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It started as just a thought.
Monaco had been a nightmare for them. Checo had been miraculously lucky to have come out with mild neck pain and a headache from the crash, and Maxine was so grateful. Still, she had spent the next seventy-seven laps dealing with a tin can of a car, in a track impossible to overtake, and the nagging feeling of worry because she had seen him on the screens, but she would not have been able to settle until she was able to see and touch him on her own.
She’d been let go from the debrief fairly quickly, her horrible mood making her a snappy mess no one wanted to deal with. Alice let her know Checo had already left after he got checked out by the medics and had done his round of media, so she rushed to get all her stuff so she could get to him as soon as possible.
It had taken her longer than she wanted, but by the time she was finally going up the elevator, she was practically vibrating with how pent up she was. She stomped all through the hallway until she got to her door, fumbling with the key in her anger and frustration, and finally got it to open, only to find her teammate sitting on her couch as he petted Sassy, Jimmy furrowing into his side.
Everything else she felt melted away, the sheer relief encompassing her and overwhelming her. The soft, pained smile he gave her completely disarmed her, her backpack slipping from her shoulders alongside loud sobs that wracked through her. Sergio was quick enough to move the cats from his lap before she threw herself onto him, trapping him with her thighs and wrapping herself around him like a boa constrictor, pressing grateful words along with the kisses on his neck. Her heart broke when he returned her embrace with full force, shaking against her. She was helpless to do anything but keep placing kisses on him, moving from his neck to his jaw, to his cheeks, to his eyes, to his nose. Covering each and every one of those freckles she loved so much, kissing the bitter taste of his tears away.
When their breathing started to even out, and the cats started to paw at them for attention, she sat back on his knees, blinking her eyes back into focus so she could properly examine him. Other than the redness and puffiness on his eyes and nose, and the forming lines of frustration on his forehead, he seemed alright. A part of her finally settled, and she let out a shaky breath, releasing fully all the tension she’d been holding. She leaned down to kiss him, feeling him chuckle against her lips when Jimmy tried to get in between them. She huffed, rolling her eyes and yet not able to stop her smile from forming. She moved off his lap, but decidedly kept her hands on him as she pushed him to lie flat on the couch, moving Jimmy aside once more before sprawling all over him, her ear right over his heart, his regular heartbeat lulling her into calmness. She was close to falling asleep, and from the way his own breathing became deeper, so was Checo, when his phone rang loudly, startling them both so suddenly that they fell off the couch. He gave her an apologetic look, mouthing ‘Sorry’ as he reached for the offender. She looked around to see that Sergio had already filled the cats' food bowls, so she started thinking about what they could order for dinner, when her eyes fell on a familiar suitcase that sat next to the entrance. Her eyes snapped towards the man, his lips moving but words muffled by the sound of her heart beating loudly in her ears.
“- saliendo, solo me iba a despedir.” his voice came into focus. “Ahi nos vemos. Adios”
“You’re leaving already?” she said, catching him off guard.
He winced, just barely, and nodded. “I told you on Thursday I was leaving right after the race,” he replied, fiddling with the strap of his well-loved leather backpack, which to Maxine had materialized out of thin air.
“Yeah, but-” she started, stopping herself with a shake of the head. Because he had told her that he would be leaving right away. She had just hoped that the weekend wouldn't be an absolute dumpster fire, and she could convince him to stay for a bit longer.
She couldn’t, though. Because he had priorities, but most were back in Mexico, and she was not one of them.
She used to be, once upon a time. Just a couple of years ago, she could’ve asked him to stay, and he would’ve sighed before texting his assistant to reorder his agenda. He then would have lifted her off the floor and carried her to her bedroom, where he would’ve eaten her out until she was crying before fucking her into the mattress, and then let her cuddle him like an octopus for the rest of the night.
Things weren’t like that anymore. Things now were just a tentative friends-with-benefits type of situation. Things were meeting on race weekends and days at the factory, and then they each returned home. Things were having to see everyone flirt with him at events and having to swallow it all down until their next encounter, where she would mark him up to get even, but was never satisfied because it always had to be in places that couldn’t be seen. Or having to bite back her begging, everything in her screaming at her to get him to brand her up as his, and to do it so blatantly that everyone would know. That there would be no doubts that he owned her, body and soul.
But he wouldn’t. And she couldn’t.
“Are you coming to the factory next week?” she asked, cursing herself at her obviously hopeful tone.
He shook his head. “I’ve got too many commitments. I’m just staying home until Montreal.”
She nodded. “I will see you then, I guess.”
“Yes. Until then.”
“Checo!” she exclaimed as he walked towards the door. He turned to look at her. Whatever she was going to say died in her throat.
“I’m really glad you’re ok.”
His breath hitched, and his eyes watered once again, looking as if he was struggling with a very important and heavy decision. He sighed, looking up to the ceiling before giving her one last blinding smile. “Thank you,” he said, and walked out of the apartment.
She blinked her own tears away, headache from the first crying session already looming over her, and instead decided to distract herself by cooking something for dinner. She felt like she had just gotten shot when she opened the fridge to find a couple of containers of food that had not been there before. She pulled one of them out with shaky hands, mechanically going through the motions of heating it up and serving some of it on a plate, completely blind to her cat’s attempts at getting her attention. She was barely quick enough to stop Sassy from stepping on the plate, putting her on the floor, and quickly finishing what was left. It had been delicious because Sergio was a great cook, just as he was great at almost everything.
She trailed to her room in a daze, feeling a sense of dread crawl up her back as she prepared to face a night alone after daring to hope she would spend it wrapped up in someone’s arms. She could still go out, send a text to quite literally anyone in her contacts, and find one of the many parties that would be taking place at that moment. But it would be no use. She would be miserable as long as Sergio was not with her; better to be so at home with her babies than out in the world, where she would consume copious amounts of alcohol and get sappy and melancholic in a crowd filled with people with cameras and access to the internet.
Instead, she took a shower, washing off the frustration and disappointment of the day, and played around on the sim for about an hour until tiredness caught up to her. She was about to lie down when a flash of white on her desk chair caught her eye. She reached out and grabbed what turned out to be the hoodie Checo had worn on Saturday, soft and still so heavily branded with his scent it made her dizzy. She pressed the neck of the hoodie to her nose and inhaled, heat settling on her face and low in her belly.
God, how she ached for him.
Normally, she was one to take her time when masturbating, but lately she had found herself so pent up that she clumsily shoved down her shorts and underwear with one hand, the other one still pressing the hoodie against her face.
She was already wet enough that she could spread her arousal up her labia and to her clit, starting with slow circles the same way Sergio would do it, with barely enough pressure so he could have her humping her hips against his fingers. She could picture him, a smug grin looking down at her, leaning down to press occasional kisses to her cheeks and the damn mole on her lip he had always been obsessed with. “Need you dripping, leoncita.” He’d whisper with a husky voice, ripping a pathetic whine out of her mouth every time.
