All the Way — A Formula One Story
OCTOBER 2020
The head offices were the last place Calina had wanted to be in that day. It was common knowledge that if you were called to the head offices, it was either for a very good reason, or for a very bad reason.
Calina could only wonder what she could have possibly done.
So, as Charlotte led her to the head offices, Calina wondered. She wondered, and wished she was still seated comfortably in the simulator, or sitting on her couch back home, with a nice, cold smoothie, her french bulldog, Kuzco, curled up with her, binge-watching Parks and Rec to her heart's content.
"Charlotte, are you sure nothing is wrong?" Calina asked, her worryness showing through in the tone of her voice.
The older woman laughed lightly in response, being slightly muffled by the papaya mask they were required to wear in the building. "I don't know why you're so worried, Calina," she said. "And besides, Zak only told me he wanted to talk to you. I'm sure it's nothing bad."
Calina raised her eyes skeptically. "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if it was about- you know." Charlotte simply rolled her eyes, pausing just in front of the automatic sliding doors.
"You worry too much, Cal. Now, please don't keep him waiting!"
Charlotte gently pushed Calina through the doors, and the teen continued on her own towards Zak's office. When she got there, she noticed the door was fully open, and the Mclaren CEO was sitting at his desk, eyes on the computer screen in front of him. Calina knocked on the door lightly, to signal her presence, and he looked up.
"Ah, Lini, you're here!" Zak said in his usual cheerful tone. The use of the nickname he personally took up made her smile slightly. Calina could tell he was grinning under the blue medical mask. She couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"Yeah, I'm glad to be back," Calina resplied, taking a quick look around the office. Behind the desk was thing trophy case, filled with miscellaneous trinkets, a helmet perched on top, and a framed picture. It captured the moment from the previous season, in Sochi, just after the feature race she won, when she was confirmed as the 2019 Formula 2 champion. She had her trophy in one hand, the half-empty bottle of champagne in the other, and she was walking alongside her uncle and Zak, laughing in pure bliss. The memory replayed in her mind over and over, causing her small smile to grow.
"You wanted to see me?" she asked, returning to reality.
"Yes," Zak sighed, standing up from his seat and making his way towards the open door. "Come, let's walk and talk."
The pair began their journey, walking silently on the pathways, looking out to the lake in front of the MTC. It was Zak who broke the silence first, asking, "You seem kind of gloomy."
"Well, I kind of lucked out on yet another deal." Calina grumbled, her meeting from a few days ago coming to mind. She wasn't sure if she should even be speaking to Zach about her looking at other teams when McLaren was still on the table, but she needed to talk to someone about it.
"You'll be fine, Lini," Zak said in his reassuring, father-like tone. They had stopped walking, Calina leaning on the railing, looking out at the rain falling down outside.
"What did you want to talk about?"
Zak paused, almost hesitating. "It's about your contract with us for next year, as reserve."
YOU ARE READING
All the Way - an F1 story
Fanfiction"You are going to prove them all wrong, and I cannot wait to see it." "You and I both know how wrong this is." "I know, but I'd rather die than have to be without you." A brand new team has come to Formula One, and Calina Gaspé has finally been give...
