A girl chasing her dream. A boy looking for the light.
When Florence Nyx started her internship at a Formula 1 paddock, she expected a lot. Fast cars. Exclusive impressions most people could only dream of. An entire array of skills she'd acquire...
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Time stood still, and still this week just flew by.
But no matter how hard I tried to avoid Phoenix; he kept running into me, kept looking at me with those eyes that unlocked something dangerous deep inside of me. There was no way I could give in to it, though.
It just wasn't an option. I was here for my career, to focus on my life and my achievements. That's it.
That's also why I turned my attention on something else entirely the past few days: the car.
Jin was an amazing teacher. I learned so much just by watching them work, seeing how they interacted as a team. I was surprised when he first waved me closer, allowing me a glimpse of the star of the paddock, much closer than I thought I'd ever get during this internship.
By Friday I was even allowed to check some things underneath the car itself. It was scary, somehow, but also exhilarating as hell. I knew there wasn't much I could do, especially given that many settings operated with computers, but I still felt honored as hell to just feel what must be one of the most expensive cars in the world beneath my fingertips.
"Alright, Flo, Practice session is starting in five. You done down there?" Jin's voice echoed through the garage.
"Yeah, I think so. Wanna check?" I rolled out from underneath the car, taking Jin's hand and getting back on my feet.
It was Saturday aka Practice-and-Qualifying day, and Jin let me screw on some parts they reconfigured overnight. Objectively, that was one of the more boring parts of the job.
Practically, my heart still hammered in my chest, and a potent mixture of fear and adrenaline coursed through my veins. These guys drove 200 km/h in a corner — any loose part on the car would risk system failure, having to suspend the car, or worse, a crash.
And so I was glad when Jin got beneath the car as well, tested the screws, and checked on the rest while he was down there. "Yeah, looks good. Great job."
I returned the favor by stretching out my hand, helping him back up until he stood right next to me. A smile played on his lips as he nudged my shoulder and handed me the electric drill, almost like he was giving me a trophy of some sort. "So, how does it feel?"
"Amazing," I retorted and ran a hand through my hair, only that it got stuck at the end of it. My fingers came out darker than before, and I realized that yet again, I must've gotten some oil in there. "If it weren't for my hair, that is..." I muttered, handing the electric drill back to Jin so I could tie my hair up into a bun.
"Ah, the pain of beauty."
I furrowed my brows at his remark, studying myself in the shiny blue wall of drawers. My hair was all over the place, dark streaks of oil covering my face while some strands formed into clumps from being entangled in the roller board.
Jin leaned over, blocking me from my view as he said, "Come on, Flo. Didn't mean it like that."
"Yeah, I know." I smiled, taking the electric drill back from his hands. I knew he didn't mean it like that — in fact, I was very certain Jin was the only one not judging me for my gender or looks while I was here.
