"Aww! He looks so cute," Daniella immediately pulled out her phone to take a photo of her teammate's dog. After another long day at the sim she found Roscoe comfortably sleeping on her coat, leaning against her backpack.
Lewis laughed as he joined her.
"He has been there for about an hour," he informed his teammate. "Sorry about your coat by the way."
"Anything for him," Daniella smiled as she gently patted the dog. Roscoe lazily opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly. "Can I keep him?" she pleaded as Roscoe moved closer to Daniella.
"Absolutely not," Lewis immediately replied. "He is mine," Lewis patted Roscoe but the dog only moved closer to Daniella.
"But I think he likes me more," Daniella gave him a challenging smile.
Lewis playfully rolled his eyes as he took Roscoe in his arms, making Daniella slightly pout.
"Aren't you supposed to be going home?" Lewis pointed out, feeling slight jealousy.
"Ah yes," Daniella stood up. "Thanks for reminding me." She collected her coat and backpack.
"And when are you flying to Australia?" Lewis asked as he put Roscoe down on the floor.
"Tomorrow around midnight," Daniella replied, already dreading the long flight. The jet lag is going to be an annoyance and struggle after. "What about you?"
"I am going to Switzerland for an event tomorrow, after that, I will go to Dubai..."
"After that, you will go to ten different countries before heading to Australia for the race," Daniella sarcastically finished his sentences, making him laugh. "Honestly Lewis, how do find so much time? Don't you get tired?"
"Nope," Lewis proudly smiled.
Daniella playfully rolled her eyes as she put on her backpack and pulled out her car keys.
"Okay, I will see you in a couple of days," she smiled and hugged her teammate goodbye. "Goodbye my dear," she kneeled down and patted Roscoe.
After that Daniella waved one last time before heading out of the factory. Lewis watched for a few seconds before making his way in the opposite direction.
"Come on Roscoe," Lewis whistled to his dog, asking him to follow.
After taking a few steps Lewis looked down to his side and realize Roscoe was not following him.
"Roscoe?" He looked around, feeling confused but soon found him.
His dog was happily going after Daniella.
"No no no," Lewis ran after Roscoe before Daniella could notice and picked him up. "You are following the wrong driver."
***
Daniella frowned in confusion as she opened the front door of her family home and was heard screaming. She cautiously closed the door behind her and took a few steps towards the living room, finding her father and younger sister yelling at each other.
"Guys?" Daniella called out, hoping to get their attention. "Hey, guys?"
The oldest and the youngest of the family still continued to yell at each other.
"Hey! Stop it both of you," Daniella yelled, finally getting their attention.
Her father and sister were shocked at first, then confused, then realization hit them that she is home.
"Dani," David, her father smiled and immediately walked over and pulled her into a hug.
"You are crushing me there dad," Daniella said as she tried to breathe.
"Sorry," David replied and he let her go.
"You won't believe what dad did," Collins, her younger half sister said as they exchanged a quick hug.
"What did he do?"
"He ambushed my date today with this guy I have been seeing," Collins complained.
"I didn't ambush you," David defended himself. "I didn't even know you were at that café."
"Yeah right!," Collins scoffed and folded her arms as she glared at her dad.
"What? I really didn't know," David said, trying to convince his daughters.
"Okay but then why did you come over to our table and threatened Chad?" Collins asked.
"Chad?" Daniella frowned. "His name is already a red flag."
"Thank you," David appreciated Daniella's input.
"Ugh! Not you too," Collins pouted.
"Okay, okay, calm down," Daniella said calmly and looked at her father. "Dad, did you really ambush her date?"
"No," David lied but he was not fooling Daniella.
"He said no Collins," she looked at her sister. "Dad won't lie to me."
Collins thought for a few seconds, her eyes traveling from her father to her sister.
"Fine," Collins let herself believe her father. "But if I catch you one more time then.."
"You won't," Daniella interrupted. "Because what happened today was a coincidence."
