Do you belive in forever? (Max Verstappen)

Chapter 26

After filming the challenge for the team leaders with Franz Tost in the afternoon, I went back to the hotel. Finally, the date with Max was still pending, although I still did not know if the Dutchman would come or not.

The excitement was unbearable, and I couldn't imagine what I would do if Max didn't come. I could have shredded the thought alone. Charles and Daniel had promised me that Max would come, but it was still Max's decision and not theirs. They couldn't tie him up and take him to the restaurant, although I would trust Daniel to do that. With the Australian you could never know, but luckily from the Dutchman only Charles.

In a slightly shorter white dress, I stood in front of my mirror as it knocked on my room door. My pulse went up, even though I knew who was going to be at the door. The radiant Australian wasn't the reason for my heartbreak either.

"If Max doesn't come, he's pretty stupid, because you look enchanting," Daniel grinned at me. Thankfully I let him into my hotel room because I wasn't quite finished yet.

With big eyes, the racer looked around: "Did a bomb hit your room? Hiroshima and Nagasaki were even more tidy than your room." I looked at him badly as I went to the bathroom.

"Sorry, my appearance was more important to me than the order in my hotel room for both was just no time," I could hear Ricciardo laughing from the room. He imagined me desperately trying on all the clothes. Unfortunately, he was right. When packing I had expected this dress for the date, but suddenly I hadn't been so sure. So, I had once had my complete suitcase on, before I had decided again for the simple, white dress.

In front of the bathroom mirror I am currently testing different hairstyles, but I could not decide: "What do you think looks better, the front hair is taken backwards, ponytail or bun?" Overwhelmed, Daniel looked at me, he sat on my bed while I stood in the door frame to the bathroom. With each option, I had also briefly shown him what it would look like, but Daniel didn't really help in his decision.

"Ponytail? I mean everything looks good, but I'd take my hair together, so they certainly wouldn't get in the way," the Australian said. He seemed to be afraid of my reaction, which I didn't care about at that moment. Finally, we had to go to the restaurant, because I wanted to be there befor Max was it.

When I came out of the bathroom with a ponytail, Daniel just typed something on his phone: "Charles is now by Max." Nervously I looked at the racer in front of me, who just ignored me. Instead, I could hear the sound of a new message and watch my counterpart write back a new message.

"Is he coming?" I could hear my insecurity. So, it was no wonder that I had attracted the attention of my counterpart. He looked me in the eye as he got up from the bed.

With both hands, he held me by the shoulders: "He would be a fool, if not. Hanna relaxes you and enjoys the evening, that you can think for the next few hours left to me and Charles." This hadn't really reassured me, but I wanted to do Daniel a favor, so I nodded.

"Now put on your shoes, so we can go," Daniel immediately instructed me. He had let me go and went to the door over my clothes. He was waiting for me to be there.

I quickly slipped into my silver shoes and had taken my silver clutch in my hand: "Does this fit? I can put on other shoes if it doesn't look good." Daniel quickly shook his head as he really wanted to go to the restaurant and didn't want to see a fashion show of shoes.

"You could go in clown shoes and Max wouldn't notice," he said of his gesture. To make it clear to me without words that we really should get going, he had opened the door.

As nervous as I was, I simply left this statement and responded to his request: "What did Charles write, after all, you wrote several times back and forth." The door fell behind Ricciardo into the lock, and he looked at me surprised; he probably hadn't expected that question anymore.

"He just wanted to know what it's like for us. I'll be able to tell you the rest tomorrow, but now we've got to go," he said, tapping on his wrist where a watch was normally. I would have liked to know the rest of the details, but at that moment I probably wouldn't bring anything out of Daniel. Maybe it was quite good, because I was already nervous enough and Charles News might just have unsettled me even more.

So that I don't fall and break something, I had hooked up with Daniel: "You're shaking quite hard, hopefully Max has a jacket for you, because we don't go back to the hotel room again." The Australian was certainly aware that I wasn't cold, so I smiled at him only slightly.

I was really grateful to the Australian for trying to take away the nervousness with a joke, but it didn't work out. In all the scenarios in which I went through in my head, I ended up alone in the restaurant.

Max POV:

I opened Instagram on my phone and saw a photo of Hanna smiling into the camera next to two guys in hockey gear. I imagined that I would stand-alone next to her and that she would shine so much because of me. But I would ever be able to make her so happy if she had to give up everything for me.

"Max finally open up the door, I don't want to stand at your door all evening long," I looked at the clock of my mobile phone in horror. So, I hadn't noticed that it was already 7pm and Charles wanted to pick me up. I still hadn't decided if I wanted to leave at all.

