Snap Happy (A Daniel Ricciardo story)

5. Decent Exposure

EMILY

There was a man at the end of my bed.

Except it wasn't my bed.

There was a man at the end of the bed that wasn't MY bed in a room that wasn't MY room.

And he was smiling. Broadly.

"You kidnapped me!" I accused him in a sleep-slurred voice.

"I RESCUED you" he corrected indignantly, trying to look offended.  "YOU were the one who fell asleep on ME remember"

"Speaking of which, exactly how DID i get back here?"

"Uhhh, I may have called in a favour, I rang J...just some guy I know and he came and picked us up and helped me carry you up the stairs. "

"Ohhhhhh shhiiiiiiiit" I slumped back against the pillows, thoroughly embarrassed as I recalled falling apart in his strong and comforting arms.

 "Yeah, seriously Em you could sleep through a dozen V8s but I'll let you off - you seemed pretty done in."

 "I was...and Daniel?" his eyes met mine enquiringly "thanks".

 "No worries" he smiled "Breakfast?"

He threw me an apple which I missed, my fingertips closing on mid air as it landed by my shoulder.

"Ha! Forgot Pommies couldn't catch..."

"...or throw!" he added cheekily as the revenge pillow went sailing past his face.

"Now get up - we've got work to do"

"WE?????" I spluttered. "I've got to get back...I'm in your bed...I'm still in yesterday's clothes...I've taken up far too much of your valuable time being a TOTAL wimp...AND I'M A MESS!"

He grinned and my internal organs decided to swap places somewhere beneath my rib cage.. I wish he'd stop doing that.

On second thoughts I wish he'd NEVER stop doing that. 

"You're forgetting something" he said coyly, "I never got to tell you my news"

He raised his hand above my head and swung something in front of my eyes like a pendulum, laughing as I tried in vain to grab it from him. Finally catching it I read the words in utter shock and disbelief.

'MONACO GP: MEDIA PASS'

"Daniel Ricciardo you didn't!!!...Is this for me?"

Tears welled up in my eyes as he nodded slowly, his smile spreading even wider across his face. I said nothing, I couldn't, I just launched myself across the room and threw my arms around the neck of this wonderful (beautiful) man who barely knew me, but had clicked his fingers and made my dreams come true. For the second time in twenty four hours he let me cling to him, holding me tightly in return. 

DANIEL

I couldn't deny it, making her smile made me feel great. She still hadn't spoken but the happiness that radiated from her as she trembled in my arms was infectious. I released her slowly, she was dishevelled, her clothes crumpled where she had slept in them, and her hair sticking out in a candyfloss cloud around her face. Perfectly imperfect I thought to myself. She was so genuine, so undemanding - the only thing she had actually asked me for was that one photograph and to see the weight lifted from her shoulders I'd have given her the world. 

The way she was looking at me perhaps I just had.

"So, Seb and I have a photoshoot and a couple of interviews onboard the Red Bull boat in..." I glanced down at my wrist "two hours. I've spoken to Darren and he says you can shadow the F1 Racing crew for the day. That's if you've got no other plans of course...?"