Snap Happy (A Daniel Ricciardo story)

12. A Load of (Red) Bull

She seemed to realise it at the same time, and brought herself back from wherever she'd been with a visible shake. 

"Y'know I'm sure we can find a table somewhere" I joked, forcing out what I hoped was decent imitation of a carefree laugh.

"No way! The only table I intend to enjoy tonight is the dinner table" The moment was gone, the guards were back in place, but the memory of her brief surrender to my fingertips lingered. 

There was an audible gasp as we approached the Energy Station. It's probably one of the most impressive temporary structures in the world - three huge stories of metal and glass, it towered above everything else in the vicinity. 

"It's enormous!"

"I've heard that before" I quipped, earning myself a well-deserved glare, and a roll of those curious eyes. Forest green tonight I noticed.

"How do you know I wasn't talking about your ego?" she retorted.

"Touche'!" I responded with a bow. "Now brace yourself and prepare for banter"

I led her upstairs where the rest of the team were already assembled round the table.

"Em this is..." I took a deep breath and began reeling off the list of names "Matt, Mikey, Toby, Ross, Brita, Becca........Rocky, Christian...and...errr....Seb. Got that?"

EMILY

"So, you're Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, and..errr...Bob" I greeted them all nervously, grateful for the small ripple of laughter that went round the table, broken by a few shouted greetings and the odd whistle.

"Hi Bob!" I took the chair that Daniel offered me, and turned to the guy on my left, vaguely aware that Dan had taken the vacant seat on my right. Thank God. 

"Matt" he smiled dazzlingly, flicking an errant lock of fair hair out of his eyes.  "Nice to meet you at last". Watch out we've got another charmer on our hands.

Across the table a pair of ice-blue eyes burned into my face. 

"I remember you" said a voice in heavily accented but perfect English. "You nearly got me thrown in the harbour at Monaco"

 "I...I what??" I spluttered in confusion. "That was nothing to do with me - I was an innocent observer!"

 "I asked Dan about you - he didn't like it" Sebastian smirked mischievously.

I blushed furiously, and judging by the fidgeting on my right, I wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable. 

"Sorry" Dan whispered out of the corner of his mouth, as his hand reached out to give mine a brief, apologetic squeeze under cover of the table. 

 The babble of conversation died away as the steaming plates were brought in.

"So who do you think's the best driver on this table?" Matt chose this moment to ask me loudly. TOO loudly. Every pair of eyes was suddenly focused on my face, one pair of brown, and one pair of blue in particular. Shit! Think fast Taylor. 

I had a brainwave.

"Christian!" I announced decisively to a round of applause. "Yeah I saw you go up the Goodwood hill last week - nice moves!" I answered the Team Principle's thumbs up with one of my own, relieved that I seemed to have passed that little test with flying colours. 

"Nice save" Matt winked at me, leaaning over to refill my glass.

"Yeah, thanks for dropping me in it..."

 "Any time darlin' "

On my other side Dan had gone suspiciously quiet and was eating his chicken with exaggerated concentration. Sebastian was watching the proceedings, amusement etched on his youthful features.

"Jealous!" He mouthed silently, catching my eye and nodding towards Daniel. I shook my head. What on earth could Daniel possibly be jealous of? 

"Thish food ish really goog" I said to the Aussie through a mouthful of rice in a childish attempt to make him smile. It sort of worked because he lifted his head and his mouth twitched. 

"Where are you staying tonight?" 

"With a family in town, they don't operate as a B&B anymore but when I rang them up they remembered me from years ago and said I could rent their spare room for the weekend. What about you? Five star luxury I presume?"

"Whittlebury Hall" he giggled in a poor imitiation of an upper-class English accent. 

"Ahhh, so just a scummy motel then" I said nonchalently, laughing as the grin I loved so much returned to light up the room.  

"I'll walk you back" he whispered as the plates were cleared away. 

"You don't have to - what if someone sees you?"

"Ninja mode!" He stated triumphantly.

Ninja mode turned out to be a plain black jacket with the collar turned up, and a logo-less baseball cap pulled down over his eyes. It would have been far more effective after dark - to be honest he just looked suspicious and I told him so, but he would not be dissuaded. 

"The team seemed nice" I commented as we walked.

"I think they liked you...Matt definitely did" 

"He was charming, a bit too....obvious for me though"

"So you're not going to go running off with my mechanic any time soon then?" He grinned.

"Not just yet" I smiled back as we turned into the wonderfully named 'Graham Hill' (leading to 'Stewart Drive'). "This is it".

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Did I imagine the glimmer of hope in his eyes?

"You might not have time..."

"I'll make time"

His lips brushed my cheek like butterfly wings, and he turned and strode back towards the circuit, presenting me with another perfect view. 

In my room that night I backed up my photos to my laptop, and went through the hundreds one by one, trying to identify a technique and a formula to focus on during the next couple of days. Fast speed or slow pan? Crystal sharpness or atmospheric blur? In the back of my mind I knew the answer - you have to do all of it, and do it right. I lingered at last on the final shot of the day, my cheeks warming as I remembered the exultant smiles of the crowd, and his laughing brown eyes.