Chapter 34 Rosa
ROSA
“Hi! I’m Rosa. So nice to meet you. We’re so sorry we’re late. You won’t believe this, but we got stuck in our hotel’s elevator. It was crazy.” We greet the first interviewers, and the whole crew looks skeptical, but seem like they believe it. Kind of.
“Let’s just get this over with,” says one of the cameramen, and a woman sits us down next to each other, while another sits in front of us.
“Hey, don’t worry that you’re late. It’s a shame you got stuck, but we’re glad you’re here. I’m Jenny, by the way,” the woman sitting in front of me whispers, and I smile at her kind words, happy that at least she’s not mad at us.
Can you blame a couple for having a little fun? Even if others shouldn’t know that. And even if it’s supposed to be fake.
They put the microphones on us, we go over some testing, then they tell us the cameras are now rolling.
“Hello, everyone! Today, we’re here with Formula 1’s new lovely couple, Mateo and Rosalia!
Welcome! Rosa, you’re practically glowing!
You look stunning. What’s your secret?” she asks with a smile, and I blush when I look over Mateo, who’s seemingly trying his best not to burst out laughing. Sex is my secret, darling.
“Hi, everyone! I’m so happy to be here. And thank you! You look stunning as well. And as for my secret, it’s just…lots of water. Staying…hydrated, you know?” I chuckle awkwardly, not knowing how to really answer. I feel like she knows the real secret, and it’s bugging me.
“Good to know. Now, Mateo, how are you doing? How’s recovery?” She turns her gaze to Mateo, and I quietly thank her. Pictures are okay, but talking to people about something private? I’ll be damned if my anxiety isn’t peaking right now.
“Hola, todos. I’m doing well, thank you. I still have the plaster on, and I will for a little while, but if I’ll ace physical therapy, then I might even be back before Austin.” Jenny’s eyes widen, shocked by the information.
“That’s like…three months from now! Fans will be really sad you’re leaving out this many races. All while fighting for the championship.” Mateo tenses, shrugging his shoulders, trying to mask his annoyance.
“Yes. But we’re positive I can still fight for it when I come back. And even if I don’t, I’ll be happy that I recovered from the accident and hopefully finish the season on a high.” He starts fidgeting with his fingers, nervousness taking over him.
It’s going to be tough to come back from this.
Asher is still 54 points behind him, but if he wins two races, then it’ll decrease to four points.
And even if he manages to come back for Singapore, there are three races between, and it’s not written in stone that he will win the first race after not driving for two and a half months.
But he’s one of the best drivers, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on Asher’s ass after the first race. We just have to support him.
“I can imagine how hard it is for you now, especially since Milo, Moscardi’s reserve driver, did so well in Hungary and Spa.
Given that he’s basically a rookie and has just been brought up from F2, finishing in 6th and 7th place is really good.
” Teo clenches his jaw again, and his leg starts bouncing.
I look up at him, and he’s trying to control himself from snapping.
Well, this interview has taken quite a turn.
I slide my hands onto his thighs, squeezing them as a way to remind him that I’m here.
His leg stops bouncing, and he’s not so tense now.
He puts one of his hands over mine as he turns to me and smiles at me, silently thanking me.
I smile back, then move to hold his hand between mine, rubbing the back of his hand.
“Yes, we’re really happy he adjusted to the new circumstances so well.
We’re having a lot of fun during weekends, and now that I help out as a strategist, I can understand the kid’s mind more.
He’s a natural. I’m sure he’ll achieve more in F1 soon.
” He smiles at Jenny, not letting her manipulate him into saying something wrong. Good job.
Jenny’s smile falters a bit, seeming sad she couldn’t trick Mateo. He’s a high-performance athlete; he’s not stupid, Jenny.
“Alright. Well then, let’s talk about your relationship! Any news we should know about?” Her fake smile appears on her face again, and now I feel ashamed that I didn't see earlier that she was pretending to be nice. Teo turns his head toward me, waiting for me to speak up.
