Fifth Light (Sebastian Vettel)

Chapter 42: Overheard

After dinner everyone headed outside. All of the boys went for a swim, starting up another game of pool volleyball, while Casey decided it was a good time to sit with her parents and catch up. Britta stayed inside this time, her workload at this point of the Grand Prix was too heavy to avoid.

Casey perched on one end of a deck chair with her dad, while her mum took up another.

"So, tell me everything. Are you smitten? You look smitten." Julie gushed.

"He's great." Casey laughed quietly. She'd never been one to enjoy this type of conversation with her parents. Unfortunately her mum never held back.

"So you sort of, live together now?" Julie persisted.

"I stay with him when we're away yeah. Which is almost always, as you know."

"What will you do when you go back to England next week?" Greg piped in.

Casey watched Evan and Seb crash into each other in a flurry of water after both trying to return the ball at once and laughed under her breath.

"Uhh, I don't know actually! He usually has something planned. I just leave it up to him." she laughed, shrugging.

"How exciting!" Julie said delightedly, "My daughter and a famous racing driver. Living the high life!"

Casey cringed and tried to change the subject, "So how's everything at home?"

Julie burst into a thoroughly detailed account of every mundane detail of life back at home, which Casey had fully expected. She didn't mind though and let her mum chat away uncontrollably as she nodded and responded at the appropriate moments, all the while watching the boys play as she listened.

"They're all so handsome aren't they." her mother cooed, gazing at them all in the pool, "And Evan is gay! Who would have thought!" she added enthusiastically. Casey tried to suppress a smile as her mother rambled away.

"That Jacob is a piece though, if I were a man I might switch to the other team for a face like that too." she continued.

"Mum!" Casey snorted.

"Did you have any other boyfriends at work before Sebastian?" Julie inquired mischievously.

Casey shook her head and laughed, "Nope, sorry to burst your fantasy there."

"So you held out all that time and then it was love!" Julie declared theatrically.

"Mum, stop, for Christ's sake." Casey whined in embarrassment. She was eternally grateful that nobody else was witnessing this particular conversation.

Julie gasped, causing Casey to look up and follow her gaze. She spotted Heikki as he hauled himself onto the edge of the pool. His broad, muscular shoulders rippled as he settled himself on the wall of the pool and pushed his hair back. His perfectly tanned skin was glistening from the water droplets under the outdoor lighting.

"Good grief, just look at that one though." Julie said, mercifully lowering her voice.

"He's the personal trainer didn't you say?" she whispered, tearing her eyes away to look at Casey.

"Yes, mum." she replied in bemusement before turning to her dad, "Dad, are you hearing this?"

"She can dream!" Greg laughed in his usual good-natured way, clearly not bothered by his wife's school-girl banter.

"I don't think your father has anything to worry about unless I find the fountain of youth." Julie said, "If I do though, you'll know whose bedroom to find me sneaking into!" she sang cheerfully.