I swung open the door of the secretary's office. A young woman with long blond hair and deep blue eyes stood up and looked at me shocked. She was dressed in a red tight skirt, white shirt, and black blazer with the Ferrari logo. I stepped closer to her desk and handed the letter with the invitation.

- I am here for the job interview – I said sharply.

- For the position of "Strategist", right? – asked the woman. I nodded to confirm. She smiled in confusion than said: - Well, could you please come back tomorrow... Your interview is dated for tomorrow not for today.

- I beg your pardon?! – I raised my eyebrows. – You sent me this letter, inviting me to come today and when I am here on the appointed day and time you are asking me to leave and come back the other day?!

- Well... Yes – she looked at me guiltily.

- Are you insane?! – I whispered angrily, trying to stay calm.

- Miss Bernardi, you have the right to be angry, but today is the car launch and everybody is busy with something – the blonde tried to excuse.

- Hear me out, miss "Secretary"! – I interrupted her, hitting the desk with hand. – Bring up here someone from the team, who does not have so much work to do, right now or I would not leave until you make the interview today!

- Mamma mia, please be quiet! – she gasped. – They are filming outside...

- I do not f***ing care! – I looked her with a dead stare. – Go and find someone! Now!

The poor slim woman ran out of the room, clattering with her thin heels on the marble floor. I waited for her to return tapping nervously with foot, making a loud noise as my heel was hitting the floor. Only the din outside was dulling it.

The hand clapping and shouts of joy coming from the half – opened window, caught my attention. I went closer to it and saw a huge stage with two hosts and big audience all dressed in red. The noise became louder when two good-looking young men came on the stage. I could not see them well from my place, but I could say, they were both strong and high, with fit bodies.

My observation was interrupted by someone, who came into the room. It was a short slim man with long gray hair, moustaches and small dark eyes hidden behind square glasses. He was looking like a musketeer, but without the cape and the hat.

- Laurent Mekies, racing director of "Scuderia Ferrari" – the man introduced himself.

- Lissa Bernardi, applying for the "Strategist" position – we shook our hands.

- Nice to meet you, miss Bernardi! – he said with a light smile. – I saw in your CV, that you live in Modena.

- That's right! – I nodded and smiled. – I am born in Bologna but live in Modena. But why are you making this ascertainment?

- Well, your interview is listed in our schedule for tomorrow – Laurent said slowly. – Today is the car launch, so we do not have a time...

It was this moment, when I realized that all the psychology books and guides for first impression are going to be trashed.

- Is it my fault that your car launch date matches with the date written on my invitation letter? – I asked calm but the blood in my veins was already boiling.

- Well, it is my colleague's fault, but...

- The minutes you lost to tell me all of these, you could have used for my interview – I said and moved a strand of hair from my face. – Now, make sure you are going to ask me a few fast questions and we both could stop losing our time.

- Okay... – Laurent sight. – You have only five minutes! Come with me!

I followed him to his office with proud gait and both with the secretary went into it. I took a sit on the chair in front of the big desk in the room and smiled casually.

- So, the first question is "What do you know about "Scuderia Ferrari" and the motorsport in general?" – Mekies read from a piece of paper placed on his desk.

- A lot – I answered laconic. – I did not prepare for test with the chronological history of the team.

- The next question is why should we hire you? – he asked and looked at me from under eyebrows.

- Question? – I whisper to myself and smiled but they both with the secretary stayed dead serious. Then I answered: – Well, you had a job ad at "Careers" page, so you obviously need someone to take the place of Mr. Rueda... Actually, have you read my CV?

- Yes, we... - started the secretary, but I cut her off.

- You have, he does not! – I said sharply. – Well, Mr. Mekies when you read my CV, you will understand why you should hire me.

In this moment the door of the office opened. A plumped middle-aged man entered the room and asked Laurent something in French. My interviewer pointed to me and shrugged his shoulders.

- Who are you? – the unknown man asked in English.

- Lissa Bernardi – I said with confidence. – I applied for the "Strategist" position.

- Stand up – he commanded, and I did it. – Turn around and then show me your hands.

I did all the things in the order he told me. The man took my hands and looked at my red and golden manicure.

- Where is the black horse? – he smirked.

- I am not good at drawing on nails – I said almost laughing.

- You must be...

- Well, then with the first salary from "Scuderia Ferrari", I will go on special courses for nail art – I winked at him.

- She is perfect! – the man said cheerful and shook my hand. – Nice to meet you, Frederic Vasseur, the team principal, and your new boss.

- But Fred, we haven't asked her about... - Laurent protested and I turn around to him.

- You know what, Mekies... - I said, - put your stupid questions somewhere that sun light does not touch. Have a nice day!

- We hire her! – Vasseur laughed and took my hand. – Come with me now. I want to introduce you, our world.

