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The paddock was as busy and chaotic as usual. The media was waiting for the rest of the drivers to come in. Fans trying to get photos of the drivers. Staff getting to where they need to be.

George is as usual calm and collected. But today he was excited. He finally convinced his girlfriend Maxine or more known as Max to come to a race. She had been reluctant to come to any of his races since she didn’t want to be perceived by the media and fans. George is excited to finally have her here. Since it was his home race she decided to attend. 

Reporters notice George walking in with someone by the hand. The media and fans thought he was single this whole time. Since there was never any rumors or speculation that he was in a relationship. 

But today they were proven wrong as he walked in with partner. They wonder who she was. As she was dressed in simple clothing. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a black flowy shirt. She had her hair down and had sunglasses covering her eyes with a blank face. 

Max looked around and was seeing who was staring at her. “You weren’t kidding when you said everyone stares.” She uttered. “I told you but didn’t want to believe me.” George said back. “Whatever” she mumbled. 

George held Max by the waist as he guided her to the Mercedes garage. Fans and cameras followed them until they made it into the Mercedes garage. 

Fans tweeted “WHO IS SHE?”. “IS SHE GEORGE GIRLFRIEND?!”. Fans looked for any information on George’s newly debuted WAG. 

As they entered into Mercedes hospitality. George noticed the silence and lack of movement from the staff. He let out a sigh. “Good Morning.” He said. That broke the trance everyone was in but nobody moved. “Everyone, this is my girlfriend Maxine. She doesn't like to be called by her full name. So just call her Max.” George said. 

“Hi.” Max said in a flat voice as she raised her sunglasses onto her head. She gave a small wave to everyone in the room. Some waved back others said hello back. Everyone slowly made their ways back to what they were doing before Max stepped into the hospitality. 

“George, can you take me to the red bull fridge? ” Max said. George looked at her for a second and huffed a laugh.

 “Y’know that enemy territory right?” 

“Yes I know.” Max said in a flat tone. 

“Well we can’t just waltz over there and take one.”

Max stared at George for a few seconds in silence. 

“We can if Ollie bearman can do it, so can you.” Max said with a blank face. 

George had remembered Ollie going viral in Austria for that moment. He had been caught by some photos that were taken. George looked towards his assistant and asked. “Do I have time to spare before the race?” 

“Uh yes, you do.” Said the assistant. George looked back to max. 

“Okay we can go get one.” George said. 

Max's blank face grew into a small smile. George grabbed her by the hand and intertwined their fingers together. Max grew a small amount of blush. They walked out of Mercedes hospitality and went on the way to the Red Bull fridge. 

Once they reached the red bull fridge. Max opened it and looked at all the red bull’s flavors in the fridge before choosing one. She closed the fridge and cracked open the red bull enjoying it. When she heard footsteps, she looked around to see a very loud Daniel riccardo. 

“Russell, George.” Daniel shouted as he walked over. “Hello, to you mate.” George said. Daniel looked to George's side to see Max drinking her Red Bull. "Whose this?” he asked. “Ah this is my girlfriend Max.” George said.

 “Hi Daniel, I’m a fan of yours, well a fan of all the Redbull Drivers, but mostly you.” Max said with a slight blush. 

“Oh thank you, since when were you supporting me?” Daniel said with a bright smile. 

“Hmm, since 2014 I think, I’ve enjoyed watching the races after I finished racing, and analyzing each driver's style.”

Before Daniel could say something back his personal assistant called out. “Daniel, come on, we have to do media duties.” “Well, duty calls, see you guys around.” Daniel exclaimed as he walked towards his personal assistant. “Cheers Mate.” George said as Max waved goodbye. 

George looked at Max and held out his hand. 

“Come we have to go, I need to introduce you to Toto and Kimi. So they don’t wonder who you are.” 

“I think Toto will recognize me just fine, as I was scouted so many times.” Max sighed. 

“Yes, yes I know but Kimi doesn’t know you, and the PR team will ask me questions about you too.”

