"I'm so nervous of being around him before the race," Iris confessed as she paced one way and then the other in the small office, "they want me to get photos in the garage and on the grid but I'm scared that he'll think I'm in his way. He won't be in the best of moods starting from seventeenth, he won't want me shoving a lens in his face."
"I'm sure he'll be fine, he'll have had all night to deal with his frustration and he doesn't strike me as the kind of person to take it out on other people," Ben tried to calm her down, Iris was a bag of nerves after a bad qualifying session yesterday that had seen both cars at the back of the grid with Seb in seventeenth and Lance in twentieth.
"Lance wouldn't even look my way when he came in earlier, didn't even acknowledge me," she complained.
"Well I didn't want to say anything before but he does strike me as a bit of a moody one, probably too spoilt by daddy Stroll."
"I just don't want to annoy them both on my first ever race weekend, I don't want them dreading seeing me with my camera," she stopped and looked at her camera where it sat on the desk. For the first time she found herself wishing that she was back home, that she was spending her Sunday with her husband instead of being thousands of miles away with people who she was probably going to irritate before the race had even started. "I miss you," she said, wishing that Ben was here to give her one of his reassuring hugs.
"I miss you too, even though you've woken me up in the early hours of the morning."
"Yeah, sorry about that, I'm just so anxious that I forgot about the time difference," she blushed and then turned to face the door, suddenly struck by the feeling that she wasn't alone anymore.
To her complete and utter surprise she found herself face to face with Seb.
"Good job I love you so much Iris Anderson," came Ben's voice over the loudspeaker on her phone.
Seb could tell by her expression that she was shocked to see him and if he was honest he was kind of shocked himself. He'd seen Iris come up here, knew that she was alone and he just couldn't keep away from her. He had to see her, had to steal a couple of minutes in her company.
He held her gaze, wanting to dive head first into the warm pools of her eyes, wanting a few precious seconds to get lost in their dark depths. When she softly uttered, "I love you too," back to her husband it felt almost as if she was saying to himself as she looked into his eyes without even blinking.
"I have to go Ben, I'm being called," she lied and said her goodbyes quickly, promising him that she'd call again later.
"Iris Anderson, I thought your last name was Evans," Seb uttered quietly, not even realising that he was saying his thoughts out loud.
Iris was frozen to the spot, her heart going crazy in her chest. Whatever this connection was that kept happening every time they looked each other's way, it hummed like an electrical current, making every nerve ending beneath her skin feel ten times as sensitive and goosebumps erupt from head to toe.
He couldn't stop staring at her, taking in her petite frame, her pretty face and those warm, brown eyes. Her hair looked soft and lustrous, like it would slip through his fingers like silk; her chin was the perfect size to gently grasp with his fingers so that he could lean in and kiss those tempting pink lips and she had the most perfect, pretty nose that he'd love to nuzzle his own against.
How the hell was he having all these thoughts about a married woman? What the hell was he even thinking being in this room with her? He'd just heard her telling her husband that she loved him, he had no chance of making her his and it would be wrong of him to even try.
He thought quickly, needing an excuse for his silly mistake, "I was looking for Britta, I thought I'd seen her come this way."
His voice made her realise that she'd been holding her breath, such was the effect that he was having on her. She exhaled and then took a couple of breaths before she replied, "I've not seen her, sorry."
"Ok," he turned to leave, feeling embarrassed for chasing after her like she was his biggest crush. He was about to leave when he remembered something and he turned back to face her, "your last name, it's not Evans?"
"It was my name before I got married, I just prefer to use it for work," she explained with a small smile.
"Right," captured by her beauty once again his mouth overruled his brain and before he left he smiled and said, "and by the way, you won't be in my way, I know you have a job to do, I won't bite if you get too close."
Seb had turned and left the small room before an open mouthed Iris could say anything else, how long had he been stood there, how much of her phone conversation had he heard? And why was she feeling the way she was when she was married to someone else?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The main event of the weekend was now underway and out on track the team's two drivers were working hard. A points finish was the aim, it would be tough but Iris knew that in this sport points meant prizes - more money.