She felt overwhelmed by a sudden urge to have something inside her. Ideally, she would have Sergio’s cock at her disposal, pounding deep into her pussy until the need was satiated. This time, he wasn’t there, and while she had many toys, she felt that if she stopped touching herself and stopped having the smell of Sergio surround her, she would die, so her fingers would have to do for now.
She pumped her middle finger inside a couple of times, but it just wasn’t enough, so she added her ring finger to the equation. The slight stretch of her fingers helped ease some of the burning desire she was feeling, so she quickened her thrusts, curling her fingers and moaning muffled against the hoodie when they hit her G-spot, which she proceeded to aim for with reckless abandon.
Her breathing was heavy, and she was completely consumed by her desperation. She added a third finger, and her movements were so quick that her hand started cramping, so she had to stop, yet she didn’t pull them out; the emptiness was not something she could possibly bear.
She was suddenly struck with a feeling of longing, like something was missing. Her eyes welled up with frustration and impotence, her panting coming out too closely like anguished sobs.
She was supposed to have a ring on that damn finger.
Not only was it in the damn name, but she had found out just a few months after their breakup that Sergio had been looking for engagement rings, planning to pop the question during winter break. Victoria had let it slip during their vacation after one too many palomas. Her sister had refused to say anything after that, but she had managed to steal her phone and open their WhatsApp conversation to see several links of different models, all beautiful. One message from Checo had completely destroyed her.
‘I want to engrave our numbers on the inside. She’d like that, right?’
She loved that.
But she didn’t have the fucking ring now, or the man. She had herself, three fingers deep, and tears falling on a forgotten hoodie. And that wouldn’t do anymore. She wanted Sergio with her always.
He was the protagonist of all those fantasies she had ever had since she was a little girl. She would daydream of white dresses, flowers, and vows to love each other for eternity. But she was older now, and she knew that dresses got dirty, flowers wilted, and vows were broken every day. She wanted Sergio - she needed him to stay by her side forever.
So, at first, it was just a thought.
‘If I had his baby, he would stay’
It startled her. She shuddered, as if trying to shake the idea away. Because it was ludicrous. It was unhinged. It was absolutely insane.
It was true, wasn’t it?
He was an honorable man. The most honorable, she knew, certainly. He would “do right” by her, no questions. And he was, as her mother had once said before it had all imploded into shit, a “good, catholic man”. Surely if she got pregnant, he would ask her to marry him right away so their child would not be born out of wedlock. Plus, she knew how conservative Mexican media would be. To her, it would really be no mind; no one would bat an eye at her having a child without being married, nor would she care. But she did not think people on his side of the pond would be as forgiving.
He probably wouldn’t be thrilled at the prospect and their circumstances, but once in it, he always made it work. He was the greatest father she had ever seen, completely adoring and devoted. And she would put all her effort into it. She would be the best mother and wife possible, and it would all be because he would do what he could to help her be so, just as he did now, just as they had found success as a team. And he tried not to show it, tried to be nonchalant about it, but he failed miserably because those who knew him and paid attention could find his heart on his sleeve. He cared for her deeply, maybe even still loved her. Maybe not as much as she did, not as much as he used to, but he did, and that was all she needed.
And wouldn’t it be perfect? To walk around hand in hand, everyone looking at her belly, big and swollen with their child. Everyone who saw her would know that she was the one Sergio had chosen to make her his. And in the end, she’d have the cutest little baby of all time. She was sure it would have his dark brown eyes, his black curls, and freckles all over. And it would be completely theirs, no one else’s.
Her pussy clenched against her fingers, and she sighed, losing herself in the fantasy. She resumed her ministrations at the same time she finally let go of the hoodie, letting it envelope her head completely, so she could rub at her clit at the same time. The first touch to her clit matched with a caress to her g-spot made her arch off the bed, and the hoodie slipped off just enough for her to panickily bite it, so it didn’t completely fall off.
Her senses were completely overwhelmed. All she could smell was Sergio. All she could taste was Sergio. All she could see was the white of his hoodie. All she could hear was her heavy breaths and moans. All she could feel was pleasure, desire, desperation, and hunger.
“You’re doing so well, Maxie,” he would groan into her ear. “You’re going to take me so well, no? Going to let me fill you up.”
She nodded enthusiastically, as if he were there, expecting her to answer.
“And you’re so eager for it, amor. Such an eager little thing ready to be filled up with my cum.” Sergio’s voice would be raspy with his own desire, a tell that his orgasm was near. The circles on her clit quickened as she got closer to her climax. “We won’t waste a single drop, preciosa. We need to make sure it takes. Won’t leave this bed until you’re pregnant.”
‘Give it to me,’ she thought, her heart racing and pounding against her ribcage. She was so damn close; she could almost taste it. ‘I want it. I need it’
“Come on, Maxine,” the Sergio in her head demanded. “Be a good girl and take it. Let’s show everyone you’re mine.”
She came with a shout and the feeling of her cunt contracting wildly against her fingers. She kept rubbing quickly at her clit, prolonging the intensity until it became way too much. Her body was spasming uncontrollably, and she was finding it hard to catch her breath, mainly from the piece of clothing that sat on her face. She tried to shake it off at first, not wanting to dirty it with her cum, but as she relaxed her jaw and stopped biting it, she realized how stupid that was, considering it was now completely covered with her saliva. Not having a thick cloth over her nose did wonders, and soon enough, she was able to breathe normally once more.
She was tired, but decidedly not satisfied. If anything, she was hungrier than ever. Her heart beat fast as the fantasy that had taken her to the edge settled within her. But no, it was no longer a fantasy. It was a desire. One that she didn’t believe would fade anytime soon.
It didn’t leave her mind even when she gave in to her tiredness. ‘Maybe it’s finally time.’ She thought as she slowly succumbed to sleep. ‘Surely, we’ve rebuilt enough. Surely, we can have each other again.’
It was almost comedic how quickly everything started to fall apart.
From easily dominating at the start of the season, to having shitshow after shitshow every bloody race. Maxine could feel at the beginning of the year that they had a tricky car in their hands, but she couldn’t have predicted the monster she would find herself driving. It was sometimes even scary, when the car wouldn’t turn, when it wouldn’t brake, when it felt like it was about to fall apart. They kept throwing things at it with no solution in sight, and it did not matter how much time she and Checo spent in the sim or in meetings with the engineers. Things were bad.
For Checo, they were worse.
She could not believe the way the press was treating him. They had always been assholes to her, but the things that she had read about her teammate were just cruel. How everyone called for his head every single race, how they acted like he was the worst driver in the world, only there because of money. It was infuriating to see. More infuriatingly, though, it was that not only did no one on the team do anything about it, but they encouraged it with their vague comments and rumors they never properly denied. He was getting no protection at all.
So, she took it upon herself to make sure he had someone in his corner. Every time she was asked, she said the same thing. She wanted him as her teammate; the car was awful and tricky to drive, and he was doing what he could with the tools he had been given. She wanted him as her teammate. He hadn’t just forgotten to drive out of nowhere. She wanted no one else as her teammate. She had no power over who her teammate was, but she wanted him.