So that at least the hammering against my room door stopped, I opened the door to the impatient Monacan: "How do you look like this? So, you don't can go on a date, luckily, I came a little earlier, we're looking for a suit or any other outfit now." Without waiting for a response from me, Charles had gone straight to my closet.

"I'm not going," Charles stood there petrified. Slowly and stunned, the Monacan turned to me. I couldn't quite comprehend my words, but it seemed to me the right decision. As often as Hanna had made a retreat, I made a final line for both of us. We would probably find a way to deal with each other normally, but we probably couldn't have a relationship.

My buddy still looked at me: "What do you mean? Did it shook you too tightly, or you've slammed against the wall too often, of course you go. Even a blind man sees how in love you are in this girl and you want her to let sit alone in a restaurant. My goodness first she and now you, you can't just keep it." Agitated with a slight hint of anger, Charles had made me feel right.

"I'm not going meens, I'm not going. She could lose her job because of me and we both know how much she's attached to it. I don't want to be the reason why their dreams go up in smoke," I said. Charles, on the other hand, looked like he would like to kill me or himself.

Monacan no longer understood the world: "Isn't that her decision and hasn't she already chosen you? So just say thank you and get fucking in that suit!" I had never seen Charles like that, which slightly intimidated me. I went to my closet and took out jeans and a white shirt.

"Now hurry up, Daniel and I want to have some food and not just get you at a table," Charles snared me in the bathroom. I didn't really understand what I was really doing. It wasn't until I moved into the mirror above the sink that I looked at myself.

At that moment I paused and let everything go through my head again. I wanted Hanna, but I also wanted her to be happy. As much as I wanted her, maybe I couldn't be the one she needed.

"Don't think about it Verstappen and come out of the bath," the Monacan hammered the door that separated us. Sighing, I sat down from the sink and turned to the door. Charles would probably leave me no choice, so I let Charles scare me out of my room.

A little nervousness came up in me when I realized that I was going on a date with Hanna: "First you refuse to come along and now you can hardly sit still in the passenger seat. What Hanna finds in you; I can't understand anymore." I hadn't noticed that I had started shaking my legs while Charles was trying to get through the traffic of Shanghai.

"Sorry, I just don't know if this is really a good idea," but I was interrupted again by Charles.

Since he had to stop at a traffic light, he looked at me briefly: "It's enough Max, stop thinking and enjoy the moment, just as you usually do. Since when do you think about it when you go on a date, if it is right choise? Max, whom I know, does not hesitate in such things and fights damn  for what he wants. So, stop whining and get the girl." Charles was right, I wouldn't have hesitated with anyone else. But I just wanted the best for Hanna, so for the first time I thought about whether I was.

But so that Charles didn't commit mass murder, I stopped thinking about it, instead distracting me with the thought of Sunday's race. Apart from the radio, it was now quiet in the car, but we arrived at the restaurant without any accident.

To confuse photographers, we both went inside the restaurant together. There Charles had his car driven from a parking service to the back exit so that he and Daniel could disappear unseen while Hanna and I had our date.

"Don't even think about going to the hotel without Hanna. Enjoy the evening and finally grab her," Charles left me alone with an upright pat on the shoulder. I could only watch as he was led by an employee to the back exit, where Daniel was also staying.

A waiter stood next to me: "May I take you to your place, Miss Gasser is already waiting for her." Slightly next to me, I nodded only, as I probably had no other choice. So, I followed the waiter through the restaurant into a small secluded next to room. In the dimmed light, I could see a single table where a person was sitting with a candle.

When I entered the room, the waiter immediately retreated, so I was now alone with the person in the semi-darkness: "I thought you wouldn't come." I had to swallow for a short time because I really didn't want to come.

"Charles left me no choice, I really wouldn't be here without him," I confessed to her. She tried to smile over it, but in her eyes, I could see the glimmer of pain. I never wanted to see this glimmer in her eyes, and certainly not because of me. But it wouldn't hurt her anymore if she had to give up her dream. I still wasn't sure what to do. Because I just wanted the best for them and if I wasn't, I'd have to let them go.

She stood in front of me with a good one-meter distance and seemed to know what to say: "But I'm here and I don't regret it. You look amazing." A slight smile was placed on my lips as I overcame myself to take her in my arms. It felt incredibly good and yet the doubts in my head didn't want to be silenced.

"Then I'll probably have to press Charles to thank him tomorrow," she said. So, she could now look up to me from below, I could really get used to this position. But you shouldn't get too used to things you might not have.

So, I slowly broke away from her: "I hope there's something to eat after an interview today with a nice reporter I'm hungry." Hanna smiled at me as we both sat down at the table.