Team Principal | Carlos Sainz

chapter ten

Antonia W.

"Please mommy, he should come with us." Luca asked for the tenth time during our breakfast.

It was Saturday here in Baku and I just had told my son that we would go out for dinner tonight.

"He is busy and his girlfriend is here, I am sure he has no time for our dinner." I tried to explain to him but he just didn't gave up.

"Please ask him. I don't care about his friend I just want him to spend time with us, he is so funny."

He is, I thought and nearly choked as I realized what I had just thought. Since our car ride and the things he had said we hadn't talked much and it kinda was my fault as I tried to avoid him at any moment.

It wasn't the thing he had said it was the fact that one one hand I really enjoyed the car ride with him and on the other side the fact that he thought I was going on a date with Toto was somehow really weird.

Was he thinking that I am only dating guys with a status like him, was Carlos really thinking that someone like him wasn't good enough? Why would he even consider himself as a potential partner for me I mean I am his boss and why I am even thinking about this.

I just had these thought in my mind for quite a while now, to be specific since our little meeting at the hotel corridor in the middle of the night. The way he had looked at me, his hands as they had touched mine and

"Mommy?" Luca got my attention back to reality.

"Yeah yeah I will ask him." I quickly said, hoping he would forget about it until this evening, because I really wasn't going to ask Carlos if he would like to join our dinner, I was still his boss and not some friend.

Unfortunately as we entered the paddock an hour later Carlos was standing in front of the garage and before i could do anything Luca had run towards him.

"Carlo! My mommy wants to ask you something."

Screw it, he messed up my 'I-am-not-going-to-ask-him' plan. As always Carlos has a big smile on his face and quickly picked Luca up to give him a proper hug. My son immediately clung around the Spaniards neck  and I still wondered why he was so close with him.

Normally Luca was scared meeting new people and trusting them to touch him or pick him up, but with Carlos he was open from the beginning and I was somehow happy that he had such a good bond to my driver.

"Good morning Carlos." I said as I reached them and wasn't sure if I should offer him my hand to shake.

"Hi Antonia, how are you?" he asked kindly and without noticing a little smile appeared on my face and a warmth spread through my body.

"Fine, ready for qualifying I would say."

"Sounds great. This beautiful boy here said you have a question for me."

"Beautiful boy." I repeated, more to myself, and giggled because with Carlos accent it really sounded funny.

"He is, but his mother is even more beautiful." he said and winked at me.

He really wasn't called smooth operator for nothing. My cheeks turned slightly red and I quickly looked to the ground.

"Do you want to go to dinner with us?" Luca spilled it out after a few moments of silence where Carlos was just looking at me and I was unsure what to say.

Surprised the Spaniard looked at us and I got a serious face again before I turned towards my son, who was still sitting in Carlos arm.

"Hey Luca, I think you left your cars in my office yesterday. What about you quickly get them and we then look after the cars?"

As soon as he heard about the cars his eyes got big and nodded his head while Carlos let him back to the ground. Luca quickly ran into the building and I turned towards my driver again.

"Look, Luca and I go to have dinner tonight and he couldn't stop asking if you would come to. My son really loves you, I don't know why." I said and giggled before getting serious again, "But of course you don't have to come, I will just tell him that you have other plans."

"I would love to come." the Spaniard interrupted me before I could start another sentence.

My mind stopped for a moment as I hadn't expected that.

"Ehh... yeah sure, Luca will be very happy." I stuttered unsure what to say, but he kept it cool.

"I hope you are also happy about me joining you guys." Carlos said slowly, trying to figure out my thoughts, "At least a bit?"

"Of course." I quickly answered before stepping closer to the entrance to the garage, as I felt how a sudden heat ran through my body.

"Just text me the time and location and I will be there."

"Sure." I returned as I saw Isa behind him, coming over, "And of course you can bring your girlfriend."

His face froze for a second and he wanted to say something but at that moment Isa through her arms around her boyfriend from behind and I went into the garage. I really couldn't stand her. It wasn't the fact that she was Carlos girlfriend, of course not, but she was just annoying every of my mechanics as she had no clue about F1 and was always asking stupid questions.

An evening with her together would be horror but I was doing it for my son and maybe she didn't like the idea or they had other plans so they would not be able to make it, I was hoping so. But to be honest the thought of having dinner with Carlos, without his girlfriend, was somehow exciting me.

But I was wrong I wasn't sure what my body wanted to say with that but I probably should stay away from him if possible so my body would calm down, I was still his boss.