True to his word that he wouldn't bite if she got too close, Seb had been nothing less than gracious and friendly while she'd been working close by on the grid and had even taken a couple of minutes out of his precious preparation time to speak to her, asking what she thought of her first ever experience of an F1 grid and adding how he wished both cars could have been further towards the front. He'd been a complete contrast to his younger teammate, Lance, who'd been surly and hadn't even spoken, only cracking a forced smile when he knew his photo was being taken. Seb seemed to have been constantly aware of her presence, even when speaking to his race engineer, Chris. The way he'd look directly at her through the lens of her camera had left her breathless on more than one occasion, it was as if he was using the lens to look at her and not the other way around. That connection was still there, she could feel it through her images of him and she'd felt it even when he'd got his helmet on and was about to get into the car. It made her stomach kind of churn and she couldn't decide if it was through anxiety because she was feeling something that she knew she shouldn't be or if it was excitement because Sebastian Vettel was looking at her in a way that she couldn't recall him looking at anyone else. It felt weird but good weird but then it made her feel guilty because her thoughts turned to Ben and the gold band on her left hand. She scrolled through the team's Instagram feed, looking at the images that she'd contributed; feeling guilty was pointless, she might find Seb attractive and she was pretty certain that he was attracted to her too but it wasn't as if anything would ever come of it. Sebastian Vettel could date any stunning, beautiful woman he wanted, why would he go for her? She was no one, just a woman who loved taking photos and she was married.
Finishing her coffee, she stood up, shoved her phone into her pocket and grabbed her camera, it was time to head back to the garages.
Entering Seb's side first there was some sort of commotion going on and the floor was being cleared in readiness for the car's return. For whatever reason car number five was being retired from the race and Iris immediately felt for Seb, his first race back and he was unable to complete it. She looked to the screen for more information and felt a little shiver run down her spine as she saw what had happened. It looked as though he had lost control in turn four and could do nothing to prevent impact with the barrier, ripping off the front wing in the process. The car would be returning to the garage on the back of a trailer and one seriously pissed off driver would be returning via a lift from one of the marshals. She wouldn't be taking any more photos of Seb today.
With everyone busy she made her way into Lance's garage and got a few images but it was difficult to concentrate as she found her mind constantly stuck on Seb. Was he ok? Had he been injured? Damaged his neck? Was he back yet? Should she go and ask someone? Would they even have time to speak to her? She lowered her camera down, letting the neck strap take its weight and stood there, frozen as her mind began to whir.
"S'cuse me," she was snapped out of her thoughts as a guy from Lance's team pushed his way past her but then she was stood right in the middle of the entrance to the small little alley that was the only way to the paddock from the back of Lance's garage.
Unblinking, she uttered a quiet, "sorry," and stepped aside even though it was too late. She'd got herself wound up and now felt nauseous and the only way to make herself feel better would be to find out how Seb was. Slipping back into a daze she wandered back out in to the paddock and looked around for anyone who might be able to offer some information. Luckily she spotted Mark, Seb's stand-in PT and who looked to be in a bit of rush, jogging towards her and she tried to flag him down, waving her hand at him.
"Sorry, can't stop, got to meet Seb!" he called out as he continued to jog, now making his way past her.
"Is Seb ok?" She yelled the question out and then felt self-conscious over it.
There was something about her voice that made him stop and turn back. Iris sounded deeply anxious, like it meant everything to her to know how his driver was. She obviously cared and he smiled, Seb was a popular man with his team and they all cared about him and Iris was no exception. He walked over to her and could see how she needed reassurance, "he's fine but he is going to the medical centre for a quick check up, he triggered the g-force sensors in the car. He insists that he's ok though. He's disappointed and angry at himself but he'll be ok."
Her shoulders dropped with relief, accompanied by a sigh of relief too,
"oh thank god."
"I'll tell him you was asking about him," Mark said before turning away and continuing to jog on to meet Seb.
Tell him I was asking about him?! Was I that obvious?! She closed her eyes for a second, she didn't want that! She didn't want Seb to think she'd got some kind of crush on him! He didn't need to know that she was attracted to him. But did he already know? Through this, frankly worrying, connection she felt every time they looked each other's way, did he already know? She told herself off, firmly scolding herself, "stop it Iris, it's all in your head," before heading back into Lance's garage where she spent the rest of the race.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After some persuasion from Tess, Iris had agreed to head down to the hotel bar for drinks with the team, saying that it would be good for her to get to know everyone a bit more, away from the pressures and often hectic environment of the race track. Travelling around the world and spending so much time away from home could lonely, Tess had added, and so forging friendships was vital to help keep the spirit up.
