Chasing Nico || Nico Hülkenberg

Chapter 3: The Dessert

Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, Olivia just finished drying her hair with the hairdryer. She combs it for the last time before tying it up in a neat, high ponytail—her favourite hairstyle, as it’s practical and looking good with nearly any kind of clothes. After making sure her outfit looks good, she leaves the bathroom, grabbing her handbag and keycard from the table and opens the door.

“Olivia, hi!” A familiar voice greets Olivia as she locks the door. She turns to see who it is. “Oh, hi, Kate. Sarah,” she says to the two girls.

Kate and Sarah are two English girls from London who also stay on the same floor as Olivia. They are good friends, who (unlike some) came down here to actually watch the Grand Prix. Olivia met them in the lift when she first arrived on Wednesday. They had had breakfast together twice since. Olivia likes the girls—they are fun and lovely. Sometimes it makes her a little sad to watch them, though, as they remind her of how this trip could have been if Claire tagged along. They would have so much fun together…

“What have you been up to?” Sarah asks, as she and Kate walk towards Olivia.

“Oh, you know, just took a ride on Singapore Flyer—again—and then visited the night safari. It was a blast! The leopards were fantastic!”

The girls genuinely smile. “That sounds fun,” says Kate, followed by Sarah’s nod. Yeah, they know Olivia doesn’t bother about the race.

“What about you girls?”

“We were at the track, watching quali and then watched a bit of the concert with the Killers,” Kate replies.

Olivia smiles. That was a stupid question! Of course they were at the track. They’re real F1 fans, for God’s sake—like Claire. “Cool. Who got Pole Position?”

Sarah rolls her eyes. “Who else other than Sebastian Vettel? If he doesn’t win tomorrow it means the Universe must have been fed up, too.”

“It’s very unlikely that he doesn’t win. It’s his race to lose,” adds Kate.

“It’s not that I don’t think he’s a great driver,” Sarah says, “but, his unstoppable winning streak has made F1 really boring and predictable lately.” Can an already boring sport be even more boring? But, of course Olivia didn’t say it out loud; not in front of these die-hard fans.

“So, Vettel on pole, Nico second and Romain third,” Sarah says, looking back at Olivia.

Nico?  

Why is hearing Nico’s name make her heart skip a beat?

“Nico Hülkenberg?” Olivia asks, trying to sound nonchalant.

Sarah looks a bit surprised. “No, Nico Rosberg. From Mercedes”

Of course! The other Nico. And he’s German, too.

“The Hulk… I think he qualified 11th or 12th. Right, Kate?”

“11th, I think,” Kate answers.

Olivia nods contemplatively. 11th place on the grid is not so bad. According to the note he wrote for Claire, he wants to finish in points, right? And he’s just outside the top ten (Yeah, she knows that only top ten get points). Olivia genuinely wishes he’ll do well tomorrow.

“So, where are you going, Ollie? A late dinner?” asks Kate, glancing at Olivia’s bag.

“No, I’ve had dinner at one of the restaurants at the night safari; they have a great selection of Singapore cuisine. The laksa was divine. Although I skipped pudding, as I didn’t feel like the ones on the menu,” Olivia explains. “Now, I think I can do with a late night dessert at the restaurant downstairs.” She craves some sweet French dessert, like tarte tatin, chocolate mousse or strawberry soufflé. Oh, even just the thought of them nearly make her mouth water. “Are you girls calling it a night?”