adoration | CL fanfic

thirty five

24th August 2023

It's the Dutch Grand Prix in three days so I've been forced back to my old world for a few days , a place I never thought I would be in again.

"I think it might give you closure to go to your old house." Charles suggested as I've been ancy from the moment we got here.

"Every inch of me wants to but I'm holding myself back, when I think about it sadness just invades my mind." I told him and he nodded accepting that I wasn't doing anywhere near my old home.

"Well I don't know what I can do to make you more at ease," he sighed "I'm proud of you for coming though."

I smiled at him, we were currently sat in one of the cool down rooms at the paddock. The race wasn't until Sunday but they had testing today and the car was slowing down for some unknown reason.

"Bad things happen here." I told him as I leaned into his body regaining warmth from his comfort.

"You're cold again aren't you?" He asked me and I nodded as he passed me his hoodie and snuggled me into him as we waited for one of the engineers to tell us we could go home.

We'd been on the track since 12 this morning and we should've been back in the hotel by three but the car decided to be difficult and we are still here at nine.

"You can head back if you want, I'll call you an Uber so you don't have to walk to the hotel." He told me holding me close.

I shook my head "No I don't mind waiting, I don't want to be alone."

We continued chatting about random bits and bobs when a man entered the cooling down room, he was dressed smartly and professionally "Melody Verstappen." He said as he held out his hand for me to shake.

Charles looked at me confused and I shrugged back to him "Hello. Do I know you?" I asked him.

Not to stereotype but he didn't seem like a fan, he was probably in his seventies at a guess and was dressed like the president.

"No well not formerly, my name is Chase Carey." His hand remained out and I still refused to shake it.

"Well its nice to meet you Mr Carey-

I began to say but then Charles cut me off "It's my pleasure Mr Carey, I'm sorry melody's a little uneducated on formula one still." He said shaking Chases' hand.

I stood up "Oh that's quite alright, melody I'm the non executive chairman and former chairman of the formula one group."

Right. That rings a bell the formula one group is a group of companies responsible for the promotion of the FIA formula one world championship and the exercising of the sports commercial rights.

I shook his hand "Apologies sir, I'm not very on it at the moment."

"Not to worry dear, not to worry. Stefano Domenicali and I have been wanting to speak to you this past month but we've been missing you." He explained sitting down in the chair opposite me as Charles and I sat also.

Why the hell would they want to talk to me?

"I haven't seen Stefano Domenicali in ages, not since I was probably fifteen." I laughed.

Stefano Domenicali is an Italian manager and the current CEO of Formula One Group, replacing Chase Carey. He was the CEO of Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini from 2016 to 2020. He was the team principal of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team.

"Under his leadership Ferrari won their last Formula One World Championship to date." Charles mentioned and I nodded.

"That is true, he was incredible at it." Chase reminisced.

"Um not to come across as rude but I'm a bit confused as to why you're both wanting to speak to me? I don't even know how to drive." I admitted to him and he cried in laughter.

"No no, we wanted to talk to you about all the discussion you're bringing to the formula one world. We've seen higher levels of viewers since you've been in the paddocks." Mr Carey explained.

"Oh I wouldn't put that down to me."

"No it's true, the difference between viewer numbers when you're at the races and when you aren't is ridiculous so we have an offer for you." He proclaimed.

"Oh?"

"At the FIA prize giving ceremony at the end of the season we want to know if you will perform a song there?" He proposed.

"I mean of course I would love to but I don't know if anyone at those sorts of events wants to listen to my music-

"Nonsense! Number one singer worldwide aren't you? You'll be doing us a favour by brining to attention to the formula one sport." He exclaimed.

"I can sing anything I want?" I asked him and he nodded.

"And you'll be paid of course." He insisted.

"No I don't need to be paid I'll do it for free, I love the motor sporting community and I'm happy to bring in new viewers for you." I assured him but he shook his head.

"No you will be paid, as kind as that is of you. Well I will see you within the next few weeks with a contract for your manager but we greatly appreciate it melody. Thank you." He said as he got up to leave.

"Thank you sir." I responded as he left.

Damn.

"What even was that?" I asked Charles.

"I have no idea."

"I can't believe you haven't even asked if I'd be your date to this awards ceremony?" I joked at him but I said it in a serious tone.

"Mel it's ages away, and if I fuck up the rest of the season I doubt I'll even go." He admitted but soon realised I wasn't actually being serious.

I laughed for a moment until he said "You should know you'd be my date anyway. Your my girl."