It wasn’t enough. Every day, she could see how it was a little bit harder for him. He had always been so resilient, so uncaring of what people said about him, but it got to a point where it just was impossible to ignore all the noise. They started to see each other less outside of the track. Instead of a dinner and hook-ups at each other’s rooms, Checo would have an appointment with his therapist or with his mental health coach. He would fly home even earlier than normal, eager to leave everything behind and just focus on the two kiddos who would think of him as their hero no matter what. Maxine tried her damned best whenever she had him, hoping to be a reprieve from everything crumbling, but she knew she was only a reminder. She always asked, unable to stop herself from being greedy enough to want a crumb, but she didn’t take it to heart when the answer was no. She just smiled and nodded understandingly and let him leave her.
It started to eat away at her, too. She had found herself in quicksand, and she couldn’t reach the branch, so she couldn’t pull herself out of the fucking mess she was in. The one person who had always thrown her a rope to pull her out had already been swallowed down, and everyone surrounding her just kept throwing sticks. She did her best because she was Maxine Emilie Verstappen, and she was nothing if not a great racing driver, but sometimes her best was still not enough. It was torture.
The rumors about Checo’s seat persisted. At first, she didn’t pay much mind to them. They had existed for the past three years, and they always led to absolutely nothing. He had a contract, a two-year contract that was good, designed by a team that had already gotten fucked over once and would never let it happen again. But they started to get louder and louder. The higher-ups’ responses vaguer, the team members more hostile and reactive to mistakes they helped produce. More and more people turned their backs on Checo, and it started to become concerning. She knew how bad things were at one dinner with her father and Raymond. Checo had said he would stay, but after another awful weekend spent in damage limitation, she had kissed him and said goodbye to him in her driver’s room before he left for the airport.
“They’re thinking about it.” Raymond had said. “Horner’s leading the charge. He’s been talking to the Thais about getting approval to get the lawyers working on invalidating the contract.”
Maxine’s eyes were planted firmly on her half-eaten plate, short and quick nods being the only thing that showed she was listening.
“Idiot, as always. As if Slim would let them get away with not paying him out completely.” Her father replied, chugging down his scotch without a care. “He should be the one out, he’s the one taking this team to shit. Kicking Perez out would only make things worse. Who would they even put in? Not Ricciardo when he couldn’t make it in the junior team. So, Tsunoda? Lawson? Neither of them is good. Too young and hungry. Won’t be good teammates.”
“What do you think, Maxine?”
She looked up, swallowing down the lump in her throat that had formed at the mere idea of not having Sergio by her side. “I think the same. Checo’s not the problem. He should stay; we need his experience and teamwork now more than ever.” She sighed. “He was the first one to say we’re heading down the wrong route with the development, and no one listened. Now we are here. He needs to stay; we need stability. More changes will just sink us further.”
Her father and Raymond shared one of their conspiratory looks. “I believe we’re all in agreement about what needs to be done. I will make some calls.”
What followed were scattered but succinct reports from the Dutch media. A flip from night to day would not be believable, but enough pieces that left their camp’s position clear to the world. The Verstappens wanted Checo to stay.
When her father gave a positive quote about her teammate, she knew things were becoming dangerously dire.
It was in Qatar when it became clear there was nothing else to be done. The shareholders had given the lawyers the go-ahead, a maximum pay-off amount had been set, and meetings had been scheduled to tell Checo that the team would be moving forward in a different direction. Mintzlaff had been the one in charge of relaying the news to her.
“It’s time. We cannot keep letting you have to do all the work.”
“Please spare me the act as if you’re doing me a favor.” She had said, unable to put up with the pathetic attempts at manipulating the situation. “I’ve been clear on wanting Checo to stay. I know I don’t have any power over this, but remember you’re going against my wishes.”
Oliver’s comforting smile became tense. He swallowed hard, avoiding her rigid stare. “Well, I hope you’ll see that this is the best for everyone. The team will be better for it.”
“I doubt it. But I guess we’ll see.”
Abu Dhabi had been a nightmare. The contrast was clear between having to say goodbye to Rocky the year before and now being relieved about never having to drive that tin can ever again. And then, having to act like she didn’t know what was about to happen every time she was questioned about Sergio’s seat. She was ambiguous, of course, noting she had nothing to do with the decision, but was firm in her belief that the problem had been the car, not Checo. The man in question, on the other hand, was insistent that it would not be his last race, denying any implication to the contrary. Maxine knew that he was aware, that there had been meetings already, that Jakobi and his family weren’t there for no reason. Chequito had been to races before, but Carola being there to be with him and Carlota made the writing on the wall very clear. She didn’t know how to approach the topic with him. It felt like she was walking on pins and needles the entire weekend, seeing him worn down and tired from an awful season, but with a definite air of conviction.
Good to his promise, he gave it all until his last lap, even if it lasted just a few corners. Once that was over, and he made one last round through the media pen, he was gone.
She didn’t see him until the end-of-the-year party at the factory. She had gotten there before Checo, mingling with the team in the welcome spread they had set up inside. Suddenly, Alice and Gemma called everyone to go outside. What had been grumbling employees complaining about having to be out in the cold quickly turned into thrilled cheers as Checo pulled up in a truck with the branding of “Patron” plastered all over it. With a smile plastered on his face, he handed a box to everyone, thanked them for their work throughout the year, hugged them, and chatted with them. He seemed light, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
After a couple of hours, she needed a break from the crowd, so she slipped away to one of the most sequestered sides of the factory. The lights turned on as the sensors perceived her movements, and she looked around until she spotted the one conference room that did not have glass walls, glad that she had a spot to hide in until she felt recharged enough to join the party again.
She had been mindlessly scrolling through TikTok when she was startled by a knock on the door. She looked up with wide eyes that somehow got even wider when she spotted Checo opening the door. He smiled softly at her before walking in and closing the door behind him. He was carrying a large travel bag, which made a thud as he placed it on the table. “I’ve been looking for you.”
She turned off her phone and placed it screen down on the table. “I didn’t want to interrupt your time with the team.” She said, nervously avoiding looking up at him. “How did you find me? I came all the way here because I thought no one would think to come.”
“Gemma told me she saw you slip away when I asked her. It took me a few tries, though. It was not fun carrying this around.”
“What even is that?”
It was almost imperceptible, but Checo’s breath hitched for a second. “I, uh. I haven’t given you your gifts.”
His hands shook barely as he opened the bag. Carefully, he took out one of the boxes of tequila that he had given to the team and placed it in front of her. “I know you don’t love tequila, but this is a good one.”
Maxine gave him a grateful smile. “I’ll make some palomas with it, don’t worry.”
“Yes! Do that.”
“Now, I couldn’t help but notice that you said ‘gifts. Plural.”
“Ah, yeah.” Checo rubbed the back of his neck. “I do have something else for you.”
He put his hands into the bag but hesitated. “I, um. I would have liked to give you this much later. But it is a tradition of mine, and you know how important traditions are for me.” Slowly, he pulled out a helmet.
Maxine froze.
