TWENTY-THREE

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Song of the Chapter: Powerless by Nelly Furtado

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"Thank you for this extensive interview." The interviewer says, after we'd just wrapped up the interview. It was supposed to give people some insight in who I really am. Of course they touched on the subject of a spouse, but Ava and I had gone over suitable answers. And I managed to give him just the tip of the ice berg. Saying there might be some one out there, but we are just discovering if there is something there.

I had gone over that with Lando earlier this week. We were just dating, not exclusive. If someone else would cross our paths we were free to explore. But the other would like to be notified, not want to hear it through the tabloids. Which meant that we were still pretty much exclusive, the gossip train going quicker than a phone call.

"It was my pleasure." I tell the interviewer, before Ava guides me out of the room. Leading me to my dressing room.

"Don't get worried, scared or whatever. But I've got news on Lando." She says sitting me down with a cup of green tea. My mind immediately going into overdrive, worrying me anyway.

"Tell me." I say, taking a sip of the tea.

"His team has relieved him from his media duties." She says, a worried look overcoming my face. Media duties are mandatory, you'd need a damn good reason to skip them. "He's got food poisoning, or that's what McLaren has brought out."

"Get me my phone." I say, wanting to speak to Lando. He was there last week when I was ill. I'd have to be there for him right now. Ava ruffles through her bag, in which I had dropped my phone earlier. Locating it and handing it to me, before leaving my dressing room.

Lando still hasn't answered my text from last night, asking whether he had landed. I skipped over our chat, clicking the video call button. No answer. I hadn't expected anything else. If it's really food poisoning, he'd be either hanging over the toilet or trying to sleep it off.

I scroll through my contacts, trying to figure out who'd know the most about the state he's in. My first thought was Max as he and Lando were flying out together, but then again the team doctor of McLaren wouldn't release any info to him as he's on a rivaling team. And as Lando hadn't tried to contact me, he might not have tried to contact Max either. My eyes then land on Lando's teammate; Daniel Ricciardo. I hesitate, knowing he'd have a whole lot of extra media to take care of with Lando's absence.

But he might be the best shot I've got.

So I still press the call button.

The phone is answered by a voice, I recognise as Heidi's. "Hi Heidi," I say after she'd answered. "Is Daniel nearby? I would like to ask him something." I ask.

"Yes, he is. He's talking to Max but let me interrupt him quickly." She says, and I vaguely hear her walk up to Daniel getting his attention. "Hi, this is Daniel." Daniel says into the phone.

"Hey, it's Aimee." I say, recognition audible on the other side.

"You're calling to check in?" He asks, jumping straight into it.

"I am, can you give me any news. Like just tell me what's been going on." I say, knowing I must sound desperate.

"Let me get to the hospitality real quick." Daniel says, leaving the two of us in silence for a bit. "Okay, I'm inside now. Free of media."

"Okay. Now talk."

"He's been throwing his guts up since about an hour before they started descending. So when he arrived to the hotel, he had the team doctor come and check up on him. She ruled it was possibly food poisoning, or just a bad reaction to some food. He's probably gonna be on track tomorrow for quali, but I don't really know how he's doing now. He hasn't called or texted you?" Daniel explains.

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