INVISIBLE STRING ☆ DANIEL RICCIARDO

seven

It didn't take long for Daniel to find them, dressed in jeans and an oversized tshirt, he gives the two girls his signature smile as he approaches the bar where they were sat. As soon as she had got his text, Amani didn't let her even think for a minute before grabbing her phone and texting the man back herself.

"Well, that's my cue." Amani announces, grabbing her bag and hugging her friend. "Goodnight guys, don't have too much fun without us!"

"Get out of here, grandma." Isla laughs as she rolls her eyes, her friend blowing her a kiss and waving at Daniel before making her way back to the elevators.

Daniel takes the seat the other woman had just left empty, placing all his attention on the breathtaking one sat across from him. "So, how much damage have you done so far?"

"You've seen me in worse states." she retorts with a smile. "I've probably got another couple rounds in me before I'm totally wasted. Let's just hope you've got better taste than Mani."

Daniel laughed, Isla didn't think she could ever get bored of hearing that sound. Every time she had made him laugh, she felt this inexplicable warmth that she was the one that had caused it.

"What has she got you drinking?"

"That's the thing, she doesn't even know!"

Another laugh leaves him. "How does that even happen?"

"I don't really question Amani anymore." Isla shrugs. "It's better to just let the oddness be, you know?"

"I deal with Lando on a daily basis. Trust me, I know."

In a surprising gesture, Daniel had ordered them a bottle of wine to share rather than the cocktails Isla was expecting. He claimed it would help them keep better pace, making her heart race slightly at the thought he wasn't just trying to get her drunk.

"So, how are you feeling?" Isla asks, watching his delicate hold on the wine bottle as he fills her glass. "Big points finish for you."

Daniel raises an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, if you count a single point as big."

"Considering how much you complain about that 'tractor', I take this as a win." the woman shrugs, recalling all the conversations she's overheard him have with Michael as she swirls her wine before taking a sip. "Hm, you do have good taste!"

"I told you." he smiles, taking a sip from his own glass. "And I don't think it's a tractor, I just need to get used to the car."

"A recurring issue is definitely not your fault when you've been finishing in points your whole life. Including a couple of times this year too."

"Don't think the team sees it that way, but thanks." Daniel huffs, chugging the rest of his glass and pouring himself another before turning his attention back to her. "So how come you're tagging along for races now? Luisinhas been around for ages."

"No particular reason, really. I'm just really busy a lot of the time, always traveling around everywhere. I just kind of never got a chance before."

"What changed?"

Isla chuckles as she gives him her answer. "Mainly just the fashion week schedule and the fact that I have no more bookings for the next month and a half."

"You know, I just realised I never asked what you do."

Isla could feel the heat forming on the top of her ears at the question, she hated telling people that she modeled. It wasn't that she was ashamed of what she did, it was just that people tended to undermine her career and how it was important to her.