“This helmet was the one I wore during our first Mexico GP as teammates.” His eyes were focused on the helmet as he turned it around in his hands. She could see he had written something on the visor with a gold marker. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. “That was one of the happiest days of my life, you know? Getting to step on the podium at home, with my entire family with me. And I got to do it with you, with my entire country cheering both of us on.”
“Checo,” she heaved, eyes prickling with tears.
“And then, getting to go home afterward, spending those couple of days resting at the beach house with the kids.” He smiled wistfully. “Carlota still sometimes sleeps with that lion plushy you gave her. Not always because she’s ‘a big girl now’, but still. I have pictures I can show you, they’re cute.”
Her hands were shaking in her lap as her lip quivered. She wanted to say something, but her voice had completely deserted her.
“Those were good days. And we’ve had so many since then.” He placed the helmet on the table with care. “Being your teammate has been one of the biggest honors of my life. You are an incredible driver, one of the greats without question, and being challenged by you has been so fulfilling. The moments we were against each other were just as incredible as the ones where we worked side by side. I would not have changed any second of it, I hope you know that.”
She couldn’t help but laugh incredulously at that. “Surely you can’t mean that. Not after everything. Not after where things are now.” She sniffled. “I would regret it if I were you.”
Sergio finally lifted his sight, reddened eyes boring deeply into hers. “I can’t regret it. Not when it’s you.”
She was lightning quick in getting to Sergio, hugging the air out of him. He huffed, clearly taken aback by the force of the embrace, but was quick to wrap his arms around her back, pressing her closer to him when he felt her wretched sobs wrack through her body. He didn’t say anything, just rubbed her back and pressed his lips against the crown of her head from where it was burrowed against his chest. He would’ve let her stay there forever if that’s what she wanted, but after a while, he knew she would force her way through the discomfort of bending down, so he shifted them around so she would sit on the table. Maxine complied, yet never faltered in her grip on him, nor her tears.
“Maxie, it’s ok, querida.” He muttered upon her temple. “It will be alright. You will be alright.”
Maxine shook her head furiously. “No, it won’t! You were supposed to be here! This is our team; we were supposed to do it together!” she wailed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Sergio separated her from him at that. She tried to avoid it, clutching on to him for dear life, but he was firm. He moved his hands to her face, his grip strong but not overly so. She felt self-conscious, knowing she probably looked a reddened mess, yet when she braved to look at the man, she felt completely overwhelmed by the sheer, unmistakable adoration he was looking at her with. “Maxine Verstappen, you are one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. You were great before us, you’ll be great after us, ok?” he wiped her tears with his thumbs, placing a kiss on her forehead to smooth out her frown. He was breaking her to pieces with his kindness and unshakable belief, which would abandon her along with him the moment he crossed the doors of the factory one last time.
“You’ll be great after us.” He said, but couldn’t he see she didn’t want to be? There wasn’t supposed to be an ‘after’ them.
She was tired of wallowing in her impotence. Why focus on how miserable she would be when she had the man of all her desires standing in front of her, gazing at her with such fondness she could pretend was love, even for just a moment?
The kiss was frantic and desperate, for they both knew it. They had run out of time. Clothes flew around the room as they ripped them off their bodies without a care, only to immediately go back to kissing and touching, neither willing to waste a single second not entangled with each other. Their gasps were loud from the big swigs of air they were taking each time, unable to stay apart for too long. In no time, Sergio had his fingers in her mouth so she could wet them enough to start preparing her for his cock. Her hole was wet enough to receive his first finger, and he alternated his ministrations with slow and vigorous circles on her clit that made it easier to add a second and third finger, until he had her so keyed up that she bit her lip to the point of tasting the bitter tang of her blood. With shaky arms, she lifted herself from the table and shoved at Sergio’s shoulder until he finally looked up at her.
“Come on, give it to me.”
He leaned into her to give her a hasty kiss as he pulled his fingers out of her. She whined at the loss against his lips, nipping at them in protest while he tried to unbutton his pants. He separated from her so he could spit into his hands and pump his cock a couple of times, grabbing her hip to keep her steady as he guided himself into her awaiting heat.
Neither of them realized they were holding their breaths until they gasped once he was sheathed fully in her. He let her get used to the intrusion, till she started to move her hips to meet his. The first couple of thrusts were slow, letting her feel every millimeter of his thick cock as he pulled out and shoved himself back in. But neither of them was in the mood to take it slow, and soon enough his pace was borderline punishing, shaking the table with each stroke.
“Neuken, schatje.” She whined into Sergio’s ear. “Give- ah! Give it to me hard. I need it, please.”
“Yeah? Don’t worry, preciosa, you’ll get it. I’ll give it all to you.” He grunted, renewing his efforts to fuck her into the table. “Mierda, amor. You feel fucking incredible.”
She was so close, her orgasm dangling right in front of her, getting closer and closer as Sergio kept hitting her G-spot and grunting dirty words in Spanish right into her ear. She arched her back and dug her nails into Sergio’s back, who retaliated by nipping at her neck. Her eyes rolled back into the back of her head, as she wished with all her might that he would give her one more gift and let her go home with his mark on her.
In tune with her and her needs as always, Sergio snuck one of his hands down to circle her clit, hurling her right over the edge and into an orgasm that had him kissing her to muffle her screams of pleasure. She heaved as she came down from her high, and amidst the post-orgasmic fog, she felt as Checo slowly tried to pull out of her. ‘Like hell he will,’ she thought, and with the barely-there strength that remained, she crossed her legs around his hips, doing her best to keep him in.
“You said you were going to give it to me.” She breathed out in response to his quizzical expression, making sure to squeeze her pelvic floor around his throbbing cock. “So fucking give it to me.”
The older man huffed out a laugh. “Whatever the princess wants.” He said, securing a tight hold on her hips before pounding into her with abandon. It felt as if he almost had no qualms about how she was doing, just focused on his own pleasure. It turned her on to think of herself as nothing but a pretty toy for Sergio to use. However, there were still undercurrents that suggested it wasn’t the full truth. The way he angled her hips, the thrusts were just the right amount of hard without being too painful. Soon enough, when his rhythm faltered as his orgasm approached him, he moved his fingers back to her clit to ensure she came a second time.
It was the feeling of his cum filling her up that did it for her. The warm and heavy load was everything she had hoped it would be, marked to the deepest extent she could in that moment. Nothing else mattered in that moment but having the physical representation that, for a moment, she had possessed the power of bringing Sergio to ecstasy buried deep within her.
And for a moment, she imagined it was enough to make him stay.
Checo collapsed on top of her, his shaky arms the only thing stopping him from fully crushing her. She was tempted to swipe them so he could press onto her and maybe fuse them forever. Sadly, after a couple of minutes where the only noise was their heavy breathing, he pushed himself back up and slowly pulled out of her. She whined as she felt the cum drip out of her, and with what little strength she had, she tried to lift her hips to prevent it from slipping out fully. ‘Keep it in,’ a voice told her. ‘Make sure it takes. Make sure he stays.’ It wouldn’t, and he wouldn’t. She took enough precautions to ensure it.
