replied.

"Nick... God, fuck you". Daniel cursed as Nick had ended the phone call. He placed his phone back on the table and sighed deeply, taking the letter in his hand again. He nibbled on his lower lip as he read the letter through once more. Maybe this was indeed good. It was something new, a new start. And maybe the girl was indeed nice. Maybe he just had to this and go for it.

A/N: Small start up chapter to let you meet my female headcharacter Gudrun Caulder. She's Scottish, like I already mentioned. I picture Gal Gadot as Gudrun!