Red Silver

S1.C13 - Untold words (Hungary)

Last race before the summer break. Hungary.
"It's one of your tracks" I say picking up my bag.
"My tracks?" He says looking in his wallet.
"Yep"
"If you mean I'm good there yes and I have also really good memories"
He pays for the lunch and we walk back to the car. We are going there by car, I drive as usual, we stopped in a small restaurant while we are driving through Italy. I needed that pasta. We walk back to the car and leave to Budapest, we'll be there tonight.

"Can you turn here?" Lewis says.
"Here? why?" I say turning left in a narrow street.
"Just go"
"Ok Sir tom tom, guide me"
I drive for 10 minutes

"We are in the middle of a forest Sir, do you want to kill me and bury my body?"
"Not yet" he laughs "Park here"
I park and see the wonderful landscape in front of us, the night lights are drawing a beautiful picture.
"Ok now I get it, how did you know this place?"
"A friend" he says locking the doors.
"It reminds me of..."
"Imola" he finishes my sentence.
"Oh yes, I kinda remember it" I say "first kiss"
"Magic night" he says overthinking.
I get closer "I think we were this close"
I sit on his lap "or maybe this close"
"Yes this is the distance I remember" he says wrapping his arms around me.
"No one will see us here? Are you sure? They are already calling me a whore but I don't want to give them pictures"
"No one" he says laughing.
"Well, so let's do the things we do when no one is watching" I say with my mouth so close to his I can touch it while talking.
"I like the idea" he says before kissing me
"I think you'd like this even more"I say while he is helping me taking my top off.

"Have you heard?" asks Angela while she's giving the balaclava to Lewis.
"What?" answers Lewis, I'm not even listening, I'm all into the datas someone just gave to me. This session was a mess.
"I talked with Rupert and he says things in Ferrari are not very good, they are worried for the strategy team, too many mistakes in the last few races, his driver is missing this one" she says pointing at me.
"Who's Rupert?" Lewis asks.
"Carlos physio"
"Carlos?" I ask.
"I think, they won't admit but they probably missing having you around the pit wall"
"I don't think so"
"Honey, seeing the last strategy calls they do" says Lewis smiling.
"you are overrating me"
"we'll see" he says all proud.
"Wipe that smile off your face Sir"
"I can't help it, I'm proud of my little star" he says smiling even more. I hate him.

George on pole, Lewis P7 we had a problem with the DRS.
-Sorry for that Lewis-
-We'll fight back tomorrow guys, let's keep pushing-

While I wait for Lewis to finish the interviews I go sitting in the stairs of the Mercedes motorhome scrolling through my phone.
"Hey"
"Hey Carlos"
"How are you?" he asks.
"Good good thanks, you? P2?"
He smiles "P2 yes, I hope tomorrow everything will be fine"
"Can't say I hope you win because one of my men is in pole and the other will fight"
"Your men?"
"See the silver star on my shirt Carlos?" I say laughing
He sits next to me "I see it but I think you dressed better the Ferrari horse"
"I don't..."
"You did." he looks sad.
"I just feel more at home here, it's just the whole athmosphere, the colleages"
"I can't say anything to have you back?" He really has sad eyes.
"Oh not a chance, sorry chili"
"And how much do I have to pay to let you do my strategies?" he jokes.
"Not on sale, sorry" I laugh
He stands up "well, good luck for tomorrow silver star"
"Thank you and good luck red horse"

Lewis comes back from the TV pen and we go to the engineers' room for the rest of the evening, I don't think we would even see the hotel room tonight.

The race looks good for us, Max unfortunately is running away at the front but the 2 Mercedes are just behind.
"Where's Carlos?"
"P5"
"How?"
"Watch the side of his car, he has a yellow plastic bag but they didn't take it off during the pit stop" he is concerned.
They can't. Oh my god.

-Ok Lewis P2, P2. George P3-
-Nice job guys, good way to go into the summer break-
I wait for him under the podium and we celebrate with the whole team. Another double podium, we are all so proud and so happy.

