Alessandra's 27th birthday celebration was quite a memorable one, in some ways which she did not expect. When Toto's jet landed in Nice on Wednesday morning, she had forgotten that Charles and Mick were going to pick her up. So she had to endure the confused looks they had when they saw her get out of a jet that they knew did not belong to the team's sponsor, but those confused looks were quickly changed into smug faces when they saw Toto get off the jet right after her, carrying their bags.
"Well, isn't this nice," Charles announced when she walked towards his Ferrari Purosangue, "Toto gave you a lift back home!"
"Don't make a big deal out of it," she hissed as she crossed her arms over her chest whilst her driver and reserve driver quirked an eyebrow at her, "He came on my jet once, and now I went on his. You know, reduce the carbon footprint since we were heading to the same place?"
"Sure," Mick nodded, although he wasn't having any of it and she knew, "so, are you ready to go?"
"I hope whatever you guys planned for today includes having time to rest," Alessandra commented, "because I'm still recovering from the wedding."
"You will," Charles chuckled, "you'll be staying with me for a bit until everything's ready at your apartment!"
"Good," she muttered, turning her head towards the man who gave her a lift back to Nice, watching him walk towards her with her bags in her hands. "God, I'm so tired I almost forgot my bags."
The Austrian chuckled as he stopped in front of her, greeting the drivers next to her with a hello before turning back to her. "Go rest, princess," he grinned, and Alessandra could hear her drivers snicker behind her at the pet name, whilst she fought back the heat rising in her cheeks, "I'm hearing you've got another wild night coming!"
"She has no idea," Mick chuckled, "you should come over for a bit! We're having a small thing at her place!"
"Thanks but I've done enough partying that could last me months," Toto replied, earning eye rolls from the other two men. He glanced at the Italian, who looked up at him with tired eyes as she gave him a small smile, "Have fun, Alessandra. I'll see you in Canada."
"See you, Torger," she said, "I'd say see you in Canada, but I have this edging feeling that we'll bump into each other here."
"You're right," he replied.
He started walking around the Purosangue, which got Alessandra confused as she followed behind him, and she couldn't help the small smile making its way on her face as she watched him throw her bags in the booth of the car. She slid in the passenger of the car, whilst Mick got in the back and Charles jumped into the driver's seat. She watched him walk towards his Mercedes 300SL that someone must have brought him, and when Charles slowly drove next to it, she gave him a wave, which he returned before the Ferrari driver started the journey back to Monaco.
As promised, after Charles dropped Mick off at Alessandra's apartment, he took her to his, and let her settle in his guest bed room and spent a couple of hours napping. Later in the evening, she woke up energised and confused when she saw a black jumpsuit hanging on the wardrobe in the room, with a pair of black and white dunks. When she went to ask Charles about it, he told her that Kelly dropped it off so she could change in it for the party. The two then went to get ready and headed to her apartment.
Alessandra had the biggest grin on her face when she was greeted by cheers as her and Charles entered the apartment, and it took no time for her to be pulled in her kitchen by Kelly, Isa and Heidi to get her started on the drinks. She was so happy to have her friends around, spending the night dancing with her girls, laughing at Max and Daniel's drunken state, the Ferrari drivers attempting, and failing badly, at karaoke, Mick giving all the guys a run for the money with his dance moves, and was surprised that Marc also came.
Toto finished watching a documentary in his living room, and opened his phone, deciding to lazily scroll through his instagram. He saw that Alessandra and her friends had posted stories, and decided to go through them. Not surprised, the pictures and videos were all from Alessandra's party, and he could see that they were having a good time, chuckling when he watched videos of some of them almost falling on the floor a few times.
However, a wave of jealousy crept through his whole body when he came across a picture that Charles posted, and he could see in the background Alessandra and Marc Marquez cuddling up close. He was seething, his hand wrapped around his phone so tight that he almost cracked the device. He suddenly had no control over his body as he made his way into his bathroom, took a shower and changed into a black button up and dark jeans, slipping on a pair of sneakers then made his way to the kitchen, taking out his most expensive bottle of champagne and he was out the door.
He only realised what he was doing when he ended up in front of the main door of Alessandra's building, which was slightly open so he pushed it and made his way in. He got into the elevator and pressed the button of the floor her apartment was located, getting flashbacks of when he came over and watched Motogp with her. And now he was going to be under the same roof as her once more, but this time with one of the riders there too.
He stood in front of the white door for a moment, contemplating if he should knock or just go back to his apartment and pretend that he didn't come by at all. He was being ridiculous, why the hell did he want to come to her celebrations? He shouldn't even be thinking about coming to the party, especially since he can hear the loud music and cheers every now and then. He had no reason being there, but his mind took over his body once more as he knocked on the door.
His eyes widened slightly when he was greeted by a slightly drunk Monegasque, who gave him a sloppy grin when he saw him.
"Toto!" Charles exclaimed as he opened the door further, "glad you could make it!"
"I, uh," Toto could not even express a sentence whilst Charles pulled him inside, "I'm not staying long I-"
"Wait here," the Ferrari driver said, cutting him off as he motioned to the Austrian to stay where he was with his hands before disappearing further into the apartment. He felt awkward standing there, especially when he can hear the many voices singing to the songs playing, out of tune.
The awkwardness increased when Charles appeared back in the hallway with Alessandra in his arm, who looked at him with wide eyes, her expression surprised, and confused. Alessandra glanced at Charles, who gave her the widest grin as he pushed her in the Austrian's direction. She glanced back at Toto, her heart beating faster as she took in his appearance, her body reacting in ways she wished it didn't when her eyes wondered over the black button up that covered his upper body, a few buttons undone making him look even more handsome, and his forearms were exposed as he had his sleeves rolled up.