Wordlessly, he shuffled over to where his bag was sitting and pulled out a small piece of cloth, presumably the one they got to clean the helmets, and used it to wipe between her legs. The softness and care with which she did so made a knot settle in her throat.
“Maxine, you should probably get back to the party. They’ll start looking for us soon.” Checo said, his voice hoarse yet quiet, as if speaking any louder would break the moment any further.
She shakily extended her hand, which he grabbed and pulled to help her sit up. Her gaze stayed settled on the floor, unwilling to look up and see what her now ex-teammate felt in that moment. He'd always had the most expressive eyes.
“You can head out first. I need a couple more minutes before going back.” Maxine muttered. “I’ll meet you there.”
Sergio hesitated. Maxine’s heart sank further as reality came back to haunt her.
“You’re not going back to the party, are you?”
“I only was staying to give you your gift.”
Fantasy broken, the woman smiled bitterly. “I uh. I owe you a helmet.”
Checo was quick to shake his head. “You don’t owe me anything. I wasn’t expecting anything back, I just wanted to give it- “
“Hey, this is how these things go. You give me one and I give you one.” Her eyes still avoided looking at him directly. “Now, since you decided to ambush me, you will have to wait until next time we see each other so I can give you mine, alright?”
“Alright. Until next time, then.”
She felt the press of soft lips against the crown of her head, and then heard the steps towards the door. She heard the pause, she heard the sigh, and she heard him leave, not knowing he was leaving with her heart in his hands, once again.
The pregnancy test was part of her routine lab work.
Every year, as she started to gear up for the season, she would go to the same lab, get her blood drawn by the same nurses, and receive the results, which her assistant would forward to her health team, so they could see if any of her levels needed to be addressed. The pregnancy test was simply included in the package; a bigger hassle not to include it than it was to just get the usual negative result. She’d had an IUD since she had turned 18, and they had always worked just fine. Her lack of periods from it had been a blessing, truly. Her racing suit was dark, but the fireproofs weren’t.
She’d forgotten she’d even gotten the testing done until the text from Rupert, asking her to get it done again in case the false positive in the pregnancy test meant that other levels could also be mistaken.
The feeling of Checo’s cum deep within her cervix flashed in her mind as she quickly opened the email with the results. Blatantly, almost mockingly, the word ‘POSITIVE’ stared back at her amidst the dozens of numbers that portrayed her health.
With shaky fingers, she fired off three texts. One to Rupert, telling him she would let him know when she got the bloodwork done again. One to her assistant, asking her to get her some at-home pregnancy tests and an appointment with her gynecologist. Lastly, one to Checo, which she tried her best to make sound cool and casual, letting him know she would be in Mexico for a quick getaway before her sim days, and that she would love to meet with him to give him her helmet.
She was staring at four positive pregnancy tests when Sergio replied that she could text him her plans and he would arrange for her to stop by his beach house, where he was spending the break with the kids and the rest of his family.
Three days had passed, and she had behaved completely automatically. The facts simply did not compute in her brain. It had been a fantasy, a well-loved fantasy she had gone to time and time again for comfort. Yet here she was now, in a car on her way to the Perez residence, a small suitcase she had filled with meaningless things, and a helmet bag in tow. She had ended up choosing the Abu Dhabi 2021 helmet; nothing else felt more fitting than that.
Checo was waiting at the door for her, quick to take the bags from the driver who had helped bring them to the foyer and dismissing him with a quick handshake and thank you. “Come in! You must be tired. I know how tough the flight can be.”
The scene that welcomed her filled her with a sense of yearning. The design of the house itself was sleek and modern, but it was the little details that made it feel like somewhere she could be in forever. The family pictures, the towels and blankets hanging on couches and backs of chairs, toys scattered all over the place. She couldn’t stop herself from asking about the children, of course.
“Paola and my parents had a sleepover with all the kids. She’s getting closer to giving birth, so she wanted to have one big thing with them before she goes from full-time to part-time aunt.”
She had forgotten about Paola’s pregnancy. Maxine’s mind immediately wandered to her child having a cousin their own age, one they could grow alongside and become best friends with. They could get into adventures together and have each other’s backs and-
“Maxine, I know you’re not here just for the helmet,” Checo said, pulling her out of her dreamland with an understanding smile. “Whatever it is you came for, I’m happy to hear it and help however I can.”
“I’m pregnant.”
Sergio’s eyes went through a myriad emotions, all so quickly that she had no time to read them. He settled on a stern expression, jaw tight and not quite meeting her eyes. It was a few seconds of torture before he spoke again, voice hoarse and tense. “When did you find out?”
“A few minutes before I texted you.” She replied. “I get a test with all my usual labs. When I saw them, I was a bit shocked, of course, but I knew I needed to speak with you about it.”
The man gave one stiff nod. He took a couple of deep breaths, ran his hand through his hair, and lifted his gaze to look at her directly. “And what will you do?”
“I’m sorry?”
“With the ba- the pregnancy. Do you know what you’ll do?”
‘With the baby. He was going to say -with the baby-’ Maxine thought, a warm feeling spreading through her. Still, she felt confused at the correction. “What do you mean by ‘what I will do’? It’s obvious, no?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Checo, you cannot expect me to believe you would tell me to get rid of it.”
“I would never.” His inflection and the way his mouth curled reflected his indignation. Yet it quickly softened. “But it’s not my choice to make. It’s your body that would be going through it. Your career that would be on the line. Your life that would be forever altered.”
“So, you wouldn’t want to be involved?”
“I did not say that.”
“What do you want me to think? You’re acting like this wouldn’t be affecting you. It takes two to make a baby, you know?”
“Oh, believe me, I remember very well what it took us both.” He chuckled, but it felt bitter and raw and not like the warm laughter that would make her glow whenever she was the cause of it. “But I cannot let you make this decision because of what I want, Maxine. My desires do not matter right now; all that matters is what you think.”
“And what if I say that what I think is that I want to hear what you think, huh?” She crossed her arms, looking at him petulantly. “Will you tell me then? Or do I have to beg?”
Sergio sighed, looking to the ceiling as if asking God to give him strength. “You really want to know what I think?”
“I’m asking, aren’t I?”
“I think that I want you to keep it. I think that children are the most beautiful blessing God can give you, and if he’s decided to bestow it upon us, then I would be more than grateful to him and to you for letting it happen.” He reached out for her hand, softly cradling and caressing it when he noticed her shakiness. “I think that a little baby that has your eyes, your hair, your nose, your lips, your anything would be the cutest thing that could exist.” He looked enthralled in his imagination, unable to stop himself from pressing a kiss on the back of her hand. “I think I love him or her already.”
Maxine’s eyes had filled with tears. She swallowed the lump in her throat, taking a couple of steps to get closer to him. “Sergio.” She sobbed, startling the man out of his daydreams.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken.” He said, loosening his grip on her. “Ignore everything I said. I do not matter.”
“I love it too.”
His head snapped up at that, his eyes reflecting shimmering just like hers. “You do?”
“Of course I do. How could I not? This baby,” she grabbed one of his hands and pressed it against her flat stomach, smiling when she imagined that soon enough, there would be a curve there. “This baby is us. What could be better than that?”
