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[formulauno98]

Once Upon a Time in Abu Dhabi | Chapter Eleven

The final race of the season was always a spectacle, however, this season the tension was off-track.

Word Count: 8.8k

Warnings: Possible pregnancy

Author’s Notes: Disclaimer, purely fiction, no-one is married in this alt-universe.

Thank you to everyone who has read, commented and shown some love for this fic. It is finally finished! I have plenty more ideas in my head so watch this space!

WEDNESDAY AM

You’d discovered you were pregnant three days ago and were now back in the UK, packing for Abu Dhabi and in utter turmoil. You hadn’t told Toto as he’d jetted off ahead of you on the Monday so you hadn’t shared the news with a single soul. You’d told Rosie it was a bout of food poisoning mixed with exhaustion and she’d not questioned things further. 

Logically you knew you had landed yourself in this situation thanks to your own stupidity but you couldn’t help but feel unlucky. You’d had one slip-up where you’d not been careful and it had been a bullseye. Having gone to your local doctor in Oxfordshire, he had confirmed that you were three months along, meaning that you must have conceived in France. Ever since this revelation you had cursed French wine and Toto’s charm. You were never the type to not be careful and it just went to show that it only takes one time to change your life forever.

As you were a little way along you were already due to have a twelve-week scan but in your heart of hearts, you knew you couldn’t do it without telling Toto. You’d told the concerned doctor that you’d book it in once you were back from Abu Dhabi and discuss options moving forward. Time wasn’t on your side but you’d begun weighing up what to do and knew you had a short window in which you could decide whether or not to move forward with the pregnancy.

Packing was a challenge as although you were nowhere near debuting a baby bump, you’d put on a few pounds around your breasts and hips and nothing fit as it should. Prior to last week, you’d pegged it down to overindulging while travelling but now you weren’t so confident. Shaking your head as you put yet another too-small skirt back into your wardrobe you reached for a loose kaftan-style dress, hoping you wouldn’t stand out too much. You had a sponsor lunch with Toto the following day and you always made an effort to dress to impress. 

Sighing, you finished packing for what would be the final time this season and made your way downstairs to wait for the car that would take you to the airport. You were flying commercial with Sophie and knew everything always took longer than when you flew via private jet. 

THURSDAY AM

Having landed late on Wednesday evening you’d gone straight to your hotel room and straight to bed. Unusually, Toto was staying in a different hotel as the company travel department had had trouble squeezing the whole team into one hotel, leaving the team split in half. Fortunately, they had split the team by department so your direct reports were all nearby.

This meant, however, that you had to take a ten-minute taxi ride to meet Toto in his hotel lobby ahead of your sponsor lunch. He’d offered to pick you up but it would have meant him doubling back on himself as the restaurant you were going to was nearer to his hotel. As your car drew up to the front of his hotel you were apprehensive. You didn’t want to hide anything from Toto but equally, it was not fair to drop this news on him ahead of a business lunch or what was sure to be a tense and stressful weekend. You just had to sit it out for three days and not alert suspicions. Easy peasy.

Crossing the lobby you spotted your beau waiting for you, leaning jauntily against a marble column. As he met your eyes he broke out into a wide grin, obviously as happy to see you as you were him.

“Hey stranger,” he said, giving you an awkward pat on the shoulder before leaning down and whispering, “I want to kiss you but it’s frowned upon here.”

You giggled, Toto was always proper, “That’s fine, bold of you to assume I wanted to kiss you.”

“You’re so mean to me.” he said, before looking you up and down, surveying your outfit and adding with a smirk “Nice outfit by the way, are you trying to blend in with the locals?”

You narrowed your eyes, knowing that the breezy kaftan was not a typical you-outfit, “Perhaps, I fancied a change.”

Toto smiled, “I like it actually, you look very… elegant.”

Bursting out laughing, you replied, “Smooth save.”

Toto laughed, resting his hand on the small of your back, “Shall we go? Our car is waiting.”

“Sure, but no touching Mr., don’t want to give people the wrong idea,” you said, poking your tongue out.

“I’m helping you walk,” he said, chuckling as you made your way out of the hotel lobby.

– – – 

Fortunately for you, lunch passed quickly, with the sponsors agreeing to a new three-year deal, leaving you and Toto beaming. You’d been apprehensive about the meeting following on from the PR disaster that had hit the team last week but fortunately, the majority of suppliers accepted that it was a planted story. The deal was toasted with the same sparkling rosewater that the drivers would be spraying on the podium so luckily you didn’t even need to feign drinking.

As you made your way back to the car that would take you to Toto’s hotel, Toto’s phone rang.

“Do you mind if I take this, it’s my lawyer?” he asked.

“Of course, take it!” you said, “I’ll wait here.”

As you settled down on a cushy chair in the entrance of the restaurant, Toto made his way outside for some privacy. You were curious about what the latest was but knew that these kinds of things took time and it was likely just a courtesy call.

You took the brief reprieve to catch up on your emails and messages, your job busy as ever. You were grateful for your team, often fielding and solving issues before they even came to you, however, last week had been an unprecedented challenge and your inbox was still full of tabloid journalists looking for gossip.

As you typed yet another “No comment” response, Toto made his way back towards you, a wide smile on his face.

“Good news?” you asked, gathering your phone and notebook up.

“Yes and no.” said Toto, “The man in contact with Lara is one of the Red Bull senior management, so not Christian.”

Your eyes widened as you made your way out of the restaurant alongside Toto, “To be honest, I’m not surprised. Christian’s smart, if he did have anything to do with it, he would have gotten someone else to do his dirty work.”

“Exactly,” said Toto, deep in thought.

THURSDAY PM

Having wrapped another relentless media day, thankfully the last one of the season, you were now settled into Toto’s room for the evening, curled up on the balcony watching the glorious sunset, with a book in hand, while Toto took a shower. Thoughts raced through your mind at one hundred miles an hour, overthinking all of the possible scenarios that would follow you telling Toto your news. You’d known each other a while but hadn’t been romantically involved for that long and you had never even discussed whether Toto wanted any more children. You knew you had to tell him asap but finding the right time was going to be tricky.

“Y/N.” came a deep voice from the patio door.

“Hey, feeling better?” you asked, turning around to the easy-on-the-eyes sight of a shirtless Toto with a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Yes, I feel human again.” he said, walking out onto the balcony and ducking down to kiss your forehead, “Sorry I was grumpy earlier.”

You laughed, patting his shoulder, “It’s okay, we all have those days.” Toto had been in a foul mood all afternoon, a culmination of being grilled by journalists about his private life and suffering in a long-sleeved shirt in the extreme Abu Dhabi heat. 

“What did I do to deserve you?” he asked with a grin, “Can I get you a drink?”

Suddenly in a panic, you replied hastily. “I’m fine with water, thanks.”

Toto raised his eyebrows, knowing that you normally loved a glass of wine after a long, difficult day. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes, I just have a small headache, I think I didn’t drink enough water today,” you said, hoping he’d buy it.

“Do you need paracetamol?” he asked, looking concerned.

“No, no,” you said, “I already took some, don’t worry.”

Still looking a little worried, Toto seemed to believe your cover story, “If you’re sure. I might get a beer if it’s okay?”

“Of course it’s okay,” you said, laughing at his ever-impeccable manners. “Come join me, it’s nice out here with the breeze.”

“If you’re sure,” he replied, disappearing back into the room before promptly returning with a cold beer in one hand and a glass of water in another.

“Come here,” you said, scooching over on your sunlounger to make room.

“I’m not going to fit there!” he said, looking down suspiciously.

“You’ll just have to get cosy with me,” you said, batting your eyelashes.

“If I absolutely have to,” he said with a smirk, setting the drinks down on the side table and ducking down to lie down beside you, pulling you across onto his chest as he lay down on his back.

“This is nice,” you said, resting your head on his bare chest, feeling his heart racing.

“Mmm,” he said, pulling you closer and tracing circles on your hip. “I wish we could do this all day.”

Smiling, you felt his heart slowing down as he relaxed, “After tomorrow we can.”

Toto sighed, “I’ve never needed the break so badly.”

“I know, I don’t like seeing you so stressed,” you replied, feeling guilty that you were keeping a secret that would only add to his woes.

“You de-stress me,” he said, clutching you even closer.

“I try,” you said, feeling even worse.

FRIDAY AM

Having dozed off on the sunlounger, you and Toto had dragged yourselves to bed, falling asleep as soon as your heads hit the pillow. Waking up, you felt rejuvenated, you’d needed a peaceful sleep after the chaos of the last few weeks.  

Carefully extracting yourself from a still-asleep Toto’s arms (he loved a cuddle) you tip-toed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. You’d planned to head to the gym with Toto but life had other plans as you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. 

“Fuck.” you said out loud, turning sideways to see that your stomach had suddenly curved ever so slightly outwards overnight. It wasn’t enough to look like a bump but it was noticeable and you knew that your gym kit would leave no room to hide, raising questions.

“Everything okay?” asked a voice from outside the bathroom. Toto had obviously woken up and heard your cursing.

“Yes, just tripped over the bathmat,” you said, wrapping yourself in a robe and trying not to rouse suspicion as you opened the door to let Toto in. “By the way, I think I might skip the gym for a swim this morning.”

“Oh.” he replied, obviously a little disappointed that you wouldn’t be joining him, “Is everything okay?”

“Yep, all good.” you said, “I just don’t want to overdo it.”

“If you’re sure.” he said, “Maybe I could come for a swim with you?”

“No.” you blurted out, far more harshly than you intended.

“Just a suggestion,” he said, his eyebrows raising.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, I just know that you prefer the gym,” you said, making your way over towards him.

“Are you sure you are feeling okay Y/N? I’ve been worried about you since Brazil.” Toto replied, looking down at you curiously.

“I’m fine,” you said, stretching up for a quick kiss.

“If you’re sure,” said Toto, looking unconvinced.

– – – 

Toto had left for the gym, leaving you to deal with your latest problem. You felt guilty about lying to Toto about going for a swim but you needed peace and quiet to gather your thoughts. And more pressingly, figure out how you were going to fit into your normally snug-fitting Mercedes uniform. 

You’d tried stretching your trousers to fit but it seemed beyond the realms of physics that you were going to fit into them. Desperate times called for desperate measures and you called Rosie in a panic.

“Hey Y/N, what’s up?” she replied, sounding somewhat sleepy.

“Morning Rosie, I am sorry to call you but I have a small emergency,” you said.

“Shit, what’s happened now,” she said, suddenly sounding much more lucid.

“Oh no no, nothing bad, don’t worry. Basically, I’ve gained a few pounds and my uniform doesn’t fit. Could I possibly borrow your spare set?”

At that, Rosie burst out laughing. You could hear George stirring awake in the background, inquiring as to who was calling so early. “That’s the emergency? Sure I’ll come over. Are you in Toto’s hotel?”

“Yep, room 754.” You said, “Thank you so much, you are a lifesaver.”

“I’ll be right there,” she said, hanging up.

– – – 

Not five minutes had passed when there was a gentle knock on the door. Rosie was once again to the rescue.

“Morning,” you said as you opened the door to a bleary-eyed Rosie sporting her pyjamas and a Mercedes-branded tote bag.

“Morning,” she replied sleepily, stepping into the room. “So I have two different sizes of uniform and I brought them both.”

“Oh my God, Rosie you are a lifesaver, thank you thank you.” you squealed as she handed you two pairs of trousers and two shirts, “Can I try both?”

“Sure,” she said kindly, “I’m sure the smaller set will be better since you’re much smaller than me.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” you said furtively, heading into the bathroom.

“Well, you know what they say about people in relationships,” she said, from outside the door.

“Huh?” you replied, sticking your head out as you struggled with the smaller pair of trousers.

“You pile on the pounds when you’re happy,” she said laughing.

Grimacing, you wriggled around, fighting the waistband “I must be super happy then, looks like it will be the bigger pair.”

“Sheesh! You really have piled on the pounds,” said Rosie, before backtracking when she saw your face drop, “I’m just joking, oh my gosh I would kill to look like you!”

Struggling to fight back the tears, you decided it was now or never to spill, “Rosie, don’t freak out.”

Now it was Rosie’s turn to say “Huh?” your best friend and confidant looking curiously at you. “What’s wrong Y/N?”

“I’m pregnant.” you blurted out.

Rosie’s face went through a full circle of emotions as she processed the news, her initial shock turning into a smile that then dropped as she considered the ramifications. “Are you sure?”

“Yep.” you gulped, “Remember in France, when I had the scare and then in Brazil when I wasn’t feeling well and you made me go to the medic?”

“Fuck, I knew something was up!” said Rosie, so shocked that she’d had to take a seat on the ottoman at the foot of the bed.

“Yep,” you said, tears now fully flowing as you sat down beside her in your still unbuttoned too-small trousers.

“Oh love, it’s going to be okay.” she said, putting her arm around you, “What did Toto say?”

“Nothing… I haven’t told him yet,” you said bashfully.

“You haven’t told him?” Rosie asked incredulously, “You need to tell him Y/N!”

“I know, but there hasn’t been the right moment,” you said.

“Aw Y/N, don’t cry, you’ll make me cry!” said Rosie, her eyes starting to well up, “He’ll be happy, the way he looks at you, I just know it.”

“I’m not sure.” you said, stealing yourself slightly as you dabbed away your tears with your sleeve, “He already has two children, he might be done.”

Just as Rosie was about to say something the door opened.

“Oh hi Rosie, is everything okay?” said a worried-looking Toto, looking from you to Rosie and back again, clearly clocking the fact that you were both crying.

“Yes yes,” she said, wiping away her own tears, “I just had some bad news and needed a shoulder to cry on.”

Toto’s face dropped, he was as fond of Rosie as you were, “Is there anything I can do?”

“No, it’s okay, Y/N helped me out. Thank you though, you two are the best,” Rosie said, dutifully lying on your behalf. She was selling her story and if you weren’t so fraught with worry and in tears, you’d be impressed by her acting abilities.

“If you’re sure,” said Toto, still looking at you both suspiciously.

“Yep, I had better get going. I’ll see you later,” she said, getting up and squeezing your shoulder lightly.

“See you, Rosie. Let me know if I can help with anything else” you said quietly, not trusting your ability to hold back more tears. It was a flaw of yours that once you started crying you always found it hard to keep it together.

“Will do,” she said, closing the door behind her.

“Is she okay?” asked Toto, sitting down beside you, before adding “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, all good, we sorted it. Just girl stuff, don’t worry,” you said, smiling weakly, leaning on his shoulder and sighing.

“Did George do something? Do I need to have a word?” he asked.