Toto also took Alessandra appearance as she made her way towards him, dressed in a black one piece which stopped right above her mid thigh, her long legs on display. The jumpsuit had a bit of a v-neck cut, her chest pushed up, almost begging to be released, and he couldn't help himself as his gaze fell on the swell of his breast before looking at her face, all natural with a bit of red lipgloss over her plump lips, her blue eyes wide, but he could tell from her gaze that she was a little drunk.
"Uh, hi," Alessandra muttered as she made her way closer to him, giving him a small smile, "I didn't think that you'd come."
"I didn't think I'd come either," he replied, letting out a nervous chuckle as he ran his free hand through his hair, "I thought you might need this."
Alessandra glanced down at the large bottle of champagne that was in his hands, her eyes widening slightly when she recognised the brand, knowing that the bottle costed a lot of money. She slowly wrapped her hand around the neck of the bottle, her hand touching his for a short moment, but the contact sent shockwaves through her body, causing her heart rate to spike.
"You didn't have to," she said, glancing up at him as she held the bottle close to her chest, "are you coming in?"
"I don't want to intrude, I know you guys have been partying for a while," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "I just wanted to give you the bottle."
"How about you stay for one drink?" She asked, looking at him with hopeful eyes, which if it were possible, it would have made him melt on the spot, "I don't want you to have come here just to give me a bottle."
Toto thought about it as he glanced at her, those big, soft blue eyes looking up at him as she waited for an answer. He knew that he wasn't in the proper mindset to be around her, he can still feel the jealousy buzz in his veins, knowing that Marc was somewhere in the apartment. But the warmth he felt whilst being around her had subsided the jealousy. He was also kicking himself because he didn't know why he was jealous at Marc for being around Alessandra, and why he felt so good being around her at that moment. He did not feel anything for his rival, and he knew that he should keep some distance.
But once again, his mind was taking over before he could register his actions.
"Okay," he nodded, earning him a wide grin from the Italian, "but I'm not staying long. I'm still recovering from the wedding."
"You and me both," she chuckled, turning around and made her way down the hallway, with the Austrian following behind her.
Alessandra took Toto to the kitchen, making him a drink whilst they watched everyone dance, or well, attempt to dance without falling on their faces, in the middle of her living room. However it didn't take long until Max spotted the Mercedes team principal standing next to the birthday girl in the kitchen behind the kitchen island, watching her hand him a drink. He wasn't sure if he was so drunk that he was imagining things, but when he asked Daniel if that was Toto in the kitchen with Alessandra and the Australian told him that he was, Max started shouting his name.
"Toto!" The Dutch shouted, causing Toto to avert his gaze away from Alessandra and onto the dance floor, spotting the Red Bull driver wave his hand frantically, "come and dance!"
"Not today Max," he said, shaking his head as he gave him a polite smile, "I'm still in recovery mode." Max nodded, turning back to Kelly as they continued dancing. He then turned back to the birthday girl, who was chuckling as she watched Daniel almost slip and fall, chuckles leaving her lips as she sipped on her drinks. "How long have you guys been at it?"
"A few hours actually," she said as she turned around, his eyes falling on the swell of her breasts once more before gazing up to her eyes, "I'm surprised you're still awake, you've been complaining about being tired all morning."
"So were you," he chuckled, "and yet here you are, partying like there's no tomorrow!"
"I took a nap at Charles's," she shot back, placing her free hand on her hip as she gave him a challenging look, a smirk making its way on her face, "what's your excuse?"
"I don't know," he shrugged, sipping on his drink, taking into account that she can make a good old fashioned, "I have no excuse, nor an explanation." She nodded, finishing up her drink before getting back to making another one.
He quirked his eyebrow at her, and was about to comment about how fast she's going for he next round until he appeared in the kitchen.
And Toto's green eyed monster joined the party too.
Charles glanced towards the kitchen, about to call out of Alessandra to come join them, but his eyes widened when he saw Marc enter the kitchen, wrapping an arm around Alessandra's shoulder as she made a cocktail. And he could see how Toto glared down at the Spaniard, how tensed his body became. If looks could kill, Marc Marquez would not live to see another day.
"Where's Alessandra?" Mick asked, "it's her party and she's not even dancing with us!"
"She's in the kitchen with Toto," he said as he turned to look at the German, who had a smirk on his face at the mention of his rival team principal, "Marc's also in there."
The smirk was quickly wiped off his face as he quickly turned his head in the direction of the kitchen, almost fearing for his own life when he saw the look the Austrian was giving Marc as the three talked, well, Alessandra and Marc talked, but Toto was just nodding his head, the constructing vein on the side of his neck says that he's fuming.
"Why do I have a feeling that this is going to get ugly?" Mick asked, glancing back at Charles in sheer worry. Because as much as he loved teasing Alessandra about her and Toto, he did not want her to get dragged in the middle of some sort of petty war.
It wasn't just Charles and Mick who noticed. Whilst they were dancing and jumping to the Martin Garrix song that was playing, Daniel, Max, Carlos and their girls also noticed Toto's demeanour in the kitchen, how he was eyeing every move Marc made around Alessandra, how he held the glass so tight his knuckles were turning white. They quickly realised what was happening, giving each other concerned looks, not knowing if she should intervene or not.
But what surprised them the most was how oblivious Alessandra seemed of everything. They knew that it was possibly because she was drunk, and honestly, it was the best thing for her to be oblivious about it. She didn't deserve any kind of drama at her birthday celebrations.
