Max arrived in Hungary well ahead of the race weekend. He wanted to spend some time in Budapest, exploring the sites, and relaxing during his long break. On the day he arrived, he received a text from Cara.
You in Budapest already? xx
Max smiled. Seeing those two kisses always made him smile, as he was always excited to get a message from Cara. If only she would give those kisses in real life...
Max stopped daydreaming, and replied.
Yeah I am :)
Cara called him. Max answered, looking around his hotel room in case his dad entered. Cara's voice buzzed in his ear.
'Funny that. I already arrived too.' She said cheerfully.
Max laughed and replied, 'Well, do you want to meet up for dinner? My dad's going out with some old Hungarian friend I don't know.'
'Sure, text me the place. When should we meet up?'
'Sevenish, I guess.'
'Cool. Ciao ragazzo!'
'Ciao!'
In the light, airy evening, the atmosphere was cool and peaceful. The city was lit up by street lamps, glowing around the cobbled streets of the town centre. The humming of people was quiet, as they went out for a nightly stroll in the town square. Max and Cara entered the square, and found a fancy restaurant on the left corner. Max looked at her.
'I'm not really the type for posh places, but you seem to be so...'
'Max...'
'I booked a table.' He blushed and Cara grinned.
'Oh Max, how thoughtful..'
They walked inside. It was fairly busy, and the red wine was being splashed around everywhere. The walls were made of wooden panels, and the carpet was cherry red. It would've helped if anyone spilt their wine. They were shown to their table, and they settled down, reading the menu.
'Order what you want,' Max said. 'It's on me.'
'Really?'
'Yep. I just wanted to say thank you for your help.'
Cara laughed. 'In that case, I'll have the seafood linguine.'
After they ordered, Cara asked Max a question while they waited.
'What's your image?'
'What do you mean?'
Cara sat up. 'Lewis is the cool guy. Nico is the romantic. Sebastian is the hero. What do people think when they see you?'
'I don't know, a good driver?'
'Wrong. They see a kid.'
Max bit his lip. 'I hate that word...' He scowled.
'I know you do. You're just lucky that the opinion is...overall positive.'
'What do you mean overall?' Max asked, interested.
'You make some pretty stupid mistakes,' Cara replied. 'Like in Monaco- people questioned whether you were ready for this sport.'
'I am ready!' Max retorted, lightly banging the table, acting a little too angry.
'I know you are, but others don't see that. People are judgemental, you know?'
'How could they judge me? They've never even met me...'
'People judge on appearance. Everything contributes to your image. You need to change all of that, the way you dress, the way you talk-'
'The way I talk? What's wrong with the way I talk?'
'Listen. You need a strong voice if you're gonna shake off that 'Kid' image. And right now, you sound like a five year old on crack.'
'What's crack?'
'You'll find out when you're older.'
Max growled. 'Okay, how about the way I dress? Is that so wrong?'
'It's not bad, but it's too generic. You look like a college boy. You need to dress more maturely, more smartly.'
'What, like Lewis Hamilton?' Max laughed.
'Oh, dear God no. I feel like a bad boy image would suit you...'
'Really?'
She nods. 'We can go shopping tomorrow.'
'Sure.'
The waiter arrived with their food. They ate in silence. Max was feeling a little ambushed at the revelations Cara had revealed. He didn't know he was viewed as a child to the general public. He thought it was only the people in F1 who teased him, calling him a kid. After finishing his meal, Max got up to go to the bathroom, leaving Cara alone. As he returned, he noticed she was staring at someone. He looked in the direction she was facing. Sebastian Vettel was sitting at the bar, looking back. He waved to Max.
'Why are you staring at him?' Max asked.
'I'm not staring,' Cara replied. 'And besides, it's not everyday you see a quadruple world champion.'
'It is in my world...' Max murmured.
The bill arrived. Max paid.
'Are you sure you don't want to split?' Cara asked. Max shook his head.
'It's my treat,' he replied. She smiled. They promptly left the restaurant.
As they walked into the open night air, Max felt a few drops of water fall on his head. And then, buckets full. There was a flash shower, it rained heavily. Cara and Max made a run for it, laughing as the raindrops poured onto their shoulders. Cara had her leather jacket in the air, protecting her head. They escaped into an alleyway, to shelter from the rain.
Cara giggled. 'Oh look, you're soaked through..' She grinned as Max looked down at his damp t-shirt. He went pink with embarrassment. The rain pattered like a drum in the square. The pair were quiet. Max was staring into Cara's glassy brown eyes. He smiled, leaned forward, and kissed her against the wall. He pulled away slowly, as Cara was smiling with cheery eyes.
'That was nice..' Max whispered. He was afraid that he was too forward.
'It was...' Cara replied. Max was somewhat relieved. There was an awkward silence.
'Well, I best be going now,' Max said. 'I'll call you.'
'See you...' She replied as he walked away.
Max returned to his hotel to find his dad not back yet. The race was this weekend. He was sure as hell he needed Cara in the garage with him. Unfortunately, he had to convince his dad to let her in. He went to sleep dreaming of a cheeky Italian girl, kissing him in the rain.
YOU ARE READING
Are You Fast Enough? (F1:MV)
Fanfiction'It's one thing to be fast, but are you fast enough?' Max Verstappen is tired. Tired of being kept out of points. Tired of being ridiculed by his dad. Tired of being 'just a kid'. But when he meets Cara, things change. Soon he finds out what he's ca...
