Stronger Together | George Russell

10 - taxi

Annabelle

We had been here in Oxford for a few days now, but we hadn't spent much time together because George always had training or other appointments. It was clearly noticeable that this championship lead and the current second place, just behind Verstappen, had shaken everyone up. 

There was no thought of anything other than work and further development, after all George was supposed to be at the top at the end of the year, which is why I understood the current stress. 

The last few days I had recovered a bit and walked around Oxford. A few times people recognized me and approached me, asking what had happened, but I was able to brush them off quite quickly. 

However, pictures were circulating on the Internet and the world knew that I was currently here with George, and so was Berger. Every day I was afraid that he would be around the next corner and ambush me, which is why I usually just hung out briefly to get some fresh air. 

But fortunately I hadn't heard from him since the picture from Belgium. I blocked his account and George as well. Besides, I and my boyfriend had decided to make a statement so that everyone knew what really happened. 

Although there was still this panic in me that people would judge me and not believe me, George had spoken well to me and with him I was ready for it. I wanted to finally be able to put all of this behind me and really start my new life, my life with George and everything that went with it and everything that wasn't possible at the moment. 

Sighing, I looked out the window at the fields and houses passing by. I was just sitting in a taxi to Brackley, to Mercedes, because George wanted to show me around there today. Happy to have a little distraction, I was excited to see what awaited me. 

Since he already had training and other commitments that morning, I had to take the taxi there alone. I had walked the first part of the way, but on the outskirts of Oxford I got into a taxi, which arrived at the headquarters after half an hour. 

I quickly thanked him and paid before getting out. The driver seemed a little strange to me the whole time with his full beard and glasses and I was happy to have finally arrived.

"Annabelle?" a man asked me as I entered the large entrance hall.

I realized it was Aleix, his trainer. We had seen and greeted each other briefly a few times so far, but we had never really introduced ourselves.

"Yes, that's me. You are Aleix, right?"

The man in front of me confirmed this and gave me his hand, which I shook in a friendly manner. He then said that George was still in the simulator, but that I could go up to him. I thanked Aleix for the information and the route description, which he gave me before we said goodbye and I went up the stairs. 

A few people in Mercedes uniforms ran into me and looked at me in surprise, but said nothing.

"Annabelle?" I heard my name again and took a few steps back to the open office door. 

Inside I recognized Rita. She was the one who handed me a plate at Silverstone and later brought me to her table. She was part of the marketing team along with two others and I was amazed that she remembered me.

"You remember me?" I asked confused as I leaned in the doorway.

Laughing, she got up and came over to me as there was a man sitting in the back who was talking on the phone.

"You are George's girlfriend and besides that we talked last season, of course I remember you. You study Marketing and Communication, right?"

"Studied yes. I finished it in May."