With friends like these who wants enemies...

Mauro’s POV

Tuesday morning was as tranquil as it could be. Mauro had talked over the phone with Sofia about their little big problem back at the company. According to his sister everything was being resolved, but Mauro had the feeling that Sofia might just be lying to him, so he wouldn’t bring himself to the office. The man was still in house arrest for his health and though he was glad of spending time in bed and doing whatever he wanted, Mauro couldn’t shake the feeling of being useless.

However, not everything was boring. Early that day, like at seven in the morning Mauro had received a call from an old friend; Carolina Mendez. She had been eager, asking all sorts of questions like: How have you been? Where are you? Why are you sick? Are you taking your medicines? Among many others, but then just as he finished asking her a question. Carolina answered in the simplest way possible; with good. Mauro realized that the woman was about to ask a heavy question. It was a trait that the CEO remembered pretty well from the summer they spent together. She was a patient woman, a smile on her face until it was time for her to ask the questions, to get all the answers she wanted.

“I met Rory Lagos,” started Carolina. There it was, “She is so nice and so pretty, is she not?”

A chuckle escaped Mauro, “She is. I am glad you met her.”

“I did know of her. Never had it occurred to me that she was from Monterrey though. She is actually nicer than many other people I know from your city.” Mauro kept silent; he was debating whether to tell her to get to the point or distract her, “Had breakfast with her today,” she added, “Such a lovely girl.”

He made up his mind, “Carolina what’s your point?”

The girl’s laughter was just as unexpected as her call, “Vamos Mauro, ¿acaso no me vas a decir? Te conozco desde los 17 años, ya cuentame”

“I don’t know what you expect me to tell you,” he answered.

“Ay los hombres, que ganas de ser estúpidos,” she huffed, “Wicho told me you guys are friends, so why had I never seen her in your insta?”

“Excuse me?”

“You have pictures with all your friends, but not with her.”

Shaking his head Mauro massaged his forehead, “Carolina what are you on about? Yes, Rory and I are friends. No, I have no pictures with her, well only one, but because for the last two and a half years I had no contact with her, whatsoever.”

“Don’t be getting mad,” warned Carolina, “It will debilitate your immune system.”

“What? Really?”

“According to my mother,” shrugged the brunette, “Anyhows, it was nice talking to you Mau. I shall tell Wicho to invite you to Guadalajara soon.”

“That would be very kind of you,” chuckled Mauro.

“Maybe you can bring Rory with you,” the woman added, “She looks like she is good with kids”

“Goodbye Carolina”

“Bye Mau”

The rest of the day went on with no other surprise calls, well maybe just one. It was one of those calls to change your cell phone plan and move to another company and what not. After that he continued checking work through his computer and around eleven at night when insomnia threatened to make its appearance his phone screen was lightened. A couple of messages. Marcos Salazar had written to him, and if Mauro did the math right, being almost midnight in Mexico that would make it seven more hours all the way in Budapest.

It was damn early.

Taking his phone and entering the chat with the driver he read two messages:

You were right. She loves speed, mate.

And then a single youtube link. Curious to what his friend meant Mauro projected the video over to the TVin front of his bed. It was a video uploaded by Silverlane’s official account. The intro was solely done by Rory as Yori and Jean Gervais stood a step behind her. The model explained the dynamic of the hot laps before she was handed a blueish helmet.

There was a moment when Yori and Jean raced to the driver’s seat that Rory was talking with the team principal, who nodded once in a while before Rory had to join the guys inside the Honda. The inside camera caught the threat that both Aurora and Jean made to Yori, but the japanese driver laughed at them as he sped away.

Mauro’s attention was on both Rory and Gervais, the second one seemed to have forgotten all the words of the English language and though Mauro could not understand French he knew for a fact that those words weren’t meant to be understood, still the beeping sound managed to mute them away. Aurora on the other hand was seated on the middle seat hiding her face in her hands as she screamed Yori’s name.

As Yori’s three laps ended Aurora was the one beeped now as her Spanish curses flew out of her mouth. She climbed out of the car and used a hand to stabilize herself against the white car, “God. Yori, what is wrong with you? You are so mean!” she gasped, “I get it that you try to kill Jean, but me?”

“I didn't do it on purpose, Rory,” said the Japanese driver climbing into the car’s back seats.