“No, no nothing like that!” you said, not wanting to raise further suspicion, “Rosie said she’d speak to him.

“Well I hope everything is okay with them,” said Toto stoically.

“Yeah, just young love!” you said, snuggling closer, lost in your thoughts.

– – – 

The morning passed without further incident, thankfully Rosie’s larger uniform set fitting perfectly as you once again navigated the paddock during the Free Practice sessions. In an interesting turn of events, Christian Horner’s PA had requested to set up a meeting that afternoon between the two warring Team Principals and you were intrigued why.

“Why would he want to meet with you one-on-one?” you asked Toto as you sat in his office post-Free Practice Two.

“I’m not sure and I don’t like there not being a lawyer,” said Toto, crossing his arms opposite you.

“Are you going to go?” you asked.

“I will see what he has to say,” said Toto, frowning.

“Hmm, if it gets contentious just leave,” you said, half concerned, half curious.

“Of course.” said Toto, leaning across the desk towards you, “I’m so tired of this bullshit Y/N.”

Surprised by Toto’s admission, you retorted, “Are you talking to me as your Director of Communications or as your girlfriend?”

“Both.” said the weary Austrian, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this. I love the racing but the rest, it’s like being in Kindergarten.”

Your eyes sympathetic, you leaned forward, “You’ll feel better after the break.”

“I hope so.” he said, “I’m excited for you to meet my family”

“This is definitely girlfriend territory,” you said with a grin, “And I am too, I hope they like me.”

“They will love you,” said Toto, smiling widely, “Just like I do.”

Melting under his chocolate brown gaze, you smiled back. Although you always promised each other to keep your work and personal lives separate, stolen moments like this were special.

“Well, I suppose I had better go and see what he has to say,” said Toto with a sigh, getting up from his chair.

Following suit, you made your way out of Toto’s office to return to your own, wishing Toto luck as he made his way down the stairs towards his rival’s hospitality area. “Good luck, let me know what he says,” you said.

“Will do, see you later,” Toto replied, clearly a little apprehensive about his meeting.

– – – 

Having been on tenterhooks waiting for Toto to return from his meeting you were increasingly anxious as the twenty-minute meeting dragged on for an hour, and then another. You had almost given up waiting and returned to the hotel when your phone buzzed.

Sorry we took a while, could you please come and join us? X

Surprised that Toto was inviting you to join, you hurriedly typed a reply and made your way towards your paddock neighbours.

Entering the Red Bull hospitality area you could feel the unfriendly looks directed towards you, you were in enemy territory and they made sure you knew it. Approaching the coffee station, you hedged your bets that their catering staff might be somewhat friendly.

“Hi,” you said with a smile at the girl behind the counter.

“Oh hi, can I help you?” she said, a funny look on her face.

“Yes, I’m here to meet Christian Horner, where might I find him?” you asked, trying to stay polite.

She frowned, “But you’re from Mercedes, no?”

“Yes, he’s asked to see us, he’s currently in a meeting with my boyf… colleague and asked for me to join.” You couldn’t believe the timing of your slip-up, so much for not mixing business and pleasure.

“Oh, so you’re the one Toto Wolff is sleeping with!” she exclaimed rudely. “He’s just upstairs, first door on the right.”

Ruffled by her words, you decided to not dignify her with a response and made a beeline for the stairs before anybody else could add their witty remarks.

Taking a deep breath, you knocked on the first door on the right, apprehensive about what you were walking into.

“Come in.” said a voice you recognised as Christian Horner.

Opening the door, you were surprised to see the two sworn enemies sitting opposite one another in armchairs, beers on the coffee table in front of them.

“Y/N, thank you for joining us, have a seat!” said Christian, standing up to greet you with a warm smile and a handshake before gesturing at the armchair beside Toto, “Can I get you a beer?”

“That’s okay, thank you,” you said, eyeing up Toto curiously. “Hey boss.”

“Hi,” he said somewhat awkwardly.

“You two lovebirds get a room…” said Christian, chuckling as he settled back down across from you, before noticing your thunderous glare and quickly adding, “Relax, I’m kidding.”

“So what do I owe this pleasure?” you asked.

Christian shifted slightly, “So I have been telling Toto all of this but wanted to talk to you as well. I wanted to apologise for the pain my subordinate has caused you, it’s not okay and I know that I like to rile up Toto every now and then but this season I took it too far, made it too personal and wanted to say sorry to you both.”

Your eyes widened, this is certainly not what you had expected. Christian Horner apologising was like hell freezing over. “Wow, well there’s a lot to unpack there,” you said.

“I know, that’s why we have the beers.” said Christian, “Firstly, I want you to know that I have sacked the member of staff who worked with Toto’s EA on the smear campaign. I am ashamed that someone under my leadership would sink so low and rest assured we will support you in any investigation or impending court case.”

Stunned into silence, you turned to Toto, “Is this true?”

“Yes,” he replied, “We’ve been discussing the finer details but I believe Christian when he says he didn’t know what was going on.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Christian continued, “Look, our car coupled with Max is good. We don’t need to resort to dirty tricks to make you guys look bad. We can do it on track.”

“There’s the Christian we know and love,” you said with a smile, making the two men chuckle.

“I have given Toto the member of staff in question’s laptop and phone plus passwords to aid any investigation.” he replied proudly, “I also want to say sorry for my behaviour at last week's press conference. I had no idea someone from my team was perpetuating rumours and I was just messing around. I know you both know about my relationship with Gina and I lashed out after Toto threatened me.”

“Apology accepted,” interjected Toto.

You were in shock. “Really?” you asked, whipping your head around towards your beau.

“Yes, life’s too short.” said Toto, “We have a plan. And this is why I wanted you here.”

“I’m all ears,” you said.

“We know this will not stay quiet, you of all people know what the paddock is like. So we were thinking the best approach is to make a joint statement.” started Christian.

“Saying what?” you interjected sharply.

“Detailing everything that happened, it’s a juicy story, the press will love it,” he replied.

“And you agreed to this?” you asked Toto.

“I’d rather people know the truth,” he said with a sigh.

“What do you need me for then?” you asked.

“Toto said you’d know how to handle this,” said Christian expectantly.

“Well, this is not how I’d go about this but if it’s what you want to do, let’s go for it,” you said.

“What would you do?” asked Toto.

“Let it blow over, forget it ever happened, this clears Christian’s name more than it does yours,” you said.

“Yes, but I also want to rise above it, and put an end to this silly rivalry,” said Toto.

“Then let’s do it,” you said, with a smile.

– – – 

Having spent far more time than intended in the Red Bull motorhome, you emerged in the paddock under the cloak of darkness. Probably for the best as the moment team rivals were seen liaising, the rumour mill always went whirring.

“That was interesting,” you said to Toto, diving next door to collect your bags.

“I was surprised.” mused Toto, holding the door open for you.

“I think he was scared you might retaliate,” you said as you made your way up the stairs to your office.

“I agree,” said Toto, following you into your office.

“Do you not need to get your stuff?” you asked.

“Yes, but first I wanted to do this,” he said, taking a step forward to cup your face with his large hands and catch your lips in a soft yet passionate kiss.

“Toto,” you started before he promptly followed up with a second, equally searing kiss.

“I have something I need to tell you,” Toto said, shifting his weight nervously.

“What’s wrong Toto?” you said, concerned by what he was about to say.

“Nothing is wrong. I just need to get this off my chest. Look, I’m old, and before you say anything, yes I am. I am too old to be running around the world like this.”

“I’m not sure I like where this is going…” you said.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I’ve achieved everything I ever dreamed of… and more… and it’s time for someone else’s turn. One more year and I’d like to retire, stay as an investor, maybe even an advisor, but less hands-on.”

You were stunned, “So one more year, then retirement?”

“I understand if it means you don’t want to tie yourself down to an old man,” Toto said sadly.

“What planet are you on?” you said, looking him dead in the eyes, “Of course I want to be with you, whatever you do.”

Toto’s eyes lit up, “That makes me very happy. I have thought a lot about this and maybe it’s a good thing, if you wanted… actually, never mind.”

“What would I want?” you asked, curious where this was going.

All of a sudden Toto began to blush. “Forget it, we can talk again when we get there.”

“Okay,” you said, rolling your eyes. Sometimes Toto could be infuriating.

SATURDAY AM

You woke up early on Saturday morning, once again before Toto. Stretching, you made your way out to the balcony to get some fresh air. Thankfully the waves of nausea had seemingly stopped and you were feeling much better. You knew you had to tell Toto sooner rather than later but were not sure how to even broach the subject.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a phone ringing from inside the room and you dashed to pick it up before Toto woke up. 

Seeing the caller ID, you picked up, keeping your voice low, “Hey Rosie, how’s it going?”

“I’m okay thanks, just wanted to check in on you. Did you manage to speak to Toto?” she asked.

Checking he was still sound asleep, you settled on the sofa in the sitting area of the room, “No, not yet, I think it’s best to wait until Monday, once the season is done and dusted. He doesn’t need any more stress.”

“Yeah you’re right.” said Rosie, “As long as you are okay though. Have you thought any more about what you want to do?”

You sighed, “As amazing as it would be, realistically, travelling around the world in such a demanding job with a baby is totally unrealistic.”

“True.” replied Rosie, “But what would Toto say?”

“Of course he’s a stand-up guy but he’s busy with the races, do you really think he’ll want to be dealing with a newborn baby on race weekends?” you replied, looking up to see a shocked-looking Toto sat up in bed. “Is it okay if I call you back Rosie?”

“Sure, and don’t stress!” she said.

As you gingerly ended the call you could barely look Toto in the eye, “How much of that conversation did you hear?”

“Enough to understand.” he said, a serious look on his face, “What is she going to do?”

“What do you mean she?” you asked.

“Rosie, she’s pregnant, no?” he said, getting up out of bed to join you on the sofa.

“Fuck.” you said, “I didn’t want you to find out this way but it’s not Rosie, it’s me. I’m pregnant Toto.”

The blood drained out of Toto’s face as he computed what you had just told him. “With me?”

“No, with Christian. What do you think?” you said, looking at him exasperatedly, “It was that one time in France, we weren’t careful and work got so busy, I never got the pill. I’m so sorry Toto.” 

Toto rubbed his hands through his hair in exasperation as he processed the news, “This is a lot.”

“I know, that's why I was waiting to tell you until after this weekend,” you said, putting your arm around his wide shoulders. “I know it's a lot to take in, If you want we can talk about it on Monday, what we’re going to do.”

“Well, what do you want?” asked Toto, still looking shaken.

“I don’t know honestly. I love you but this is so new. I hope one day to have children but I’m not sure. How would we juggle this with a baby?“ you said with a sigh.

Toto suddenly looked more animated, “You want to have children?”

You sighed, staring into your lap, “Yes Toto, and I know we’ve never talked about it. I’ve been too scared. I know you already have been there, done that and probably don’t want to do it again.”

Toto stared at you intensely before answering, “What would make you think that? I love my children and I always regretted not having more.”

Your mouth gaped open, was he really saying he wanted more children? “But what about us? This is new, is it not too soon?”

“Y/N, we’ve known each other for some time now. Yes we haven’t been romantically involved for a long time but I know you well enough to know how much I admire you as a woman, as a human.” said Toto, suddenly taking your hand in his, “I don’t want to rush you as I know you have your career but one day I would like to have children with you.”

“I feel the same way, Toto,” you said firmly, turning to face him, “Are we seriously doing this?”

Toto’s eyes lit up, “Only if you want to?”

“Of course I want to!” you said, grinning.

“Then let’s do this.” said Toto, looking happier than he had done in months before he turned to you and planted a kiss squarely on your lips before reaching out to rest his palm on your stomach, “I can’t believe it, we’re going to have a baby.”

“The one time we weren’t careful!” you said with a dry smile, placing your hand on Toto’s. Although it wasn’t ideal timing, you did feel lucky.

“Well, I am efficient in all my work,” said Toto with a dry grin.

You playfully slapped his chest, “You are such a nerd.”

“And now you’re carrying my child.” said Toto smugly, “You love nerds.”

“I do love nerds.” you said, “Big, old, Austrian nerds.”

“Not too old!” said Toto, still looking pleased with himself. “You’ve made me the happiest man in all of Abu Dhabi.”

Unable to stop smiling, you looked at him fondly, “You’ve made me happy too. I know we have a lot to talk about and work out but let’s just enjoy this weekend and we can figure things out on Monday?”

“We can talk now, we have some time.” said Toto, a serious air suddenly about him, “Logically, it makes sense for you to move in with me.”

Your eyes widened, “You want me to move in with you?”

“Of course,” said Toto, “If we are doing this, we’re doing it properly.”

You smiled, reaching up to kiss his cheek, “Let’s do it then.”

“I know this is the future but do you remember what I told you last night?” asked Toto.

“That you want to retire after next year?” you asked, unsure of where he was going with this.

“Yes,” he said, “I was going to suggest that if children were in our future, I could be a stay-at-home Dad if you wanted to return to work. I’ve had my time, it’s time for yours.” he looked down before adding shyly,  “Only if you want of course.”

Shocked by this admission, you took a moment to find the words, “You’d already thought about kids?”

“Do you remember when Bono brought his children into the garage back in Silverstone?” Toto asked.

“Yes, why?” you said.

“I saw how you were with them and thought you’d make an excellent mother. Then my mind wandered, and I started to think about what if we had children together.” Toto looked slightly embarrassed by his admission.

“That’s what you were going to say? Jesus Toto. I thought you were going to break up with me.” you said, having been confused by his tone the previous night.

“No, quite the opposite actually,” he said, his cheeks reddening. “Maybe this is a sign.”

You looked at him puzzled, “A sign for what?”

“Let’s wait and see,” he said with a wink, 

SATURDAY PM

Now at the trackside motorhome, nervously watching the last quali of the season you took a moment to reflect on the conversation you’d had with Toto that morning. You’d been reticent to tell him your news but now that it was out in the open you felt as if a weight had been lifted off of your shoulders. You never could have dreamt how well Toto took the news and the fact that he had been considering the prospect of a future with you filled you with good vibes.

A knock on your office door interrupted your train of thoughts.

“Come in,” you called out before the door opened to reveal Rosie.

“Hey Y/N, is now a good time?” she asked, pausing in the doorframe.

“Of course,” you said, smiling widely. You hadn’t had time to catch up with Rosie since telling Toto and you were once again glad you had a confident.

Closing the door behind her, Rosie took a seat on the small sofa across from your desk. “Was everything okay this morning?”

“Yes,” you said, “But Toto overheard our conversation…”

Rosie went white. “Fuck, and what did he say?”

You chuckled, “Well first of all he thought it was you and George and threatened to come and sort George out.”