“Maxine. Amor, I-” Sergio breathed shakily. “You have to think about this. This would mean you cannot race this season. And you have to think about what this would mean for your contract. Take it from me, negotiating with the team is a fucking bitch. I guess they may go easier on you, I don’t know. They love you, after all.”
“I don’t really care about them right now, to be honest.” She shrugged. “We both know that the car will be shit this year, and with everyone catching up and passing us last year, who knows if I even would’ve had the chance to defend my championship.”
“Come on, you can’t believe that.”
“It’s true. Adrian left, and the car became a shitbox. Jonathan left, and we stopped fighting penalties and started having awful pit stops.” She hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether it would be good to keep speaking her mind. She ended up deciding it didn’t matter. She was going to have a child with this man; what was a bit more vulnerability? “You’re gone now. After I practically begged them to let you stay. Hell, even my father was coming up with media strategies to push them to keep you. But they didn’t; instead, they disrespected you and kicked you to the curb like you were nothing. Like everything we’ve achieved together was nothing. I cannot stand for that, Checo. We were supposed to keep going. The two of us.”
The man lifted the hand that wasn’t pressed to her stomach up to her face, holding her cheek reverently. She closed her eyes, nuzzling into the touch that had always brought her comfort. “Preciosa.” He whispered. “I didn’t think you were going to miss me so much.”
“I always do. So much it hurts.”
She didn’t realize she was crying until she felt him softly kiss her tear tracks. The kisses moved to her nose, to her eyelids, to smooth out her frown, to the mole on her lip that he had always fixated on. It unraveled her, the care with which he handled her. He had always been so careful with her. Even when he was rough, when he got lost in a moment of passion and pounded her into the mattress, it was never without care. She felt eager to give herself to his whim because she knew that he would always be safe and sound. When he finally kissed her lips, she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck in an attempt to get impossibly close.
He grunted into her lips, grabbing her hips and pulling her flush against him. Any tenderness left them in a second. All that consumed them was an insatiable need. It took no time before one of Sergio’s hands moved to her jaw, holding her in place so he could lick into her mouth, not giving her a chance to fight for the dominance of the kiss. It was one of Maxine’s weaknesses when it came to him. How it didn’t matter that she was taller, bigger, he manhandled her like it was nothing. She melted under his ministrations, lost in the intensity of the moment. All she could do was moan and gasp, holding on to his forearms for dear life.
She whined when he pulled them apart, her protests turning into a gasp when he grabbed her ass with both hands, before moving them down to grip her thighs. “Jump, baby.” He spoke. She did, wrapping her legs around his waist, and he carried them to the couch, where he laid her down gently before attacking her neck with kisses and bites. She arched into him, presenting her skin as a canvas where he could leave his mark.
“So eager for me, hermosa. No wonder I got you pregnant, you want everything I can give you, no?”
Maxine nodded. “Please. Please mark me up, I want everyone to see.” She said, head as far back as she could take it, so Sergio had plenty of room to work with. He caressed her jaw for a moment before his grip tightened to keep her in place once more. The first offense was right below her jaw. He pressed a couple of open-mouth kisses on the spot, as if preparing it, before he settled and started sucking. She was panting, feeling herself drenching her panties at not only how good it felt, but at the thought of how she would flaunt the marks like they were her most precious trophies. She was already planning how she would ask Sergio to renew the branding on her skin once it started fading, at least until his other claim on her began to show.
He left a couple more marks before Maxine started to get louder and restless enough that it felt like it was time to keep going. He ran his hands down to the edge of her sweater, softly caressing the skin underneath, before he started lifting it. The woman was keen to get rid of it, reaching out to meet him halfway so she could help to take it off completely. Sergio kept quiet, looking at her with a devotion she would often see in their encounters, though he tended to keep it measured and contained. Right there, it flowed, covering every inch of her.
“So, so beautiful.” He muttered before leaning down and pressing the words into her hips. His lips were attached to her skin as he whispered sweet nothings into every crease and divot he could reach. He paid special attention to the center of her stomach, nuzzling and tickling her with the scratch of his beard against her skin. “Hola, bebe. Your mommy and I are very happy that you’re here.” Maxine smiled adoringly and ran her hand through his hair, endeared by the soft tone Checo was using to speak to their child. “We love you. Both of us love you already.”
He continued his way, kissing up her abdomen and stopping right between her breasts. He looked up at her, lust dripping out of every pore, and proceeded to bring both of his hands up to softly cup her breasts, swiping his thumbs over her nipples back and forth. “Such pretty tits, amor.” He breathed. “They’re going to be even prettier when they fill up with milk.”
The moan she let out felt punched out of her. She shuddered; a rush of arousal sent throughout her body. “Sergio! You cannot say things like that.”
“Things like what? Do you mean the truth?” he stuck out his tongue, licking his path down to her nipple, swirling it until it was dripping with his saliva. “You are the most gorgeous woman in the world, but you have no idea how hot you’re going to get as your pregnancy goes on.”
“I- ah! I’m going to get fat.”
“Yup. So round, so full.” His eyes were closed, in complete bliss as the images of what was to come circled in his head. “Your thighs are going to get even thicker than they already are.” One of his hands left her breast and ran down to grab at her leg, squeezing it to make his point.
“Nghhh, schatje.” She arched her back, pressing her breasts into Sergio’s awaiting face. The man’ groan sounded animalistic, and he dove to lavish her breasts with the same attentions he had granted her neck. Her normally pale skin was turning red with the effort of her heavy breathing, and the heat of her arousal was spreading through her body. Her sounds got particularly rowdy as he introduced his teeth to the mix. “Oh, mjin God! Liefje, please. Please, please, please.”
“Tell me what you want. Come on, use your words, leoncita.”
Maxine’s brain was scrambled. She had to focus all her strength on answering, and she couldn’t help but laugh at how easily the man could make her fall apart. “Fuck, you haven’t even touched my pussy, and I’m about to cum.” She huffed, incredulously. “Please fuck me. I need you inside me, please.”
One last nip to her nipple before he moved to pull down her pants, underwear coming with one smooth movement. Completely exposed and at his mercy, it hit her that Sergio was still completely dressed. Driving her crazy as always was his huge cock straining against his jeans, his shirt was crumpled and had the top two buttons undone, and his curls were falling over his eyes. Without ceasing to look at her, he unbuckled his belt and lowered his pants just enough to pull out his cock. He spat on his hand and began soft, sinful motions, spreading the saliva and precum that dripped from his head. “Fucking beautiful.” He muttered in between grunts. He chuckled darkly at her whimpers. “Touch yourself, amor. Open yourself up for me.”
She obeyed without question. There was no care, no need to make it look good. There was only desperation to have the real thing fucking her like there was no tomorrow. She was drenched profusely, having no difficulty to fuck herself with two fingers after just a couple of pumps with her index finger. The sounds were obscene, just mindless moans and grunts from both, mixed with the wetness of her ministrations. Three fingers were all she could take before she knew all that could satiate her was Sergio’s cock.