“Now hold onto your butts,” joked Gervais, already behind the wheel.

Rory turned to the camera as if she was in The Office, “Rory how did you die?” the girl shrugged, “My friends killed me, no biggie,” she shook her head as she took her place over the co-pilot’s seat.

The scene changed and now it was the inside camera, “So dramatic,” whined Jean once the model was already inside and with the door closed.

It wasn’t until the French’s laps were over that Mauro’s attention spiked. Rory found herself behind the wheel as Jean and Yori looked absolutely terrified. “Boys,” she turned to them with a smirk on her face, “Seat belts please.”

“If you kill us Rory, I will come back and haunt you.” Jean threatened, his accent drawing pretty heavy over his words, “I am not joking,” Aurora pushed the guy back by the helmet. Just then Aurora made the engine roar, “We are going to die,” mumbled the blonde driver.

“Give them hell,” said Mauro underhis breath and he was right Aurora did give them hell. She drove like a mad man, her smile couldn’t be bigger and the way the drivers screamed was probably a good motivation for her.

The car drifted in every corner as Rory pulled the handbrake, could she have done it differently? Surely, but Mauro was sure that Aurora was taking revenge and one thing that Mauro knew alongside his high school friends was that when Rory took revenge, you could only pray.

“Stop the car!” shouted Jean Gervais from the back of the car, Rory laughed and stopped the car right where they had started, “Grâce à Dieu,” the driver added, walking out of the car and sitting down. “I had never been in a car that drifts so much!”

“Tokyo drift at its finest,” joked Yori, “Like the movies.”

Aurora had not climbed down from the car, she remained with her hands on the wheel, her eyes facing forward. Mauro realized she was a little too pale. All of a sudden someone called her and that trained smile appeared on her face before it turned more natural as Gervais offered his hand to her to help her out of the car. “I thought you would like it,” she shouldered her helper, “After all you are F1 drivers.”

Jean laughed fakely before turning completely serious, “You are never driving me again.”

“Me neither!” agreed the other driver from the floor.

“Babies” groaned Rory laughing.

The closing of the video was given by Yori from the floor, completely laying down, “See you soon!” He added waving his hand at the camera before letting it fall beside him. yori then groaned and pushed himself upward.

Mauro could only smile with pride. Though he would definitely call Rory once it was a decent hour to call. He would sleep and call Rory once he had woken up. He wanted to hear her version of the facts.

Rory’s POV

Rory jugged beside Marcos through the Hungaroring. She and many mechanics and engineers too. The jug was light and though Rory had to do her best not to talk, she finally started talking. Rory always got bored by running even though there was music pouring through her earphones the model was bored. “So did you call Bela this morning?”

“I did,” said Marcos looking at Aurora as she placed her earphones around her neck, “Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering,” she shrugged as she continued jugging, “How was the karaoke?”

Marcos chuckled, “Why are we talking?”

“I get bored when I run,” Rory explained, “I used to do track, but I would get bored and start talking to myself, which was weird. Instead I would run with a buddy. Oh! Dany Flores actually, Mauro’s little sister. So basically I avoid running.”

“Last night was fun,” Marcos said, “Wicho can sing, after a couple of drinks,” Rory chuckled, “Carolina was red with embarrassment”

“I can imagine.”

“I watched the hot lap video,” added the brunet, “Manejais increible”

Rory tightened her ponytail and nodded, “I do, thank you,” she smiled, “My brother and I would race each other all the time. The drifts on the video were mostly accidental, if i am being honest.”

“That explains your drowsiness yesterday.”

“Jean and Yori share the fault too,” argued Rory, “Thank God you don’t drive like them.”

Marcos chuckled

Just as she said that Pierre rode by them and remained to Aurora’s right, “To be honest, it was all Yori,” he chuckled.

“Get out of here, Cabron!” Shouted Marcos, throwing his towel at the Frenchman, but it ended hitting Rory straight in the face, “¡Perdon!” Shouted the Spaniard and pulled the blonde to a hug.

“Don’t hug me! You are all sweaty!” Yelled Rory pushing her friend away. She had caught the towel and smacked it in Jean’s leg.

“Ouch!”