She hadn't seen anymore of Seb, her last sighting of him had been his accident on screen in the garage and so she presumed he'd already left to fly home, like the majority of the drivers and team principals had.
Unknown to Iris at this moment, Seb was already in the bar and was flying with the team on a chartered flight to the UK the next morning. He was stood at the bar with his mechanic, Mikey, having a beer to help himself wind down after a stressful, disappointing day. He wondered if he'd see Iris tonight, if she'd be tempted to come and have a drink with her new work colleagues or if she'd stay in her room and get an early night. He found himself glancing towards the doors every few minutes just in case he'd see her walk in, hoping she'd walk in.
This was ridiculous. Here he was, a grown man, waiting and hoping for the woman he fancied to walk through those doors and not any woman but a married woman. He couldn't have Iris and she wouldn't want him, not when she had a husband waiting for her back home. And this strange connection he felt to her....it was all in his head. He was lonely and wanted someone to share his life with and Iris was just a pretty face with a pretty name and off limits to any man who found her attractive.
"Waiting for someone?" Mikey asked as he placed another full glass of beer in front of Seb, "only I can't help but notice how often you're looking towards the doors. Got your eye on someone?"
Seb pulled a face, totally dismissing his mechanic's suggestion, "what? No. Not at all. There's no point in me looking, I barely have time for a relationship."
"You're not eyeing up the new photographer then? She's pretty fit. If she wasn't married then I think I'd be having a go there," Mikey admitted with a grin before lifting his glass to his lips.
Seb could almost feel his heckles go up, the thought of another man getting his hands on Iris made him irrationally jealous and possessive. It was stupid, she wasn't even his.
Mikey was sharp to notice the German's silence and he put two and two together, "you've noticed her too, huh?"
There was no point trying to deny it and he looked towards the doors one more time while ruefully muttering, "yeah, I've noticed her."
It was at that exact moment that she walked in and he felt like his prayers had been answered. She was on her own and she stopped just in front of the doors as they closed behind her, looking quite unsure of herself, her eyes darting around for anyone she knew well enough to talk to. Reaching a hand for the door handle behind her she seemed to be changing her mind and thinking about leaving when her searching gaze found his.
She looked like a rabbit caught in headlights, her eyes slightly widened, a clear sense of indecision, of should she or shouldn't she. With her long hair slightly curled, framing her face and falling to her perfect tits, Seb felt like he was the rabbit caught in headlights, not Iris.
His heart skipped a beat and he offered her a warm smile and a come over here gesture with his hand. Now she was here, he was desperate for her to stay, even if it was only for a short while.
Iris couldn't quite believe that this was happening, she couldn't believe that Seb was still here. When her eyes had found his across the room she'd frozen, it felt like the whole room had frozen, like everything and everyone had stopped. That connection was there once more, pulling her towards him and making her feel like she was betraying Ben with every breath she took. Staying here felt wrong, like she was already having an affair in her head and she reached a hand behind her to grab the door handle, coming here was a mistake.
Then he smiled, a reassuring, meltingly soft smile and gestured with his hand for her to go over and join him. She couldn't leave now, it would be rude, wouldn't it?
Her feet started to move before her brain could get into gear, as if he'd got a rope around her waist and was pulling her across the room, towards him. She made her way over, navigating around tables and chairs that she couldn't really see because all she could see was him.
Seb adjusted his stance, trying to appear more relaxed, trying to play it cool, like he wasn't seriously attracted to a woman he couldn't have.
She looked even more beautiful as she got closer; wearing white trainers, pale blue denim skinny jeans, a white t-shirt and with a black and white plaid shirt thrown on over the top that he remembered from the first time he'd met her. "Hi Iris, good to see you, can I get you a drink?"he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. She giggled and then put her hand over her mouth, pointing at him. Was it something he'd said?
"Your shirt!" she exclaimed, "we're wearing nearly identical shirts!"
He glanced down at his own buttoned up shirt and then broke out into a grin,
"We obviously share a liking for plaid shirts."
"We do indeed," she smiled back at him, suddenly feeling more at ease, like they shared some common ground even it was just their taste in shirts. Then she remembered how he'd offered to buy her a drink, "oh, can I have a Coke or Pepsi please, I don't want to fly with a hangover tomorrow."
"Sure," he turned to lean on the bar while she moved to stand between him and Mikey who was quick to point something out.