“I’m ready.”
With her permission explicit, the man wasted no time getting between her legs. He teased her for a few moments, idly rubbing the tip of his cock up and down her dripping folds. But Maxine was impatient, and when she started to buck her hips forward, he gave in and finally pressed inside.
Maxine loved sex with Sergio for many reasons. But there was just something indescribable whenever they got together. She felt it outside of sex, on occasion. Sometimes during their highs, sometimes during their lows, but always when looking at Sergio. It felt like things were right. Like they were exactly as they were meant to be.
His pace was slow but firm, making her feel the drag of his shaft against her walls. He felt around until he grabbed a pillow that he put underneath her hips, aiding him to get the angle he was looking for. After a couple of strokes, she mewled, making him smirk smugly. “Ah, there it is.”
Before she could retort, he aimed his thrusts at her G-spot, diverting her breath to her sighs and whimpers. He picked up his speed without compromising his strength, still making sure to reach as deep into her as he could. She always felt like Sergio must have taken a course on how to fuck her. He must have had a study guide on her body, on how to tease her, how to give her just enough to keep her going but not enough to bring her to the edge, how to play around with her so he could have her begging for release. Usually, she was a more active participant. By then, she would have been touching him all over, would have tried to meet his thrusts with her hips, and maybe even would have tried to get him to change positions so she could ride him. Yet all she could do was lie there and take it, her back arched out and her arms spread out above her head.
“Mierda, hermosa. Me tienes loco, Maxine. Tan bonita, tan preciosa, toda mía.” Checo grunted without restraint. “Tan buena, dándome un hijo. Preciosa, mi reina.”
She had joked about it with him before, about how much Spanish she actually understood. It was enough to get her going, impossibly more, taken by the way he called her his.
“Yours, schatje.” She moaned loudly, as she had rarely gotten to do with their little secret rendezvous. “All yours, forever.”
She didn’t believe the feeling of Sergio’s cum inside her would ever get old. She would gladly let it fill up her womb over and over again without hesitation. And judging the way the man looked at her pussy with a glint of hunger as he pushed his seed back into her with his thumb, she expected she would get it many times to come.
“All mine, gatita,” he whispered almost to himself, two fingers keeping her plugged up.
‘Or forever, maybe. I think that would work too.’
It was a quick, easy call to Raymond.
She had spent the entire year before planting seeds of her discontent and dissatisfaction with the team almost unknowingly. Her anger over Checo's dismissal was evident in every interview she gave once it became public. There were already rumors that she wanted to leave, rumors that persisted despite her repeated denials. All in all, her departure would be shocking but not completely unexpected.
So, she told him so. That all of them had been disillusioned with the team for a while, and that she was tired of how things had been going with the FIA. She needed a break, and she wanted out.
He had tried to fight it at first, questioning her sudden change of mind when she’d been the one to shoot down any suggestion of looking into other options. Normally, she was a lot more levelheaded when it came to discussing her career, but morning sickness had started, and the ‘morning’ of it all seemed to be a bold-faced lie, so she was feeling extremely tired and had no desire to argue and defend the decision that she had not only already made but had taken so long to achieve.
“I’m pregnant. I’m having it. I will fire you if you even think about trying to convince me otherwise.”
His resigned sigh made her smirk.
“You cannot just get out of the contract, Maxine. This is going to take time, and a shit ton of money.”
“You’ve seen my bank account more than I; we both know that won’t be an issue.”
“I’m going to have to look for some good lawyers, see how they can- “
“Oh, no need. I have the contact information of who can take care of it; they’ll get in touch with you later today. They already know everything,”
“You already spoke with a lawyer?”
“Something like that.”
She hadn’t. Sergio had been the one to get right on it. The Monday after she’d told him he already had a meeting scheduled, so he briefed his team and lawyers, who told him to forward over the details of her contract so they could get working on dismantling it. He had walked into the (now their, if she had anything to say about it) living room dressed in business casual with a satisfied smirk that got her so hot and bothered that she dropped down to her knees in that moment and begged him to fuck her mouth until he came down her throat. He did so reverently, guiding her head up and down slowly and with a firm hold, praising her in between his grunts and moans. She had gotten so wet, unable to stop herself from rubbing her thighs together to find some relief. When he noticed, he halted her ministrations on his cock, nudging her to spread her legs with his leather shoe until she got what he was trying to do. She moaned loudly around his cock, eyes rolling to the back of her head as she felt the much-needed pressure against her clit.
It hadn’t taken her long to cum as she humped his foot, her moans and whines breaking Sergio’s composure as he finally fucked her mouth with abandon. “So needy, preciosa. Need to be full of my cum, eh?” he groaned, looking into her teary eyes with a hunger that made her dizzy. “Don’t worry, amor, I’ll give it to you. I’ll give you anything. Mierda, Maxine. I’ll give you everything.”
Thus, she had lawyers lined up—ones who had already dealt with the team, who already knew all their tricks, all their strengths and weaknesses. Ones who, after Raymond had sent over her contract, said that they could definitely get her out of it before Australia.
The time that would have usually been spent starving herself and going through rigorous training to lose the weight she had gained over the break, was spent instead in between chilling in Checo’s beach house and getting her things and the cats from her Monaco apartment, with the occasional meeting with the lawyers and her team as they shared relevant information and coordinated the case, and letting their close circles know about the news in advance of the big revelation that they expected would drop with the news of her not racing that year. Were it in their power, they would have never wanted the world to know. But the reigning world champion deciding not to compete a few weeks before the season starts would be too suspicious.
She had invited her family for dinner to give them the news, and while Checo had wanted to be with her, Chequito had a football game that she had made him attend. No matter how much Sergio insisted that things would be fine and that while it would be an adjustment for sure, the kids would understand that a baby needed a lot more attention, she still felt like she didn’t want to jeopardize their relationship in any way. So off to Monaco she went, while he stayed in Mexico.
That decision ultimately turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Victoria had been ecstatic for her, especially since she was the one who had dealt with the aftermath of their breakup. She had teased her about “finally catching up” to her, ready to give advice whenever she needed it. Her parents, on the other hand, had been a completely different story. Sophie had been ecstatic until she found out who the father was. The passive-aggressive comments she always had about Checo lost their passiveness and became full-on aggression, with every little thing being questioned and scrutinized. Her father had called her irresponsible, telling her that she had put not only her racing career but all their outside projects in danger with her recklessness. He shockingly didn’t have much to say about Sergio, but that didn’t make the one comment he made, about how she was “lessening their gene pool,” any less cutting. She had taken a moment to blink back tears and try to make her voice sound even when she finally spoke, telling them they could finish eating and get the fuck out of her apartment before she ran to lock herself in her room. Jimmy and Sassy followed her, curling up on her stomach as she cried on her bed.
She didn’t know how much time had passed before her phone started ringing from where she had left it at her bedside. She got up when she saw Sergio’s name on the screen, rushing to the ensuite bathroom to blow her nose and throw some water on her face. She cleared her throat before calling Checo back, the man answering after only a couple of rings.