Charles decided to intervene by heading back in the kitchen, subtly tear Marc off her and grabbed her hand, telling her that she should come and dance with everyone. Toto didn't want to be there anymore, his jealousy was slowly taking over, and as much as it was secretly killing him to be away from Alessandra, he knew that he needed to go, so he took this as a perfect opportunity.
"I've kept her away from you guys," Toto said, letting out a chuckle as he put the empty glass on the table, giving Charles a handshake and a nod to the rider, even though his subconscious was telling him to punch him. He then turned to Alessandra, giving her a small smile, "I'm heading back home. Maybe I'll get some needed sleep."
Alessandra was secretly disappointed that he had to leave, but she understood him. She nodded, then turned towards Charles and Marc, telling them that she'll be right there, then quirked an eyebrow when she watched Charles nod frantically and basically drag Marc out of the kitchen.
"I'll walk you out," she said, "although, you don't have to leave if you don't want to."
Toto's eyes widened at her words, as if she was trying to tell him something between the lines, and from the look in her slightly darker blue eyes, he got the confirmation. He shook his head, trying to play it off cool as he gave her a smile.
Alessandra may be fooling the man in front of her with her confident aura, but she was internally kicking herself at the lack of control she has on her words due to the alcohol.
"I'm really tired, that's all," he said, "and you don't need to walk me out. I know your friends are waiting for the birthday girl to join them."
"I've got the rest of the night to do that," she chuckled, "but I need a bit of air if I'm honest."
He nodded, and the two left the kitchen, making her way down the hallway. Toto thought she would bid him farewell at the door, but he saw her grab her keys, along with a packet of cigarettes and a lighter, and closed the door behind her. The two entered the elevator, their bodies resting on the opposite side of the elevator, stealing glances of each other as they made their way down.
The two walked out of the building in silence, walking round the corner of her building, greeted by the empty streets. Toto stopped when he felt her pause her walking, turning around to see why she stopped and watched as she placed a cigarette between her lips, bringing the lighter close to her face, the small flame illuminating her features, brightening her blue eyes.
"Are you going to walk back to my apartment with me?" He asked as she took the first puff, her head turning towards him with a raised eyebrow.
"As much as it's beautiful tonight," she chuckled, "I'm just going to smoke this and get back inside."
"Why do you smoke?" He then asked, and Alessandra looked at him confused, whilst he looked at her with curiosity, "I mean, it's not a healthy habit and I know you like to keep yourself healthy."
Alessandra was tempted to retort back with a sarcastic comment, but she decided against it when she saw that he had good intentions behind his question. She just shrugged her shoulders and looked ahead of her as she took another puff, exhaling the toxins she just smoked.
"I don't really have an answer for that," she replied, "I don't really smoke so much, mainly a couple of cigarettes at a social event or when I'm on the brink with stress. I started smoking during my degree, helped me get off the edge, but really, I'm not a chainsmoker, if that's what you're thinking."
"I wasn't saying you were," he shrugged, "I was just curious."
The two arrived close to the pier when she finished her cigarette, killing the bud on a bin she found close by and threw it away. She then turned to look at the sea, the yachts that were docked rocking gently. She glanced up at the moon, which was shining brightly, with stars surrounding it, like they were its protector. She smiled as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sea breeze hitting her face, sobering her up a little bit.
Toto was a few feet away, watching her facial features soften as she enjoyed the cool breeze, her hear fawning slightly behind her, making her look like something out of a fairytale. He looked down at her wrist, smiling when he saw that the bracelet was still there, glistening under the moon, the charms making the slightest noises when they clinked together with every move she made. He walked closer to her, almost standing right behind her as he also glanced at the sea, admiring the reflection of the moon on the dark open water.
"So," Alessandra started as she turned around, her breathe hitching in her throat when she was met with his chest, her face not even half an inch away from his body. Her cheeks started turning crimson as she looked up at him, finding him glance down at her, the look his eyes had making the fire in her lower abdomen burn bigger. "I'm going to head back, gotta finish off a good night with my friends."
"Of course," he nodded, giving her a soft smile, "enjoy the rest of the party, Alessandra."
"Thank you," she said, returning the smile, "and thank you for coming, even if it was for a few minutes."
Alessandra didn't know what came over her as she wrapped her arms around his torso in a hug. She froze for a moment, her mind going into overdrive when he didn't react, cussing at herself for being so idiotic for hugging him in the first place and for thinking he would hug her back. But those thoughts disappeared when she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her into him. They stayed like that for a moment, her head on his shoulder, his chin resting on her head as he gently traced her back with the tip of her finger, sending electric shots through her body.
She hated how safe she felt in his arms.
When they pulled away, they exchanged a small smile as Alessandra walked back in the direction of her apartment. He turned around, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched her run, disappearing in the corner that led to her building. He was scared that she heard his heart about to burst out of his chest when she hugged him.
ººº
Canada decided to humble Alessandra after being victorious in every race of the triple header, and gave a weekend to forget the team based in Maranello weekend to forget. Alessandra has been in the team for seven years, and she has gone through countless moments of disappointment with the team, but she's never felt so disappointed and angry at a horrible team result, especially since parts of what happened were not the team's fault.
The race had started out flawlessly for her drivers, who started P1 and P2, and they had a pretty good lead. But the shit show started when after a perfectly executed pit stop for Charles, he was taken out of the race by Hulkenberg, who decided to slam in the back of the car right when Charles was about to overtake him. Alessandra grabbed onto Mick's hand when she watched the number 16 car smash into the barrier, but was relieved when she heard him talk and watched him get out of the car unscratched. She was raging for Hulkenberg though, and it took everything in her not to march up to him after the race and give him a piece of her mind.
