Snap Happy (A Daniel Ricciardo story)

The Perfect Plan (Bonus Chapter)

EM

I could have stayed anywhere last night, could have woken up in a luxury hotel to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, but this was Goodwood. This was OUR thing, so I stayed at home and I drove in with Dad, just the two of us, like we always did.

We took the back roads like we always did, commenting that 'this year would be the year they closed the shortcut' like we always did. It was a reassuring dose of normality, something I hadn't seen a lot of for a while. There was one thing different today however. Today we were waved straight through to the VIP entrance usually reserved for entrants and club members. I guess Dan WAS technically an entrant this year, other commitments having kept him from the previous two. It wouldn't be long now until I got to see him. Glancing over at the clock on the dash I began to silently count down the minutes as we proceeded up the drive.

"Hey Brendon...BRENDON!!" I leaned out of the window as I spotted Dan's long-time friend and fellow racer pacing up and down outside the house.

"You're here!" a relentless ball of energy just like Dan, he bounded forward to open the car door blonde hair flopping forward into his eyes as per usual.

"Of course I'm here, you didn't really think I'd be a no-show did you?" I rolled my eyes at him as he cast an approving glance over my outfit.

"I'll go tell Dan you've arrived"

"No need I'll be there in a mi..." I began, but he was already gone, leaping up the steps like a young gazelle.

Dad and I followed at a much more sedate pace, taking the time to appreciate the classic interior. Around us staff were bustling busily backwards and forwards but there was still someone waiting to show us onwards with a smile.

"VIP treatment" Dad noted approvingly.

"Perks of being an F1 WAG" I pointed out. It had taken a while but I had finally come to accept my position in the paddock. As a photographer, as Dan's girlfriend, as myself; I belonged at last. OK so I was never going to grace the catwalk at Amber Lounge, or the latest cover of Vogue, but it didn't matter anymore. Had it ever mattered to anyone except me? Not to Dan at any rate; right from the start he had been able to look past everything and still see me.

Like a magnet my thoughts always seemed to come back to the addictive Australian, my senses tuned to any trace of him. I could hear the laughter cascading from his lips as we turned the corner. Nervous laughter? I was about to find out.

"Ready?" If anything Dad looked more anxious than I did.

"I think so"

I gave him a weak smile at the thought of how many people were likely to be waiting behind the door, and exactly who might be amongst them. Nodding to the hovering staff member I gripped Dad's arm tightly, and we stepped through into the packed room. One hundred pairs of eyes turned in our direction, one hundred smiles, but I was only searching for one, and it was waiting just one short walk away.

"Why isn't he wearing a suit?" Dad whispered to me, puzzled.

"He is" I beamed in delight as our eyes met at last, my heart pounding so hard I thought it was going to burst right out of my ribcage.  Resplendent in his Red Bull race suit Dan was looking at me as if seeing me for the first time. It was probably the same expression that was mirrored on my own face.

"Hey" I murmured bashfully as I approached him. I was dimly aware that Dad had let go of my arm and joined the rest of the family on the left hand side of the room. Then everybody else faded away and I could see and hear nothing except the man in front of me. Even he seemed to be talking and moving in slow motion, or maybe it was actually my brain that had slowed down. Through the fog another voice was speaking and my body moved as if on auto-pilot as the words reached my ears and echoed round inside my head.