Rosie giggled nervously, “Of course he did. Did you tell him it was you?”

“Yes,” you said with a smile, “And he’s happy.”

Rosie’s face finally dropped into a wide grin, “I knew he would be! I’m so happy for you both!”

“Thank you.” you said, “Obviously we’re keeping it quiet for now as it is still early days.”

“Of course.” she said, “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl yet?”

“No,” you said, “We can find out at the next scan or we can have a surprise.”

“Ooh.” she said, “What are you thinking?”

“Not sure yet, I kind of like the idea of a surprise,” you said with a small grin. “Toto already has one of each so either way we’ll be happy.”

“Aw this baby is going to be beautiful.” said Rosie, “I’m so excited.”

“Well I hope they get Toto’s height.” you said, “Especially if he’s a little boy!”

“I think it’s a girl,” said Rosie, crossing her arms confidently.

“Do you?” you said, “I think it’s a boy.”

“Interesting.” she replied, raising her eyebrow, “I’m normally good at guessing and I just think you look more like you’re having a girl.”

“Scientific.” you said with a laugh, flicking your eyes back to the screen where you were watching quali, “We’d better get down to the garage, Q2 is getting underway.”

– – – 

Standing in the garage, headphones on, eyes locked on the small screen with a plethora of graphs and data, you glanced at Toto out of the corner of your eye. He hadn’t stopped smiling all day and quali was adding to his good mood. Lewis and George had both made it through to Q3 and Mercedes was on track for a front-row lockout as long as Max Verstappen didn’t put in a last-minute unbeatable time. 

As the clock ticked down, you dared hope that he wouldn’t, but in typical Max style, the Dutch driver managed to find almost a second where no one else could and pipped Lewis to the post for P1. Applauding your team’s efforts, you looked at Toto who was beside you, continuing to grin. Noticing you looking, he stretched an arm out towards you, scooping you towards him for a celebratory half-hug before remembering that cameras were everywhere and then doing the same to a less enthusiastic Bono.

“P2 and P3, we are on for a podium tomorrow,” he said clapping his hands together as he addressed the team, “Well done everyone and thank you. One last push.”

SUNDAY AM

Waking up bright and early, the sun flaring through the curtains you couldn’t believe it was the last race of the season. Toto’s arms were wrapped around you protectively and knowing that he had a vice-like grip while sleeping, you had no choice but to snuggle in further. As your alarm sounded you felt Toto stir, clutching you ever closer.

“Good morning,” he said groggily as he pressed a kiss to your temple before stretching his long arm across you to turn off the alarm.

“Morning,” you said, smiling at his sleep-rumpled hair.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he said, half asleep, one eye still closed.

“No reason,” you said, kissing his neck in the spot you knew he loved.

“I don’t trust you,” he said smirking, before reaching his free arm around to caress your stomach. “I still can’t believe it.”

“Me neither.” you sighed, “Not what I thought would happen when I first met you.”

Toto quirked an eyebrow, “What did you think would happen?”

“When you walked in on me changing…hmm let me think, that you were some old perv?” you replied teasingly.

Blushing slightly, Toto chuckled, “Not my finest hour admittedly. But I still managed to woo you, now look at us.”

You laughed, “Yep, irresistible charm.”

“I knew it.” replied Toto with a smile, “As soon as I saw you I thought to myself, she’s the one.”

“And all it took was a seethrough bra?” you said laughing.

“I actually thought you had lovely eyes,” said Toto, deadpan before bursting into laughter and squeezing your hip.

“Sure sure,” you said, cuddling up. “Toto?”

“Yes,” he said burying his face in the crook of your neck.

“Logically speaking, what are we going to do?”

“What do you mean?” he replied, muffled against your hair.

“Realistically I am going to be out of action for a bit. It’s not ideal timing. I’ll have to stop working halfway through next season.”

“Shhh.” said Toto, rocking his hips gently into you, “We’ll plan on Monday. For now, let me enjoy this moment.”

Slightly worried at Toto’s uncharacteristic laissez-faire attitude, you shrugged, “Sure, but don’t moan at me when I’m giving birth in the paddock.”

Toto laughed, “You’re so dramatic!”

“Says you!” you laughed.

“I didn’t think about the timing.” said Toto, pausing before adding, “We will work it out. Don’t worry, trust me”

“Trusting you is what got me into this mess Mr Wolff,” you said playfully.

“It takes two to tango,” replied Toto, hugging you tighter, his large hand still palming your stomach gently, “Right, we need to get out of bed, but I don’t want to.”

“Me neither,” you said, burying yourself further under the covers.

Kissing you once more on the forehead, Toto eased to sitting up before extracting himself from the tangled mess and making his way over the background. “Team orders, get out of bed.”

Laughing, you resurfaced, “Just one of the many perks of sleeping with the boss.”

Toto peered around the door and quirked an eyebrow, “You weren’t complaining last night.”

Rolling your eyes you sat up, “Toto…”

Looking mischievous he retorted, “You know I was thinking, since it’s the last race of the season, would you like to make a bet?”

Folding your arms, you replied, “Depends what the wager is.”

“If Lewis wins, I get to name the baby.”

“So if George wins, I get to pick huh?” you asked, not sure where this was going.

“Exactly. I have some great ideas already,” said Toto, still hanging around the doorframe.

“And what might those be?” you asked.

“Paul. After Paul Ricard,” he said, hardly able to contain his giggles.

“You are such an idiot,” you said, getting up out of bed gingerly, making your way towards him.

“It makes sense, hear me out. It’s where it all started,” he said, grabbing your hip and pulling you in close.

“Absolutely not. What if she’s a girl?”

“Paula,” he said flatly before bursting out laughing. “Okay, how about this, Niki?”

Shaking your head you kissed Toto on the cheek before breaking his grip to make your way into the bathroom and get ready for the day.

SUNDAY PM

Halfway through the race disaster had struck in your rival’s camp. Red Bull had had issues undoing one of Max Verstappen’s wheels, leaving them with an abnormally long pitstop. It didn’t give Mercedes a huge edge but fortunately, he was released into grid traffic and it was enough to halt his return to the front of the grid. It was now Lap 56 of 58 and Lewis was in the lead, George not far behind.

The Mercedes garage was silent, knowing that the team had a real last-minute chance of snatching back the Constructors Championship, something that had narrowly evaded you all season. You could hardly breathe as the lap count went down. 57, 58, Max Verstappen struggling to make it back up the field. 

After what felt like an eternity, the chequered flag was being waved. Lewis was P1 and George P2. The garage erupted into cheers, Toto grabbing you suddenly and kissing you as if his life depended on it, oblivious to the hundreds of cameras trained on him.

Breaking the kiss, you could feel eyes on you. Blushing, you saw the team around you looking half horrified, half amused by the sudden public display of affection.

Leaning in to hug Bono, he had a twinkle in his eye, quipping “He better not try that with me.”

Laughing you hugged him tightly, before retorting “Oh, I’ll be having words with him later, don’t worry.”

Surrounded by your colleagues you lost track of the amount of people you hugged and kissed in celebration, all the while beaming at your increasingly animated beau. Toto was an emotional man and you could read him better than anyone else. You knew the Constructors Trophy meant the world to him and you hoped that he’d let loose later that evening.

LATER THAT EVENING

Sat at a low table, surrounded by your close colleagues you couldn’t help but laugh at your thought train earlier. Toto had proceeded to let loose and then some, crowd surfing, drenching himself and everyone around him in champagne before belting out increasingly horrendous renditions of songs he barely knew the words to. 

Smiling and glancing over to Toto lighting up the dancefloor, you sipped contently on your lemon water. It had been a truly wild ride of a year, with some serious ups and serious downs. One thing for certain was that you had fallen well and truly for the man before you.

Beside you, Rosie was looking less fondly at her other half. “What is wrong with him?” she said, gesturing across at George who was separate from the crowd and spinning around with his arms outstretched, not a care in the world.

“Aw, let him be,” said Bella, “He looks happy.”

“I suppose.” said Rosie, sighing, “I can’t believe even Toto is so far gone.”

“I can believe.” you said, laughing, “It’s been a tough year, he needed this.”

“Well it can’t have been easy for you either, I’m surprised you’re not dancing up there with him,” said Bella.

Rosie shot you a knowing glance, well aware that she was the only person besides Toto who knew the reason why you weren’t celebrating with drinks.

“Ah, no, I can’t do it in this heat,” you said, hoping she’d buy it.

“I know what you mean…” said Bella, fortunately not questioning you any further as a very drunk Lewis Hamilton came sidling up to your table.

“Y/N, come dance!” he said, holding out a hand as an invite.

“I’m not sure I’m very good!” you protested with a sigh.

“C’mon,” he said, “Toto is missing you.”

Shaking your head you eased up from the low sofa, making sure to conceal your very slight bump with a well-placed arm.

Grabbing Lewis’ hand, you followed him through the throng of merry Mercedes team members to the centre of the dancefloor.

As you bumped along to the music, allowing Lewis to spin you around, you caught Toto out of the corner of your eye. He shot you a smile before mouthing “Are you feeling okay?”

You felt a rush of affection for him as even in his inebriated state he wanted to take care of you. Mouthing back “All good,” you continued to dance with Lewis, content to bop along.

“So. Can I be Godfather?” asked Lewis, sidling up to you and whispering in your ear, just loud enough for you to hear over the pumping music.

Your eyes widened, he clearly wasn’t as drunk as you’d surmised, “How did you know?”

“You’re not drinking, Toto kept putting his hand on your stomach earlier and he keeps looking over to check on you every five seconds.” said Lewis, “And that doesn’t answer my question.”

“Please don’t tell anyone,” you said. “And maybe. If you’re nice to me, and to Toto!”

Crinkling his eyes in a smile, Lewis scooped you into a bear hug, “I’m so happy for you both. This is beautiful man.”

EPILOGUE - TWO YEARS LATER

And beautiful it was. Having wrapped the eventful season your relationship with Toto had gone from strength to strength as you prepared for the birth of your baby. You’d met Toto’s family, including his children, something you had been incredibly nervous about. Fortunately, they had welcomed you with open arms and were eager to meet their new baby brother or sister. 

In turn, Toto had met your family, and although apprehensive at first due to the age gap, it hadn’t taken long for him to win them over. Although life hadn’t exactly gone as you’d planned, everything had quickly fallen into place.

Two years on from that fateful season you were living in Monaco with Toto and your toddler daughter, Sunny. The baby name debate had raged on but eventually, you’d settled on the unusual moniker, chosen as a nod to the city where you’d first met, Miami. 

Time had well and truly flown by and some days you could hardly believe it. You continued to work with the team, in your role that you now shared with Rosie, meaning that you only travelled to half the races. Toto had also taken a step back, passing over some of his Team Principal duties to Senior members of the team, allowing him to focus on the business side of things. 

As promised to the board on those fateful calls where you had to fight for your job, you’d brought on more ethical sponsors, brought more money and all-in-all improved the team for the better. Robert still continued to grumble but was always quickly silenced by numbers and statistics.

Your latest project was planning a farewell to the man who everyone knew would be going down in history as the greatest of all time. Lewis. Not an easy feat, he had fortunately entrusted you with his intent to retire before anyone else so you’d had plenty of time to plan. Over the years he had become a close friend and you wanted to do him justice. Now a nine-time WDC, Lewis was retiring to start a family of his own, something you knew he would excel at. True to your word, you and Toto had asked him to be Sunny’s Godfather, a task that he relished.

Rosie and George had also taken their relationship to the next level, getting engaged and due to marry the following year, it was heartwarming to know that another couple had found love in the paddock. Controversially, you and Toto had not yet tied the knot, purely down to the fact that you hadn’t had time. Toto had proposed not long before Sunny’s birth, getting down on one knee with one of the most dazzling diamond rings you had ever seen.

Snapping back to the present, you shook yourself out of your thoughts as you saw Toto coming into the room, Sunny under his arm babbling.

“How about at the end of August?” Toto asked.

“For what?” you asked, not sure what he was talking about.

“For the wedding,” he said, plopping down on the sofa beside you, seating Sunny on his lap.

“Mama!” the curly-haired toddler called out, stretching her tiny arms towards you. You knew you were biased but she was one of the cutest children you’d ever seen. Chocolate button eyes and dark brown curls, she was blessed with her Father’s dimples and your olive complexion, a lethal combination.

“Here mi amor,” you said, scooching her across for a snuggle, before nodding “August could work. But there is one issue”

Toto looked concerned, “What’s wrong?”

You broke into a wide smile, “I’m pregnant Toto.”

Toto’s brown eyes widened, “Again? Already?”

You laughed, Sunny giggling along with you, “Yep. Old man strikes again.”

Toto smiled, leaning across and putting his arm around you, “How did I get so lucky?”

“Papa!” said Sunny, this time reaching up for her Dad.

“Ooh, I think she wants her Daddy again.” you said, “It kills me that you’re her favourite.”

Taking the tiny girl in his arms, Toto smiled, “I don’t think so somehow.”

“I know so,” you said, looking at how your daughter gazed adoringly at Toto, their brown eyes identical. Glowing with pride at your beautiful family you patted your stomach tenderly, impatient to meet the new addition.

Sharing your thoughts, Toto beamed at you, “Do you remember the bet we made in Abu Dhabi two years ago?”

“Huh?” you said, not remembering.

“We agreed that if Lewis won the race, I could name the baby Paul or Niki,” he said with a grin, playing with the bouncing toddler on his lap.

“I do not remember this.” you said, “Was I asleep?”

“No, wide awake.” he said laughing, “Lewis won though and I want to know if I can cash my reward in on this one.”

“You are ridiculous,” you said with a fond smile, “I’ll think about it.”

“You know you love it.” he said, kissing you gently, “So maybe a Winter wedding then?”

“Sounds like a plan,” you replied, your heart full of love.

[bestedoesmeow]

Hi!! I found Charles Leclerc fic on my notes app so why not share it with you!

CHARLES L. X reader

Plot is, you were Max’s ex gf who was working as a health staff at Haas F1 team but he broke up with you suddenly, without saying anything. After a while Charles and your friendship grew strong and turned into a relationship and he proposed. Story tells a day from your life after the engagement.

There are french words I used. I translated them from translator so if there is any fault forgive me lmao

Hope you enjoy it waiting for your comments!