"Can I just say, you wear a plaid shirt better than he does."
"Thank you Mikey but I don't think that's true," she felt shy, like she didn't belong in this world of F1 but she also felt pleased that she'd remembered Mikey's name.
"Sebastian?" she placed a hand on the bar, close to his arm, leaning in a little closer to talk to him, "can I ask how you are? You went to the medical centre and I haven't seen you since."
"Mark said you'd asked about me," he replied, a warm feeling washing over him as he remembered finding out about it and how she was still concerned. "I'm fine, no damage done apart from my pride. My first race of the season and it was a disaster."
"It's just one of those things and your first race in the new style car since the regulation changes."
"Yeah but it was my mistake, I pushed too hard and lost the car. I just couldn't get to grips with it, couldn't find that rhythm," he looked down at the dark wood of the bar, feeling the anger and bitter disappointment bubbling to the surface once more.
She noticed the way his head went down and his jaw tensed, he was one hundred percent blaming himself, beating himself up over it. "Cut yourself some slack, you've just come back from illness and have had less time to get used to things than everyone else. I'm sure things will improve from now on." Without thinking she put her hand on his back as she spoke and gently rubbed him there, close to his left shoulder blade.
He appreciated her touch more than she knew and found himself wishing that she'd slip her arm around him so that he could do the same and hold her close.
"You've still go it Seb,it's not left you, you've just not been provided with a car that's been worthy of your talent," she added, watching the bartender head their way and patting his back before withdrawing her hand. She suddenly felt a bit silly, here she was rubbing and patting Sebastian Vettel's back as if she was a close friend and had known him for much longer than just a few days. She remembered reading somewhere how he never used to like being touched by strangers, how he was never keen on fans putting an arm around him for photos or getting too close and here she was more or less doing just that.
He ordered her drink, Coke Zero over ice, and then looked at her, her words striking a chord with him and comforting him more than they would if they'd come from anyone else, "thank you, that means a lot."
Her eyes met his in a look that lingered and she felt inside; it was butterflies, the heart beating faster, excitement....that connection.
He knew she was feeling exactly the same things as he was and he broke the moment by standing upright so that he was no longer leaning on the bar and slid her glass towards her, "here you go."
"Thanks Seb," feeling hot, she picked up her glass and took a sip. She was unaware that Mikey had been watching them with interest.
While he'd been unable to see her face because she'd temporarily had her back to him, he'd been able to watch Seb and it was clear to him that Seb had well and truly noticed Iris. In fact he'd even go as far as to say that Seb was seriously attracted to the team newbie, it was plain to see with the lingering look he'd just given her. It was just a shame she was married, he'd like to see Seb meet someone and have some extra support at races, he knew from experience that being in F1 could be surprisingly lonely. "It's daunting when you first join a team isn't it," he said in an effort to strike up a conversation and hopefully make her feel a bit more welcome.
She turned her back towards the bar and nodded, "very," she admitted, "it's also so exciting, working in F1 has been my dream, my goal. But yeah, it's daunting; all the time away from friends and family, travelling with people you barely know."
He briefly put his arm around her shoulders, not noticing the way Seb was glaring at him, "don't worry, you'll soon get to know everyone. We all become each other's surrogate family really."
"Mikey's right," Seb cut in, feeling himself relax as Mikey removed his arm from around her, "we all look out for each other, having each other's backs is important. You'll spend more time with us than you will with your own family."
"Did you find it tough at first?" she asked, running a finger through the condensation that was forming on her glass.
"A little but I was lucky, my father travelled with me a lot. He still comes to quite a few races."
"Norbert is a fan favourite," Mikey added with a grin, "you'll meet him soon, he's coming to the next race, isn't he Seb?"
"He is," Seb smiled, his father's support was invaluable to him.
Iris thought ahead to the next few weeks, she'd get a few days off once she got home but come the following Monday she'd be back to work, based at the team's head quarters near Silverstone. From there she'd head to Italy and after the Italian Grand Prix weekend she'd be flying to Munich in Germany where she'd accompany Seb and Britta to a BioBienenApfel event on the Wednesday.
She was looking forward to it all, she was now in job that she loved and work would never feel like work anymore. But the extra time spent in Seb's company? It was thrilling and kind of terrifying at the same time. Thrilling for her heart, terrifying for her head.