Minefield of Mirrors

-32-

'Yes, yes! Calm down. I'm already on my way!' Iris laughed into the phone.

Lando's voice sounded impatiently on the other side of the line. 'Just hurry up. You said you wanted to be done by six and it's already seven. I waited a whole hour for you.'

Within a few seconds, she threw all her belongings into her bag and threw her bag around her shoulder so she could quickly walk through the hallway, on her way to the front of the motorhome. 'Awh, you cleared your schedule after six for me?'

'Oh no, I was already done at five. Don't flatter yourself too much.'

'Alright. Where are you?'

'I'm at the parking lot. I see you soon up here?'

Iris walked down the stairs. 'Yes, I'll be there in around seven minutes.'

'Such a specific timeframe.' He said joyfully.

She wished some other co-workers a good night and made her way through the frontdoor of the motorhome. 'That's how long it took me this morning, so it should be the same right now. See you in a bit Lando!'

'Yes, see you!'

They hung up the phone and Iris threw the device in the bag. She was so done with her phone today. Somehow so many people tried to reach her and it was driving her crazy. Well, maybe it wasn't just her phone that was driving her crazy. Ever since she had walked away from Max in the hallway this afternoon, the moment had been playing on repeat inside her brain. Everywhere she went, she saw the smirk of Max.

It irritated her that his mood had changed around so quickly. One moment he was shouting at her and the next he was playing this seductive game again. No, she just couldn't wrap her mind around it. She had never been in a situation like this, so it made it even more dangerous and difficult. What the hell was she supposed to do?

Her phone made another notification sound, but Iris ignored it as she walked past a random Ferrari merchandise store. She already had this gut feeling it would be a text from one of the girls. Surely one of them had already found out that she had had another little meet-up with the Dutch driver of the team.

No, no, no! She shook her head. This was getting crazy. Iris wasn't here to think about him. No, she was here for her job to find a better way to fill in the regulations within the budget cap. There was no room to fuck around with this kind of childish game. Her focus had to be on the big prize: succeeding on this project and moving a step higher up within the company. That should be her big priority. That was her dream after all. 

Right?

Her fingers wrapped around the paddock pass and she held it against the scanner, so it would unlock the exit for her. A beep and two steps later she had already officially left the paddock. Perfect. Now she just had to make her way up to the parking lot so she could find Lando. Oh man, if only her brothers would know that Iris was driving along with one of the drivers on the grid, they would freak out. Literally.

'Iris!' Lando called from somewhere down the parking lot.

Her eyes scanned all the cars and then she spotted him waving next to a big white car. Oh, he was getting a new car every weekend? Iris waved back to let him know she saw him and then started to walk in the right direction.

When she had reached Lando, he hugged her. 'Ah, good to see you! How has your day been?'

If Iris had to be honest, she had no clue how her day had been. 'It was... Interesting. Lots of different thoughts and tasks.' That is what her answer ended up being.

'That doesn't sound very exciting.' Lando simply stated as he scanned her face. 'You don't look that exciting either.'

'Nah, it's alright. Not every day can be thrilling, right?'