“Well, we’re doing great. We try to spend as much time together as we can, enjoying each other’s company.
I don’t know if it counts as news, but now that we have a month off, we’re going home and…
officially meeting each other’s parents,” I say enthusiastically, trying my best to hide my anxiety again.
Yes. I’m meeting his mother. And he’s meeting my parents.
My dear, beloved, sweet angel of a mother called me last week, and started to kind of yell at me for not telling her that I’m dating someone, and especially if that someone is Mateo.
I felt like a kid being sent to my room after my parents grounded me. It was awful.
But if that wasn’t enough, she also told me that she “googled up” Mateo, and found his mother on Instagram, and guess what?
It turns out my mother and Mateo’s are long-lost friends.
They were neighbors while they went to primary school together.
Then, I got reprimanded again for not mentioning that it’s her.
So, in these unfortunate events, my mother now knows I’m dating her friend’s son, and I can’t tell her that none of it is real. Oh and surprise, she messaged Mateo’s mother on Instagram and invited her over to have lunch together. All of us. In our holiday home. In three days.
Let’s just say, there might be some strange stuff happening to me until then, which will unfortunately stop me from attending the family gathering. Poor me.
“Really? Wow! That’s so amazing! You’ve been together for like…two months, and you’re already meeting the parents. Must be pretty serious then.”
Mateo looks at me, searching for my gaze, not letting it go while he’s talking. “Yes, I’d say we’re pretty serious. She helped me out of a bad time. I’m lucky to have her.”
He’s gotten so good at lying and at pretending that he almost sounds genuine now; it’s almost believable that he means it. He cannot possibly actually mean it, right? Just because we’re great in bed, it doesn’t mean he’s starting to like me.
“I’m so glad you two found each other. You look great together. And what about that journalist? Any news on that?” Jenny pulls us out of our intense eye contact, reminding us that the interviewing crew is also here.
“I cannot really share much detail about it, but… we’ve got it under control,” Mateo speaks up, shrugging off the question. I really hope they do. Even I don’t get updates on that.
“Uh… Awesome! Well, thank you so much for coming, guys, and I hope to see you soon!” She grins, and we both let out a big sigh that it’s finally over.
The cameras stop rolling, then they take the microphones off, and everyone says goodbye.
We thank them for having us, and we start walking toward the exit.
There are several Moscardi and F1 fans waiting outside the gates, and my hearts melt at the sight of a little boy dressed all up in Moscardi merch.
Mateo starts signing different stuff for the fans, occasionally stopping to take some selfies as well. He reaches the boy, and when his mother asks to take a picture with him, Teo doesn’t crouch down next to him; instead, he picks him up with a smile, making small talk while he holds him close.
My heart leaps at the sight, maybe even stops for a couple of seconds, warmth taking over my whole body. He grins into the camera, embracing the kid like he belongs there. The grumpy asshole persona is now completely gone, his gaze soft, and a big smile is plastered on his face.
After they’re done taking the pictures, Teo sets him back on the ground, then turns to me, grinning even harder at my reaction. Damn baby fever. And we’re not even really together.
He signs a couple more things, takes some more pictures, and then holds his hand out, inviting me to follow him. When I’m at an arm’s reach, he grabs my hand and pulls me close, cradling my face. His eyes go back and forth between my eyes and my lips, and I nod a little, giving him the go-ahead.
We held hands, hugged, even kissed each other, but all those kisses only lasted a second; they were just pecks. We weren’t really comfortable enough to kiss in front of cameras yet, but from what I’m sensing, it’s gonna change now.
He finally leans in, but it’s not like any other kiss we’ve had before. This one’s raw and intimate, nothing like the hungry and intense ones we usually share. When he breaks the kiss, a blush spreads on my cheeks from the way he’s looking at me.
This kiss felt real. It felt like the whole world stopped around us, the kind that makes you lift your foot up. And his gaze that’s piercing through mine is indicating the same, holding untold feelings. And that…scares me a lot.