When Darcey woke up the room was spinning before she could even open her eyes. Her mouth felt toxic, leaving a bad taste in her mouth which left a sour reminder of what happened last night. She forced herself to sit up, the headrush sending a spike of nausea through every inch of her body. Maybe that wasn't a good idea.
"I didn't even drink that much" Darcey whispered to herself.
She needed time to gather herself. Put things together. Everything is vague and fuzzy. How did she get home and how did she get that drunk? And how did she sleep through three missed calls? Darcey hovered over her incoming call screen, trying to decide as to which one she'd rather deal with right now.
"Oh, so you are alive?" David chuckled down the phone, she silently thanked her lucky stars that he didn't seem at all angry or annoyed.
"Barely" Darcey groaned "I'm so sorry for messing everything up today with the shoot and everything, you gave me this opportunity and I just totally threw it away"
"These things happen, luckily we managed to find someone else who happened to be about" David explained, "Although Sebastian seemed pretty concerned when you didn't turn up today"
Darcey froze as flashbacks of last night came rushing back, meeting Seb outside the pub and then having him carry her into the house--then straight to the bathroom.
"He did?" Darcey whispered, not quite knowing how to process this information. Then a text message appeared at the top of the screen. At least she hadn't scared him off, after having to deal with god knows what last night.
Sebastian Vettel
Hey, just wanted to check up on you, hope you're not feeling too rough today. Let me know if you need anything x
"You have no idea how infatuated the lad is with you, do you?" David marvelled, although Darcey wasn't seeing the funny side of it as she felt overwhelmed by guilt at what he must be feeling. "Anyways I'll let you go, enjoy your hangover" You could almost hear the smirk in his voice.
"Thanks, and sorry about today again."
"Don't worry, these things happen--I've done worst believe me" David teased, trying to make Darcey feel better about the whole situation.
"Oh I believe you" Darcey cheered
"So I'll see you next week then" David stated
"Yep, see you then" Darcey sighed as he ended the call on the other end.
Once the phone call had ended her Mum appeared from behind the door, as if she had been waited there to make her entrance. Darcey smiled as she saw that her Mum had brought a glass of water and some pain killers -some things never change I guess.
"Thought you might need these" Claire insisted as she sat down beside her with a glass of water and painkiller in hand, remembering the sounds coming for the bathroom last night.
"Thanks" Darcey muttered as she took the glass and downed it as if she'd been stranded on a desert for months. Her Mum chuckled to herself as she watched her daughter suffer.
"Steady there, no wonder Seb had to look after you last night" Claire declared, Darcey shot her a glare --growing tired of her mother laughing at her misery. "Poor lad"
"Don't remind me" Darcey sighed "I don't know how I'm ever going to be able to face him again" She lay her head in her hands as she tried to stop the flashbacks from coming back.
"It's not that bad--" Claire tried to explain before Darcey interrupted
"Not that bad? He's bloody Sebastian Vettel and I threw up right in front of him" They sat in silence after Darcey outbreak until they both broke out in laughter.
"Obviously Nate was long gone before any of that happened..." Darcey guessed she remembered him being there and then suddenly not.
"Obviously" Claire giggled "Honestly I don't know how you managed uni with that boy" She continued to shake her head bewildered by it all.
"Neither do I"
"Remember the time we travelled to France and I got travel sickness" Darcey chuckled thinking back to the first time the four of them had gone away together.
"Oh god, he almost got out and walked the rest of the way"
"And he probably would've if it wasn't for the sick on his shoe" Darcey added, remembering how he had taken the shoe off so quickly and threw it out the window without a second thought.
"That was the first time he met your father as well"
"He certainly made a lasting impression that's for sure, don't think Dad ever let him forget it"
"He did well to come back after that" Claire paused for a moment "And I know the situation between you two aren't what it used to be. But I'm proud of you for sticking by him through all of this. He's gonna need a friend like you right now."
"Even though he left like he did?" Darcey looked up at her Mum, looking for her honest answer.
"We all have decisions we're not proud of" Claire sighed, "But we can't change the past"
"Tell me about it, or else I'd have stuck to diet coke" Darcey laughed trying to sound upbeat.
"I'm really glad Sebastian was there for you last night" Claire spoke "It good to know you have someone looking out for you"
"Mum not this again" Darcey tried to protest, but was cut short by her mother's glare this time
"No, I know I said it before but that was before I saw him with you. Like really with you, and looking after someone when they're sick is a whole other level of love" Claire explained.
"You're being ridiculous" Darcey whispered, knowing deep down that's what she was afraid of that they had fallen for each other and now she wasn't in the right place to give herself all that he deserved.
"A mother always knows" Claire smiled "Just give it a chance, something tells me he's a keeper"
One of the hardest lessons you'll learn is that the older you get the worse the hangovers will become. The few days Darcey had off before the next race weekend were spent either napping or binge-watching Downtown Abbey on Netflix.
