How it started? I don't remember to be honest. I met him at the airport, sounds like a bad hallmark or lifetime movie. But here we are, with a new job, a new car and a new....
"I don't get it, I weigh my suitcase at home and it is perfectly fine, but when I weigh it again at the airport there is suddenly eleven pounds extra in there." I mutter in myself while repacking my suitcase after putting some items in my hand luggage
"They add weight, everybody knows that." A deep manly voice with an awful German accent penetrates my ears
"Well thanks mister obvious." I said without looking back
"Wasn't it doctor obvious?"
I huff, who the hell does he think he is? Doesn't he see that I'm busy? I turn around to tell him that and get rewarded with a handsome and a rather familiar one.
"Well fuck me." I stated "You are not German."
He looks me up and down and grins.
"I'm sorry?" The man laughed
"That you are not German, I thought by your accent you were German but now I know you are Austrian." I said while organising my suitcase and closing it up
"Because you are a good profiler?"
"No because Toto Wolff is from Austria." I playfully giggled and stood from the floor
"Ah, makes more sense now." He smiled, he had the cutest dimples
"No Grand Prix this week, where are you off to?" I asked and he stared at me with this small smile
"Brackley, I have some interviews with possible assistants."
"You have an assistant right?"
"I do, Julia is my executive Assistent and she does a lot of work from Brackley and she has been given more responsibility. So I am looking for a second assistant that would like to travel with me, and I don't think a lot of people would want that."
I smiled at him, considering telling him that I applied for the job but I think I want him to find it out at Brackley.
"What a way to sell yourself Toto." I laughed "But hey, there must be some crazy people who wouldn't let that opportunity pass them by." I smiled at him "A crazy fan, some old broad who thinks she knows everything better, some geezer or a skimpy and too young cheerleader."
"What a weird way of trying to make me feel better." He laughed
"You are laughing, that is the only goal I had."
"Well thank you for that miss?" Toto held out his huge hand
"Romée Pierce." I shook his hand and tried to match his firm grip, making his eyebrow shoot up
"Beautiful name, and where are you going?"
"Heathrow airport."
"I think we are flying together then." He placed his hand on my shoulder and we walked towards the check in again
I placed my suitcase on the small conveyer belt and it weighed the amount it was aloud to weigh. Toto jokingly clapped in his hands and I laughed. The lady handed me my passport back and gave me a boarding pass and I decided to wait for Toto. He smiled and went trough the same procedure before walking towards me.
"What are you going to do after we land at Heathrow?" Toto asked while we walked towards the security check
"Just some sight seeing I guess. I've never been to England and I always wanted to go. The weather is actually going to be great for the next week and a half so I'm in luck."
"May I ask why you are going alone?"
"Because I'm single and have only one good friend who is in the military and stationed in Guam. And my sister just had her second baby and my mom hates England." I rambled
"But you don't mind being on your own I presume?"
"Hell no, I'm great. But no I don't mind being alone. I like people, don't get me wrong, but I think if you can feel good on your own, the pleasure of people is way more welcome."
I stepped into the scanner and was aloud to go through and my bag was fine as well. Toto got held up by the guy behind the computer, probably to ask about formula 1. My brother and I used to go kart when we were little. My dad sponsored us and we started to compete, we even drove with Max Verstappen until my brother crashed and lost the ability to walk. My dad couldn't watch me "endanger" myself as he liked to say and I had to quit. Racing was and is my passion and it always will be.
"I think you are right you know, if you don't need people to feel good, they will only make you happier when you see each other again." Toto continued, hanging his leather shoulder bag over his shoulder
"Exactly." I smiled at him and walked towards the worst coffee place on earth but I was in need of an espresso
"Starbucks?" Toto asked
"I need an espresso, I hate Starbucks but I need coffee. Now." I walked towards the line and felt the tall man's presence behind me
"I'd like an espresso as well." He whispered in my ear
"Then we will get you one." I smiled
"I have to make a phone call, I'll be back in a second." He patted my shoulder and walked towards the vip lounge upstairs
I knew that my life was going to change from now on, meeting him at the airport must have been a sign from above. Right? Well even if I don't get the job, my morning has never felt so good. I patiently waited in line and made tiny steps towards the register. It was around 5:30 in the morning but the amount of people at the airport made it feel like it was 17:00 at the supermarket. I actually don't understand why Toto isn't flying private, they have three Mercedes passenger jets.
"Miss, can I help you with anything?" The barista's voice interrupting my thoughts
"I'm sorry! Yes, can I please have two double espresso's? Oh and a chocolate brownie." I asked her
"Certainly, on what name?"
"Pierce."
I paid and waited for the coffee's, looking around the plaza if I saw Toto again. A hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my thoughts and an instinct kicked in. So did my elbow, punching him in the stomach....
"It's just me." He groaned in discomfort
"I am so sorry, I didn't see you and I'm sorry!" I rambled, placing my hands on his stomach, and being surprised my his abs. Wasn't he 50?
"It's fine, I'm glad you can handle yourself." He laughed, looking down at my hands still on his stomach
"I'll get the coffee." I turned around and thanked the lord for my order being done, I handed him his cup and walked after him towards the seating area.