TW: kissing, mentions of s3x

* Under The Influence

You encountered Max as you were making your way back to your paddock not long after word of your engagement had spread. And it had only been two months since that devastating scene in his car that you could still clearly recall how your heart ached when you heard his words coming at you out of the darkness and how he made you hate yourself for once again trusting him. You didn't deserve any of those things, words, or revolting conduct. He was strolling you by quickly, his ocean blue eyes glistening with rage. You wanted to smack him in the face, kick him in the balls, and shout at him how much you detested him. Rather, you changed your direction and took a big breath in order to get lunch and visit Charles. It was never an easy thing to digest for you but Charles had always been by your side. All of the harsh media comments and paddock conversations. You thought you were no longer able to bear the weight on your shoulders, so you gnawed on your lips and fingernails all night long. Then, though, you realized that you were actually mistaken. Despite the fact that everything was Max's fault, you were confident he hadn't even sued himself for what happened.

You saw how kind and respectful someone's heart can be while being dedicated to his work as the days went on, and your love and respect for Charles grew day by day.

'' Bienvenue mon amour, I missed you, haven't seen you around the paddock all day.''

Charles said as he drank from his water bottle while wearing a fireproof suit. After being placed under his shoulder, you quickly reached out to kiss him on the cheek. However, he quickly put his hands at the sides of your neck and pulled you into a passionate kiss that could cause you to melt on the ground. That man definitely knew what he was doing. Your lips attracted to each other first like you two were seeking it. His hands were gently massaging your neck while they were moving in time with one other. You let your hands gently flutter through his hair and let him put his tongue inside your mouth. You didn't care at all if anyone was watching as you stood in the middle of the field. You couldn't move because you were so startled. His tongue was gliding slowly on yours as you drifted away to take a breath .

''I'll stop by your hotel tonight before leaving.''

'' Okay.'' You replied as he kissed the top of your head. After that intense moment, you grabbed lunch at Carlos and Charles' trailer while watching the two teammates' favorite television show Money Heist. You could have thought about that hateful look in Verstappen's eyes and how it made you feel just an hour ago, but instead you just enjoyed the company of your two favorite people and their little fights, as well as Charles' joyful chuckles.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

'' Je serai la à 8 heures' Vous avez une urgence ?''( I'll be there at 8 pm is there an emergency?) Charles arrived at your hotel an hour after you left the racetrack, as you were packing your luggage in your hotel room and he was on the phone in his sweatpants. You had left the paddock about six in the morning. When he hung up the phone, you sat down next to him on the bed and began playing with his hair. You were leaving for Abu Dhabi the following day, and he had thought it would be nice to spend the night out in Mexico. However, after that phone call, it seemed nearly impossible for you two to do that. In addition, you were concerned that something was wrong with his family.

'' Is there something wrong Charles?'' You said trying to figure things out from his facial expressions. He turned his face to you half way and grabbed your hand, playing with his hair and gave it a kiss before starting to speak.

'' It's on Ferrari, nothing to worry about cheri, I am sorry that I have to go. I promised you the night but-''

'' Oh, cut the bullshit Leclerc, its okay I am glad there is nothing wrong, you go to the meeting I'll wait for you to finish with it even if it'd be too late we just do Netflix and chill huh?''

'' I can't wait to come back to hotel and spend the night, bébé, Je vous aime.''

You loved to hear his French accent while talking English but while talking his own language it was almost a lullaby to your ears. You looked at his half open eyes before kissing him on his lips. 

 '' Also can't wait for to kiss you without having anyone around, slowly, peacefully.''

You smiled at his words before touching his nape. '' You are gonna be late, C'mon.''

He let a little chuckle and took his wallet, car keys with his phone before heading to the door. 

'' See you, then.''

'' See you, yes.''

-------------------------------------------------------------------

When you finished eating dinner and taking a shower, it was about ten o'clock. While using your Mac to watch The Office, you were dressed in a team sweater with pajama bottoms. You believed it was probably Charles when you heard a nearly silent knock on your door. Even though you didn't want to admit it, you really missed Charles. His demanding schedule and your busy schedule prevented you from spending time with him in the paddock, and you were equally as eager for the coming winter break. You practically sprinted to open the door.

'' I am sorry for being late. I suppose we can still watch Netflix and relax?

''I prefer to spend the night with you alone tho, I was not really in the mood to go out. Charles hugged you tightly before putting his nose to your hair and inhaling deeply of your shampoo.

'' You smell délicieuse, you took a shower?''

As you see him took off his sweater and staying in his white t-shirt, you nod in agreement.

''You're hungry? Room service is available.''

He pulled you from your hand onto the bed and remarked, "No, no, I had dinner honey, what are we watching?" Before pulling you onto his top, he laid on the bed.

''On the drive here, I waited for that exact moment.''

You made yourself comfortable on top of him before letting him kiss you as he wished. In any case, he was the greatest, and you loved to feel the warmth of his hands, body, and tongue. You were playing with his cotton-soft hair while his hands made steady, slow, tease-inducing movements on your back. You adored how he felt beneath your fingertips. He quickly moved over to you and smirked at you. He touched you under your hoodie and asked,

''Puis-je.''

"You are in charge."

[gayf1hoe]

Part 2

The bright morning sun of Saudi Arabia peeks through the half shut blinds casting a blinding light onto my face. As I open my eyes the slight hangover that I have got as a result of last night's inability to say no to alcohol hits me and in my bout of fatigue and confusion the events of last night come flooding back into my memory.

At the realisation that last night I had kissed Max I feel a wave of indefinite embarrassment and regret pulsate through my body. Thousands of questions race through my mind.

Does he hate me? Does he regret it? Whilst I know what I did was irrational and stupid I can't help but feel euphoric and happy but I'm almost certain that it's just a premature feeling that will be abruptly halted when I eventually and inevitably see him around.

But I don't need that distraction, I've only just made it to F1. I'm not going to ruin it by falling in love, I have bigger things to worry about like improving my team's position in the constructors Championship.

I realise staring into the abyss isn't going to help me and most of all isn't going to help the team. Today we are heading over to Australia and I haven't even packed yet or got anything to eat.

I head over to my closet and begin to fold and place my clothes into my bag when I hear a light knock on the door. I turn the handle and open the door ajar and see it's Zhou standing there.

“Hey Y/N we have to be downstairs in 20 minutes to leave for the airport”, “Yep that's fine, I'll be down soon” I reply.

I gently close the door and get back to packing my bags and I finish doing so quickly. I take one final look around my abnormally small room, which is for some reason smaller than all the others to check if there is anything left. After concluding there is nothing left I walk towards the stairs and walk down them, the midday heat of Abu Dhabi which has encapsulated the entire building is slightly stifling.

As I make it to the bottom of the stairs, I see some of the drivers outside the entrance waiting by the bus. I emerge through the doors and hand my luggage over to the driver who is waiting by the luggage compartment.

I stand outside chatting for a while because Max isn't here so I can only assume he's on the bus and even though we made out last night I can't face him. But eventually we have to set off so I half push past everyone so I'm not last on.

As I step onto the bus, the cool AC hits me and it is a welcoming comfort from the outside heat. The second I step on I see him. He's sitting at the front, we make eye contact for a split second but I quickly avert it to avoid any awkwardness.

He gives me his usual faint, cute and adorable smile but I don't provide any recognition of it. I walk to the complete opposite end of the bus from Max and sit at the back next to Zhou and Yuki.

The pair provide a great relief from the stress of Max through his lengthy verbose conversation about his cat that he just got. I find it adorable though how he finds so much joy in his pet and it does make me wonder if I want to get a pet as a distraction and company.

As we edge further and further into the journey my phone begins to ring, pulling it from my pocket I see its Ollie and immediately answer it faster than I ever have before.

“Hey” I say and before I can ask how he is he begins speaking on without any sign of stopping “Y/N L/N THAT PERFORMANCE YESTERDAY WAS OUTSTANDING P3 IN A SAUBER HOW DID YOU DO IT? ALSO WHY DIDN'T YOU DRINK THAT ALCOHOL? DO YOU RELAISE HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS?”

“Hello to you too Mr Bearman” he laughs at the other end and then asks how I have been, conscious of the people around me I talk in a hushed tone. “I've been good, how have you been?” he replies the same and then asks me how things have been going with men like he normally does. We had created a certain code system for this type of event, so that we could talk even if people were around. I quietly whisper “Code Red” and at the other end I hear a large audible gasp.

“WITH WHO?” He exclaims.

I look around and Zhou has put his headphones in and I double check in front of me and see Lando asleep so I whisper into my phone “Verstappen”. Just by stating his name Olie lets out an even louder gasp and I can tell he's jumping up and down.

“How did it happen?” he prods, “I was supplied with alcohol, and it just happened”. We spend at least 35 minutes talking about the whole situation and I tell him how I'm sort of avoiding him but he tells me to stop being so irrational and just talk to him. I normally take Ollie’s advice but this time I can't help but feel like I shouldn't. We never had the chance to meet up with each other in Abu Dhabi but hopefully we will in Australia.

At the conclusion of our phone call we pull into the parking lot of the small private airport and we are guided towards a seating plan that has been made completely randomly. Looking at the sheet I can't find my name but as I look down the list I see who I'm next to and I want to get on another plane.

9C - Y/N L/N

9B - Max Verstappen

“fuck right off” I sigh immediately and go straight to Checo and ask if he wants to swap but he said he's happy next to Fernando so I try my luck with Zhou but he wants to stay next to Yuki so they can talk about food. I sigh in acceptance of my fate so I begin to dig out my ipad so I can just watch Netflix or listen to an audio book instead of having to engage in conversation with Max.

I reluctantly climbed into the aircraft which for a million dollar private jet is very small and cramped. I can tell the FIA and F1 are trying to save money. I flop down into my window seat and place my headphones in and crank the volume up as much as it can go. I sense a presence next to me and I can tell it's Max by the indistinguishable smell of his cologne.

The engine of the aircraft begins to soar as we thunder down the runway, the light shaking of the cabin sends Max’s shoulder colliding into mine at each bump reminding me of our first encounter which makes me blush at the thought.

I don't remember much about the first half of the flight as I fade away watching my Netflix show but the next thing I know someone is tapping my shoulder. I open my eyes to see the bright smile of Danny Ric bearing over me. I remove my headphones and ask him what he wants. “He sticks out a container that contains pastries and says “You didn't have breakfast this morning” sitting next to Max has made my appetite dissipate so I kindly decline. “You know you must eat” Max interjects. Fuck I think. I don't know what to say.

I laugh lightly “yea I'm not a breakfast person”, he turns to face me “What have I done wrong?” I give him a questioning look “Nothing, why would you assume you had done something wrong”.

“Maybe because we kissed and you have blanked me for the entire day, if I remember correctly you leaned in first for the kiss” he hisses at me.

“Look I was drunk, you were drunk, you probably regret it as you're straight and kissing me and it was awkward and I've just got here I don't need to be causing drama”  I retort.

“Are you gay Y/N?” He asks a little too loud for my liking.

I take a deep breath and lean closer and whisper like he should've done “Did you want to say that any louder for the enitre plane to hear?”. As I finish my sentence I stand up and go up to Charles and ask if he would like to swap because I don't ‘like the window seat’ so I end up spending the rest of the flight next to a hysterical Lando who finds amusement in every little thing.

As I read through my emails Lando asks me a plethora of ‘get to know me’ questions that send me insane.

Before the plane lands he asks me “So can we expect to see a girlfriend of yours around?” I laugh at the blunt question and say what I always seem to say “I don't have one”.

As the plane lands I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders as I can't wait to escape this metal tube that has had all of us entrapped. Stepping out the hot air of Abu Dhabi is insignificant compared to the stifling mid day summer heat of Melbourne which punctates the air.

We all step down onto the tarmac and await our suitcases, Max tries to approach me but I swiftly move away and join Alex and George.

As we are all handed our luggage we hop onto yet another bus, but this time I sit by myself immersing myself into solitude thinking about the predicament that I'm in when I'm snapped out of my thoughts by Danny plunging himself next to me. “Are you ok Danny?” I ask “Why are you avoiding Max, is it because he kissed you back?”.

I panic instantaneously “What are you on about?” I question acting as if I haven't got a clue about what he's talking about. “Max told me everything” he declares “What the fuck” I exclaim.

“Hey, hey calm your tits it's only me that knows, look you don't have to tell Max because he's a loud mouth but you can tell me, are you gay?”

I ponder for a moment, considering how this could all play out and just sigh a simple “yes” but follow on “if I hear of another soul mention the fact that I'm gay, I will know who to go to, and I will make your life so miserable you will wish you were back at McLaren, understood?”.

He laughs and swears a vow of silence. I think my threat may have come across more intimidatory than I had initially thought it sounded but oh well it means he will take it more seriously.

He leaves me alone for the rest of the journey and I can't tell if it's out of respect or fear but either way I'm happy.

The hotel isn't very far away which is just as well as this bus has shit AC that is just blowing warm air.

As we arrive at the front of the Grand Hotel I'm in ore of the outstanding and intricate architecture. But as I walk in I'm in even greater ore of the AC which immediately cools the layer of sweat on my face and is a welcomed relief.

We all begin to check in and once again, coincidentally me and Max are next door to each other and since he told Daniel I don't trust him at all.

As I approach the start of the stairs Max comes alongside me and asks me “do you want me to take your bag?” I turn to him and give him my infamous death glare, “piss off, I'm not an imbecile, I can carry my own bag”. At the end of my sentence I start walking up the stairs and when I reach the top he grabs my shoulder.

“What have I done wrong now?” he questions and I try to collate a creative response but just come out with “Maybe I should kiss you again because it's the only time your fucking mouth is shut, didn't you think to come to me before telling Danny, no?”.

He quietly stands there just looking at me, his face like always is unreadable and I can't tell if he's regretting it or genuinely could care less.

“Look Y/ N I told Danny because he asked me why I was acting off”.

“Never heard of lying,” I retort. “And did you ever hear about how bad it is to lie as a kid” he claps back.

I realise that I will never be able to get him to understand my point of view so I go off in the direction of my room to escape the awkwardness of this conversation, but of course Max is next door to me so I don't really get to escape him.

I enter my room which is much larger than the one in Abu Dhabi which is a great relief, my view from the balcony is absolutely jaw dropping and I have a great view over the local area. I rapidly unpack my clothes and stuff so I can head over to the track for team meetings and media interviews

When I arrive at the track we do a quick strategy meeting ahead of the race on Saturday and discuss how free practice will run. It's quite banal but essential, well that's what Alessandro and the head of engineering said to me when I was close to falling asleep. I have lunch in the hospitality  building and then I head over to the media area and stand there acting like I'm willing to be there, I feel my phone vibrating a lot in my pocket but as I go to pull it out I'm quickly pulled aside by a Sky Sports reporter who begins asking me a plethora of questions.

Reporter: So Y/N second race of the season after an Incredibly strong start for Sauber and yourself, what are your thoughts going into this race?