It was a massive shock to the system when she would have to finally put a bra on and leave the house to travel to Germany for their next race. With it being Sebastian's home race and still currently leading in the championship there was a lot of buzz around the garage and motorhome.
"Don't they have anything better to film right now?" Darcey commented as they spotted at least seven different film crews gather around the front of the garage. She had gotten used to the cameras but this was borderline offensive.
"Do you think they're all here for me?" Brad joked as they worked on the car set up ready for tomorrow's free practice.
"Now that I think about it, no," Darcey smirked, rolling her eyes as she turned to work on the back of the car.
"You never know, five minutes in front of the camera can do wonders for your career nowadays" Scotty stated, giving Brad a little nudge as he played along.
"What do you mean, five minutes--what did you do?" Darcey turned around shocked while still not taking the comment seriously thinking it was some sort of joke.
"Monday morning, I was just coming in to collect some tools when Ian found me and the next thing I know I'm filming with the BBC" Brad explained "I didn't know how to tell you, I know you were gutted about the whole thing. I had no idea"
"No, It's fine. Honestly you deserve it just as much as me" Darcey expressed, happily as she forced a smile. Of course she was happy for her friend but it still hurt as a reminder of what she missed out on and what could've been.
"I'm so glad you said that, I've been so nervous" Brad cheered, giving Darcey a tight squeeze before they continued with the rest of their work.
It came as no surprise that Sebastian's schedule was pretty full this weekend, leaving little time for breaks in between meetings, interviews and being in the car itself. A part of him was thankful in some way, as this made it easier to avoid facing her. After last weekend he had yet to hear a word from her, no text, no call. Nothing.
He knew he shouldn't let it get to him so much, but he couldn't help it. Did he really mean that little to her? Had she moved on? All he knew is that he wasn't ready to face it yet.
Friday worked out to be a disappointing day on track, as the Red Bull were not where they had hoped it be, while the Mercedes proved to have stronger package. Sebastian had spent a couple of hours going over data and set up choices for tomorrow's qualifying session when Darcey walked down the corridor leading to the garage.
Their eyes were drawn to each other like magnets, but just as quickly Sebastian broke their connection. Leaving a heavy sigh in his wake as Sebastian kept his eyes fixed at his screen in front of him. Darcey stopped as the driver breezed past her without a single word, leaving her confused as to what had just happened.
By Sunday the situation hadn't gotten any better, as Sebastian continued to give Darcey the silent treatment. The amount of media surrounding the german wasn't helping either as she had yet to have a moment alone with him. That was until they found themselves on the grid after a debrief with Rocky, and Darcey stood in front of the driver handing him his racing gloves.
"Seb, can we talk?" Darcey asked feeding rather bold as they stood on the grid.
"Not now Darc, whatever it is. I don't want to hear it" He spoke coldly as he still refused to look her in the eyes again. Half knowing that if he did, there was no way he'd be able to walk away this time.
Sebastian had a strong start, applying immediate pressure to Lewis who had started from pole position. Lewis responded by trying to push Seb off the racing line on the inside of the track which then opened the door for Webber to try to make a move on the outside. Then by the end of turn one Sebastian had managed to shake off Lewis and take the race lead, with Webber moving into second and Hamilton dropping down to third.
From laps 5 to 9, drivers were pitting due to using worn softs from qualifying to switch to the medium compound tyres, apart from Grosjean and Räikkönen. Grosjean led the race before stopping on lap 13 and continued to show strong pace afterwards. Webber, on the other hand, pitted a lap later and had a serious incident with his rear-right wheel.
The mechanics did not attach the wheel properly and as Webber left his pitbox, the wheel fell off and rolled down the pit lane. Webber's Red Bull was pushed back to his pitbox where a new wheel was fitted and he rejoined the race, a lap behind Vettel. The two Lotuses had never lost touch with Sebastian during the first half of the race and were keeping pace with him, with both Grosjean and Räikkönen setting fastest laps of the race.
Räikkönen was leading on lap 41 after Vettel and Grosjean had pitted for the third time. Then as Lotus waited until lap 49 to pit Räikkönen, switching him to the soft tyre, leaving Vettel and Grosjean in first and second.
Grosjean was then told on the radio to not hold Räikkönen up, for championship title points reasons. Räikkönen was unable to catch Vettel, who took the victory. It was his first victory at his home race and It was also his 30th career victory, becoming the 6th driver to achieve such a feat and in just his 110th start.
As the team finally settle down and began their pack down routine, the driver of the day is still nowhere to be seen. And still as they prepared to leave the garage after another race weekend had been and gone, Darcey wasn't ready to leave it there.
The rest of the team had already left the circuit wanting to get an early start on the german bars and beers. For multiple reasons Darcey decided to give that one a miss. She began walking down the paddock, just watching as everyone gathered around the Red Bull motorhomes clearly looking for the same person she was.