As for Carlos, he did not leave enough room for Lando when they were going through the third corner and they made contact. Race control deemed the incident as Carlos's fault, so they gave him a 5 second drive through penalty, which he took during a pitstop, but the damage on his car was extensive, so he had to retire as well. The team left Canada empty handed, only taking disappointment and a dent in the gap between Max and Mercedes, and had extensive debriefs on what happened when they returned to Maranello.
But it was redemption at the Red Bull Ring, with the team getting another 1-2, which Alessandra did not expect since they didn't have the best qualifying. But she was proud of her drivers for gaining the places the needed to gain, and overtaking the Red Bull of Max and the Mercedes of George in the last couple of laps. Alessandra and Mick were on the edge of their seats, and she yelled loudly, throwing her fists in the air when her drivers crossed the finish line. The team then had a deserved celebration in their motor home, but afterwards turned their focus to the next race, Silverstone.
Alessandra had an event she needed to attend to in London, and she was very excited. Ferrari had been planning to create an exhibition, showcasing the prancing horse's story through various cars. And the team principal was heading to the official opening to cut the ribbon and officially welcome everyone to the exhibition. She had worked on it herself, picking out the 15 cars that were chosen to be on display, and she was going to tell all the visitors why she chose them.
She landed in Heathrow with her drivers, but she separated from them when she got into her car for the rest of the week, which was the Ferrari LaFerrari in black with red undertones, heading to central London whilst her drivers were heading to Silverstone. She hasn't been to London for quite some time, and she was looking forward to make the most out of her stay before she heads to Silverstone herself. She was very excited to head to the exhibition, but she was also excited to go see Phantom of the Opera, which she was invited to watch from one of the VIP boxes in the Royal Opera House. She loved musicals, and getting to watch one live again was a special thing for her, especially with how tight her schedule is.
She checked in the Dorchester, got settled in her room and went through the notes for the exhibition, smiling as she glanced at the polaroid pictures of the cars that will be showcased that were attached to the pages. She then took a shower, changed in a white blouse, black dress pants and a pair of all white sneakers. She jumped in her car, making sure that she had her notebook with her before making her way down to the exhibition.
When she arrived, she was greeted by fans who were waiting to get a glimpse of the team principal and lots of photographers. She parked her car right in front of the building, letting the butterfly door of her side open, listening to the cheers as she stepped out of the beautiful car. She smiled at the fans, giving them a wave as she made her way over to them, trying to take as much pictures and sign as much stuff as she could before being pulled by Chiara to do a quick interview with Sky Sports.
Toto had just arrived in Central London after an hour and thirty minute drive from Brackley, as he had a Mercedes event he was attending, along with another event in the evening, so he was spending the night at the Dorchester. He has just started driving through Piccadilly circus when he saw a huge crowd in front of a modern building, slowing down when curiosity got the best of him.
He saw a black LaFerrari parked out front, then glanced up at the sign at the top of the building, which read 'Ferrari: The Story of How The Prancing Horse Became'. He realised that it was an exhibition of Ferrari cars, and when he saw lots of people dressed in Ferrari merch, he thought that the drivers were there, but then he saw her, her face glowing as she laughed with Crofty whilst they conducted an interview. He was trying to get a good look, but there were so many people around her, but he still manage to see her finish her interview and go towards the sea of red and sign autographs.
He let out a loud growl when a honk from behind him brought him out of his thoughts, pressing the gas pedal as he continued driving down the street, making his way to his own event, making a mental note to search about what the exhibition was. And to see what she was doing there.
And that's what he did after his event with Mercedes, which was a form of a TED talk with up and coming engineers who dreamed of working in the Formula 1 industry. He sat in his car, scrolling through his phone, watching videos of her giving a speech about the exhibition, explaining how she's been working on it for over a year, bringing the Italian history to London, then cutting the red ribbon, officially opening the exhibition for the public. He couldn't help the smile making its way on his face as he went through pictures of her in the exhibition, probably explaining every detail about every car, he thought.
Alessandra felt like she was on cloud nine when she returned to her hotel after opening the exhibition. She couldn't stop thinking about how well it went, the complements she got from the people who visited, watching fans admire and take pictures of the vehicles, including some she worked on herself. She was so giddy as she grabbed her phone and texted the guys.
Les Idiotes
La cavallina
EXHIBITION WAS A SUCCESS
Oh my god it was so amazing!!!
Cazzo di cane carletto
I've seen your interview and the pictures
it looked amazing Ale you deserve it!!!
Massimiliano ciacciarrone
you're making me want to head to london rn
so i can visit
it looked beautiful ale you really outdone yourself
El smooth matador
cannot wait to see it Ale
we're celebrating this when you get here tomorrow!!!
Piccolo schumi
Gina's heading to London next week
and she cannot stop talking about how excited she is to see the exhibition
she's seeing it before I do I'm jealous
La cavallina
sucks that you guys had your media activities at the track today
you would've been able to come
Cazzo di cane carletto
what's the plan for tonight Ale?
La cavallina
Got invited to watch the phantom of the opera!!!
I'm so excited for it omg
Massimiliano ciacciarrone
what's that?
La cavallina
jesus ur so uncultured Max
it's a musical
Piccolo schumi
she lovesssss musicals
she'll watch at least one when she's in london
Cazzo di cane carletto
didn't she like watch four in one weekend?