Y/N: Well of course it was a great start to a P3 result but I must say we wouldn't have achieved that without the brake failure for Hamilton.

Reporter: Now you said at the start you felt out of place, have you started to find your way in F1?

Y/N: I believe so yes, it's hard coming into a place as big as Formula 1 but I'm making friends each day and yeah it's great.

Reporter: Now Y/N we have obviously just heard the rumours that were leaked less than an hour ago about you having a relationship with a male friend in your teens. What do you have to say about this?

I stand shocked, scared, frozen. I don't know what to say. I haven't seen anything about this. I mean it's true, but I don't know how people could've found out. I haven't prepared for this moment and I know if I continue to stand here in silence it will give everyone the answer they want.

Y/N: erm… I haven't heard about these rumours but I strongly deny them.

Reporter: Do you think F1 is ready for a gay driver?

Y/N: F1 has created the initiative We Race as One for this exact reason to foster an inclusive environment for everyone.

Reporter: Thanks Y/N.

As soon as the interview concludes I storm over to my driver's room and slam the door shut in anger, disappointment and embarrassment.

I lock the door and slide against it with tears streaming down my cheek as I pull my phone from my pocket seeing messages from everyone from Ollie, Arthur, Zhou, My Manager to my friends and family all asking: “Are you gay?”.

I see a link pop up in one of the messages and it takes me to an article titled:

“Y/N L/N ROOKIE SAUBER DRIVER AND FIRST GAY F1 DRIVER?”

Pedantically I scroll further to try and find their source and work out whose life I need to make hell. But all it says is “an anonymous source reported a close relationship between Y/N and one of his close friends during his time in F4”.

“Shit” I shout probably loud enough for the guys in the garage to hear.

As I sit against the door I hear a knock on the door, I stand up and open it and see Alessandro. “I'm in the shit now” I think. He guides me to his office where the media manager is sitting waiting for us, as I take a seat on the adjacent side of the table it feels like a sort of intervention.

He doesn't waste much time when he takes his seat. He is blunt and direct, “Are you gay?”.

“What does it matter?” I ask, “it doesn't but right now it's causing a media meltdown , I have had other news outlets calling asking for interviews, Zhou was cornered and basically interrogated by the media so we need to settle this”.

“Fine, I am, but I want to forget any of this ever happened and focus on the race” I blurt, “unfortunately you can't sweep this under the carpet, you must face facts”. I lean back in my chair sensing where this is going.

“We want you to make a media statement, don't feel pressured or like you have to be someone you are not”. “When is it?” I question.

“in 10 minutes”, “Great” I sigh as I stand up and walk out.

Returning to my drivers room to make myself look like I haven't been crying or going through a midlife crisis despite not being middle aged.

I take stand in front of a dozen journalists and media staff and stutter before I even manage to speak. Their faces intently staring at me, like they are reading my soul and before I speak I see Max walk past and it takes my mind off things for a microsecond but I'm snapped back into reality.

“After seeing the articles about myself regarding my sexuality and relationships it has become apparent I can't run from myself for any longer, F1 is an inclusive and accepting environment that strives for equality.

I don't really have much to say apart from. I'm gay. I hope you all have a good day.”

Abruptly ending my speech I head away from the journalists and go straight back to my hotel room and lock myself away from everyone and bypass all evening socials including dinner.

Day of Free Practice:

I exit from my room for the first time in nearly half a week and it feels weird being outside the 4 walls that have encapsulated me for so long. I hadn't really come out at all. I had got all my meals delivered to my room and cancelled all my plans to explore Melbourne. I have had a few people call at my door but the only one I've opened it to was Ollie. Max has called by every day but I'm not ready to face him.

As I enter the paddock I'm greeted by an abundance of journalists and fans who are all asking where I've been for the past 4 days but just dismiss them all by saying I've been busy.

I enter the garage and greet all the engineers and other staff as I bypass them to go into my driver's room to get changed.

I don't have much of an agenda for FP1 and FP2 other than to continue adjusting to the car.

Out on the track I feel free away from the shit show that is my life off the track. As I start to approach the start line my engineer comes on the radio and says “Y/N be cautious Vertsappen on pit exit”. As I go past the pit exit I see Max emerging and all I can think is "great that's my peace gone” and in true Max style he catches up to me and I give him space to pass but to my surprise he doesn't.

I begin to push the car harder and harder for that hour in order to allow the team to collect the most data.

By the end of FP1 my energy was depleted but I've been sitting in my room for 4 days so I have no excuse to be tired.

FP2 is a bit more difficult, rain begins pelting down and it makes the track completely slippery and difficult to drive on.

There's cars flying everywhere but I don't really focus on the others, well that is until I see a bright blue Williams come up behind me in my mirror and the next thing I know he clips my back end and sends me catapulting into the wall.

Despite racing for years this is my first major crash. I feel stunned for a moment and don't hear my engineer asking if I'm OK. His tone is increasing in fear so I let him know I'm alright and pissed off.

“I'm fine, that fucking Williams, I gave it enough space to pass if it wanted to I wasn't even going fast, what dickhead was driving it?”

“OK Y/N it's good you are alright, and for your information it was Logan Sargeant in the Williams” he replies.

I'm helped out of the car by the race marshal's as I'm half in the barrier. Entering the garage I don't speak to anyone. I'm too pissed off. Instead I get changed and just head back to the hotel as my car is totaled so there is no point in me staying.

—-

As im sitting on the bed engaged in the TV show I'm watching I hear a light knock on the door and hear Max announcing “it's me” this must be the 20th time he's knocked on my door this week. My hand hovers over the handle for a second before I open it and don't give him a chance to speak.

“I have had quite possibly the worst few days of my life, I have been outed, questioned, and crashed into by an incompetent Williams driver. I'm not in the mood for any mind games or arguments”.

As I finish he quickly responds with “I wanted to check you were alright, it was a big crash and I brought you some food from the hospitality building”. I smile at the kind gesture and decide to invite him in.

He takes a seat on the end of my bed and looks up at me with his piercing eyes. And pats the empty spot next to him.

I take a seat next to him and turn to face him, “you know out there on the track, it wasn't your fault", “thanks” I reply as I start eating the salad bowl he brought for me.

We sit in a deafening silence, whilst I eat but it's not an awkward silence it's a comforting one that provides a sense of warmth.

“You know after qualifying tomorrow I would like to take you to this restaurant Danny recommended”, “like a date?” I ask.

“Like a date” he copies but in a different tone. “But what will people think?” I question with a face of concern, “I don't give a fuck what people think” I sigh and think ‘this man is going to get us into some shit’.

Me and Max end up watching a movie together and at around midnight he heads back to his room and then I feel isolated again, alone, sad, miserable.

Qualifying:

I missed out on FP3 because my car wasn't fixed in time so I feel under prepared and like I'm not ready at all.

I sit in my car in the garage blankly staring out into the pit lane until it's my time to go out in Q1.

“Y/N get your head in the game you are going out now do your best” as my engineer says that I feel the car being jolted and lowered down and I await the signal from my engineer that it's clear to go out.

As I drive down the pit lane I pass all the other garages and once I pass Logan's I remember what he did to me in FP2 and feel incredibly angered and direct my anger to my accelerator.

Accelerating around the complex track of Melbourne I cross the line and get a time of 1:20:104 and feel incredibly pissed and angry at myself.

As I come down the pit lane I sense the team's disappointment “Y/N that wasn't as strong as we had hoped, we need more pace in Q2” my engineer adds to just reinforce the teams disappointment.

Once again going out for Q2 I just don't feel comfortable in the car. It's like I'm an alien in the world I dreamed of every night.

The anger I felt before clearly wasn't enough determination to get me in a good position so I decide to do what I do best and not use my brake as much as possible.

To my genuine surprise it works. I manage to get a 1:18:649 which enables me to go to Q3. For the second time in my F1 career I'm in Q3 and I can't help but feel a little smug about all the losers who have been proved wrong, the losers who said that I would never do well, especially in a Sauber.

Commencing my second lap I manage to find even more pace and set a time of 1:17:992 which is enough to put me in P2 next to Max who of course got pole position.

“Excellent job Y/N P2, you did a great job on pace, Zhou P7”.

“Great job today guys, tough start but we found pace and improved so much”.

I decide to not do much celebrating as I want to conserve my energy for tomorrow so I instead congratulate Max and Charles and head back to the hotel for an early night.

The paddock is flooded by thousands of people and I can't help but feel overwhelmed but I push through it as I walk to my garage and greet the engineers and Zhou.

We do a brief talk about the race strategy and other factors that could impact our race and before I know it I'm sitting back in the car, and waiting for the red lights to extinguish.

I push the car around the track but I feel my tires locking up so I box much more prematurely than others.

Due to a collision between Ocon and Gasly there is a safety car which sends everyone running into the pits so I am in front of the pack and end up with Max behind me.

I know it's probably killing him seeing a Sauber in front of him but I know the second the safety car goes in he will overtake me so I don't relish in his displeasure.

The second we cross the line he attempts to overtake as we go into turn 1 but gravely misjudges his positioning and spins out going into a wall.

“Y/N, Verstappen is out, yellow flag”

“Is Max alright?” I ask in a concerned tone.

“Yep he's fine Y/N, but it's going to be a DNF for him”

I can't lie seeing Max shunting into the wall is a great relief that there is one less competitor but Lewis is behind me so once again I'm in the same boat I was a couple of seconds ago.

As we begin the last lap Lewis goes alongside me and unlike Max manages to get past me in turn 1.

I would be lying if I felt displeased and annoyed but I know it will take a lot to win in a Sauber so I'm willing to settle for P2 if Checo doesn't get past me between now and the finish line.

I try to stay on top of Lewis as much as possible and even though I get DRS it isn't enough to overtake him, but it's enough to increase the gap between me and the Red Bull that is in my mirror.

Crossing the line I feel a great sense of relief.

“Chequered Flag Y/N, P2 and fastest lap, Zhou is P5 and Y/N you are currently P2 in the championship standings”

“Guys we are improving so much let's continue this success and hopefully achieve a race win”

I navigate my way to the cool down room where I watch Max’s collision and see that he just lost control of his car so it isn't his fault and I decide it's wise to stay away from him to let him cool down and return to a state of equilibrium.

Whilst we stand on the podium it feels weird not to have Max up here or to be hearing the Dutch anthem.

However I catch a glimpse of him and he gives me a bright smile as if he is proud of me and I feel at ease knowing he's alright and somewhat happy.

As I return to my driver's room to get changed my engineer informs me that someone is waiting for me in my room.

I swing the door open, champagne still dripping from my race suit, and see Max sitting on my chair, he stands up immediately as I enter.

“Hey” he says “How are you?” I question. He laughs at my genuine concern “fine, pissed off but fine, anyway enough about me a great result today”.

“I know but I just want to win, I went from F2 where I won every race to now where it doesn't seem plausible that I will even win one”

“It will take time, and you are in a Sauber, don't put too much pressure on yourself” he says, taking a step closer.

"It was so cute of you to check if I was alright after the incident" I blush immensely after he says that.

He lightly places his hand on my cheek and leans in to kiss me and we quickly become immersed in a full make out session that is until Zhou walks in and freezes.

Me and Max pull apart quickly and turn to face him, I pull him in quickly and shut the door.

“You can't tell anyone about this,” I plead with him. He laughs “calm down I won't tell anyone, I promise” he says turning to walk out the door but before he does so he turns to face me “also Y/N, questionable taste” his final remark makes me giggle and Max pulls a shocked face.

“Hey Y/N should we go out tonight” I ponder for a moment but can't resist a night out with Max.

We pull up to a yacht located on the coast, it of course belongs to Danny, when we arrive we are one the first ones and it's only Danny and he shouts “Hey the love birds have arrived” I shoot him a death stare that penetrates through his soul.

Getting on board we are supplied alcohol but after the last time I decide it's best if I don't.

Soon after we arrive everyone else begins to arrive and things start to amp up with everyone drinking and having fun. All the guys are outside whilst I'm inside sitting down with Lilly and Kika talking about guys and fashion following the stereotypical gay guy and girly talk.

We are however interrupted by a tipsy Max who asks if he can speak to me.

I agree and step up from the chair and he guides me to a bedroom located on the stern of the boat.

[joe9cool]

Collide-Justin Herbert-28

A/N: This is all fanfiction, I do not know The Chargers, or anyone associated with anyone on the team. Also you do not have permission to copy and post anywhere else. Thank you and Buckle up

The more time went on, the more mad Justin was. He had an interview over the phone with a radio station to which Justin had avoided the question when asked about Sara. Then her publicist reached out to him as well as a member asking about signing a NDA. It was too much for Ashley, who handled athletes on a smaller scale. In fact Justin was the first athlete on a big scaler she handled. Her phone was blowing up left and right when the major media companies flooded his publicist.

His photos were everywhere on instagram. The media pages put photos of him and Sara next to each other. Fans were harassing his family and friends. Carly and Isabell as well as his cousins had to lock down or just deactivate their profiles. He had gotten off the phone explaining the situation to his extended family, who were blindsided. Mitch was next, he said there were people outside his hospital asking about Sara and saying they recognized him from photos.

Within minutes Ashley found an article published. 25 things you don't know about Sara Wozniak's new boyfriend Justin Herbert.

The article went into detail about his family with photos and names. It also brought up past relationships.

Taylor's name was mentioned as a rumored relationship.

Justin wanted to break everything around him. This couldn't be happening, he had done so much to protect his private life and now it was blown up for millions of people to see and read about.

He thought about David's words her team controls when they share that information. Especially if she is doing press.

She had a break to do the fashion show. Plus for her new movie. Yeah how convenient this gets published. He thought bitterly.

He remembered when she posted videos of herself on social media when she was at his house. Of course she maintained that she was in a background that wasn't recognizable but it had him wondering.

Once he got home he was going crazy. He kept checking his phone, brushing through all of the notifications on instagram. He saw she didn't even respond back to him. But her fucking team could. It was now late Monday and Justin felt like he had run a mental marathon.

He was pissed as he saw nothing from Sara. He was sure she had a break in between and she couldn't call him.

Eventually his phone rang, but it was only Ashley. He picked up dreading to hear what was next. "Hello?"

"Justin, I managed to get in contact with the man who wrote the article. Jack Lange, he said he was fed all of the information about you and Sara as well as the photos were handed to him to post." There was a pause. "So you're telling me someone from Sara's team went to him voluntarily?"

"Yes. Now I don't want to make accusations. But Justin, one photo was taken directly from Sara's phone." He knew which one she was talking about. The selfie of them kissing on New Year's Eve. Sara was protective of her phone, only she and him knew the password. Justin huffed in disbelief. "So she must have told her team to publish it."

