We're in This Together

Episode 39

"I have to go to the podium," Charles added, breaking eye contact with me.

"Of course, go ahead," I replied swiftly, shifting my gaze to my pair of shoes. He nodded in agreement and placed his helmet on the nearby table counter. "Would you like to..." Before he could finish his sentence, another driver entered the garage, interrupting us by greeting Seb.

"Hey, man!" The driver, with brown curly hair, greeted Seb with a small hug and handshakes. It was McLaren's racing driver, Lando Norris. As soon as we heard his voice, I turned my gaze towards him, and Charles also shifted his attention towards Lando as he engaged in conversation with Seb. As we both turn towards him, he also swiftly looks at back.

"Jennifer?" Lando said, his expression turning slightly puzzled as he glanced in my direction, trying to confirm my identity amidst Charles' figure.

"Hey, Lando!" I greeted him with a chuckle and a wave. It had been quite a while since we last met, but back during a sport competition ceremony at Adie's school, Lando and I had shared plenty of conversations about all sorts of silly things during our lunch breaks. He's quite the jovial fellow, always bursting into laughter at the slightest hint of absurdity, especially when we were dealing with the antics of kids. Not only is he friendly and humorous, but he's also around the same age as me, so we made quite the dynamic duo back then.

"It really has been a while, Jennifer," he said with a broad smile, walking towards me and passing by Charles, who was watching us intently.

"Yeah, it really has been quite a while, hasn't it?" I replied with a bright smile. Without any hesitation, Lando swiftly enveloped me in a hug, catching me off guard with his sudden display of affection.

"It's nice to see you here, Jen," he said, giving me a gentle squeeze in his embrace, which left me momentarily wide-eyed with surprise.

Before I could fully process the hug, Charles cleared his throat, shifting the focus of the conversation. "What brings you here, mate?" he asked Lando directly, prompting him to release the hug.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that," Lando chuckled. "We've got to head to the podium; Max is already waiting," he added, still keeping his arm casually draped over my shoulder. Before Charles could interject, Lando turned his attention back to me. "So, spill it, Jen. What brings you to the paddock?" he asked, fully facing me and locking eyes with me. "And are you now a Ferrari fan?" he teased, eyeing my Ferrari jacket critically. "That's not fair, and honestly, I'd recommend orange; it suits you better than red," he remarked with a smirk, adjusting his hair casually.

"Okay, that's enough," Charles said firmly as he swiftly pulled Lando by the shoulder, leading him out of the garage. Lando protested, still arguing about how I'd look great in an orange jacket, eliciting a chuckle from me as I shook my head. Once they had left, I noticed Seb's absence. While the three of us had been engrossed in conversation, Seb had been deep in discussion with an older man who appeared to be a team principal. Now, however, he was nowhere to be seen, leaving me feeling somewhat apprehensive amidst unfamiliar faces.

Despite being a grown-up and a professor at the university, I couldn't shake off the nerves of being alone in a crowd of strangers. Slowly, I made my way out of the garage, weaving through the equipment and onto the pit lane, hoping to find Seb or someone familiar.

Scanning the bustling crowd, my eyes finally landed on a man who seemed to recognize me as well, his gaze meeting mine. He was no longer in a hoodie like the last time we met on the platform; now, he was clad in a racing suit like the others. With a water bottle with pipe in hand, he swiftly made his way towards me, and as he approached, I greeted him with a smile.

"Is that my sister from another mother?" Alex Albon exclaimed with a wide grin and chuckles, recognizing me.

"Well, yeah, you caught me," I teased back, and we both burst into laughter.

"So, what brings you here? Are you here to watch the race?" Alex asked, taking another sip from his water bottle. I shook my head, giggling.

"Not really. Actually, I came here for..." I proceeded to explain the reason for my presence, earning acknowledging nods from Alex.

"That's really cool. Seb is quite the intelligent man," he remarked. "So, what about now? What are you doing here?" he inquired again.

"Um, I was looking for Seb, but it seems he's disappeared on me," I replied, scanning the area once more. "Have you seen him?" I asked Alex.

"I think he's at the Aston Martin garage," Alex added. "Come on, guess what, you have your brother, and you can count on him," he said with a wink and encouraging me to join him. I happily joined him, and we walked together towards the Aston Martin garage. Along the way, Alex and I had a few conversations until we spotted Seb engaged in conversation with another driver.

"Hey, Seb!" Alex called out. Seb turned towards him, greeted him, and they began chatting while  I was leaving behind for a few far away to give them their private space. As Alex, Seb, and the Aston Martin driver conversed, Seb eventually called out to me.

"Jen!" Seb beckoned, gesturing for me to join them. I quickly joined them, standing between Alex and Seb.

"Fernando, this is Jennifer, and Jennifer, this is Fernando," Seb introduced me to the Aston Martin driver.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you, sir. I'm Jennifer Alison," I greeted, extending my hand.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Fernando Alonso," he replied, shaking my hand.

"What a coincidence, Alison and Alonso," Alex added with chuckles, which we all joined in. We continued conversing for a while until Seb broke the conversation.

"I think it's time for the podiums," he said, glancing towards the podium.

"Yeah, I think so," Fernando agreed, also turning his gaze in the same direction as Seb.

"So, we gotta go," Seb added, gently guiding me towards the podium celebration. "Because this young lady is here for her first time," he added, pointing towards me, which caught me off guard and made me feel a bit awkward. I quickly gave Alex and Fernando a small wave as a farewell, which they returned with smiles before I followed Seb to the podium celebration. Today, in the paddock, Seb and I truly resembled a father and daughter duo, as if he was introducing his daughter to his workplace for the first time. He took me under his wing everywhere he went in the paddock, and I followed closely beside him. Not only did he show me around, but he also took the time to explain everything to me and introduced me to his friends, who were fellow drivers. Which was a memorable experience.

As we neared the podium stage for the celebration, we were met with a sea of jubilant faces, all gathered to celebrate the podium finishers of the day. Max, Charles, and Lando stood proudly in their designated spots, their trophies in hand, ready to revel in their success. Without hesitation, they grabbed their champagne bottles and joyously sprayed the sparkling liquid into the air, adding to the electrifying atmosphere.

Amidst the showers of champagne and infectious smiles, the entire crowd, including myself, beamed with pride for the triumphant drivers. Their happiness was contagious, and the crowd mirrored their jubilation, each person smiling with pride at their remarkable achievements. I couldn't help but join in, wearing a beaming smile as I applauded alongside the crowd, honoring the incredible accomplishment of Max, Charles, and Lando.

As Jennifer basked in her own moment, unaware of the gaze fixed upon her from afar, Christopher Robert stood observing while camera in his hand. Once her radiant smile caught his eye, he couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment, his gaze shifting momentarily to his own shoes before returning to Jennifer. Her joyful expression, directed towards the drivers, only served to deepen his frown, particularly when his attention settled on Charles Leclerc.

Closing his eyes, Christopher let out a heavy sigh, a mixture of frustration and longing evident in his demeanor. With determination, he muttered softly to himself.

 "I'll do whatever it takes to get you back, Jennifer."