“Hey, leoncita. How did it go?”
The tenderness in his voice squeezed her heart. “Not great.” She sighed. “Vic was very happy for us. My parents… not so much.”
“Maxie, you were crying.” He stated matter-of-factly. “I knew I should have gone with you. I’m sorry, Corazón.”
“Don’t, Checo. It’s fine.” She said, not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer. “How was the game? Did junior win?”
“2-1, they had to go to extra time.” He replied, but she could hear in his tone his reluctance to let her change the subject. “Carlota and I are waiting for him to get out of his shower so we can go get some ice cream.”
“Ice cream? Checo, it’s February.”
“Hey, I know! But what the winner wants, the winner gets.” He was about to say something else when he cut himself off, and she heard a soft little voice on the other side of the call. “No, mi niña, no te estaba hablando. Le estaba contando a Maxine que vamos a ir por un helado.”
“Carlota’s there?” Maxine said, ensuing the sound of shuffling and Checo’s breathing getting slightly heavier as the young girl likely climbed over him to reach the phone.
“Papi! Dile a Maxine que digo hola.”
“Carlota says hi.” Checo translated, unable to stop himself from chuckling.
“Tell her Jimmy, Sassy, and I say hi back.”
“Dice que ella y sus gatos dicen hola.”
“¡Sus gatos! Los extraño, ¿cuándo podemos verlos?”
“She misses the cats; she wants to know when she can see them.”
Maxine giggled. “I’ll send you a picture in a little bit. I’m sure they miss her too.”
“Dice que ahorita manda una-“
“Checo! Let’s just FaceTime, give me a second.” She said in between giggles. Soon enough, both of their faces were on screen for just one moment before Carlota snatched the phone out of her father’s hands. “Hola Maxie! Kitties with you?” the girl said, her thick accent always endearing.
“Hallo, klein! Yes, kitties here, look! Jimmy, Sassy, say hi to Lottie.” They meowed, making the child laugh with giddiness.
“Miss kitties. Miss you,” she said, pouting. “You are back?”
“Pronto.” The Dutch replied, accent just as thick. “Y llevaré gatitos.”
Carlota gasped, clapping with joy at the prospect of getting to see the cats. Before she could say anything else, something behind the phone caught her attention, and she swiftly got off the couch. “¡Chequito! ¡Maxine se va a traer a los gatitos a casa!”
She had said it mindlessly, going right past it as she blabbered on to her brother about everything and anything going on in her mind. But the words had touched Maxine to her very core. She would be taking the cats home. Where they belonged. Where she belonged. With the kiddos, and the kitties, and Sergio, who was looking at her with such a soft and adoring expression that she couldn’t help but melt into a puddle.
The moment they hung up, the kids already eager to get their ice cream, she texted Victoria her apologies for leaving her abandoned with their parents, as well as her plans to push forward with her move to Mexico. Those same plans were then forwarded to her assistant, with instructions to pass along the message to whoever needed to know. It had turned late into the night, but she had been hit with a surge of energy that she knew she wouldn’t be able to shake, so she got to packing everything she could fit in her suitcases. As she went through most of the things she owned, she realized how little she actually cared about them all. Only about a quarter of her clothes ended up packed, knowing that at the end of the day, she would have to buy maternity clothes once she started growing. Her hands traveled to her flat stomach, and for the first time ever, she couldn’t help but smile as she pictured it growing.
By 10 AM the next morning, she and the cats were getting on her jet on their way home, where they belonged.
As expected, the world had gone mad with the announcement.
The team decided to keep the news hidden as long as they possibly could, so they could make as many moves as necessary to deal with losing their golden girl a month before the season started. Maxine had, of course, granted the request, but made it explicitly clear that the reason could not be shared or alluded to in any way.
Not that she ever saw it.
The only real update she had gotten about the situation had been from Yuki’s call to Checo when they let him know he’d be replacing her. The men had spent almost two hours on the phone, during which she decided to look through the maternity clothes website that Victoria had recommended. A waste of time, really, as she already knew she would be spending her entire pregnancy in sweatpants and oversized T-shirts. Saying goodbye to her signature skinny jeans would be tough for her, but it was a sacrifice that she was very much willing to endure. She did end up getting a couple of things that could be used for going out in different sizes, just to have a reference for when she eventually started to need new clothes. Her “bump” could still be very much mistaken for the chilaquiles they had for breakfast, but as she caressed it, she could feel the unmistakable hardness of their baby slowly growing and getting ready to meet them.
She gave a questioning look to Checo once the call was over. “He’s nervous, but he’ll be ok. Told him to text me if he needs anything.”
“I’m sure he will. You two have always had a good relationship.” She replied. He nodded, leaning down to where she was sitting on the couch to place a kiss on her forehead and one on her stomach, a habit he had started to do constantly ever since she had officially moved in. It always left her feeling warm and fuzzy and with a big, smitten smile on her face. “You have always been so kind and helpful. I will never forget how you were one of the only ones who welcomed me into the grid.”
Checo nuzzled her belly, tickling her and making butterflies spread all over. She felt so damn content and fulfilled in that moment. Getting to cuddle with the man she loved, who loved her back, whose child she was carrying.
“I actually had, um. I had a bit of a crush on you when I was younger.” She said, feeling safe enough to be vulnerable.
The older man stilled for just a moment; it was almost imperceptible. But with the way they were tangled together, Maxine felt it regardless. “What?”
Checo muttered something unintelligible, so she pulled at his hair to lift his head.
“I said that I knew, amor. You were not exactly subtle about it.”
She gaped at him with indignation. “Shut up! It was not obvious.”
“There are compilations of you following me around like a lost puppy, Maxie. I remember you forcing yourself in between me and Nico when we did that celebration for a hundred races, and in between me and Esteban too.” He laughed. “Those pictures are cute. I have them saved on my phone. Give it to me and I’ll show them to you.”
“Oh my god, no,” She whined, dropping Checo’s hair to instead cover her face. “That’s so embarrassing! What do you mean that all this time you knew I was so pathetic?”
“I didn’t think you were pathetic.” The man replied, sitting up to lock their gazes together. “Not then, not now.”
“Well, I know that not now. I mean-“ she cut herself off, pointing to her stomach to make her point. “But back then? I was just a hopeless girl with an unrequited crush.”
“Preciosa, look at us. You were anything but hopeless.” Sergio said before kissing her. “Leave the younger you alone; it was her hovering that pushed me into you. If you weren’t there hounding me at every corner, how would we have spoken?”
“Hey!”
“I’m just saying! You have always been so determined to get what you want.” He gave her one of those soft smiles that had always felt like he had saved just for her. “I’m glad that I was one of those things.”
Checo had never been just one of those things. He was everything that she had ever wanted. Her championship wins, her family, her home, all bound now and forever to this wonderful man before her. She had gotten it all for herself, worked her ass off to get where she was despite everything in her surroundings. Having Sergio right alongside her made it so much sweeter. Getting to continue building a life with him, on and off the track, was a blessing she was honored to have been bestowed.
“I’m glad too, schatje.”