"Does she have anything coming up that she would want any publicity in the press?"

He answered quickly. "Her fashion show, and her movie." He shook his head. He trusted her.

"All we can do is hopefully have this blow over." They hung up and Justin was more upset than originally

He looked around at all of her stuff. Before he knew it he began packing it up.

—------------------------------------------------------------

The universe hated her.

Alex brought her phone back from the hotel while she was in mid scene. It caused her to have a bad set day which meant re-shoots. Despite it being a closed set fans were outside her hotel and by her car asking about Justin.

By the time she got to the hotel it was 3pm Abu dhabi time which meant it was 3 am in Los Angeles. She wanted to throw up upon looking at her phone. It was obvious Justin was pissed.

Erika had called her from back in LA and filled her in before Heidi and the others got to her. She told her about the article and the photos that were leaked from her phone. "Fuck" Sara whispered.

Then it was time to talk to Heidi. Who told her she got in contact with Ashley Justin's manager about signing an NDA which she wasn't pleased about. "Look I appreciate you guys being on top of this, but I don't want anyone to do anything until I talk to Justin. Which will be once he gets up." She looked at the time and saw it was now 5am Los Angeles time. "Just keep me updated." She hung up and began pacing. Once she took a few deep breaths she dialed Justin's number.

After a few rings he picked up. "Baby, I ju-"

"So nice of you to finally get in touch while I was stuck dealing with the fallout." He growled. Ouch. The fallout? "Justin, this isn't some scandal. Our relationship is out. I know that it isn't ideal but."

"It was your plan wasn't it?" That stopped her in her tracks. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? My family is calling me wondering why people are outside their house, following them around. They are in magazine articles. My privacy has been blown up. I've had to dodge cameras outside my own fucking house!" Sara was quiet. She knew it was going to be bad but not this bad. "Justin, you should have texted me or called my management. They would have helped you."

"So you told them about us?" Sara was confused. "What are you getting at? I didn't say anything, they were blindsided by the article as I was. It said it was confirmed by my rep but they never reached out."

He huffed again. "Sure." She was quiet for a few minutes. "Are you seriously saying that I purposely did this?"

"I'm not stupid, I know how this works. It's just so convenient that you have all this going on and there was talk of me coming to the show and it just drops. Let me guess you were planning on ambushing me and taking all of these photos."

Sara was in disbelief. "Justin are you fucking serious? Do you really think that little of me?" Justin was silent. "I don't know what to believe anymore. All of you Hollywood people are the same."

She was mad now. She understood him being upset, but she thought that he'd be able to get past it and they could work on a solution together. But this? Attacking her, accusing her of doing something so vile. Sara didn't know what came over her, her hot-headed ways coming back.

"Justin give me a fucking I'm not a damn I influencer who relies on exposure."

"It's the same fucking thing!" Justin yelled. "You are all the same!"

"You know what? I'm not Hannah Ann. I'm not calling the paps!"  Sara was trying to keep her voice low. But then she realized a big mistake.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

She fucked up. "How do you know about her?" He spoke slowly as well and she knew he was on the verge of bubbling over. She was silent. Tears coming to her eyes. "Sara, answer me right now."

"When we were first together. You gave me your phone to look at the script for your Chipotle commercial I went to Instagram and saw your messages." She was crying now.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!" Justin was pacing his floor. He was so mad he was seeing red. "You went through my private messages? How do I know you didn't leak those?"

"Justin, I just looked. I was so insecure about everything. I would never leak that. Just I didn't do it with the photos" She was desperate now. She wished she was on a plane to Los Angeles right now. "I'm sorry."

"Were you ever going to tell me this? Or were you just going to act like it never happened. Cause if you are insecure imagine how I felt seeing who you were with. How do I know you're not fucking someone right now?"

She was hysterical "I would never do that to you. Just like I knew you wouldn't do that to me. I'm so sorry, please Justin."

"You're nothing but a typical Hollywood attention seeker like everyone else. You know what Sara? I'm sorry I told you I loved you. In fact, I think we should stop seeing each other." Her breath caught. "What?" She squeaked out.

"We're two different people, different worlds. You need someone who likes the spotlight, I can't give you that."

He kept rambling. "Who knows who else you went through. We were moving too fast. I mean I couldn't even get space." Sara was again in disbelief. What on earth was he talking about?

"Justin, how can you say that? I love you and I don't care about the spotlight. Justin please I'll be in Los Angeles in a few days just let me explain."

"Don't bother. I'll have your stuff outside your door. My manager will drop it off, since you just want to go through them. Have a nice fucking life."

The call ended. Sara couldn't breathe. She was sobbing hysterically that her manager Alex busted in. "Sara oh my god. She grabbed her friend/client and made her sit down. Quickly grabbing a water bottle she made Sara take some sips. "What on earth happened?"

Finally after she got her breathing together again she grabbed her phone and dialed Erika.

"Sara? What on earth happened?" She knew her best friend was a mess based on the heavy breathing and shaking voice. "What's going on?"

"Justin broke up with me."

—-------------------------------------------------------------

The past few days were hell for Sara.

She was finally getting on a plane for Los Angeles. Normally this would have excited her. She was getting to go home to see Justin and spend a little time with him before the fashion show. Which he said he was going to attend, but now everything was up in Limbo.

Well she wasn't sure what to think. On the other hand, she thought he just needed space and that he was going to call her. But three days have passed and not a word from him. She tried calling him a few times, but it went once to voice-mail. She didn't bother to leave any.

She spent that night crying over the phone with Erika and Bella, who swore she was going to kill him when she landed.

Another thing was dealing with her family. They had been calling non stop, and she didn't have the energy to deal with them. What was there to say? Yeah I was in a secret relationship for almost seven months but now that's not a thing excuse I just got dumped? Once again, poor Sara, always the bridesmaid never the bride. The only Wozniak sister to not be married.

She would call them once she landed.

The flight was long, and as they got closer to landing she wished it was longer. It was about 6am when her plane landed on the private runway at LAX. Erika was waiting for her instead of Justin and when she came down the stairs she collapsed in her best friends arms. "I'm so sorry Sara" she rubbed her friends back as she sobbed. "I cleaned up your stuff. Ashley, I'm assuming Justin's manager dropped everything off." Erika stated as they got in the car. "How was filming?" Erika treaded lightly as she drove off to Sara's house.

It was hard seeing her best friend this distraught. She wasn't even this upset when her and Harry broke up and that was a longer relationship. "I'm so sorry. He never deserved you. Why the fuck would he even attempt to date a bad bitch like you if he couldn't even handle it?"

Sara managed to crack a small smile so Erika continued. "Seriously? This motherfucker growing a nickleback beard thinks he can do better than you? You gave your heart and soul to him? I mean for real this man couldn't even support your career. You're better off without him." She reached over and grabbed Sara's hand. "He treated you like shit. You deserve so much better."

Sara nodded as tears rolled down her face. "It just fucking hurts."

"I know sweetie, but at least it was only six months. You are still young! Let's get out there and have some fun!" Sara nodded. "Just give me a bit please. I don't want to fall back into clubbing all the time, drinking the pain away. I'm past that." Erika nodded. The rest of the drive was talking about filming and trying to get her mind off the breakup. They pulled up to her house and she saw cars. "Erika, what is this?"

Her best friend smiled. "Well since everyone else is in town for the fashion show we are doing a fuck Men party." Erika unlocked the door to their house and for the first time in a bit Sara genuinely smiled. Bella, AnnSophie, and Sydney were clad in sweatpants. Behind them was a sign that said "Fuck Men" surrounded with balloons. There was a set up of Sara's favorite comfort foods and desserts as well as wine. Sara wanted to cry again out of happiness that her friends managed to do all of this. "Thank you guys!" She tightly hugged each and every one of them. "Oh my god Sara, look at the best part!" Sydney squealed and pointed towards the other wall.

On it was a dart board, Justin's team picture was tapped there. As much as she laughed at it her heart did ache, though she didn't dare show it. Despite the fact that it was a busy week for all of them, she still planned on going to his house to explain herself. She knew him well enough to know that he would be in LA for some time.

As much as the girls did their best for this fuck men party they all knew their friend was putting on a brave face. At one point Bella asked. "So I'm assuming Justin isn't going to the show."

Erika spoke up. "Well the extra ticket I emailed to him was confirmed." Sara's ears perked up. "Really?" Erika nodded. "Yes and that was a couple days after this breakup" the girls all gasped and Sara's heart was beating fast. He was coming, despite it all he would be coming. Maybe this week won't be so bad.

It was late when the girls went to bed. It was nice having them all here. They all laughed and cried and watched bad rom coms before they fell asleep in a big fort in the basement. The next morning was total chaos as they had to be in rehearsal and dress fittings. The Amazon camera crew would be there. So they had to make sure hair and makeup was done. As they all got ready Sara was in a much better mood. She would give Justin his space but the fact that he would be showing up at the show to support her was huge.

Good things were happening.

The girls arrived at the studio, and oh and awed at their outfits. Sara flung through the racks of her outfits she would be modeling. Since Rihanna was performing in the superbowl, they had sports theme clothing and Sara saw a 'Chargers' crop top hoodie with the matching blue bolt thong. She was confused until a stylist came up to her. "Rihanna insisted you wear this since you're dating the QB!" Sara smiled. It would be a big step, and she wanted Justin to see that.

There were skimpy pieces. She would be walking in four programs. As she sat in the chair to do a trial run of hair and makeup she looked over at AnnSophie, who smiled at her. "You're excited for Justin to be here?" Sara nodded. "Yes, it's going to be awkward. But him being here shows me that he is fighting you know?"

"Don't forget he owes you a massive apology.  The fact that he thinks that you were behind this. Rip him a new asshole Sara."

She laughed. "Oh I'm gonna give him shit. I can't believe he really thought that. Me? Attention seeking. I do need to apologize though. It was wrong of me to look through his messages like that." AnnSophie laughed. "I mean yeah it was toxic, but you guys were so unstable, and you didn't know anything about his past. So I mean it's whatever."

Once they were done, they went over their routine and the music. Cardi B was performing during certain sections. As Sara walked she was being praised by the runway coach. After reaching the end of the runway and doing her pose she became nervous. Of course all of the seats were empty but the those would be filled with celebrities and camera crews. Not to mention this was going to be live.

After rehearsals she would be sitting down one on one to film her section. She was clad in her fenty robe and chair as the artists where touching up her makeup. A camera crew came over to film with the interviewer. "So Sara how are you feeling? You looked excellent out there." She smiled "nervous for sure. But it's an excited nervous. This is a big deal, and Rihanna and her team have worked so hard to make this a reality. I want to reflect that and make her really proud to see me up there."

"Well she has some really high praise for you." Sara's eyes widened and the interviewer laughed, knowing that the audience was going to eat it up. "Really? Oh my god what did she say?" He laughed. "I can't tell you."

"Please?" "No!" "Ugh" She pouted teasingly and he laughed. "So word on the street is that there is a special guest supporting you tonight" She was confused. Since when did an Amazon camera crewman know? "I have a lot of friends coming out to support me and I feel so blessed." They still persisted. "Someone in particular you're really excited about?"

"I'm excited about everyone!" The camera cut. Knowing they weren't going to get anymore information out of her, they moved to the next model. Sara took a deep breath. See Justin? I could be private she thought. 

She had an interview with some of the other models that they shot. It was late when everyone was done, Bella and Sara decided to catch a late dinner while everyone else went back to Sara's place. As they sat down an Italian restaurant. Bella had to say something. "So I heard what AnnSophie told you in the chair earlier."

Sara took a sip of her cocktail. "And?"

"I don't think you should just forgive Justin when you see him. Granted, you were in the wrong for looking at his messages, but he was more in the wrong. Not to mention the way he treated you in the beginning."

Sara looked down at her menu. "Thank you for being supportive. I know you weren't his biggest fan."

"Believe it or not I've grown to like the guy. I just wished you guys communicated your issues about fame. I'm sorry the article got out. Do you have any idea who did it?"

Sara shook her head. "No idea, I haven't actually looked at it. Erika told me it looked like a hack, but I don't know."

"That's just the pictures though, what about what was actually said?" Again Sara shook her head. It sounded like we were being followed. There were photos of Justin taken outside my house in his car. They probably followed us and put two and two together." Bella shook her head. They are always one step ahead of us.

While Bella was placing their order Sara sat there and wondered if Justin was going to the fashion show why didn't he text her? Should she text him? Sara shook those thoughts off and decided that she would message him after the show or before. Let him come to her.

—--------------------------------------------------------- Taylor was exhausted. They were still in playoff season and with the superbowl drawing near and the NFL awards she had a lot of assignments. She was so looking forward to another vacation she desperately needed.

While she was practically falling asleep at her desk, her cubicle partner was on his phone scrolling for the latest updates. Taylor was pretty set for her NFL update show but you never knew if something exciting dropped. The fun part of journalism.

"I see Emmaunel Acho is being an ass again." He huffed as he was looking at his phone. "Oh god what is his hot take now?" Taylor rolled her eyes. "He's attacking Herbert for his private life now. Saying he's a celebrity QB."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What on earth Is he talking about? Justin is one of the most private guys in the league." Her partner laughed. "Really Taylor? You're the one that keeps up with this gossip. You're constantly on social media!"

"I've just been focusing on NFL news regarding the playoffs. The only news I've heard on the Chargers is that they fired Joe Lombardi. I don't care about thier personal life." It was a lie, but Taylor hadn't been on social media due to news coverage and preparing for the awards.

"Well it was just revealed not too long ago that Herbert is seeing Sara Wozniak." Taylor's face paled. "What? That's probably just a rumor." He shook his head. "No, there are photos and her rep confirmed it. Apparently it's been a thing since July 2022." Taylor got up, she was going to be sick. While the thought did pop up in her head, she really didn't think that Justin would actually date her. Not to mention July? She thought back to that night that he came over to her house after the injury in October. He was there eating, laughing, and even exchanging flirting. It was only when she tried to take it to the bedroom did he suddenly have a conscience?

"That motherfucker." She whispered. While she was mad, truth be told she was impressed that he did manage to land someone like her. But that didn't mean he was allowed to get away with this.

She was going to hurt him the way he had hurt her.

She just had to find a way to get to Sara

—----------------------------------------------------------- Twitter

EmmanuelAcho: for someone who is so private he certainly is embracing the Social Media Quarterback role. Now we see why he took a step back

Twitteruser1: I thought he was with Biscotti, who was he out with? If he is seeing Sara, who is the blonde?

