Back To You (Sebastian Vettel)

Chapter 10: Photo Session

Tobias was undoubtedly the happiest fan on that day as the Ferrari drivers got the double podium. Kimi finished second, while Seb was right behind him. He took so many photos during the podium ceremony with his camera.

Gia was actually happy as well to see Seb on podium, although he didn't win. She secretly took a photo of him with her phone. In case that would be her only time to attend an F1 race, she had to have some photos as a memory.

After Seb got his trophy, he walked closer to the podium guardrail. He was pointing out to the Ferrari crews before he kissed the trophy. He actually tried to search if she was there with his team, but with a huge crowd like that, it wasn't easy to see.

From those moments Seb showed on the podium, Gia could describe him as a dedicated and passionate driver. If the friendship between them was fine, she would always tell him that how proud she was to see him as one of the most successful F1 drivers.

"Guys, now we can go back to the garage and wait for them there!" Giulia told Gia, Mariska, Tobias, and two other fans.

They finally went back to the garage with some Ferrari crews who watched the podium ceremony with them. During the podium ceremony, they had a chance to get acquainted with the Team Principal, Maurizio Arrivabene. He looked satisfied with the result.

When they had arrived at the garage, they talked with some pit crews who were explaining about the pit stops that they did for their drivers during the race. They were also welcome to take some photos inside the garage. Tobi took some photos of Gia and Mariska with his camera.

After waiting for almost an hour, they finally saw Kimi and Seb walking into the garage. They were followed by their respective press officer. Gia couldn't help but stare at him. Britta could easily recognize that the woman who was staring at Seb was Gia, as she was the only woman who wore glasses.

"Okay guys, now it's time for photo session. You all will stand in the middle." Giulia was arranging their positions. Gia stood aside.

"Kimi, you can stand there," Giulia asked Kimi to stand on the left side, next to the other fans. "And you, Seb, you can stand over there," Giulia asked him to stand on the right side. Right beside Gia.

It didn't take too long for Seb to walk closer to Gia. Just like at the bookstore on the previous Monday and at the entrance on the previous Friday, she seemed so tense when she stood next to him. It made him sure that she didn't want to be next to him. But he didn't care. He wanted to feel close to her whenever he had the chance.

"Look who's next to you," Tobi whispered at Gia.

"I know. Now shut up."

Tobias giggled as Gia knew that he was teasing her. Then, one of Ferrari members asked Mariska and one of two other fans to hold the trophies that Kimi and Seb got as they stood in the middle.

The official team photographer, Callo Albanese, took some photos of them. Gia could feel a touch on her shoulder. It was none other than Seb's hand which calmly rested there.

The photo session finished some minutes after. Kimi shook hands once again with those five, with a bigger smile than on their first meeting, before he went to his private room. Seb also shook hands formally with them, including Gia, before he talked to some mechanics.

Tobias suddenly remembered that Seb hadn't signed his autograph on the race programmes that Gia and himself had. "Gia, I think that we have a chance to ask him to sign his autograph."

"You still want to do that?"

"I do," he replied excitedly. "Come on! Take it out of your bag!"

Gia obeyed him to take her race programme from her bag. She was also the first to take out the marker. Then, they walked closer to Seb when he had finished talking to the mechanics.

"Seb, sorry if we disturb you," Tobias said.

Seb couldn't believe with what he had just seen. His first love was next to him again, when he thought that she had left. "It's fine. What can I help?"

"Can you please sign our race programmes?"

"Sure. Where's your marker?"

Tobias nudged Gia's hand as he asked her to lend her marker to Seb. She gave it to him and their fingers accidentally touched and they didn't realize that it gave them some sparks.

Seb took Tobias' race programme first. He opened the page where there was his picture and he signed below it. After that, he gave it back to him and took Gia's. There was something that he wrote before he signed. Then, he closed it and gave it back to her.

"Thank you, Seb, and once again congratulations for finishing third today," Tobi said.

"Thank you, Tobias," Seb replied with mentioning his name, as he still remembered it. "It was a shame that I got penalty yesterday. It would've been easier to win if I started from third today."

"It's okay. I believe that you can win next week at Silverstone," Tobi said with optimism. "Oh, is it okay if I wish you a happy birthday today? I know that your birthday is in two days, but today is the best chance for me to do so," he chuckled.

Seb felt sad as he hoped that it was Gia who wished him a happy birthday. He also remembered that her birthday was only two days after his. "Where's the gift then? No, I'm just kidding. Thank you very much."

Tobias laughed because of Seb's joke. Gia also couldn't hide her smile. He was still the same. He loved joking. And she didn't realize that he saw her smile and it unmistakably warmed his heart.

"Erm, I'm sorry, but I think that it's time for us to leave." Tobias wanted to say goodbye to Seb. But before that, he called Mariska first. "Seb, thank you for everything. This is for sure the best experience for us."

"I should thank you all as well for supporting us this weekend. I hope that I can see you all again next time."

Seb shook hands with all of them and as usual, he shook hands with Gia longer than the others because he wanted to feel how soft her hand was. And with that handshake, he actually wanted to tell her that he still remembered her, but he was still thinking about the right time to talk to her.

After that, Gia, Mariska, and Tobias said goodbye to Giulia and thanked her for their amazing experience with the team. When the three of them weren't seen anymore, Seb walked into his private room as he wanted to take a shower.

Some minutes later, he had been looking fresh and he had also changed into his own clothes. He checked his phone and he found some messages, from his father, Fabian, and also Bernadette. They congratulated him for the podium he got.

Bernadette also asked him to go home. He realized that he couldn't leave his house for too long. He would go to Switzerland before he flew to England for the British GP on the following week.

Right after he hit send button as he replied his girlfriend's message, someone knocked the door of his room. He immediately put his phone in his pocket before he unlocked it.

"Seb, can I come in?" Britta asked.

"Sure." Seb let Britta to come in. "Is there something, Britta?"

"Hmm, I wonder if you'd love this, but I want to talk about... Georgia."

It was unquestionable that Seb was more than happy to talk about her. "Of course! What do you want to talk about her?"

"Seb, I admit that she is very beautiful, friendly, and polite. No wonder why you still love her," Britta teased Seb, which made him blush.

"You are right. I will still love her even if she doesn't love me anymore. I will never forget that she's my first love."

"I know. I didn't expect that Giulia would choose her and her friends to win those VIP passes."

"Me too. This is the best weekend for me even though I didn't win." Both of them laughed. Then, Seb realized that there was something that he had to say to his press officer. "Britta, can you please ask for the photos to the team? I really want to have it."

She very much understood what he meant. "Don't worry, I will send you as soon as I've got it."

Seb really couldn't wait to have those photos, even though he believed that Gia was so tense and nervous during the photo session. He was hoping that next time he could see her again watching him race. And surely, visiting Vienna again had been on his to-do list.