Piccolo schumi
yup she did
La cavallina
so i like musicals
sue me
anyway I'm gonna take a nap before the show
Massimiliano ciacciarrone
i heard Toto was in London today
had a merc thing
Piccolo schumi
how the hell are they always in the same place at the same time
Cazzo di cane carletto
surprised they haven't bumped into each other already
La cavallina
you do know london is a huge city right?
it aint monaco
Cazzo di cane carletto
Emilia Romagna is a huge region
and yet we know what happened
Piccolo schumi
or at the same wedding in venice???
La cavallina
proceeding to ignore you now
Massimiliano ciacciarrone
DENIAL IS A RIVER IN EGYPT ALESSANDRA
Alessandra rolled her eyes, throwing her phone on the bed as she changed into an oversized t-shirt and slipped in the cozy bed, getting some well needed rest before she needed to head out.
After getting ready, her hair curled up and dressed in a black airy midi dress with sheer puffed off shoulder sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, along with a pair of her trusted So Kelly heels, she made her way down to the underground garage. She got into the LaFerrari and made her way to the Royal Opera House. She stopped in front of the theatre, giving the car key to the valet before she entered, showing the host the ticket, who took her to the box. She gasp silently when she saw the stage, and the people sat in their seats under her. She was already mesmerised and the performance hasn't even started yet.
She saw that there was an empty seat next to her, thinking that another guest might be in the box with her. She didn't mind, as long as they weren't disruptive or letting out snarky comments during the performance. She dealt with those kind of people when she watched musicals, and they ruined her experience for her.
It was a couple of minutes after the announcement that the show would start in five minutes came through when she heard the door of the VIP box open. She turned her head slightly, wanting to see who would be accompanying her throughout the musical. Her eyes widened, she couldn't believe how she could not escape him, even at one of her favourite places. This isn't Monaco!
"You have got to be kidding me," she muttered as he walked in, watching his eyes also widen when they fell on her, "I feel like you're following me at this point."
"Hello to you too, Alessandra," Toto chuckled as he sat down, crossing his arms over his chest, amused by the scowl on her face, "I should be the one thinking that, since Brackley's only an hour and a half away from here."
"Yeah well," she shrugged, "I had an exhibition opening today, and was invited to watch the musical."
"I know, I drove past it, the crowd in Ferrari gear was hard to miss," he chuckled, "I so happened to had an event of my own in London, and was also invited to watch the musical."
"Are you even a musical fan?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.
"Never had the time to watch one," he replied, "what about you?"
"I love musicals," Toto watched her facial features soften as she expressed her love for the theatrical art, "I always try and watch at least one whenever I'm in London."
"Well," he continued, leaning slightly towards her, "you can tell me all I need to know about musicals then."
"There isn't really much to tell you about musicals," she chuckled, "apart from let it take you in and enjoy it."
Toto nodded, watching her turn her head towards the stage as the lights dimmed, and the orchestra started playing the familiar tune of the musical. She rested her arms on the balcony of the box, leaning forward as the first actors came on stage, opening the performance.
When the musical ended, the two team principals were on their feet clapping as the actors all came on stage for the final bow. But the Austrian's eyes were on the Italian next to him, catching her wipe the tears that escaped from her eyes before continuing clapping. He enjoyed watching the musical, understanding what Alessandra told him when she said to let it take you in, but he did steal glances of her, watching how her eyes widened in every reaction depending on the scene, or how her eyes glistened with tears when a sad part came on. He could see how invested she was in it, he got to see another part of her unravel tonight.
The two turned their heads when the door of the box opened, the host that showed them their seats before the performance started stood in the entrance with a warm smile.
"Do you have the time to visit the cast?" He asked, "they knew that we had special guests watching, and some even spotted the two of you during the performance and were shocked to know that you watched them."
"Of course," Alessandra beamed, "I would love to meet the cast and congratulate them on their stellar performance!"
"Wonderful!" The host exclaimed, then turning to the Mercedes team principal, "Mr Wolff?"
"Yes," he nodded, "I would love to give them my congratulations as well." The host clasped his hands in delight, before telling them to follow him.
The two team principals walked side by side through the narrow corridor, their hands almost touching as they stood so close, following the host inside the large dressing room. Alessandra was in awe as she glanced at the costumes which were hanging on the racks, the masks from the The Point of No return on the tables, and the casts were removing their make up.
"Everyone!" The host exclaimed, getting the actors' attention, Alessandra and Toto silently chuckled when they saw some of their eyes widen after they saw who was standing behind the host, "these are our special guests for tonight, Alessandra Ferrari and Toto Wolff!"
"I just want to say I'm a big musical fan and it's been my honour to have been invited to watch this performance," Alessandra started as she stepped forward, "and you all have done a beautiful job tonight. So congratulations and very well done!"
"It's actually my first time watching a musical, and I can understand why Alessandra loves them so much," Toto jumped in, making the actors' let out a laugh whilst Alessandra rolled her eyes but smiled up at him, "but you all are very talented, and you have a lot to be proud of! So congratulations."
The guests talked to some of the actors who expressed that they were formula 1 fans, chatting about the upcoming race, even creating friendly competition when some shared that they were Ferrari and Mercedes fans.
Afterwards, the two left the theatre, the cold wind hitting them, and Toto looked at Alessandra, thinking about how stunning she looked in the dress, showing once again how class and elegance suited her. He knew she was a person who switched up her style, sometimes dressing casually like young adults, but most of the time, she dressed like absolute class, which never surprised him, she was a classy woman.
