The first few days in Japan had been amazing, Valeria had felt so much better since Mattia had agreed to take some of her duties off her and had swapped them with some of Pietro's. Valeria had taken charge of some of the social channels and had started being more involved in the creative process for the youtube channel.
'They've just confirmed FP3 is cancelled and quali is moved to the Sunday' she told Pietro, once she came back to the garage. She had just been in an emergency meeting with F1 and the Suzuka GP organisers. The weather forecast for the following day had turned for the worst and the whole country had basically prepared itself for a day shutdown.
Valeria helped the mechanics secure the stuff in the garage, before going to get changed. Seb had just done the same and was waiting for her by the side of the garage, as he caught up with Kimi.
Valeria changed into an Italian rugby top and jeans, threw her uniform in her backpack and joined her fiancée.
'Looking sharp' Kimi joked.
'Don't care, it's comfortable. The world cup is going on and we were supposes to play the All Blacks tomorrow, but the match has been cancelled so we tied... which is not the result we expected. Let me celebrate!' she replied, with a smile.
Valeria caught a glimpse of Daniel in his Aussie rugby top 'Oioi!' she called out. Dan looked up, giving her one of his wide smiles.
'what the hell are you wearing?' he teased her.
'I'd like you to know we have just tied with the All Blacks.' She teased him, walking towards him. Dan was playing around with a rugby ball whilst Mike was setting up a few cones for him to hit with it.
'the only way that happened is because of the worst hurricane of the century. Here, catch!' he threw the ball at her.
Valeria managed to just about catch it, making Dan laugh, as she didn't expect him to actually throw the ball towards her.
'I'd like to remind you I played at uni.' She joked, running around him. 'oi, Mike!' she passed Dan's PT the ball just as Dan tried to take it.
Seb watched her playing around with the two Aussies, she looked so much more at ease when the cameras and the uniforms were gone and the fans weren't looking. They had pretty similar personalities, they were both up for a laugh and a chat with the fans, but also loved to have their own spaces and privacy.
'Ask the Wallabies if they have an opening for me too' she joked. Valeria walked back to Seb, who had recorded her playing around with Dan on his phone.
'What are we doing tonight?' she asked him. 'I'm guessing you're busy tomorrow, doing work stuff?'
'Yeah, Antti has some training, then we have some stuff with Riccardo. What will you do?' he asked her.
'I'll work hard in the hotel spa' she told him with a smile.
'Life is alright for some! Do you want to get some dinner tonight, then? There's this nice sushi place I went to last year with Kimi.'
'sure. I mean, nothing can top your date last year, but I'll try'
'You're such a bitch' Seb laughed.
'Lass uns gehen, Bärchen' Valeria told him. She grabbed her bag and jacket and opened the bedroom door. They stood by the elevator , waiting for it to arrive. Valeria felt Seb grab her hand, her lips curving upwards automatically. They still hadn't got used to being public at race weekends. Yeah, they shared a room and usually travelled to and from the paddock together, but they didn't openly hold hands, or kiss around work.
'it feels weird being able to have a date night' Valeria told him.
They had just sat down at a quiet and private table at the restaurant Sebastian had mentioned. They had spotted other drivers and their significant others there: Alex and Pierre were all deep in conversation with their dates.
Valeria looked to the girls, feeling like a fish out of water. They all had perfect make-up, designer clothes and shoes.
Valeria, instead, was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a simple plain top. She had opted for her sunflower vans and wasn't wearing any make-up, except some mascara.
'what's on your mind?' Seb asked, glancing at her from his menu.
'Nothing' she shook her head, going back to picking her food.
'you know I can read you, right?' he raised an eyebrow.
'It's silly' she shook her hand, to brush it off. At that moment a waitress arrived to take their order. Valeria wasn't the biggest fan of seafood, so she had opted for something on the safe side, going mostly for salmon and tuna.
'so, what is it?' Seb asked her, again, intertwining his fingers with hers.
'don't judge me, but.. do you not sometimes wish I was different? Like, I could look more like an F1 fiancée?' she lowered her tone 'like, look around. Lily, Cate... they're all dressed up, effortlessly walk around in heels and have all these cool things they do. On the other hand you have me going around in rugby jerseys and vans, no make-up, getting plastered with the mechanics on a night out. Does it not affect your image?'
'is this what you're worrying about?' he gave her a smile. 'no. I don't wish you were any different, because if you were, you wouldn't be you. You have your own quirky personality, which I love to bits. I love listening to you lecturing me about history and politics, trying to convince me that rugby is better than football and I love the fact you don't wear heels unless you have to, it makes me look taller' he joked. 'don't ever consider yourself not good enough, ok?' he concluded.
Valeria gave him a small smile, feeling a lot better.
Karaoke later? Pietro had messaged her.
Out with Seb, but I guess he could tag along? Let me ask
'Pietro and the boys are going karaoke. Wanna join?'
'sure, I won't be up too late though. I have to wake up early' he agreed.
'sucks to be you' she teased him.
Yeah, we'll be there. Just need to finish dinner. Send me the location, I'll see you there.
Once they finished eating and Valeria had insisted to pay her half, thinking about the fact she would have to starve for the following couple of weeks, she grabbed her fiancée's hand and started walking out. She followed her sat nav to a nearby 24hrs karaoke bar.