A thing I didn't notice before was that a lot of people were staring at us. Like, a lot. It's kind of awkward.
"Do you want to join me upstairs? There is a small private area." He asked, a silent plea in his eyes
"Yeah of course, if you are not scared of me." I laughed
"Why would I be scared?" He smiled
"Because I just kicked your ass."
"You caught me off guard, I'm way more alert now. And besides, I wouldn't let you." He smirked and walked up the stairs
"You wouldn't let me? Well that almost sounds like an invitation."
"Don't try me little girl." He almost growled and I needed to grab the railing real fast. Romée, this man could be your boss tomorrow, stop.
He looked at me, taking in my reaction and smirked. The blush on my cheeks increasing in redness. Toto held the door open towards the private room he mentioned, it being completely empty made me think the room is just for him. There was a large leather couch in the middle of the room facing the large windows overlooking the runway, two lounge chairs facing the same way and a bar with food and drinks up for grabs. I left my trolley next to the door and sat down on the couch. Toto took off his blue suede jacket and placed it over the chair and sat down beside me. He was wearing a high quality denim shirt with khaki linen pants and dark navy suede ankle loafers and he looked amazing. And now I realise I have been staring for a minute. I raised my head to look at him and he smiled, his teeth making an appearance and took a sip of his espresso. I took a sip as well and gazed towards the runway where a plane was taxiing towards the right spot.
"You like traveling?" Toto asked and I keep looking at the plane while answering
"Oh I love traveling, especially by plane. When I was a kid, I would always stay awake during our flights even if they took eleven hours or something. I didn't want to miss anything that happened outside or in the plane itself." I smiled
"A little adventurer." Toto stated correctly
"And you? You have to like traveling right?"
"Yeah I guess I have to like it but the amount of it is sometimes a bit much. I spend the entire year in hotels and airplanes and upcoming season is going to be more intense with twenty three races."
"It's amazing what you do and what all the other people do."
"Are you a crazy fan Romée?" Toto teased
"Oh hell yeah, but I am a functioning crazy person so I guess it's okay." I laughed
"Do you have a favourite driver?"
"Don't hate me but I have a lot of favourites, Alonso, Vettel, Verstappen, and Ocon."
"And here I thought we were becoming friends, I do approve Ocon." Toto laughed and I pouted
"Well I obviously like Lewis and George but if I started with that, I would feel like a suck up. Especially since their team boss is my favourite team boss." I said and he laughed again, placing his hand over his heart
"Phew, I was starting to get a bit worried there." He said
I smiled at him and looked at my watch, still one more hour till boarding.
"May I ask why you are flying with a commercial airline?" I asked, still wondering why he is not sitting in his jet
"Well, I am trying to fly commercial when in fly alone. It is a one hour flight, I can handle people for one hour." He laughed, typing something on his phone
"So humble." I joked
"Always am." He smiled at his phone and looked at me. "Romée?"
"Yes?"
"When where you going to tell me that you are having an interview with me tomorrow?" He showed me his phone, showing the calendar for tomorrow with my name next to it.
My cheeks went crimson in a literal second. I looked at him with wide eyes figuring out how to apologise.
"I am so sorry, I thought it would be funny but I am so sorry!" I started to panic even more but a hand on my knee made me stop rambling
"Romée, take a breath for me. In and out, real slow. I am not mad at all, it would have been definitely funny." He gently squeezed my knee en rubbed his thumb lightly on the side. "I was just checking my agenda and saw our appointment, it is okay, really."
I sighed and gave him a fast smile.
"Sightseeing at Brackley?" Toto laughed
"I don't want this to start off unprofessional, I am very professional and I am very serious about this so I hope I didn't give you the wrong impression." I said, needing to make that clear
"Romée, we are not having the interview today. We met at the airport and we had a fun and good conversation, when you enter the factory tomorrow, we will have the interview about the job." Toto stated
"Yeah, okay, I just wanted to say it. Thank you." I smiled at him and he winked at me, taking another sip from his espresso
----
Flight HV4231 to Heathrow airport is now boarding at gate h23
"Walk faster with your little legs." Toto joked, looking back at me almost running after him because of his long legs
"You are a giraffe, Toto, with the speed of a wolf." I tell him and he had a full belly laugh
"Ah come on puppy. Pick up the pace, we need to board."
We were the last ones entering the plane, everybody was looking at us and talking about us I think. Toto placed his hand on my shoulder, ushering me forward since I stopped dead in my tracks. Toto seriously booked three seats for himself and he offered me the window seat.
"Really? I thought you could handle people for one hour?" I laughed
"Yeah, one person is enough for now." He smiled and sat down at the aisle seat, turning to me and pulling up the armrests and placing his knee on the middle seat "That okay?"
"Yes sure, you do you." No Romée, you did not just say that
"If you don't mind, I am going to answer some emails, but if you want to talk you obviously can." He smiled and opened his laptop
"Of course, I am going to try to take a nap, it was a very early cab ride here." And with that I placed my knee on the middle seat as well and closed my eyes.
Before I drift off, I feel his knee pressing against mine.