The two stood in front of their cars, which were parked right behind each other in front of the building. Toto watched the driver door of the LaFerrari rise up, Alessandra bending down to reach something, chuckling when he saw her take out a pair of sneakers, exchanging her heels for them. She then looked at him, raising an eyebrow at his amused face but then shook her head.
"Good night Torger," she said, "I'll see you in Silverstone."
"See you there," he nodded, giving her a smile, which she returned before sliding in her car. He got into his own, starting the car but he can hear the V12 engine of the car in front of him come to life as she drove off.
Alessandra glanced in her rearview mirror a few time, confused as to why the black Mercedes C Class of Toto was still behind her. She rolled her eyes before grabbing her phone, asking Siri to call him, listening to the music stop, getting replaced by the dial tone.
"Missed me already, Alessandra?" He asked when he answered, his cockiness making her eyes roll back again.
"In your dreams," she scoffed, "I want to know why you're following me, actually."
"The world doesn't revolve around you, Ferrari," he shot back, and she could hear the smirk in his voice, causing a silent groan to leave her lips but her body felt slightly hotter, "you're currently heading in the same direction I am."
"Well, I am heading back to my hotel and there's only one-," she cut herself off, realisation hitting her, this time the groan she released was audible, "don't tell me you're staying at the Dorchester."
"Oh for fucks sake, Alessandra," he chuckled, the same realisation hitting him, "you're staying at the Dorchester too?!"
"Out of all the hotels in London," she said, "how the hell do we end up in the same hotel?"
"Well, I always stay at the Dorchester whenever I visit London," he shot back, "what's your excuse?"
"Why are you acting like you own the Dorchester?" She snapped, "It's my favourite hotel in London, I don't know what else to tell you." She pulled into the large driveway of the hotel, making her way to the underground parking. "I'm hanging up now, we're heading underground." She tapped on the red button before Toto could even attempt to answer her as she drove through the parking, finding a perfect spot for her car.
She grabbed her bag and heels and got out of the car, spotting Toto reverse in the spot right next to hers. She didn't know if she should wait for him or not, not wanting to seem like she cared enough that she did wait, but did not want to come off as ego-centric either. But before she could make a decision, Toto had already gotten out of the car, making his way towards her with a smug smile on his face. She rolled her eyes, turning around as she made her way to the elevator, with the Austrian following right behind her.
"Should we go get a drink from the hotel bar?" Toto asked, which got Alessandra to release a light chuckle.
"I'll pass, I'm tired," she said as she pressed the number of her floor, groaning once again when Toto didn't press his button, which indicated that he was staying on the same floor. "I swear to God, if you try and ruin my sleep, I will hunt you down."
"Can say the same for you," the comment made Alessandra look at him, cocking an eyebrow at the smirk he had on his face, "what? Maybe you have a lucky guy waiting for you in your room."
Alessandra let out a loud laugh, shaking her head before looking away. The fact that she did not confirm or deny that she had someone waiting in her hotel room created an uneasy feeling in his stomach, even if he was the one who insinuated. He shook his head, pushing the feeling, and the thoughts he should have no business thinking about in the first place, back, watching the elevator finally opening the doors on its floor.
The two followed each other down the hall, stopping in their designated rooms, which were across from each other. Alessandra put the card against the lock, pushing the door when she heard it unlock. She took one step in, then turned around, glancing at Toto who was just about to enter his room.
"For the record, I have no one waiting for me," she commented, taking the Austrian by surprise, "and if you do have a woman in there, keep it down, yeah?" For some reason, that answer made him feel lighter, and that uneasy feeling he was trying to push back, disappeared altogether.
"I have no one waiting for me either," he breathed, almost out of relief, "want to come in for a drink?"
"Good night, Torger," she chuckled, "enjoy that drink if you do have one."
"Good night, Alessandra," he replied, giving her a small wave as she smiled before disappearing into her room.
Alessandra packed her stuff got ready for her short drive to Silverstone after having eaten breakfast in her room. She was dressed in her usual red team shirt, paired with black high waisted pants and beige and red Ferrari sneakers. She grabbed her bags and made her way down to the lobby, paying for her night before heading to the elevator, then made her way to underground garage.
She was putting her bags in the luggage space in the front of the car when she heard footsteps echoing through the silent garage. She turned her head, watching her rival team principal walk through, a black leather duffle bag hanging from his shoulders as he looked at her, giving her a gentle smile.
"Morning Torger," she greeted as he got next to his car, "heading to the track now?"
"Yeah, got some interviews lined up the moment I arrive," he replied, "what about you?"
"Me too," she nodded as she closed the trunk, walking to the driver's side of the car, "not really looking forward for the interviews."
"Are we ever looking forward for the interviews?" Alessandra chuckled at his question, shaking her head as he cracked a smile. "I'll see you there."
"See you in Silverstone," she smirked before sliding inside her car. She started her engine, giving the Austrian a wave before driving away, finding him right behind her when she glanced at the rear view mirror.
Two hours of listening to music, singing loudly to her favourite songs that blasted through, and racing with her rival down surprisingly empty highways every so often, the two team principals drove behind each other through the circuit car park, and into their designated spots. They got out of their cars, grabbing their bags they needed for the day, and entered the paddock side by side, which got the fans that were waiting to get a glimpse of their favourite people in the Formula 1 community screaming their heads off, and photographers circling them to get the perfect picture of the two.
If anyone didn't know that they were rival team principals, you would think that they were a couple ready to support their favourite teams.
That's what her drivers and Max thought as they sat outside the Ferrari motor home, watching them chat as they walked down the paddock.
"I don't believe that it's a coincidence that they've arrived at the very same time," Charles commented as he sipped on his water bottle, "especially since they were in the same city at the same time."
