𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐃 || 𝐹. 𝐴𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑜

.03

The rest of the weeks leading up to the car launch and beginning of the season went by relatively smoothly. As the reserve driver there was little Eloise had to do when it came to preparing, and most of the meetings were for strictly Lewis and Fernando and some of the engineers. Lewis had asked her once, rather apologetically, if it bothered her that she played such a side role of the team, but Eloise had simply shrugged it off. Most of it was boring meetings she would rather sleep through anyway, all she really wanted to do was drive the car and attend races. Just what her job demanded of her, and in a no pressure role too. It seemed like a dream come true for the young girl.

And, while she was sure that somewhere soon down the line she would be wanting to actually be competing in the car. For now, she was still too happy with what she had at such a young age to ever even consider demanding more. She is happy where she is right now, it is far further than she ever would have expected herself to come in this world dominated by nepotism and wealthy white men.

She was really making something of herself. Lewis was really making something of himself. They were going to make it.

And, she can not help but still be astonished as looks out from her balcony to the streets of Valencia. The team had flown her and Lewis here to Spain a few days prior in anticipation for the car launch today. Fernando had already been in Spain visiting family in Oviedo, and had been flown south to Valencia just a day or so after she and Lewis had arrived. The team had booked out the top floor of all Presidential Suites and rooms with rates at least 500€ a night and had certainly not gone cheap on making sure their drivers had only the best of the best.

It was a bit disorienting to get used to at first. Eloise had not grown up in a life of luxury, and though her parents were by no means living off well fare checks, it was still a big jump from a humble Stevenage home to first class trips and a penthouse suite in south Spain.

And that is what makes her enjoy moments like this even more, makes her want to savor them even when the hustle and bustle of F1 life does not quite allow her to. When she really should be getting breakfast and heading down for a team meeting ahead of the launch instead of enjoying the view of her balcony. But she can not help it, really. Sure she had enjoyed some perks of wealth
while driving in GP2, but even that was nothing compared to the absolutely indomitable feeling of F1.

And that is her word... indomitable. That is the word that comes closest to describing the feeling she had tried to convey to Fernando on the elevator only a few weeks ago.

Impossible to subdue or defeat. Impossible to conquer. She feels indomitable.

Not the buzzing of her phone or ticking of her watch could be bothered to realize that. And she knows that now she really is pushing the limits of her time, and she needs to be going onto the next task the day has planned for her.

She tried to wrap her mind around it as she throws her purse over her shoulder, checking several times that she has everything she needs for the day. Tries to wrap her mind around it as she waits alone on the long elevator ride down to the first story of the hotel where all the team is gathered in one of the various conference centers. Tries to wrap her mind around it as she checks into the center onto to find that Lewis, the fitness guru he is, is still finishing up at the gym and she has a few minutes to spare to make herself a plate of the complimentary breakfast the hotel has out out specifically for the team.

But, she is still too high on the thrill and excitement for it all, and her hands must be trembling a bit for when she goes to pour herself a coffee a bit winds up on the cuff of her blouse and she curses quietly to herself, not realizing she is within earshot of a certain Spanish teammate of hers.