EMILY
Monaco was rapidly beginning to occupy a very special place in my heart, as was the man who I would forever associate with it.
Dan was lying face down on the bed watching television when I returned from the shower, and I took a moment to appreciate the view before climbing astride him with glee and flopping across his back. He was wearing my favourite outfit, a term which applied to pretty much anything Dan wore which wasn't accompanied by a shirt, and he looked damn good in it. I dragged my finger nails lightly up his sides and across the back of his shoulders, grinning evilly as I felt him squirm beneath me. Raising myself up just enough to let him roll over, I swept my hair slowly across his chest and ran my tongue lightly along his collarbone - a weakness I had discovered the previous night, and was determined to make good use of. Now that I had him in a state of total, blissful surrender I was ready to drop the bombshell.
"My parents are comng to Spa...and my brother...and a few of their friends...STAY!" I commanded, placing a palm against his chest as he attempted to sit up. "Before you say anything this was all organised months ago and I wasn't even meant to be going"
"How come?"
"Couldn't afford it - spent everything on Monaco accomodation"
"You DO remember that we've had this conversation before right? I've already met your parents"
"Yeah but not since we...y'know..for real. It's only been a couple of weeks"
"If they're anything like mine they'll already know - seriously I could take you home, stick you in a line up of twenty girls, and my Mum'll ask how long I've been dating the tall one"
"Oh so we're dating now are we?" I couldn't prevent the smile from spreading across my face.
"I'm sorry, would you rather I rephrased that to 'how long have I been fu..."
"Dating sounds good!" I insisted hurriedly "especially when my parents are within earshot".
I leaned forward and kissed him slowly before he could say any more, determined to stay 'on top' of the situation this time, even when he grabbed my hips and pulled me against him, even when desire began to build and the 'innocent' little kiss became something far more fevered, even when...
"Behave" I croaked breathlessly, pulling away and removing his hand with regret. "We've both got flights to catch in a matter of hours".
"Your fault" he smirked
"You're the racing driver" I retorted with a scowl "you're the one who's supposed to know when to push and when to hold back"
"Now you're just talking dirty." He laughed as I rolled my eyes and rolled off the bed.
***
How do you prepare for a midnight Skype date with someone on the other side of the world? I sat in bed and attempted to make myself presentable, from the neck up at least, subtly framing my eyes and painstakingly straightening my hair until it sat smooth and shining against my cheeks, albeit only for the next five minutes.
"Hey Panda" Dan grinned broadly into the camera as I answered the call, sending electric charges crackling through my body. The nickname he had given me in Hungary seemed to have stuck and I put up with it good-naturedly - after all anything that reminded me of that weekend, and particularly that night couldn't be too bad, although a panda and a honey badger had to rate as one of nature's more unusual pairings.
"Hey yourself" I smiled back at him, adjusting my own camera so that he couldn't see either the state of my room, or the comfy but definitely NOT sexy pyjamas that I was wearing below the perfect makeup.
"My parents are here by the way - they wanted to say hi"
"SHIT!"
I dived out of sight in a panic, desperately trying to find a more presentable top. I guess this was payback for my announcement of the previous week. The bastard.
"Come back, I'm just kidding!" Or at least I THINK that's what he said through muffled snorts and that goofy but loveable little chuckle.
DOUBLE BASTARD
"It's a good bloody job you're 10,000 bloody miles away!"
I stomped back to the computer screen, preparing to vent my displeasure some more, before a pair of laughing brown eyes and megawatt smile stopped me from speaking.
Be still my beating ovaries.
I felt the old familiar surge of longing, the wish to reach through glass, metal, and earth to touch, to kiss, to hold.
I yawned instead and he immediately looked guilty.
"Am I keeping you up?"
"Not as much as you do when you're actually with me" I quipped boldly, and was rewarded with another sheepish grin.
"Soon"
"Not soon enough" Rightly or wrongly, despite how clingy it might sound I couldn't disguise the fact that I wanted him, and for more than just his body, undeniably exquisite as it was. From bitter experience however, I knew that I couldn't afford to be pathetic and needy if I wanted to keep him, especially once the strain of travel, work, and separation really began to kick in.