David nodded.
Collins was about to argue but was interrupted when the front door opened and her mother walked in.
"What is going on h...oh Dani you are home," Jenna smiled warmly. She quickly put down her grocery bags and hugged the driver.
Daniella hugged her back with a smile.
"I am cooking your favorite, want to help me in the kitchen?" Jenna asked her step daughter.
"Yeah sure," Daniella nodded. "I will be there in a minute."
Jenna nodded and took the bags to the kitchen.
"I will be in my room," Collins informed the family before running upstairs.
"Thank you," David expressed his gratitude to Daniella for raking his side and saving him from the argument.
Daniella nodded as they both started laughing.
"Who is this Chad guy?" Daniella asked.
"The guy with the worst manners," David replied. "And he is 21, too old for Collins."
"But you can't keep crashing her dates, dad," Daniella tried to make her dad understand. "From next time just have a conversation and make her see the consequences of her actions. She may be just 17 but she is mature enough to understand what is wrong and what is right."
***
"Thank you for not letting the situation escalate," Jenna smiled at Daniella as she passed the knife over to her. "They have been fighting too often lately and I just sometimes want to walk out of the house for a few days," she complained about her husband and daughter.
Daniella let out a laugh, as she started chopping the onions.
"If you want you can join me for a race weekend," she suggested. "It will be like a vacation for you."
"But then I will be anxious about you racing at such a high speed," Jenna replied. "But Collins has been begging to let her go to a race so maybe I will join her."
They halted when they heard Collins walking by, talking to her recent date on the phone.
"I shouldn't say this but her choice of guys is the worst," Jenna joked.
"She is just young and learning," Daniella commented.
"I just hope she and you find the right partner without any heartbreak," Jenna smiled.
Daniella gave her step mother a soft smile, realizing how she is single but also doesn't have any time to date.
"How did you know dad was the right partner for you?" Daniella asked.
"Its...It actually took me some time to realize that he is the one for me," Jenna replied. "You do know that I met your father just months after your mom...you know," she cautiously said.
Daniella nodded.
"And he was not the friendliest guy at that time. I just moved here and almost ran him over with my car."
Daniella let out a laugh.
"He yelled at me and I yelled at him..and then we met again at the department store a few days ago and we apologized to each other and I asked him for coffee, not as a date but to make up for almost hitting him with my car."
"But he thought it was a date," Daniella chuckled as she knows her father very well.
"He did," Jenna laughed. "And then things got awkward but he was respectful and we decided to stay as friends."
"Then how did you two move on from being friends and got married?" Daniella asked in confusion as she always thought they started dating right away.
"Well...small small things lead to us realizing our feelings," Jenna confessed. "He was always there for me whenever I needed him, be it fixing my car or running to my house in the middle of the night when I thought someone broke in," she let out a laugh as she remembered the event. "And I was there for him, babysitting you and Lauren when needed, picking you two up from school when he is late from work. He was always there for me and I was there for me," she smiled at Daniella. "And one day we were talking and realized that there is something more than friendship between up and he asked me on a date."
"I remember your first date," Daniella chuckled. "Dad took you to one of my karting races."
"And you won that day," Jenna smiled. "Point is when you have a person in your life who is there for you no matter what, through all the highs and lows you will know that he is the right one for you..."
"You and dad are lucky to find each other," Daniella said, silently hoping she had someone like that in her life.
"We are. Do you have someone like that in your life? A friend maybe," Jenna hopefully looked at her.
Daniella thought for a few seconds, but only one person came to her mind. One person who has always dropped everything and runs to her whenever she needs and she has done the same for him many times.
"No.."Daniella lied. "And I don't have time for anyone else in my life right now."
**********
A/N: Uneventful chapter but at least Lewis and Roscoe made an appearance.
Thoughts on Dani and Lewis? Do you think there is a possibility for something more than just friendship?
Thoughts on Dani's family?
Any idea who is the guy Dani thought of at the end?