Max grabbed George’s hand and intertwined their fingers together. “Aright, let’s go.” 

Max and George walk into the Mercedes garage. As George was looking through the garage for Toto and Kimi. Max was on her phone scrolling through her private twitter account to see what was trending online about her and george. So far “#GeorgeGirlfriend & #Who is that?” was all she saw was trending as she was tugged by her hand as George told her to follow him.  They walked through the garage until they reached where Toto and Kimi were. 

“Good Morning Toto, Kimi.” 

Toto and Kimi turned around to look at George. 

“Good Morning George!” Kimi replied.

Kimi looked to his side. “And who’s this?” 

“Ah this is my girlfriend M—-”. George was interrupted by Toto. “Maxine Verstappen.” Toto uttered. 

“Good Morning Toto.” Max replied with a blank face. “And please just call me Max.” 

“Ah good morning Max!” Kimi chimed. 

“Good Morning Kimi.” 

“I hear a lot about you from George over here.” 

“Really!?” Kimi said with a gasp. 

“Yep, but don’t tell him I said that he’s shy.” Max snickered. 

“I hear that!” George groaned. 

Kimi and Max shared a quiet laugh. 

“Hey if you ever need advice you can always ask me, although it's been a while since I raced. But I do enjoy sim racing so I think that counts for something.”

“Wow, really I can bother you for advice?” 

“Yup you can and if you want I can ask the old man to give you advice as well!” 

“Old man? You mean your father?” 

“Ah, no not him.” Max shook her head sideways. “I meant like the old man on the grid.” 

“Old man on the grid?’ Kimi looked puzzled. 

“Yes, you know Fernando right?”

“Fernando, like Fernando Alonso?”

“Yep him, that’s the old man I'm referring to too.” 

“You know him, personally?” 

“Yeah I do, he has been in life for quite a while.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, since when do you know him?” 

Before Max could respond she was cut off by Bono, Kimi's race engineer. “Kimi come over here, we need to talk about strategy for the race!” he shouted from across the garage. “Ah, sorry I have to go.” Kimi said with a light blush. “That’s fine, you can talk to me later after the race.” Max laughed.  “Thank you, see you after the race.” Kimi said, while walking away from Max, and towards Bono and the rest of the crew. 

Max let out a chuckle as she walked toward George. While she was talking with Kimi, George was dragged away from her by Toto and his race engineer Marcus. They said something about talking about strategy for the race. She didn’t really hear it well, she was focused on her conversation with Kimi. 

She stood to the side waiting for George and his team to finish talking about strategy for the race. She looked around the garage seeing what everyone was doing. All she saw was George's personal assistant coming closer towards her with another lady. Her attention was grabbed by George grabbing her waist and pulling her closer to him. 

Max huffed. “You're finally back, huh?” 

“How was your talk with Kimi?”

“It was good, I told him he can ask me for advice and whatnot and that we can talk after the race. We do have some time before dinner right?” Max glanced at George.

“Hm, I think we do. And if we don’t I can always give him your number.” 

“Alright then.” 

Footsteps from George’s personal assistant and the other women finally came to a stop in front of them. George and Max looked at both women. “Good Morning George and miss Max” George PA says as she looks at max. 

“Miss Max, this is George's PR manager, and she would like to ask you and George some questions.” 

“Sorry to interrupt your time together before the race. But George, the broadcasting team is asking what to put on the pop-up for max and for her full name. And if they add anything else like a job or education?” George’s PR manager said. 

George turned his head to look at Max. “Well what do you want them to put?”

“Well, firstly my full name is Maxine Emillian Verstappen. And you can just put in a  Master's degree in business.”

 Max blurted out to the PR manager before she could respond. “Sorry, but can you tell the broadcast team to put Max in brackets?” 

George’s PR manager responded with a small smile. “Yes, I think that they can do that for you. “ 

“Ah, thank you.” Max said. 