Then we both left the office. Everything happened so fast, that I still could not even realize it. I was walking shoulder to shoulder with the Team Principal of the Scuderia. For a second, I thought it was a dream again. Me hired?! After this attitude?! As a pure Italian woman, I was quick – tempered and hard for subjection but my strong character was what helped me to survive through the years. But if I really wanted to keep my workplace, I had to try to avoid that kind of behavior towards my superiors.

- Lissa, I will call you by your little name – said Vasseur suddenly and stopped for a second. – See, you are going to be on a trial period. We will review and sign your contract after the tests in Bahrain, so you will come there with us. Try to learn as much things as you can during this weekend.

- I will, I am fast student – I said trying to hide my smile from satisfaction.

- That's good! – he tapped me on the shoulder. – I will send you some learning materials and information about your traveling to Bahrain. If you have some questions, call my secretary, she will explain you everything.

- But how I am supposed to know her number? – I asked confused.

- I will send you everything – Fred winked at me. – Now it is time to go to the circuit because I have an interview in a minute. You can watch us at the pit – box.

- It is not necessary to show me "your world" at this moment – I said and laughed nervously. – We will see each other in Bahrain.

- Please, come and see the car – the team principal begged. – It is your new job after all.

- Yeah... my new job after all...

As I repeated his words, I felt more confident than before. I looked around myself and in a sudden my heart skipped a beat. I got the feeling. I felt this place as home.

#

We both went to the circuit. Vasseur made me to stay at the pit – box and went to give an interview with his drivers. I took a sit in front of the big screens and smiled. There were many people around me, but nobody noticed my presence. All of them were dressed in black trousers and red Ferrari brand shirts. That was obviously their official outfit for every race. Some of them were wearing helmets while working on the car. The other part of them were next to me, checking something on the screens. I was not sure what they were doing but I wasn't feeling as a coworker, much more as a big fan among them.

While I was busy thinking about the future job, a hand tapped me on the shoulder, and I jumped out of my place.

- Sorry, Miss, I did not want to scare you! – said someone in Italian with a clear Spanish accent. – Are you okay?

I turned around and saw a handsome tall man, with a tanned skin, fluffy black hair, and big warm brown eyes. His plump pink lips stretched into a slight smile. I ran my eyes over his fit, well – trained body and saw that he was dressed in a race suit. On the right hip he had the number 55. I was wondering if he is going to dance some flamenco or to kill the bulls as a bullfighter. Oh, he was definitely going to look great in one of these tight corrida suits.

- Miss are you okay? – the man repeated while I was looking at him up and down with wide opened eyes. He was so familiar to me.

- I am totally fine – I said after recovering from the first sight shock.

- Are you from the public? – he asked me suspiciously.

- No, I am actually working here – I laughed nervously. – Well, almost an employee.

- Good, Miss "Almost an employee", could you please leave me some space so we could watch my teammate testing the car? – the man said with a big smile.

I nodded and moved a bit to give him an access to the screens.

- Would you like to have some headphones? – he asked me. – If you are almost an employee, you will need them.

- You offer me to watch the testing together? – I was surprised.

- Just take them! – the man said in a hurry, after looking around himself and carefully put the headphones on my ears. – By the way, I am Carlos... Carlos Sainz.

- Bernardi... Lissa Bernardi – I introduced myself and we shook our hands.

- Are you the "James Bond" of the Scuderia? – Carlos laughed and as a result my cheeks instantly went red.

- Soon I will understand – I answered shortly.

The car behind us started the engine interrupting our conversation. A great noise went throughout the whole place. Now I understand why Carlos insisted to put the headphones. A picture from the camera on the driver's helmet flashed on the screen. He was pressing some of the setting buttons on his steering wheel, then he went out from the garage.

I turned my attention to Carlos. He was so familiar to me, and I did not have any clue, where I have met him before. I was really starting to worry about myself. First – the dream, second – the guy at the gate, who sounded like the thief of my dream and now this man, who I have met somewhere... No, it was not that I was watching so much TV shows about Formula 1. His appearance was imprinted somewhere deep in my mind and that feeling was making me crazy.

- It is a bit noisy here – I whispered to Sainz.

- You should see what is happening on a race – he laughed, then he pressed the radio button and said: – Lord Perceval, how it is the car?

- Hello mate! – the man from the radio answered.

I stopped listening to their conversation because I recognized the voice. It was the same as the one of the person that stood up for me earlier in the morning. Finally, I was going to meet him, and to be able to thank for the help.

The car went back to the pit box. Carlos put his headphones down, so did I.

- Wait here, till the end of the launch – he told me. – I will introduce you, my teammate.

I smiled and nodded. Sainz went out of the garage to finish the interviews with his teammate. I was feeling really nervous that my whole body started shaking. I was feeling like my heart was going to explode and suddenly it began getting harder to breath.

"Padre mio!" – I thought. – "What is going on with me!"

Notes:  Hello, readers! I am glad to see you again! Hope that you liked this chapter I would appreciate your opinion! I am waiting with impatiens to publish the next one... Sooo see you then! You could follow the external link, to feel the mood of the part. 

Have a nice race weekend! XO

N16