They were greeted by 'L'Italiano' being blasted out of the speakers and found themselves staring at a tipsy Giorgio and Pietro singing along to Toto Cutugno.
'You see? They like you. They're signing your song' Valeria joked, reminding him of his rendition of the famous song he sang on radio a few years prior. His heart sunk a little, going through those memories of a happier time at Ferrari, but he brushed it off, not to worry Valeria. He hadn't really told her exactly how he had felt, but it was pretty clear to him that she had guessed most of it.
'are you drinking?' her melodic voice brought him back to the room.
'no, I'm good, thank you' he replied 'but get the guys a round on me' he told her, giving her his credit card.
'Are you sure?' she asked.
'Yeah, can you just get me a water?' he asked.
'sure, go sit with the guys, I'll join you in a moment'
'hello people' Valeria told the group. 'I have a round of drinks on the way from Seb, so say thank you'
'Yes, mum' Domenico joked. 'thanks Seb, you shouldn't have'
'my pleasure'he nodded, grabbing his card back from Valeria, who gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
'Ew. I didn't want to see that' Pietro joked. He had just come back to the table, after his and Giorgio's amazing performance.
'hello, stronzo' she laughed, letting him kiss her cheek.
'There's lots of f1 out tonight' Pietro remarked. Valeria scouted the room, she waved at Dan an Mike who were sitting with Charles and Nico Hulkenberg. On other tables different groups from different crews were all enjoying the chilled out evening.
'So how does this thing work?' Valeria swapped to English, as she played with the tablet that was on the table.
'you write your name, choose a song and then you're in a queue. They go around the tables so everyone gets a go. Are you going to sing?'
'If someone comes up with me, yeah' she scrolled through the titles. 'Seb?'
'Over my dead body' he laughed. 'I'll only serenade you guys from the car' he joked, making the group chuckle.
As a drunk businessman finished his, honestly, good rendition of Bohemian Rapsody, Valeria looked up to the screen to see Honey Badger + Tazmanian devil, I want it that way. She looked at Dan in horror, watching him approach her table.
'Like old times at Jules'' he smiled, grabbing her hand.
Valeria wad bought back to that night. She had decided to cook for both of them, after they had just come back from a day at the beach. She had turned the radio on as she did so, with Dan and Jules both exhausted from the day in the sun, lying down on sofas in the living room. They could hear Valeria humming along to the radio, until Backstreet boys came up and Dan had joined her in singing. The two had delighted Jules with some pretty appalling dancing, too.
'you guys actually sound OK' Jules had told them, laughing. 'Dancing wise, Taz, you have two left feet'
'This goes out to all the millennials who have hit the big 3 0 or are going to soon. Let's go back to the naughties.' Dan said in his mic. Most of the room excitedly screamed. Valeria wondered if they were excited about Backstreet boys or just about watching Daniel Ricciardo on stage.
'Everyone together now! DON'T WANNA HEAR IIIIT' he said, instigating the whole bar to sing with them.
'My compliments, Taz. You finally got better at singing and dancing' he teased her, at the end of the song.
'I hate you' she told him, furrowing her eyebrows. The Aussie gave her one of his wide smiles and stamped a sweaty kiss on her cheek. 'Ricciardo, for fucks sakes!' she shouted, as he ran away from her before she could punch his shoulder.
Valeria walked back to the Ferrari table, feeling like she wanted to bury herself. It had been fun being up there, but she was never good with the public attention. She also knew someone had filmed it and it was going to end on socials.
A couple of people from McLaren had just joined the stage. Valeria had spoken to them a couple of times, they were both mechanics for Lando's car, had met at work years before and got married during the summer break. They were going to sing 'the book of love' by Peter Gabriel.
'great song' Seb whispered.
'This is for all the couples in the room, sing along with us!' Daisy said.
'Some of it is just transcendental, some of it is just really dumb... but I love it when you sing to me' Valeria found herself singing along. She rested her hand on Seb's, who was whispering along too.
She gave him a big smile, for a moment everyone else in the room had disappeared.
'And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
You ought to give me wedding rings'
The loud clapping called them both back to Earth, Valeria could see they had both got a bit emotional singing that together.
'I think we found our first dance song' Seb whispered in her ear.
'I think so' she gave him a light kiss on the lips.
'I'd better go, before we get way too much attention on us... or the guys kill us' he joked. 'I'll see you at the hotel. Guys, it was a pleasure, enjoy the extra day off. You deserve it' he concluded in Italian.
Valeria watched him walk over to Dan and the others and they all decided to share a cab back to the hotel. She couldn't believe how lucky she had been to meet a guy like Seb.
Valeria and her friends stayed out until the early hours of the day. At about 4 am, she stumbled back into the hotel room. She wasn't drunk but she was trying not to wake Seb up, so she was only using her screen to light her way to the bathroom and then the bed.
She checked her twitter just before going to sleep.
@danielricciardo and @proiettivale singing Backstreet boys are just the friendship I needed to see on the paddock.
Someone from McLaren has just shared this video from a karaoke session. Can we all appreciate the way @proiettivale and Seb look at each other when they sing? That is love.
I stan @proiettivale so hard. Like... is there anything this girl can't do? Valeria smiled and expanded to see the replies.
I don't get all this attention she gets. Look at her. She wouldn't have people talking about her if it wasn't for Seb.
'enough internet' she thought, putting her phone on charge.