Snap Happy (A Daniel Ricciardo story)

22. Mission Impossible

EM

"Stay with me tonight" he whispered as we sat in the car.

"Dan I thought we'd talked about this - it's not a good idea for me to be caught in your room in the morning, and I don't want to do the walk of shame past Sebastian, Christian, and God knows who else wearing yesterdays clothes, bed hair, and no makeup. I have literally NOTHING else on me bar my phone, my wallet, and the clothes I'm wearing..."

"Clothes are not an issue" he interrupted softly. 

Oh Lord. I could feel my temperature rising, and it certainly had nothing to do with the weather which was barely scraping into double figures.

"I don't know.." I began less than convincingly. I was wavering and he could see it. He gave me a look - Dan was good at looks, and 'Hopeful Puppy Dog' was his particular speciality.

"What if I promise to get you back early tomorrow before anybody else is up?"

I knew then, that whatever I said, that this car was not going to be stopping at my hotel tonight.

 ***

"Em wake up"

"neeeeeurrrrrrghhh"

I lifted my head reluctantly from his chest where I had been enjoying both the warmth and strength of his body, emitted an unimpressed grunt, and nuzzled back into his shoulder instead.

"What time is it?" My voice was muffled against his skin.

"Erm...time to get up" he fidgeted uncomfortably, and I had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't due to the way I was wrapped around him. I rolled over to discover that my worst fears were confirmed.

"Dannnnnn!" I shrieked "What the hell, it's almost normal-people-o'clock!!!"

"I know" he looked decidedly sheepish "but you felt too good and you looked so cute that I couldn't wake you"

"CUTE?? Do I look cute NOW?" I ranted, jumping out of bed and trying to locate the various items of clothing currently forming a treasure hunt round the room. "I've got no toothbrush, no hairbrush, no makeup, and I don't even want to think about who else is currently staying in this hotel"

"You're still cute when you're mad" he smirked, sliding out of bed and taking me in his arms as I wriggled in panic with both feet somehow down the same trouser leg. "Do I have to dress you too?" He laughed, as he relaxed his grip and I nearly fell flat on my face.

"Just make me a coffee...please" I begged, sprinting for the bathroom. 

A few minutes later, face pink and shiny where I had scrubbed my makeup off with cold water and tissues, hair swept up under one of Dan's Red Bull caps, and a mouth full of chewing gum (which I absolutely detested) I was ready for the great escape. Dan stuck his head out the door and scanned the corridor.

"Coast is clear" he hissed, making for the lift in an exaggerated James Bond style. I had a feeling that he wasn't exactly taking this seriously. 

I followed him slightly less dramatically, cap pulled down low over my eyes, thankful for the confined privacy of the lift space. I was a little less thankful when the doors opened once more. 

"Well well well what have we here?" 

Sebastian Vettel reclined elegantly against the pillar, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. 

"Uh...hi Seb"

"I knew it!" he announced triumphantly, flipping the cap backwards off my head and high-fiving the pair of us. I covered my face with my hands - appearing in front of Dan looking like this was bad enough, appearing in front of a Four-time World Champion I barely knew was so much worse.