The other woman

Britain

The black rucksack on her bag was making her feel even hotter and felt like it was sticking to her back and the heat was actually making her feel a little nauseous. She reached to her utility belt and grabbed her drinks bottle, flicking the top open with her thumb so that she could take a long drink.

Seb had qualified tenth for the seventeen lap sprint race that would decide the grid for tomorrow's race. Like Alex, he couldn't really see the point of it either. Sure, it was good for the fans and an intense short race would create some extra interest and excitement but when they still had to qualify on Friday? It didn't sit right with him, he was a traditionalist at heart and didn't think that the qualifying format should be altered that drastically. Still, he'd give it a chance and go into the race with an open mind.

He glanced towards Alex, who was just putting her drinks bottle back into its place on her belt. He quite liked the utility belt on her, it gave her an Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider kind of vibe; all she needed was the tight black vest top and the tight little shorts. It was an alluring thought and as an image of Alex dressed like that popped into his mind he felt a stirring in between his legs. Oh god, not now, please! He instantly looked away, switching his focus to Ted Kravitz from SkySports who was walking through the grid, stopping close to car number five to talk about yesterday's qualifying session and any changes made to the set up ahead of the sprint race. Thankfully, looking at Ted worked and Seb's semi-hard cock behaved itself.

Alex checked her watch just as a klaxon sounded, signalling that it was just ten minutes to lights out. Seb didn't need reminding of the time, he'd heard the klaxon go off above his music and was already pulling his phone from his pocket to hand to her, along with his headphones which she hung around her neck. She bent to pick up his helmet and HANS while he pulled the white towel from around his neck, dropped it on top of a black hold-all and proceeded to shrug his arms into his race overall.

It was all so calm and efficient. They'd said nothing to each other for the past twelve minutes, Alex just had what he needed, when he needed it and in the order he wanted things too.

It was so ingrained into her mind that she didn't have to think, she'd just pass him what he wanted and when he got into the car, she was there standing dutifully beside him, holding a blower that was pumping cool air into the cockpit while he held the umbrella to keep the sun at bay.

It was already scolding hot in the car, even though the team had left an open umbrella in the cockpit. The seat still felt hot against his behind and his back and the seatbelts made it feel all the more stifling. It wouldn't even get cooler once the race was underway as the heat from the engine would be heating up everything further from his seat to his drinks bottle. A minute later, someone placed a bag of dry ice onto his lap. That was blissful, almost as blissful as it would have been if he'd had air con in the car.

He spent the last few minutes, staring ahead, visualising the start in his head and those first few corners and then the whole circuit; where he'd have better chances of passing and where he wouldn't, where he had to try to improve and claw back the tenths he was missing and where the car would feel a little unstable. He knew this circuit like the back of his hand, where he'd suffer from oversteer or understeer and where all the best lines were going into and exiting corners.

The area around him cleared and for the first time he could see the cars in front and the one beside him.

There was final radio check, a final message from his race engineer and his strategist. Then it was time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alex had been grateful for the cool air conditioning in hospitality as she sat and waited for Seb and Britta to return so that they could all head back to the hotel. She was hoping to be able to spend some time alone with him tonight because she knew that for the next race weekend in Hungary, Gisela and the kids would be travelling too and time alone would be virtually nonexistent.