“Alright, that's all we need to know so we will leave you guys alone.” George's personal assistant responded as she and the pr manager walked away from them. 

George looked at Max puzzled and whispered. “You gave them your full name? I thought you planned not to?” 

“Well, I planned not to, but then I remembered I could be recognized, like with what just happened with Toto. And that the media is relentless in finding information about me, ever since I disappeared from the sport.” Max huffed.

“Wait, they're still obsessed with talking about you?.” George said with a tinge of disbelief.

“Yup they are. Vic sent me a link to an article from a while ago this year speculating about my disappearance.” 

“You think after being gone for years they would give up. But no, I'm still relevant.” Max let out a long sigh. 

Suddenly an alarm went off near George. It was his phone alarm that was scheduled for today’s race. It was time for him to change into his racing suit. And go into a whole debrief  with the team about the car and strategy being used in the race. 

“Alright, it’s time for me to get ready and focus. I'll show you where you'll stay for the race.”

“Hm, fine show me the way.” Max walked behind George, as he led the way. 

“Look, this is where you will be during the race.”

“I can sit anywhere I want?” Max looks at all the seats.

“Yes, anywhere. Now I need to go get changed.” George begins to walk away from Max. When she starts saying something to him. 

 “You think I have time to see Fernando before the Drivers Parade and the race? Obviously I’ll come back before the race starts.” Max mused. 

George raised his eyebrow. “How are you sure if Aston Martin will even let you in to see Fernando?” 

“Well that's because I texted him earlier that I was coming to the padlock. Silly” Max said with a sly smile.

George hesitated for a second then said. “I’ll ask one of the staff to take you to Fernando.”

“Why thank you so much Georgie!” Max let out a giggle, looking all too pleased with his answer.

George walks to a staff member that was off to the side of the garage.  “Hi, can you walk max to the Aston Martin garage?" The staff member named Clare looked at George with startled eyes. “Uh, Yes I can take Miss Max to the Aston Martin. But is she allowed to be there?”

“Thank you for your help. And, yes she allowed to be there. She will be meeting Fernando Alonso.” George said. 

“Alright. Excuse me then.” Clare said as she walked away from George and to Max. 

“Miss Max, my name is Clare and I will be walking you to Aston Martin garage. 

“Thank you for walking me. Sorry to bother you but I’m new here.” Max said with a slight blush. 

“You are not a bother, Miss Max. We can start walking to the garage.” Max and Clare walked out of the Mercedes garage and towards Aston Martin garage. 

⧭

They arrived at Aston Martin garage. “We are here, Miss Max.” Clare said. 

“Thank you, once again for walking me here.” 

Before Clare could respond, Max walked away toward Aston Martin staff guarding the garage. “Hello!” Max said to the staff. “Um. Hello miss.” 

“My name is Max. And I’m here to meet Fernando.” “Could you tell him I’m here?”

The staff member faltered for a moment. “Yes, I'll be right back, miss.” the staff said as they walked away. 

Max turned around and saw Clare still standing around the area. Max spoke loudly. “Clare, you don’t have to wait for me here. You can go back to the garage.”

“Sorry, miss but I don’t think you know the way back to the garage.” 

“It’s fine, I—-“ Max was interrupted by footsteps and a voice. 

“I can take her back to the Mercedes garage myself.” Fernando said. 

“Papa!” Max squealed in excitement as she turned around.

“Princesa, dame un abrazo.” Fernando grinned as he held his arms open. 

Max spirinted into his arms and wrapped him into a tight hug. It has been a while since she saw her old man in person. Both Clare and AM staff stare at each other flabbergasted. Max had just called Fernando Dad. Since when did Fernando Alonso have a kid?

Fernando let go of Max with a content smile. He grabs her by the shoulder and starts leading Max into the garage. “Come, I need to introduce you to my team.”  Max and Fernando walk into the garage and disappear from Clare's sight. Clare walks back to the Mercedes garage dazed.  

⧭