Sarafan: @/saracwozniak Justin is cheating on you sis. Two timing scumbag

Sarafan2: imagine dating Sara Wozniak and two timing her with some old granny

Twitteruser2: city Boys up a million! Always have a main and side ho

Yall know she isn't going to see this. She hasn't been on twitter in weeks

FANS THINK SARA WONZIAK NEW BOYFRIEND IS TWO TIMING HER WITH NFL REPORTER

Sarafan: Taylor Biscotti turned off her Twitter replies.

Tumblr.

Guys I have a thousand messages in my inbox I can't answer. Yes apparently its true Justin is seeing Sara. That's all I know. Idk anything about Taylor, although I will say it makes no sense because of twitter and her seemingly giving confirmation.

Justin Herbert and Sara Wozniak are still trending on social media

Did yall see her reaction to people asking about a special guest supporting her on the fashion show? She was giddy.

Time will tell if we see him there.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

It was electric, and exciting. Sara understood why her model friends were addicted to this. The lights, the glam, and the fashion. In some weird way, it calmed her nerves. They group took pictures, Rihanna surprised everyone by giving them gifts sets with sentimental items. After speaking with her Sara never felt so confident in herself. As she was wearing her first outfit of the night, a sparkly bra with matching panties and garter belt she was ready and eager to see Justin in the crowd. He still hadn't messaged her anything but she didn't think about it.

Her family had sent her a good luck message and she couldn't help but be a little bitter at the fact that it was always this way since she was a kid. Good luck and see you after the show was their usual response. Her mom did say they would be watching and that they needed to talk and Sara knew what was going to happen, Katie had messaged her with a 'stop ignoring us, you have a lot of explaining to do and moms going crazy on her cruise.'

All Sara messaged in response was that she would explain later. Right now she didn't want to focus on that. She wanted to nail her walks and see Justin after.

"5 minutes! Everyone line up in places." As the girls got into place, stylist for doing the last and final touches. As her hair was being touched up and the designers were picking at her outfits she gave an excited smile to AnnSophie, who would be opening the show. They all heard the cheers of the crowd outside the curtain as the movie introduction was played. Bella turned around and placed both gloved hands on the side of her friend's face. "Breathe Bitch." Sara smiled. "Is that for me or you?" "Both'' the girls giggled. Sara looked down at her 'O' ring on her right hand. Twisting it slightly she smiled at it. Remembering the night he gave it to her. She took a deep breath as she watched AnnSophie walk out on the stage.

One by one she watched the models ahead of her walk up. "Okay when Bella hits the midpoint walk out and keep a steady pace." She nodded and when she saw Bella hit the part she got up and exited to the stage.

The crowd cheered as she stepped out and began walking to the beat of the music. She tried to steal a couple of glances  at the audience but she would have no idea where he would be sitting. As she reached the end of the runway she blew a kiss and held it for the photographers. As soon as she turned her back to walk to the set she began to frantically look, she saw AnnSophie and Bella's mom smiling at her and she returned it. But she had no idea where the NFL players would be.

There wasn't any time to think or breathe once backstage because the stylist was already there making her disrobe behind a curtain and putting her in the next set. This would be the football portion, and Rihanna would be singing herself. As she changed and the makeup artists got to work she looked over at Erika "anything on my phone?" She shook her head no with a frown. "Have you seen him?"

"I haven't heard anything so far. He probably will sneak in, just to cause less attention."

As she switched into the Chargers tank, the artist drew a bolt on her face. As quickly as she came in she was rushed out to walk again. The noise became louder as she came out.

Social media was having a field day

Sara showing support for the Chargers!

Maybe they will finally have fans!

Awww so cute! I wonder if he is there

She's such an attention whore, she did this on purpose she leaked her whole relationship like Hanna did. I know Herb isn't happy.

Look at the ring on her finger; it's the Oregon logo.

When Sara posed she did the heart symbol. I hope he sees this she thought as she came back. She laughed at AnnSophie as she was clad in Kansas City Chiefs gear. "I don't know alot about the NFL" her friend admitted

As she was in the back on her break she was dancing with Jordan when 'Rude boy' began playing. Bella and Sara took photos with the others

BellaHadid on Instagram

With the baddest put together by the baddest. Everyone congratulate @/SaraCWozniak on her debut. I love you!

Sara had a few changes before the end. As she did her final walk with the others to close she did one last look with no success.

Once they wrapped up it was time to go to the after party. As she saw everyone hugging friends and family she kept looking. After twenty minutes and more of the room clearing out she went in search and found the stage manager. "Excuse me, do you have the guest list?" She nodded, starstruck that someone was speaking to her so kindly. "Yes I can pull it up."

"Is Justin Herbert confirmed?" She went through her iPad a few times. "It says he accepted his ticket but he hasn't checked in. He was marked as a no show."

Sara shook her head. "He wouldn't do that. Check again."

"Miss Wozniak. He would have been with the NFL section and it was cleared out a while ago. Before the show ended."

"Sara! There you are! We are running late. Your limo with your party is waiting. "Come on, we have to get you ready for the after party!" She let herself be dragged away.

Tears were now streaming down her face as she recognized the all too familiar feeling. Suddenly she was twelve years old and feeling lost watching all of her castmates be congratulated and hugged by friends and family while she had to wait for a text telling her to find a ride.

"Okay Sara- oh my god are you crying! We have to redo your makeup. Oh my god we are running behind now." She pulled her arm out of the stylist and ran off.

Deumoxi

Word on the catwalk is that this A list was stood up by her NFL star boyfriend who didn't show up to this big televised event.

A/N Don’t hate me too much

[wittybibliophile]

DIRTY AIR SERIES - LAUREN ASHER

Book Two : COLLIDED 🎨🖌🏁🏎📚

" @ To the Sophie Mitchells out there- Be different. Be genuine. Be you."



#Characters:

*SOPHIE MITCHELL (21 yr old) - A short girl who is as free- spirit as she can be, full of life and innocence. She describes herself " like a lemon starburst, sweet but packs a punch". She is also a girl with a lot of stars, sneakers, printed tees and her naughty fuck-it list that she made one day while drinking after a very bad lay. She is daughter of James Mitchell, manager of Bandini (Noah slades's ) F1 team, and therefore has never been out of his radar regarding any teenage fun. James has always kept her in check in the name of responsibility, rules and respect but under all of that he does not realise he acts that way because he doesn't want sophie to end up like her mother, leaving her child and husband to go to africa to save under- developed countries.

Sophie has been in all girls school all her life, and once she turns 18 and is accompanying her father to the prix season, she is told to go for a kid's birthday party for face painting. Once she is in college, her life changes for the worst it can be… with bad lays and even worse list of boys to choose from. She is an accounting major, who enjoys drawing and painting, but she doesn't want to let her father down in any way, hence do not complaint about it.

Her life changes when she befriends, maya alatorre and liam zander during her prix schedule. She remembers where she has met liam before.. when 18, at the kid's birthday party a mysteriously good looking guy had bribed a kid to leave her alone to talk to him. At the time liam was 25 and told her she's too young and naive to be with him, and if they meet again under different circumstances and time they would.

Sophie avoids liam like a plague because of her father's instructions and he looks like double trouble… (yum!). Anyway, she shares another silent moment with liam under the starry sky at one of the prix end of race gala. Liam asks her for a date, after he discovers her list by chance… she acts too intelligent and asks jax and maya to come with so that she doesn't have to be alone with liam. Everything is platonic between them as she friendzones liam and keeps her distance, while liam and maya helps her with her list.

Sophie gets drunk during canada prix and kisses liam one night in a park, which leads to an intense atmosphere, which later leads to another kiss and for them to agree on a friends with benefit situation. Well, i will not spoil anything because reading about the hot and sexy deeds happening between liam and sophie, to cross off her fuck-it list are worth the wait. (Go and read if you haven't already. And to add to the spice and excitement all of it happens while sophie is trying to hide from her father, because F1 racers are out of limits for sophie.

Although sophie is scared and knows it can make their friendship ugly, she ends up falling for liam. With his charming, nerdy, hot, insecure self. Liam who helps her relive her dream, when he gifts her paint and sketch book. He makes her realise that she needs to follow her dream as she is allowed to chase her happiness. On their last day together before the abu dhabi grand prix, liam takes her to a desert under the most beautiful starry sky, to cross off one last thing on the list. Sophie spends her last hours with him with a heavy heart knowing after the last race he has to choose between her and his next year's contract with Mccoy. Well, she breaks his heart, fights with him at dawn and they leave the place.

Sophie is very distracted and sad. James asks her daughter for what was wrong and tells her that he might know about it as he is not dimwit. I love the whole daughter-father relation here, as james is so supportive and tries to help them afterwards. He helps liam to learn about the truth of his company who is trying to blindside him in the name of contract.

Sophie returns home with a heavy heart and confronts her father about her wanting to help kids through painting therapy. Well, what can a loving father do ? he agrees. Liam comes to sophie's place at the same day and proposes her, with his own dreamy list written at the back of sophie's fuck-it list. A big big happy ending.

*LIAM ZANDER (28 yr old) - A Tall , Dark, Dashing with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes Mccoy F1 racer. Best in the Mccoy team, bestfriends to noah slade and jax kingston. He recently got into trouble with his company for fooling around with the owner's niece and it is a bad time for any other distraction in his life, especially miss Sophie Marie Mitchell.

Liam can not refuse the wave of desire and attraction that rises in his heart and body for Sophie, but he is in check. Liam tries and tries to get close to sophie during first 2-3 locations of the prix schedule, but she has her boundaries built too tall for him to surpass or even to peek by. The worst happens to liam, yes what happens with every other guy in a girl's life = Friendzoned.

Liam and sophie has a intense and very very hot game going on in the whole book while trying to stay away from each other (noone wants to accept it in their hearts that they need each other in all the ways possible). He steals various opportunities to talk dirty to sophie in the most crowded places, leave feather touches whenever they are alone and close enough to each other. He cannot understand why he is so mesmerised by sophie's sparkling sneakers under the dresses, her printed Tees, her innocent face which looks at the starry nights, or her very naughty fuck-it list.

Liam is a pure soul ( i'm saying that), he loves kids and he reads everyday before going to bed…. and to top it all (my personal favorite reason) he knows that books are better than the tv/movie adaptations of the story 😍. Coming back - as anyone would do, liam tries to take sophie for double dates and offers to help her with her very specific list. Everything is going fine till they decide to be friends with benefits. They spend more and more time together. She helps him reconnect with his brother and nieces and restore his family relations… and guess what happens to liam??. love happens… 😏.

Liam has a wounded heart, something we all go through in life for various reasons. His college bestfriend Johanna who falls in love with his elder brother Lukas and they have a beautiful daughter, but during her second pregnancy she unfortunately leaves the world and zander family with a lot of sadness and her second child. Therefore, liam doesn't like to go home for vacations, for his niece's birthday because it is johanna's death anniversary. He does what he can do best and shuts it all down and focuses on racing and partying till sophie arrives and stirs these feelings in him, which terrifies him. He keeps lying to himself but he can't deny that he feels for her and doesn't want her to leave him and go home after the season is done. He keeps insisting with his company to let him continue the next season with sophie (as friends). But he gets to know they have been playing with his career for their own gains and it is time for him to decide everything.

Guess what happens ?…. Yes, liam leaves the team and joins another. He exposes his company and accepts that he loves sophie at the last press conference after grand prix. And… he goes to sophie and confesses.

Liam zander's character shows healing, accepting, feeling and growing up as a person.

I love lauren asher for always giving us all the perfect reasons to read and dream. This books shows a very beautiful way of healing right after showing us the lowest point of liam's life. Sophie's chasing her dream and happiness. Both Liam and Sophie are like a puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly. This books gives us lot of emotions which leads to very intense slow burn ( well, i live for my struggles 😂). i personally love their sexual encounters ( i will be updating one very sexy scene next month). There are kind of three epilogues , one in the last chapter where on christmas liam gifts sophie her dream car and asks her to move in with him. Another one within the book where they are married for two years and sophie surprises him with her pregnancy and one extended epilogue which shows 14 years after noah and maya (boy - marko )and liam and sophie's (twins - stella and leo) marriage. By the way their kids are legends on the race track.

This book was a treat and i think i found another one of my favorite troupe (which i do not know what to call ? Is there a name for it… friends to lovers?? Or something else.. 😉)

Xoxo,

Ironically Witty!

[mealsonme]

Healthy Meal Plan in Abu Dhabi: Your Guide to Nutritious and Delicious Eating

Abu Dhabi's vibrant lifestyle, bustling work schedules, and growing health consciousness have made meal planning an essential part of daily life. A healthy meal plan helps you stay on track with your fitness goals, improves your overall well-being, and saves time and effort. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, maintain a balanced diet, or simply enjoy nutritious meals, Abu Dhabi offers a variety of options tailored to your needs.

Why Opt for a Healthy Meal Plan in Abu Dhabi?

Time-Saving Convenience: Meal plans remove the hassle of daily cooking, meal prep, and grocery shopping. With a healthy meal plan, all the planning is done for you, freeing up your time for other activities.

Balanced Nutrition: These plans are designed to provide balanced nutrition, ensuring you get the right mix of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates along with essential vitamins and minerals.

Portion Control: One of the biggest challenges of eating healthy is portion control. Meal plans help you stick to the correct portion sizes, preventing overeating and helping you achieve your fitness goals.

Customized Options: Many meal plan services in Abu Dhabi offer personalized plans to suit dietary preferences, including vegan, low-carb, gluten-free, and diabetic-friendly options.

Cost-Effective: While it may seem like a premium service, meal plans often end up being cost-effective when you consider the savings on groceries, dining out, and the time spent on meal prep.

Key Features of a Healthy Meal Plan

Fresh Ingredients: The best meal plans focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients to ensure that each meal is not only healthy but also flavorful.

Calorie Counted: Meals are carefully calorie-counted, helping you stay within your daily calorie intake goals without sacrificing taste.

Variety of Meals: A good meal plan offers a wide variety of meals, ensuring you don’t get bored of eating the same food repeatedly. From protein-packed breakfasts to wholesome dinners, variety keeps you motivated.

Snack Options: Healthy snacks are often included in meal plans, providing you with nutritious options between meals to keep your metabolism active.

Top Meal Plan Services in Abu Dhabi

Meal on Me: Known for its customized meal plans, Meal on Me offers a wide range of healthy options including vegan, low-carb, and high-protein meal plans. With easy online ordering and delivery across Abu Dhabi, they provide both flexibility and convenience.

Right Bite: A pioneer in healthy meal plans, Right Bite offers tailored meal plans designed by nutritionists to suit your dietary needs. Their focus is on balanced, portion-controlled meals that promote a healthy lifestyle.