"Not leaving already are you?" Came a soft German accent, Darcey turned around smiling at Papa Norbert and his wife Heiki. They had been here most the weekend, but seeing how things were between herself and their son she didn't feel comfortable approaching the couple.
"Hi, uh yeah I was just on my way back to the hotel" Darcey explained awkwardly, not sure what else to say. "Sorry I didn't have a chance to say hello before, how are you both?"
"No need to apology, you're a very busy lady." Norbert chuckled, "As to how we are, we can't exactly complain now can we?"
"I suppose not, he did an amazing job today." Darcey smiled warming at the couple, forgetting about her troubles with the driver for a moment.
"Yes very proud, have you seen him around here?" His mother asked, causing Darcey to freeze momentarily as she didn't know how to tell them that they weren't exactly on speaking terms.
"No, I haven't. He's probably busy with media stuff" Darcey guessed, trying to sound upbeat.
"Probably" Heiki nodded before they turned to face the calls of the team principal, Christian Horner who was walking to join them.
"Hi guys, care to join us for a drink to celebrate your son's work today?" Christian asked, not necessarily including Darcey in this situation. The couple went to follow in the direction of the hospitality unit.
"Well I best be off now, It was good to see you both again" Darcey took her opportunity to leave, bowing out of the conversation. That was until Heiki stopped her in her tracks.
"Nonsense, I'm sure Seb would love to see you when he's finished up" Heiki expressed, smiling warming at the young girl. "You come" It wasn't so much a question as an order, something she remembered Sebastian commenting on beforehand.
"Oh no, I couldn't" She tried to decline, but all it took was one look. "Okay, I guess I could stay for a bit" Heiki took Darcey by the arm and lead her in the direction of the Red Bull unit.
Feeling quite out of place surrounding by sponsors and special guest of the team, Darcey found herself stood in the corner of the room. She was waiting for a polite time to leave, not wanting to seem ungrateful for the gesture but not wanting to be there just as much.
"You look lost, again?" Heikki laughed as he found the mechanic stood awkwardly by herself again. Darcey beamed up at the Finnish trainer, happy to see at least one person she knew.
"This time it's definitely mentally." Darcey joked back, remembering the time they bumped into each other at the opening party. "It wasn't my idea I promise"
"Ah, Norbert got to you I'm guessing?" Heikki asked, looking over at the parents of his client.
"No, Heiki" Darcey corrected him, finding herself feeling more comfortable in the busy room.
"Interesting, you know what they say about the mother's approval? You're practically family now" Heikki teased the mechanic, who as a result almost choked on her drink after listening to his response.
"Not sure how Seb would feel about that" Darcey muttered under her breath, taking another sip of her sparkling water.
"Only one way to find out" Heikki commented as they both watched as Sebastian made his appearance. The whole room stopped what they were doing and put their hands together to congratulate the driver. His eyes scanning the room, his smile visible from across the room. That was until his eyes landed on the mechanic and his trainer.
Darcey bit her lip as he made his way around the room, taking his time to greet everyone who had turned up today to support himself and the team. Winning definitely suited him as she watched Seb make his way around the room, his smile and his laugh as infectious as ever.
"What are you waiting for?" Heiki startled Darcey with her direct question, her hesitant stature clearly obvious to others around her.
"He's busy, besides he's not here to talk to me" Darcey stated, trying to brush off the matter quickly. "Got to share him sometimes I guess" she continued before letting out an awkward laugh.
"I know the feeling, but to me he's still my little boy" Heiki expressed lovingly which made Darcey's heart melt "Even now, when I watch him in his car. All I see is my boy who raced with a teddy bear on his kart"
"A teddy bear on his kart? I'd like to see that" Darcey chuckled, feeling relaxed as she spoke with Sebastian's mother.
"I have pictures, someday I'll show you" She smirked, knowing exacly what she was doing. "And I think there's some of him doing that Michael Jackson thing"
"Oh god, now that I'd love to see" The women continued to laugh amounced themselves until they were interrupted by the man of the hour. Sebastian Vettel.
"What's so funny?" Sebastian grinned, looking between the two as they wiped their tears and pulled themselves together.
"Nothing dear" Heiki reported, leaning in to give her son a kiss on the cheek "Anyway I think I better go check on your father, you know how he can get" And just like that she was gone. Leaving the two alone for the first time since last Sunday night. They both stood there looking like awkward teenagers at a school dance.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, "And I honestly don't blame you for not wanting to talk to me or hating me right now" Sebastian snapped his head up, and took a step closer so close they were almost touching.
"I could never hate you, don't you see that?" He responded, his voice raspy as if his voice got caught in his throat. "Come with me, we can leave right now" Sebastian voiced, pleading with her with his deep blue eyes "If you want to talk that is"
"Yeah, I'd like that"