I am singing softly going back to the motorhome.
"Guarda chi c'è" (Look who's here)
Clara.
"Oh ma guarda" (Oh look)
"Un'altro doppio podio, chissà quale sarà stata la scappatoia nell'auto sta volta" (Another double podium, let's guess what trick is in the car this time)
"Non avere un sacchetto di plastica o forse non montare le hard?" (Not having a plastic bag or maybe not putting the hard?) I say ironically.
"Ouch"
"Senti Clara ho da fare, mi lasci passare?" (Look Clara, I have things to do, can you let me go?)
"Perchè? devi correre da Lewis? Nel suo stanzino?" (Why? You have to run to Lewis? In his room?)
I breath trying to calm down and not answer badly to her.
"Dev'essere molto contento post race" (Must be really happy post race)
Ok I'm done.
"Si, lo è molto soprattutto dopo la doccia di champagne. Ma sai aspetterò stasera nel suo appartamento di Monaco sorseggiando champagne, magari quello che abbiamo vinto oggi, nella macchina argentata" (yes, he is more after the champagne shower. But you know, I'll wait for tonight in his house in Monaco sipping champagne, maybe the one we won today, with the silver car)
"Raffinata come puttana" (Chic for a whore)
"Ovviamente" (Obviously) I say smiling.
"Stai talmente tanto intorno a quell'uomo e quel team che adesso hai il loro carattere" (You're so much around that man and that team that now you have their attitude)
"Oh grazie tesoro" (oh thanks honey)
I smile,  turn around and walk away.

When I enter the motorhome I find everyone drinking wine and there's a little buffet.
"Hey Isabelle, come here"
"Hey"
"Enjoy us in the pre-break little party"
"The what?" I ask laughing.
"Your gift is on the table"
"Gift?"
"We do a little gift before the summer break because we did an amazing job this first part of the season"
"But I wasn't always here"
"No but you helped and you are part of the family so"
"Thank you"
George and Lewis are back from the press duties and they do a little speech.
"Hey Carmen"
"Hey, I miss having you as my personal engineer during the race"
"She's all ours now" says George hugging her.
"Yeah, you know kinda busy with these two idiots" I say laughing "I need another drink, you want something?" I ask Lewis
"No, go enjoy the wine, Angela is gonna drive us to the airport" he says laughing.

As I walk to the table I hit someone and his red wine is all over my white shirt.
"Oh I'm so sorry"
"Don't worry Josh, I was the one hitting you" I smile and go grab some napkins.
"That's a good metaphor" says Toto.
"Why?"
"You're like red silver" Toto says.
"What do u mean?" I am confused.
"You have always been silver, just red painted at the beginning. The paint is gone and you're one of us now, a silver star, Lewis favourite silver star" he smiles "look at him, never saw him smiling so much, not even in his best seasons"
"I... I really love him and I also be forever thankful for the opportunity you gave me, I really love this team"
"I can see it" he says smiling.
"I wanted to ask you something about the team"
"Yes"
"Lewis has already arranged a trip with his friends to Africa and I'll be alone and I haven't plan any holiday so I was thinking I can work, like in Brackley"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I just need the last week of holidays, Lewis will be back and I can spend some time with him but for the other 3 weeks I can stay in Brackley"
"It'll be really nice of you. I'll call the factory tomorrow and see if we can arrange it"
"Thank you Toto"
"No worries, now go change that shirt" he says smiling.

"Isabelle"
"Hi Carlos"
"I have to tell you something" he looks kind of worried.
"I am leaving, we have a flight in 2 hours, do we have to talk now?"
"I really need to talk to you"
"Ok but..."
"Isabelle!" it's Lewis "Hi Carlos, I'm sorry to interrupt but we really need to go"
"Ok I am ready, good holidays Carlos, text me" I say.
"Bye Bella"
'I think I love you' Carlos finishes the line in his head.
"Hey Carlos, podemos ir" (we can go) it's his girlfriend.
"Si, vamos" Carlos looks for a last time Isabelle walking in the opposite way with Lewis with her white and black Mercedes uniform and the silver backpack, chatting and smiling with her boyfriend.