Later that day while Rory roamed the paddock she found herself walking into the Silverlane motorhome which was basically a two in one with La Rouge. She sat comfortably on a coach and scrolled through her feed. After the hot laps Aurora had uploaded a picture of her with the Silverlane guys, all three of them with helmets. Yori had been kind enough to tighten the helmet and secure it for her. A picture of that was also along the model’s post. Finally at the end was a picture of them with Jean-Pierre on the back, Yori beside Aurora, who was behind the wheel. Comments and likes were given.

The next post was from Killian Indiana himself. It was right the moment that Lloyd and Marcos were helping her out of the hospitality, the three of them laughing. The description read;

A new popular presence among the paddock has been the young Mexican model Aurora “Rory” Lagos. She has been working alongside the Silverlane team, but has been spending some time with the Spanish speaking drivers: Marcos Salazar and Wicho Presa. Which then begs the question will we see more of the model in the upcoming races?

Rory did have an answer for that. As she continued, Rory spotted a picture of Sal with her family, she liked it and returned to her scrolling. It was later that she found on Carolina’s post that she realized Rory was tagged.

It was the both of them with Silverlane and La Rouge merch. The caption was what called upon the Mexican’s attention;

“When in doubt steal their clothes”, alongside a winking face.

“Carolina Mendez, you might have three kids and a husband, but girl, you are still a cheesy teenager!” Laughed Rory.

Just then Rory’s screen changed. Mauro was calling her, and not just phone-wise, it was facetime. Quickly she looked around her, and arranged her updo.

Wicho walked out of one of the offices and saw Aurora quickly fidgeting with her hair, “What the hell are you doing?”

She shushed him and shooed him away before turning to her phone, finally answering the call, “Hey Mauro!” the Mexican driver chuckled and nodded as he made himself scarce, “How are you?”

“I am all good Rory,” he smiled, his hair was a mess and if Rory had to guess he was probably in his apartment’s kitchen, “How are you feeling?” She looked at him questioningly, “You looked a bit pale on the hot lap video.” A side smile creeping over his face.

Groaning Rory replied, “I swear I had never been more nauseous in my life,” Mauro smiled, “But I am better now, even joined Marcos in his morning run through the circuit.”

“Isn’t it cold over there?”

“Freezing!”

“Freezing?”

Aurora clicked her tongue, “Sort of, okay? It is freezing for me. Twenty degrees Celsius, so yeah, I ran with a hoodie. A slim fit like Lloyd calls it,” a smile was drawn on her lips as Mauro smiled back at her, “Are you still in home arrest?”

“Nah. It is just early here,” he shrugged, as he poured some juice into a mug.

Doing the math Aurora sighed, “It’s five in the morning there,” she narrowed her eyes at her friend, “Why are you even awake?” She wanted to hear his answer, she hoped it was the reason she hoped for.

“Insomnia,” he answered.

Aurora would lie if she said that it hadn’t hurt, but who would she tell anyway? To mask her disappointment Rory added, “You miss me in your bed that much, huh?”

Mauro stared at her dead in the eye and nodded, “Like you have no idea Rory.”

“Why are you all red Rory?” Called Maas from across the living room, “Are you okay?” If Rory had been red before, she was now a brighter shade than Marco’s Monoposto. She glared at Maas and turned back to Mauro who was laughing his head off, “Rory?”

“I have to go Mauro,” she managed to say, “I’ll call you,” and Rory ended the call before cursing at Maas in Spanish.

“You kiss your mother with that mouth?” gasped Wicho appearing again, but this time with a half eaten apple, “Shame Rory!”

“¡Callate Viejo metiche!” Shouted Rory

“¡Respeta a tus mayores, niña!”

“Tengo 22. ¡Ya no soy una niña!”

“Eh, ¿pero qué ha pasado aquí?” Marcos walked into the hospitality to a rare scene, Rory a couple of steps away from a wide eyed Maas as the model shouted at Wicho in Spanish from across the room, “¿Pero que le han dicho a la niña?”

“¡Que no soy una niña!”

Felipe Antonio, another Spanish driver, was beside Marcos and folded his arms over his chest, “¿Qué va? Claro que ereis una niña,” he said raising an eyebrow.

“Va, okay,” sighed Rory glaring at Maas and returning to the middle of the room where she had dropped her phone, “Felipe is the only one who can call me that.”

“Cause he’s old?” wondered Maas receiving a glare from Aurora and Felipe himself, “Just saying, I got to be honest. I am honest.”