"I agree," Max nodded, "I mean, I know that they both have their own media duties like we do, but Jesus London is a huge city how they hell did they manage to arrive at the same time?"
"And we know that Alessandra came directly here from London," Carlos continued, "she didn't have time to check in at the hotel before coming here."
"We'll just have to ask her," Mick finished, a mischevious grin making its way on his face as the two team principals bid each other farewell in front of the Ferrari motor home. Alessandra turned around as Toto headed to his team's motor home, rolling her eyes at her three idiots, who had amusement laced on their faces.
"Should I let you ask now?" She started as she made her way up the couple of stairs before reacing their table, "or should I just avoid you all until the end of the weekend?"
"Nope, you're letting us ask now," Mick quickly replied as the Team Principal sat down, "and I'll start us off. Did you see Toto anytime yesterday?"
"Unfortunately, I did," she answered, the amusement on their faces increasing, "next question?"
"Where did you see him?" Max asked, "and how did you two manage to arrive at the exact same time?"
"Remember the invite I had for the Phantom?" The boys nodded at her question, "well, he was invited too, and was seated in the same box as me."
"You and Toto watching the Phantom together? Sounds very romantic," Charles teased, causing her to roll her eyes at him, "and what about the other question Max asked?"
"He stayed in the same hotel as me," their eyes widened in surprise, "I thought he was following me on my way back to the hotel last night so I called him and he told me that he was also staying at the same hotel." She paused, deciding against telling them that he stayed in the room right across from hers and that he even asked if she had someone waiting for her, or that she asked him the same thing. "We met this morning in the underground parking and left at the same time. Which is why we arrived together."
"So that's it?" Carlos asked, quirking an eyebrow at her, "just you two coincidentally being invited to the same musical, out of the many musicals West End has to offer, and coincidentally staying in the same hotel out of the numerous hotels located around London?"
"Yes," she nodded, followed by a groan at their smirks, "I know what you're trying to insinuate, and you're wrong. We were their for our separate events, ended up staying at the same hotel and were invited to the same performance. It's all a coincidence. And these coincidences are becoming very annoying."
"You know what I've heard?" Mick started, "that Toto's driving the W196 later today."
"Around the track?" Alessandra asked, earning a nod from the drivers, "that's pretty cool."
"You should drive a car around Monza," Carlos jumped in, "you know how to drive! You've driven F1 cars before."
"It would be cool to be able to drive a car round Monza," Alessandra said, smiling slightly, "but who knows? My only focus is to see the team succeed. I don't need media or other people telling me that I'm neglecting the team to take a joyride."
"Fuck what anyone thinks!" Max snapped, shaking his head before his bright blue eyes looked at her own, "Alessandra you are making history with every race that passes, you are making so many people eat their words, you have the chance of taking Ferrari back to the top. You should not worry about what anyone says if you decide to drive a formula 1 car." The Italian chuckled, shaking her own head before grinning widely at the Dutch, thanking him for his kind words before everyone looked down at their phones when they buzzed simultaneously.
"Holy shit!" Alessandra exclaimed as she read the email, "did you guys get this email too?"
"Yeah," Charles beamed, his smile wide, "wait, Max, did you get it too?"
"Yeah, I decided to express my interest in it and they emailed me back," he chuckled, "we're playing in the Partita del Cuore !"
"Oh, I'm so excited," The team principal beamed, about to continue to share her excitement when Chiara came over, telling her that she needed to head to the media pen. The boys all let out a groan when their respective PR managers came to drag them to their own media duties, saying bye to each other before heading their separate ways.
Alessandra was jumping from one media outlet to the other around the media pen, getting asked about what is to be expected for her team during the weekend, and how she thinks the standings will be before summer break starts.
"I hope she answered that Mercedes will be the leading constructors when Summer break starts," Alessandra rolled her eyes at the all to familiar Austrian accent by her side. She looked up, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones as he gave her a sly grin.
"Oh look," she said with fake enthusiasm as she looked down at her red Richard Mille watch on her wrist, "he's right on time to interrupt my interviews!"
"Wouldn't be a normal race week if I didn't," he winked, "I think that's her reason for her current success."
"Oh now you're taking credit for my team's success now are we?" Alessandra shot, fully turning towards her rival, placing her hands on her hip as she looked up at him with a cocked eyebrow. "If you want credit for our success, you could always join us."
"In your dreams, Alessandra," he said, lowering his eyes as their gaze locked, the tension around them thickening as they stared at each other.
"Those are your dreams, Torger," she said, giving him a wink, "not mine." She turned back to the interviewer, continuing her interview as she left Toto starting at her in shock and awe for a moment before continuing his own.
When they finished, the two left the media pen together, chatting about the Musical they watched the night before when Max came running towards the two, well he barely acknowledged Toto when the Dutch wrapped an arm around Alessandra's shoulders.
"How far is Turin from Maranello?" Max asked as he looked down at his phone, reading the information about the charity match next month.
"It's a three hour drive," Alessandra replied, "if you and the others are up for a road trip, we can drive it there!"
"I'm always down for a road trip!" Max exclaimed, "We'll talk about it with the others. But we'll obviously have to head there a night before the match or we'll be too tired to play."
"Obviously," she chuckled, "I can't have you guys slacking in my team!"
"What are you guys playing?" Toto asked as he became intrigued, and very curious about his rivals' conversation.
"We're taking part in a charity match in Italy next month," Max quickly answered, "Alessandra's played in it three years in a row, and Charles and Carlos took part in it a few times too."