Kcal Extra: Specializing in calorie-controlled meals, Kcal Extra offers meal plans that cater to weight loss, muscle gain, and overall wellness. Their meals are prepared with fresh, organic ingredients and delivered straight to your doorstep.

Fit Meals: Fit Meals provides a range of healthy meal plans that are perfect for fitness enthusiasts. Their plans focus on lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats to support active lifestyles.

Tips for Choosing the Right Meal Plan

Identify Your Goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your meal plan. Are you looking to lose weight, maintain your current weight, or build muscle? Your goals will help you select the right plan.

Consider Dietary Preferences: Make sure the meal plan service caters to your dietary needs, whether you are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or have any specific allergies.

Check for Flexibility: Some services offer the flexibility to skip or reschedule deliveries. This can be a great feature if your plans change often.

Read Reviews: Check customer reviews and testimonials to get an idea of the quality of food and service provided by the meal plan company.

[professionalrelocation]

How to Choose the Best Office Relocation Services in Abu Dhabi

Moving an office is a complex task that requires careful planning, coordination, and the right resources. Selecting a professional relocation service that understands the unique challenges of moving businesses in Abu Dhabi can make a significant difference. With the growing business landscape in this region, knowing what to expect and what to look for when hiring an office relocation service is essential.

Why Choosing the Right Relocation Service Matters

Hiring the right office relocation company ensures a smooth, efficient transition with minimal disruption to business operations. Whether your business is expanding to a larger office space or downsizing, the expertise of a specialized team in office moves can significantly impact the timeframe and quality of the move.

Key Benefits:

Minimal Downtime: A well-executed move ensures that your operations face minimal disruption.

Efficient Resource Management: Experts know how to handle everything from IT infrastructure to sensitive documents, making sure nothing is misplaced or damaged.

Stress-Free Transition: Professional movers take the stress out of relocation by managing the entire process, allowing your team to focus on the business itself.

Essential Factors to Consider

1. Experience in Commercial Relocation

The first thing to check is the experience of the company in handling office relocations specifically. Offices have unique requirements, such as the dismantling and reassembling of complex furniture and IT equipment, moving sensitive files, and ensuring minimal downtime.

Questions to Ask:

How long have you been providing office relocation services in Abu Dhabi?

Can you provide references from other businesses you’ve relocated?

2. Understanding of Abu Dhabi's Regulatory Landscape

Moving in Abu Dhabi involves specific legal and logistical requirements, such as building permits and scheduling around city regulations. Ensure the relocation service has experience working in the region and can handle these local nuances.

Checklist:

Do they have knowledge of local laws regarding office moves?

Are they familiar with building-specific requirements in Abu Dhabi?

3. Full-Service Packages

Relocating an office is more than just moving boxes. Look for a service that offers a complete package, including:

Pre-move planning and consultation

Packing services

Furniture and equipment disassembly/reassembly

IT infrastructure relocation

Post-move support and setup

Pro Tip: Choose a company that provides a dedicated move manager to handle all the details of the relocation.

4. IT and Data Management Expertise

Relocating IT infrastructure requires specialized skills. Your office relocation service should have technicians who can safely disconnect, transport, and reconnect servers, networking hardware, and office workstations with minimal risk of data loss or downtime.

Key Questions:

What processes are in place to protect sensitive data during the move?

How do they ensure the secure transportation of IT equipment?

5. Sustainability Practices

Sustainability in office relocation is becoming increasingly important. Companies can reduce their environmental impact by using eco-friendly packing materials, reusing furniture, and recycling old electronics responsibly. Ensure your mover adopts green practices wherever possible.

Checklist for Eco-Friendly Movers:

Use of recycled and recyclable materials for packing

Efficient route planning to minimize fuel consumption

Partnerships with recycling and e-waste disposal services

6. Insurance and Liability Coverage

Office relocations involve significant assets that need to be protected. Make sure the company offers comprehensive insurance coverage for your office equipment, furniture, and sensitive documents.

Important Points:

What is their liability coverage for damaged or lost items?

Do they offer any guarantees on the safety of high-value equipment?

Office Relocation Timeline: What to Expect

Here is a general timeline for a successful office move:

Three Months Before the Move: Initial consultation and project planning. Assess needs and budget.

Two Months Before the Move: Detailed site inspection and finalization of plans, including moving timelines.

One Month Before the Move: Packing and inventory checks. Confirm IT and data transfer strategies.

Move Day: Execution of the move. Relocate IT equipment first to ensure minimal downtime.

One Week After the Move: Final checks, post-move support, and addressing any issues.

Common Mistakes to Avoid During Office Relocation

1. Underestimating the Complexity of the Move

Moving an office is not the same as moving a home. Overlooking the detailed planning required can result in extended downtime and lost productivity.

2. Lack of Proper Labeling and Inventory

Ensure all office furniture, equipment, and documents are properly labeled and inventoried. This will prevent confusion and misplaced items during unpacking.

3. Neglecting IT and Communication Systems

A seamless IT transition is crucial for ensuring that your business gets back online quickly. Avoid relying on non-specialized movers for this important task.

4. Choosing Based on Price Alone

While budget is an important consideration, choosing a mover solely based on the lowest quote can lead to issues like delays, damage, or hidden costs. Opt for quality and experience instead.

Final Thoughts

Hiring the right office relocation service in Abu Dhabi requires due diligence. By ensuring the company you select has experience, understands local regulations, and offers comprehensive services, you’ll reduce stress, minimize downtime, and ensure a smooth transition for your business. Additionally, considering sustainability practices and IT expertise will make your move not only efficient but also responsible.

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Office Movers and Packers in Abu Dhabi: A Comprehensive Guide to Hassle-Free Relocation

Moving an office to a new location can be a daunting task. Whether it's a small startup or a large corporation, the process of moving requires meticulous planning, organization, and coordination. If you’re in Abu Dhabi and looking to relocate your office, you need professional assistance to ensure a smooth transition. This is where reliable office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi come into play.

In this blog, we’ll explore everything you need to know about office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi, from their services to the benefits of hiring them and tips to make your office move successful. By the end of this guide, you’ll understand how these professionals can help make your office relocation stress-free and efficient.

Why Choose Professional Office Movers and Packers in Abu Dhabi?

Relocating an office involves far more than just packing boxes and moving furniture. You need to account for sensitive equipment, important documents, and ensuring minimal downtime for your business. Hiring office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi ensures that all these concerns are taken care of by experts.

Here’s why you should consider professionals:

Experience and Expertise Professional office movers in Abu Dhabi have years of experience and know how to handle everything from computers to conference tables. They’re trained to move sensitive office equipment safely and efficiently.

Minimized Business Downtime When you hire reliable office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi, they work on a schedule that minimizes disruption to your business. This ensures that your office is back up and running in no time.

Safe and Secure Moving One of the primary concerns during an office move is the safety of your belongings. Professional office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi use specialized packing materials and techniques to ensure everything arrives safely.

Insurance Coverage Reputable office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi offer insurance for your office assets during the move. This provides peace of mind, knowing that in the unlikely event of damage, you’ll be compensated.

Cost-Effective Contrary to popular belief, hiring professional office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi can actually save you money in the long run. They provide all the packing materials, transport, and manpower, so you won’t need to purchase supplies or risk costly mistakes.

Services Offered by Office Movers and Packers in Abu Dhabi

When searching for the right office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi, it’s essential to understand the range of services they offer. Most professional companies provide comprehensive office relocation solutions that cater to your specific needs.

Packing and Unpacking Services Efficient packing is crucial to prevent damage during the move. Professional office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi will carefully pack all office equipment, furniture, and documents using high-quality materials. Once at the new location, they’ll also handle unpacking and reassembling furniture.

Furniture Disassembly and Reassembly Large office furniture like desks and cubicles may need to be disassembled for easy transport. The team of office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi will take care of this task and ensure everything is reassembled at the new location.

Transportation Transportation is a key component of any move. Professional office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi use specialized vehicles equipped to transport office items securely. They’ll ensure your belongings are delivered safely and on time.

IT Equipment Handling One of the most challenging parts of an office move is handling IT equipment. Professionals can dismantle, pack, and set up servers, computers, and other office technology without the risk of damage or data loss.

Storage Solutions Sometimes, there might be a need for temporary storage during the moving process. Reliable office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi offer secure storage facilities to keep your office belongings safe until they can be moved to the new location.

Project Management Professional office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi provide project management services. A dedicated move manager will oversee the entire process, ensuring everything is handled according to schedule and within budget.

Tips for Choosing the Best Office Movers and Packers in Abu Dhabi

Selecting the right company is crucial for a successful office move. Here are a few tips to help you choose the best office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi:

Check for Experience Look for a company that specializes in office moves and has a proven track record. Experienced office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi are more likely to provide efficient and reliable services.

Read Reviews and Testimonials Customer reviews and testimonials offer insight into the quality of service provided by the company. Choose office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi with positive reviews and satisfied customers.

Ask for a Detailed Quote Get a detailed quotation before hiring. Reputable office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi will provide a clear and transparent quote that covers all aspects of the move.

Ensure Insurance Coverage Check if the office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi provide insurance for your belongings. This is crucial for protecting your valuable office equipment.

Verify Licensing Make sure the moving company is licensed and authorized to operate in Abu Dhabi. Professional office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi will always provide proof of their credentials upon request.

How to Prepare for Your Office Move

Once you’ve chosen the right office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi, it’s essential to prepare for the move. Here’s a quick checklist to ensure everything goes smoothly:

Create a Moving Plan Start by drafting a detailed moving plan. This should include a timeline, the roles and responsibilities of your staff, and an inventory of all the items being moved.

Communicate with Your Team Inform your employees about the move and involve them in the process. Assign roles to ensure everything is packed and labeled properly before the office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi arrive.

Back Up Important Data Before the move, ensure that all important business data is backed up. This prevents any loss of information if something happens during the relocation.

Label Everything Proper labeling is key to an organized move. Label all boxes with their contents and their destination in the new office to help the office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi place everything where it belongs.

Notify Clients and Partners Let your clients, vendors, and business partners know about your move. This ensures minimal disruption to your business operations during the relocation process.

Benefits of Hiring Office Movers and Packers in Abu Dhabi

The advantages of hiring office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi are numerous. Here are some key benefits you’ll enjoy:

Stress-Free Relocation With professional movers handling the logistics, you can focus on other important aspects of your business. The entire process will be managed with minimal stress.

Professional Packing Packing is an art. Skilled office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi use the right materials and techniques to ensure everything is packed securely.

Efficient Handling of Heavy Equipment Moving office equipment like servers, desks, and filing cabinets can be difficult. Professionals have the tools and expertise to handle even the heaviest items efficiently.

Time-Saving A professional team of office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi will handle everything, from planning the move to unpacking at the new location. This saves you valuable time that can be used to get your business back up and running.

Reduced Risk of Damage Professionals know how to handle delicate items and valuable equipment. By hiring office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi, you reduce the risk of damage to your belongings.

Tailored Solutions Each office move is unique. Reliable office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi will provide customized services that suit your specific needs, whether you’re moving to a new floor or a different part of the city.

Conclusion

Moving your office can be a complex process, but with the help of professional office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi, it becomes much more manageable. These experts provide a range of services designed to ensure a smooth, stress-free move. From packing and transportation to storage and IT handling, they have the skills and experience needed to relocate your office efficiently.

Choosing the right office movers and packers in Abu Dhabi ensures that your business experiences minimal downtime, your belongings are safe, and you’re back to work as quickly as possible. Take the time to research and choose a company that fits your needs, and you’ll find that your office move is easier than you ever imagined.

By following the tips and guidelines provided in this article, you’ll be well on your way to a successful office relocation in Abu Dhabi.

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Understanding the Benefits of Comprehensive Moving Services

 Moving is a nightmarish experience for many for the tiresome process that it is. While taking care of the responsibilities starting from arranging for transportation to the labour involved in handling furniture and other items is itself tedious, the most daunting task is the handling of fragile items which are likely to break if proper care is not given.

To what extent can you handle the unprofessional laborers who play hard on your fragile items?

There are many testimonies of people who have handled moving on their own which culminated in disastrous results.

Considering the stress and risks involved in moving it is best if you can afford the best moving company in Abu Dhabi for hassle-free moving with a professional approach.

Be it moving your personal belongings or the working capital of your business to a new office hiring the best moving company in Abu Dhabi will have its share of benefits.

In the remaining part of this blog, we will be breaking down the benefits of hiring comprehensive moving services:

Professional packing services

Companies that offer comprehensive moving come with a professional packing service that gives proper attention to the safety of your belongings. The best moving company in Abu Dhabi offers packing solutions that guarantee the safe transportation of your fragile belongings. They will use the best packing materials and proper packing with bubble wraps and safety nets making sure that the items won’t make much movement in transportation.

Customized moving plans

Each party requires a tailored moving solution for the difference in the scale and type of items. For example, moving for a household might require different packing and transportation options compared to that of the requirements of a business. The best moving company in Abu Dhabi will take calculated actions and avail the requisite materials according to the needs of each customer.

Storage solutions

This is applicable especially if your moving takes place in phases. Especially if you’re working on a business undergoing transitional phases it will be necessary to store some of the packages in a temporary storage location. The best moving company in Abu Dhabi will provide storage solutions with safety and surveillance options.

Insurance coverage and risk mitigation

The best moving company in Abu Dhabi that provides comprehensive moving services will have insurance coverage in its plan of action to mitigate the potential damage that could happen in transportation. This is an extra layer of protection that leaves you stress-free from concerns about your valuables.

Time and cost efficiency

A comprehensive moving service offered by the best moving company in Abu Dhabi comes with their expertise in the field for years. This will help in the streamlining of moving seamlessly and hassle-free. With proper knowledge and contacts on the ground level moving companies that offer comprehensive moving services can save a great deal of your money and time.

To sum up, hiring comprehensive moving services will let you relax on your transition to the new home or office. Let the veterans take care of the challenges of the move while you prepare yourself for the move.

Wondering where to find the best moving company in Abu Dhabi that is reliable and experienced to make a seamless move? That is why veterans like SC House Movers are here for your service. Go ahead and let us know of your moving requirements.

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Dubai packing and moving services

Dubai packing and moving services Dubai packing and moving services requires professionalism to ensure the safety of your belongings. A specialized company provides integrated services that include unpacking, moving and installing using high-quality materials to protect furniture from scratches and breakage during transportation. From disassembling and installing pieces to safely transporting, every step is handled with care. This company also provides equipped vehicles and trained teams to ensure a smooth and safe moving experience within and outside Abu Dhabi.