Driver (Sebastian Vettel) - ON HOLD

8.0 - Italy

MEGAN MOORE

The plane's landing was not as smooth as I would have liked. I gripped the arms of my chair and stared forward. This was always the worst part of being on a plane, landing. "Fuck this shit," my voice was quiet as the plane came to a standstill and the sign went off informing people that seatbelts were no longer required. I quickly unclipped my seatbelt before rising to my feet gripping my phone tightly as I stepped out of the pod. 

"There's no rush," Sebastian got my attention as I turned to look at him stopping where I was standing. 

I didn't know how to respond to him, I knew I should have been used to travelling by plane all the time but it didn't make it any better no matter how many times I had done it. I walked away from him and headed to the door almost sprinting and getting off the plane first and heading towards the terminal through the boarding board. As soon as I was on solid ground, in the building, I smiled to myself and took a deep breath as I leaned against the wall my head on the solid wall as I calmed myself down. 

The problem for me was not flying, it wasn't taking off, sometimes it wasn't even the landing, it was the problems between. The turbulence, the probability of something going wrong. When the plane started to land and the winds were high it affected the landing, that was what freaked me out. 

"Megan," I felt a hand on my shoulder bringing me back to the real world and not my world of panic. I turned and looked at Sebastian who was staring at me, I couldn't quite read his face, it seemed to look like a mixture of concern and annoyance. "Let's get our bags." I didn't know how long I had been standing there, I didn't know how many people had passed me by but there didn't seem to be anyone else around apart from an air stewardess who was watching us. I guessed she was waiting to get us out of that area so she could continue on with her job and I was holding her up. 

Nodding at Sebastian I followed him towards the passport checking desk, Sebastian handing over his, me following suite before we were accepted into the country. He walked a few steps ahead of me as he walked towards the luggage carousel, I caught up just as he pulled his large red suitcase from it. I waited before my black case appeared, the yellow wheels giving it away as I hoisted it off the belt and onto the ground. 

We left the airport and found ourselves being greeted by a man wearing sunglasses and standing next to a blacked-out SUV, "Nice to see you both." His Italian accent was heavy as he spoke in English to the two of us. "Can I take your bags?" He asked as he looked in Sebastian's direction, I guess fame really does get you help. 

Sebastian declined the offer and put his own suitcase and holdall into the boot of the SUV, I wheeled my mine before luging it in on top and then slamming the boot shut. I climbed into the back of the car sitting in the seat behind the passenger seat, Sebastian sitting in front of me. 

I watched as we left the airport, my eyes taking in all the beautiful sights that we passed by. When I stayed in Italy as a teen I stayed Simeri Mare, a beautiful place which was situated at the bottom of Italy, unlike Maranello. There was some conversation taking place in the vehicle but I mainly zoned out as I watched all the amazing buildings and views, taking in all the culture. 

"Megan?" I heard someone say my name as I stared at a beige home that looked almost stately. 

"Huh?" I looked away and towards the two men at the front. 

"Do you speak any Italian?" The driver asked, I realised at this moment in time that I didn't even know his name. He was glancing at me in the mirror, his sunglasses removed from his eyes so I could see his grnite coloured eyes which seemed to look rather bloodshot, he quickly looked back to the road leaving me to look away puzzled by his strange eye colour and behaviour. 

Was I honest and admit the truth to this man? If they didn't have my file then they wouldn't know a thing, they can't know or he wouldn't have asked, surely? "I know a few basic things," I skirted around the truth with a smile. "Ciao il mio nome è Megan."

The man looked in the mirror at me, just a quick peek but even that gave away a look that did not say impressed. I guess most people could tell you their name in another language if they had studied it a little at school or in their own time. 

"I thought you didn't know any other languages?" Sebastian asked me as he turned his head just to see me. 

I shrugged, "I barely know any Italian." I played it off, of course, Maurizio knew and it was on my CV but whilst I was here I could use them not knowing to my advantage. I knew that sometimes people who spoke another language used it to keep you in the dark, I did not want to be intentionally in the dark if I could help it. 

Sebastian turned back around leaving me alone, a smile creeping across my face before I looked back out the window. The places I had seen so far was spectacular, I couldn't wait to see more. 

XOXOX

The driver, who I learnt was called David, dropped the two of us off at an apartment. He had escorted us into the building and to the place we were going to call home for the next four weeks before handing over his business card and leaving. Now, Sebastian and I were alone for the first time ever, alone and away from prying eyes of others. 

I gripped my suitcase handle before walking through the apartment, my mouth dropping at the elegant furniture that adorned the living room area. It was almost like a dream, the large sofa and chairs were padded, the white buttons, matching the rest of the chair,  pulling on the back perfectly how I dreamed my headboard would like when I was a teenager. The large glass chandelier that hung about the wooden, white coffee table, looked like it was made of a million individual pieces of crystal. Everywhere I looked there was so much more Italian masterpieces that filled this room, the things that caught my eyes the most was the two white glass cabinets that held loads of little figurines. 

As I stood by the one closest to the door towards the hall I stared into it, I couldn't help but marvel at all the little ornaments. They were mostly made from glass, none of them seemed to relate to each other but it was obvious they were all made by the same designer. 

"Everything here is so beautiful," I heard Sebastian's voice. I looked away from the cabinet and towards him, he was standing by the entrance of the living room, he held his case in his right hand and his coat in his left. "I stayed here last time I came to Italy."

I smiled before I turned away from him, I looked back into the cabinet, the top shelf was the one that caught my eye the most. On it was a crystal red rose in a crystal jar, it looked like a tribute to the Disney film - Beauty and The Beast. "I wish I could just live here," my voice was dreamy as I stared at the rose. For a moment I forgot who I was, for a moment I was here, the young girl who thought dreams could come true. Here I was imaging how perfect life mught be in Italy, how I could find a perfect man and settle down and just be happy, like the fairy tale the rose was from. 

"Unfortauntly for you this is temporary," Sebastian brought me back to reality. 

Looking back at him I made sure he knew he was interrupting my moment with a harsh satre before taking my case and walking off to find the bedrooms. There I knew I could find some time to just be alone.