"It's very fun," Alessandra chuckled, "and this year's line up is one for the books!"
"Oh yeah?" Toto asked, raising an eyebrow, "who else is taking part?"
"A few football legends like Buffon and Nedved," she replied, "and Quartararo, Rossi and Pecco are said to be making an appearance too!"
"You should join too!" Alessandra looked at Max with wide eyes at his suggestion, and the Dutch only gave her a sly smile, "it's for a good cause! Helping kids with cancer."
"I don't play football," the Austrian chuckled, shaking his head, "is there any way I can contribute?"
"You can obviously donate," Max said, "but it would be cool if you can attend, even if you just watch. Spread the message across to help out."
"I'll think about it," Toto nodded, glancing at the Italian, who looked like she wanted to leave the conversation as soon as she could, not expecting her friend to invite him to the event, "I've got to go, need to prepare."
"Oh yeah!" Alessandra wished that Max would just shut up so she could get away from the man who she couldn't escape even in London, a huge city with their own separate commitments, "you're driving the W196 now right?"
"I am," Toto confirmed, followed with a nod of his head, "drove it once a few years ago, it's an absolute beauty!"
"Looks it too," Alessandra said, giving her rival team principal a genuine smile as she remembered the video from a few years ago of him driving the iconic car, "good luck. Try not to crash a masterpiece?"
"I'll try my best," he joked, letting out a chuckle. The Mercedes team principal waved them off before disappearing into his team's garage.
She then looked at Max, who gave her a wide grin, which earned him an eye roll as she playfully slapped his shoulder. "You're insufferable," she muttered as she arrived in front of her team's garage, "truly."
"You love me either way!" He beamed, "and I only suggested Toto to come since the event is for a good cause!"
"Sure," she said, rolling her eyes at him as his tone wasn't convincing at telling the truth, "I'll see you later." She gave the Dutch a hug, which he quickly returned as he wrapped his arms around her tightly before entering her own garage, going back to the mental note she made to herself a couple of hours ago to talk about her engineers with.
Around an hour later, Alessandra was hearing a bit of commotion coming from the pit lane, along with small groups of team personnels running around. She closed up the meeting and made her way outside, crossing the pit lane and leaned on the brick pit wall as her eyes fell on the beautiful Mercedes, and the man next to it, dressed in a white racing suit with small petronas green detailing around it. She couldn't help herself as she let her eyes wander over him, the way his shoulders looked wider, making his waist look even smaller. He looked defined and she admitted to herself that he looked really good in a race suit.
She walked further down the pit lane, finding a spot where she could get a better view of the car, and of him. She grabbed onto the wall in front of her, looking at the Mercedes team, who were finishing setting up the car, through the opening in the fence.
Toto was nodding to his engineers as they reminded him of the procedures to drive the car. He then gave a wave to the cameras pointed at him and the crowd across from him. He glanced to the pits, giving a wave to the rest of the team who were ready to watch their boss drive around one of the fastest tracks in the calendar. However, his eyes widened slightly when right next to the sea of white, he spotted her in red, forearms propped on the concrete wall that separated the start-finish line from the pit lane, her upper body leaning over the wall as she looked at his car. But their eyes locked, and for a moment, he felt that the chaos around him to prepare his car disappeared, the crowds became silent, and it was only just him and her in Silverstone.
"Good luck," she mouthed, a small smile on her lips as Bono told him to get in the car. Toto nodded, sliding on his white baklava, followed by an all black helmet before getting in. He turned his head back towards her once more, lifting his visor so she can look into his eyes once more. He saw her chuckle when he winked, pushing the visor down before fully focusing on the car and the upcoming couple of laps.
Toto was not expecting to find Alessandra still at the wall where he left her after he completed his laps, handing his helmet to Hannah before pulling the baklava from his head, making his way towards her. The smirk on her face was taunting, but it also made something inside him flip.
"1.26.2," she said when he stopped right in front of her, only the concrete wall separating them, "not too bad, Wolff."
"Thanks," he replied, "you think you can beat that?"
"In my sleep," she challenged, her eyes darkening slightly in determination, "you lost some time in Becketts and Clubs, but on the whole laps were decent."
"We should race," he pushed, giving off the same determination she had, "determine who's the best racer out of the two of us!"
"We should," she nodded, "someday. First we have to focus on our own drivers. That's the important thing."
"What is?" He asked.
"That my drivers and the team finish on top," she smirked, "and prove that they are the current best racers." She gave him a wink before turning around, disappearing within her team's garage, leaving him on the track, his body becoming hotter just from the looks she gave him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before making his way back to Hannah, who was making sure everything with Sky Sports F1 was set for the interview he had with them about his drive.
°°°
HIYAAA!!
First of all, thank you so so so much for the 11K reads and over 300 votes!! I never would have thought the story would be liked by so many of you guys! Means the absolute world to me so thank you so much!!
I'm close to being done with the scholastic year (although im scared shitless about the results and everything else in between that my degree is throwing at me - my anxiety's eating me alive and honestly writing this story is the only way i cope even though it takes so much time that i should dedicate to my studies)
quick note on the timeline: I have a couple of chapters written already (which i wrote before i even wrote this chapter lmao) and one of them is a chapter happening during the belgian gp which is going to be after the summer break bc i forgot that the race is actually happening before summer break and i was trying to keep the same timeline as the race calendar irl so a mini error from my end but i wanna keep the chapter after the summer break. you'll understand why when you read it.
Anyways hope to start on chapter 18 soon, because when that's written and uploaded, chapter 19 and 20 will be coming right after cause they're already written 😏
Lots of love
- C 🫶🏻