DAN
I was riding the crest of the bigest wave of my life. Not only was I now a two-time race winner, but I was finally dating someone whose passion for Formula One was nearly as great as my own, someone whose eyes didn't glaze over if I mentioned the words 'downforce' or 'oversteer'. Plus she was one of the only women I'd met who got more excited about 'THE Spa weekend' than 'A spa weekend'. And there was a lot to be excited about - the only predictable thing about Spa was that it would always be unpredictable.
Talking of unpredictable...
"Not bad for a holiday rental!" I exclaimed outloud as we pulled up to the cottage-style villa a few miles from the circuit. I immediately approved of both the property, and of the grey Jaguar XF parked ahead of us in the driveway.
"That's Dad's" she indicate with a slight nod "he calls it his Mid-Life-Crisis-Mobile"
"He's got good taste...for an old guy" I teased. My first impressions of Derek Taylor hadn't changed since Goodwood - I liked him already. "Are you nervous?" I asked in surprise, noticing the fumble as she unbuckled her seatbelt, and the tense line of her usually full lips.
"Not about what they'll make of you - more about what you'll make of them!" she admitted with a half smile "you do realise you'll be tonight's star attraction".
"Come on" I grinned, opening the door "how bad can it be?"
"Oh just you wait" she grimaced "I've given them all a list of dos, don't and don't-even'go-theres and I guarantee they'll all be broken within ten minutes of us walking through that front door"
"You don't have to worry about me - I'm not easily put off " I cupped her cheek with my hand, and drew my lips along her jaw line, trying to ignore the twitching curtain I could see out of the corner of my eye.
"Just promise me you'll continue that later" she whispered with a sigh " I've barely seen you in weeks and I don't like sharing"
Ten minutes later and Derek was deep into a joke about dunny spiders and boomerangs while his son attempted to hide his amusement behind a hand of cards, and his daughter shot me an apologetic, despairing look.
"A pain in the arse that keeps coming back!" came the triumphant punchline, to be met by a chorus of groans and sarcasm.
'You're a natural - nobody gets this far through a Dad joke without yawning'
I grinned at the message feeling like I was back at school again, texting the girl I liked under the desk.
'I TOLD him to stay away from bad jokes, boring anecdotes and Aussie stereotypes and what do I get...'
'A pain in the arse that keeps coming back?' I typed in response.
'Precisely!"
"Back in a minute" she whispered into my ear as she pushed her chair out and stood up, giggling as I ran my hand unnoticed up the back of her thigh and gave her a playful squeeze. With my eyes alone I begged her silently not to leave me to face a conversation with her mother.
Jenny Taylor was a miniature, middle aged clone of her daughter. The last (and only time) I'd seen her was over one of the most awkward cups of coffee on planet earth, and it had ended with me following her daughter's ex boyfriend out of the front door rather hastily - not exactly the first impression I'd wanted to make. Of all the people in the room that night, I think I'd have preferred to take on twelve foot of Taylor manpower plus added guests, than five and a half of disapproving mother.
"So Daniel..."
Shit!
"Next time you're in England would you mind showing Derek how to do a PROPER barbeque? By the time he's sworn at it and figured out how get it to light we've usually given up and settled for pizza'
"If it's not raining" I answered quickly, and was rewarded with widespread laughter, much to my relief.
"Congratulations - I think you passed" I looked up smiling as I felt a pair of warm hands on my shoulders, and a strand of silky hair caress my cheek..
'What do I win?' I text as she returned to her seat
'Me...congratulations'
"Guess you'll do" I teased as I was called to settle a heated debate I hadn't heard the beginning of, on a subject I wasn't even old enough to remember.
Note1: Gahh sorry it took so long, it's naff but it'll have to do! So many silly little scenes which don't really do anything for the story, but which I had in my head and didnt want to leave out, but which didn't deserve whole chapters to themselves. Plus when I finally I got to the end I absolutely hated it, and rewrote almost half. Bring on 22 at last!
Note2: Just a little bit of hypothetical market research for my own curiosity (and vanity?) if you don't mind, and please be honest: Would you prefer to read another Dan fic after this one, or would you be happy with a change? Say a Jenson fic maybe? Or even a totally made-up F1 story with all original characters? This one isn't ending any time soon, I just had a couple of thoughts in my head and wanted to find out what people's opinions were.
Thanks. E x