I threw the controller in the direction of the sofa as I walked through to the kitchen, my headset was still on my head and connected via Bluetooth to the games console. "Well, that fucking sucked," I mumbled mainly to myself even though I knew the group could hear me on the chat. I reached for the large slab of chocolate I had on the sideboard from my earlier shopping trip before heading back into the living room.
"You gotta put more effort in," the Australian accent of my online friend, Daniel told me before he chuckled.
Returning to my spot on the sofa, I made a noise of disapproval into the mic before mimicking his voice, "You gotta put more effort in." I could be so childish sometimes, yet I didn't care.
"Come now children," Daniel's English friend, Lewis piped up. "We don't have time for your petty squabbles, we have enemies to beat."
I rolled my eyes before opening the packet, "Is that food I hear?" Daniel asked, changing the subject as my chocolate wrapper rustled.
"Might be," I laughed as I broke a piece off and put it into my mouth before making a moaning sound but loudly for the benefit of the guys on the chat. "Mmm, it tastes so good."
"Do you know what else might taste good?" My close work friend, Ben teased.
Instead of rising to it, I quipped back quickly, "Chinese!"
"Now that sounds like something I could go for right now," Lewis piped up.
I picked up my controller and returned back into the game, "Nice to see you back," Daniel commented as I moved my online character. "Are you going to actually help us this time?"
"Maybe, if someone actually shut up and let me concentrate." I joked as I caught up on the game with the others.
I heard a laugh, and I knew it was Lewis and Ben at the same time before Ben's voice spoke up, "So when are you two going to fuck and get it over with?"
Choking on my chocolate, I coughed as I shook my head, "What the fuck?" I was shocked at Ben's sudden line of questioning.
"To be fair," Lewis joined in. "I can feel the sexual tension, and we're wearing headphones."
"I have to go," Daniel said quickly before he logged off, leaving the three of us in awkward silence.
"Well done," I groaned as I leaned back on my sofa.
Lewis let out a laugh, "He's just touchy. He's having a bad time at work."
I sighed as I shook my head. Ben and I had banter at work, and we enjoyed spending time together outside of work, but I guess some people didn't understand his sense of humour like I did. Rolling my eyes, I looked at the clock on the wall before letting out a sigh, "I'm off for the night." I didn't wait for their replies before switching it all off quickly and laying back on the sofa. Why did Ben have to ruin an evening with an awkward comment?
Reaching over, I grabbed my phone before sending a text to Daniel, not that I expected him to reply. I just wanted to apologise to him for Ben's insensitive comment, I guess I didn't want my friends to be unhappy even if I had never met him before.
XOXOX
A few days later, I had put everything out of my mind as I sat in the stands of the Silverstone racing track. I was currently here with my best friend, Delilah, who was quite a fan of the Formula 1 racing, I was here because she was my best friend and that's what friends do.
I sent some snaps out to my story letting my other friends know what I was up to, I even put some pictures of me up being in the stand. My head was elsewhere though, I had been thinking about the lack of contact I had received from Daniel since the other night.
Just before the third round of qualifying, I looked down at my phone. My eyes lit up when I saw Daniel had sent me a text, when I opened it up I smiled when I read it seeing he was asking me what I was doing at the F1. I replied, telling him I was enjoying some time with an obsessed friend who was a little too obsessed.
A few moments passed before my phone started to ring, I picked it up when I saw it was Daniel. "Hello?" I said as I put the phone to my ear.
"Rachel?" He spoke my name in that familiar Australian accent.
I struggled to hear him over the cheers, "I can't hear you!" I called down the phone as I put my finger in my other ear. "Daniel?!"
"Rachel!" He shouted as I heard him. "Where are you?"
Looking around, I shrugged my shoulders to myself as Delilah gave me a strange look before returning back to the race. "Luffield stand," I answered as I leaned back in my seat. "What do you want Daniel? You've barely spoken to me for a few days."
"I want to see you," he said to me. I smiled as I listened to him speak some more, "I'm visiting England, and I'm at the F1 today."
Was I crazy for thinking this was a good idea? I wanted to meet him too.
We'd been speaking for so long and to be fair we had gotten on so well. I didn't want to lose that, I didn't want to chicken out today and regret never meeting Daniel. What if after all this time h was the one I had been waiting for?
"Okay," I said, agreeing with what he told me.
The line went dead before I looked at my phone, blankly. "What's going on?" Delilah asked me as she looked over at me.
"I don't know," I looked at her before I stood up and looked around. I had no idea what Daniel even looked like. Many time I had snapped him, sent him pictures of myself but I hadn't seen his face. "Would it be mad if I was to meet someone I have never met like, I dunno, soon?"
Delilah looked at me with a look of confusion on her face, "What are you talking about?" She looked around before returning her gaze to me, "Are you taking drugs?"
"Of course not!" I threw back as I returned to my seat.
She suddenly let out a gasp as she looked past me to the right, "You are not going to believe who is over there!" I didn't get a chance to turn my head as she grabbed my chin and turned my head into the direction she was looking.
I found myself staring at a man who I recognised from the big screen, a racing driver, not that I knew who he was. After a few seconds, he looked at me, I went to turn away and back to Delilah, but I was stopped when he said my name.
For a moment, it seemed to stop time, I knew his voice, I knew his accent, but I didn't know him.
"How does Dani Ricciardo know your name?!" I heard Delilah hiss in my ear.
There weren't any words leaving my lips, I just continued to stare at the man in front of me who knew my name. There were so many fans trying to get this man's attention, so many people watching him just stand there before he moved towards me.
"Rachel?" He stood in front of me and there was that beautiful Australian accent I had been hearing for so long. He offered his hand out to me to shake, I cautiously looked at it, everyone around seemed to be watching, waiting to see what was happening.
Slowly, I reached for his hand, a smile crossed my lips, "Daniel?"
His handshake was strong, his touch was gentle and any nerves that I had instantly disappeared. "Nice to finally meet you," his voice was almost a whisper as he leaned in towards me.