Last Man Standing

Chapter 25

"Hi!" He held up his phone. "Your parents were wondering why they couldn't reach you." Marylinde took her own phone. She had four missed calls from her mother. She frowned.

"I don't know, I just didn't see it. Might be because Freja was yelling so loud. I'll call them later."

"I think later should be before fp1." Peter arched an eyebrow at her.

"I know, I mean later when I am on there and you are massaging my muscles." She pointed towards the bed standing against one of the walls. "It gives me the perfect opportunity." Peter shook his head, but then stood up to grab the few things they would be needing out of a bag. "Honestly, someone who would accidentally look in that bag would think some strange things."

"Sometimes I wonder why I ever accepted the job to work for you." Marylinde chuckled and zipped down her Red Bull jacked.

"Because you love me." She starting skipping over the rope. It was one of the better exercises. She had always skipped for fun as a child and didn't mind having it as a part of her warming up once she got more and more invested in the sport.

"Your mother also asked me about your love life." Marylinde almost tripped over the rope.

"What the hell?"

"She said she had a feeling you were growing fond of someone, but you were not willing to share yet."

"So she just thinks that it is a good idea to go around and ask you?" Peter shrugged his shoulders as he mentioned for her to continue. "I mean, I would tell her when I'm ready." Peter started to smirk.

"So there is someone and your mother was right to suspect something?" Marylinde laughed. Though it was annoying that people kept butting into her private life, it also made her reflect on things and she was forced to realise that Pierre was getting closer and closer to her on so many levels.

"Maybe." Peter watched the face of the young girl he had been looking after for years. Her eyes twinkled as her cheeks coloured to a slight pink. A smile was tugging at her lips, which she was failing to hide. "But if you think about it as an outsider, so completely objective, is it even smart to fall in love with a fellow driver?"

"I think it would be tricky, especially if he happens to be in Toro Rosso right now, but-"

"Alpha Tauri." Peter looked at Marylinde, who had unconsciously told him off for using the old name of the team. "Sorry," Marylinde said when she did and handed Peter the rope. "Continued."

"But I think that you and Pierre could work it out if you really wanted it to. You need to set some ground rules and show the media that there is nothing going on that is keeping you from doing your very best. They are going to be the toughest to impress."

"Don't forget Helmut Marko." Over the years, Marylinde had remained wary of Helmut Marko. There was something about him that made her feel on edge. Like she couldn't drop her guard for one moment or she would be dropped from their junior program.

"I'm not, but I think you need to be less worried about him rather than the press and the fans." Marylinde bit her lip.

"He is cute though." Marylinde chuckled as she blushed even more.

"Is this Marylinde Magnussen realising she is falling for Pierre Gasly?"

"I think it might be." With a smile on her face, Marylinde continued the rest of her warming up and when Peter started massaging her back, shoulders and neck, she called her mother.

"Ah, finally, we were starting to get worried."

"No need to mom. Quite the opposite actually. I'm doing really well." It remained silent. Denise had not expected to hear her daughter say that. "Mom?"

"Do you have something to tell us? Did you secretly get married or something?" Marylinde nearly choked, making Peter laugh. She had put her mother on speakerphone, giving Peter the chance to understand the conversation. She didn't mind. Peter knew most of the things going on in her life and he was now the first one she had admitted her feelings for Pierre too. Even before she had fully admitted it to herself.

"Denise, please watch what you are saying, I do want my work to be for something." Marylinde reached behind her back, trying to reach for something to hit, something belonging to Peter. She didn't really mind what it would be.

"Either way, I am curious."

"Yeah, about that mom. Please stop asking about my life through people I know." A gasp was heard on the other side of the line.

"Who told you?!"

"You've been talking to multiple people?!" It remained silent. "Mom!"

"I'm sorry darling, you just don't talk to me about your dates." Marylinde rolled her eyes. "I don't mean badly darling. Either way, we wanted to wish you luck. Your father had to leave for his job, but I know he wants you to do well."

"Thanks, mom. Give dad a kiss for me."

"I will sweety." They ended the call and Marylinde groaned.

"Honestly, sometimes I don't know what I should do with that woman." Peter pushed on a nod in her muscles, making Marylinde wince. "Ow!"

"Relax."

"Easier said than done." Peter patted her shoulder, making her sit up. "I'm going for a walk before hopping in the car. See who I can bother." She was keeping her promise. She needed to talk to someone, she felt the bubble inside of her was about to burst. She was edging towards another breakdown. "Can you tell Freja for me? She'll understand. If you tell her that it was necessary."

"Make sure you are back on time." Marylinde nodded and left. Her phone remained on the bed. Peter noticed, but didn't say a thing. He knew her well enough. This was a step for her. She was starting to acknowledge she sometimes needed help to get her through her job.

It seemed to be a one-man job once they got into the car, but the pressure resting on them was a lot more than one man or in Marylinde's case woman could handle. It had nothing to do with being female rather than male. The human mind wasn't built to carry so much pressure and handle so much stress.

Marylinde knew she needed to talk to someone and she felt like, despite her years of friendship and the shared blood, Pierre was the right person to go to. She felt comfortable enough around him to tell him and not her best friends or cousin. He was the person she needed at that moment.

It was a bit of a shock for the staff from Alpha Tauri to see Marylinde walk into their garage – she had been told Pierre was there ahead of the free practice – but didn't mind too much. They knew that there was a chance she was going to join them the next year with how things were building up.

They also saw the determination on her face and the frown that was etched into her forehead. She was on a mission and wasn't likely to be stopped without force.

"Pierre." Where her look had been so intimidating, her voice gave away how she felt on the inside, small, fragile and on the edge of breaking. Pierre immediately looked up from his phone and stood up, looking at the small girl in front of him.

"Come on, let's go to my driver's room." Pierre was skilled with people and he knew Marylinde well enough by then to know something was up that couldn't wait. He had also been informed of the deal she had made with Kevin and through him George to make sure he wouldn't be caught off guard when Marylinde would pour out her heart to him.

George had known there was a big chance she was going to go to Pierre and even though it would somewhat hurt the feelings of her four best friends, they all knew that if Pierre was the one who would get to help Marylinde, he would be what she needed most at that time and they wouldn't complain. They wanted the best for her, no matter what that was.

Once they were sitting in Pierre's driver's room, silence fell over them. The sounds from outside were dampened by the walls and Pierre didn't say a word. Marylinde had to build up the confidence to say the words. Three simple words that would change everything.

"Pierre-" She croaked, her voice trembling more than it had done in the garage as she was fighting to let down her walls. "I'm scared."