two - unexpected evenings

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I will never tire, I will never sleep. Driving in the night and I feel so fine.

"Welcome to the stage, your drivers for the 2019 season, George Russell and Robert Kubica." Claire announced as the two men walked onto the stage.

Abi and Callum were towards the back of the crowd, having had those more senior than themselves elbow past to catch a glimpse of their money makers for the next three years. The cloth was pulled from the car and the room erupted into excited gasps and chatter, Callum peering over the others to get a glimpse. There were some perks to him being horrifically tall; he could reach anything and see anything he wanted to.

"How's it looking?" Abi asked, nursing her second glass of wine.

"Good, and the lads are wearing suits and look amazing." He added, albeit unnecessarily. He returned to Abi's side and picked up his beer from the bar top. They quieted when Claire began talking again, Abi soon finishing her wine and placing the empty glass on the side. She was nervous; any more encounters with George and she would burst, she was sure of it. But she had siked herself up way too much to let it be catastrophic, ordering another glass of wine and adjusting the necklace that rested on her chest, the gold pendant given to her when she turned eighteen. It was a bit of a good luck charm by that point, and she knew she needed all the luck she could get.

Wine in hand, she returned to Callum, who was beginning to socialise. She tried to join in but was soon brushed off by the suited men discussing the new design's financial credibility. She didn't care about finance anyway, so instead made her way to the front of the room to inspect the car. The once silent room was now full of chatter, meaning she felt entirely comfortable doing a few slow paces of the car, admiring the finish of it and the shape of the front wing. She crouched down to take a closer look at the brakes when she was joined by another person crouching beside her.

"What do you think?" George asked, catching her off guard and almost falling over and spilling her wine all over her new dress. He laughed and reached to grab her bicep before she could fall. But she was fast to snatch her arm away.

"It looks great." She smiled, running a finger along the carbon fibre. "I suppose it's what I expected, but it looks very nice in real life." She squinted at the brake ducts and tried to work out their laminated structure.

"Well, all that hard work is paying off, I suppose," George said, standing and rolling his shoulders. Abi too stood, eyes finally looking to George. Callum was right - he looked incredible. The suit was a tight fit and extenuated the narrowness of his waist, the deep blue bringing out the colour in his eyes. His tie was a little loose, top button undone, but he looked incredible nonetheless. Damn that man and how well a suit fitted him. "Did you want a top-up?" He asked, nodding to Abi's almost empty glass of wine. "Something better than whatever they've got on tap here." He suggested, smiling at her. Abi swallowed, refusing to give in to temptation.

"I'm okay, thank you, but I'm not sure they do any more wine than whatever barrels they've got stashed away." She said, returning the smile and having a sip.

"Well, I know a good wine bar that we could pay a visit to should you ever fancy a good glass of Moscato." He added, voice as silky smooth as ever, that bastard smirk curling his lips once more. Abi's heart was thumping as she looked to her glass and then back to George.

"It's a very kind offer," She said, nervously tapping her nail against the glass. "But I'm sure this shall suit me." She gestured to the glass once again and George nodded.

"Another time, then," He added. "You look amazing, by the way; that dress is beautiful." Abi's cheeks burnt and felt prickly below her foundation, the back of her neck warming at the complement. Their eyes locked, George's long lashes fluttering, and a hand reaching to neaten his hair. "Anyway, I'll catch you later." He hummed and then turned to find a group of engineers to speak to. She could see Callum gaping at her from across the room, so she returned to her friend.

"Uh, okay, he was getting pretty comfortable." He said with a raised brow. "Clearly wanting a bit more than a talk on brake management, eh." He elbowed his friend, and she rolled her eyes, sipping her wine once more whilst trying to cool herself down by wafting her face with the other hand.

"Nothing of the sort." She lied, giving him a cheeky smile. Callum hummed suspiciously and then gazed around the room. "Come on," He took Abi's wrist in his hand. "I want to talk to Robbie from social to see if our ideas are going to be used." Abi cackled a laugh and followed behind him, not noticing George staring at them with a furrowed brow.

After an evening of drinking and socialising, Abi was exhausted. She was keen to head home and get straight into bed. She had managed to avoid George for the rest of the evening, instead engaging in a lengthy conversation with Robert and one of the wheel engineers. She was feeling a little tipsy, heading back into her office to get her handbag and umbrella. The weather was still miserable, and it had grown rather cold, so she grabbed one of the fleeces from the hooks on the wall that hung heavy with Williams branded jackets and caps. As she headed for the door, flicking the light switches as she went, the door opened, and a tall figure appeared. Abi paused immediately.

"I thought I might find you here." The familiar voice said as Abi reached to switch the lights back on as the door shut. "Look, Abi..." George whispered, approaching her hesitantly. His jacket and tie had been abandoned somewhere, the soft, tanned skin of his collar on display as they stood less than a meter apart. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened." George said slowly, forcing the words to come out. "I didn't want it to be like that, I promise. But..."

"But nothing." Abi managed, eyes flicking to meet with his. They were still bright under the fluorescent light, a deep golden moss shadowed by those beautiful lashes. "I don't want to talk about all that, George. It was years ago now; no point in dragging it back up." He nodded, eyes flicking around the room before resting on Abi's face again, eyes trailing over the soft curve of her jaw, the wireframes of her glasses, her agean eyes.

"A fresh start then?" His voice was hopeful, but all Abi could wonder was why. Why did George want to start afresh with her? Why did he care so much? She couldn't bite her tongue any longer, entrapped by the tall man standing before her, the man who had played her like a fiddle.

"Why?" It came out as a whisper, reverberating around the metal walls of the room before settling into a tense silence. George swallowed harshly, tilting his head a little before chewing his bottom lip.

"Because I messed up the first time, and I want to make it different this time."

"What makes you think there's a this time? That we can be anything more than civil work partners?" She questioned, making George laugh a little and kick his brogue at the lino. "What makes you think I want more than that?" She was brimming with confidence, it bubbling and oozing out of every pore. George, head hung, nodded.

"I just assumed, I guess, cause things ended so badly last time and, like, well... I wanted there to be a this time." He said with a shrug, then looked back at Abi. He chewed the inside of his lip and then smiled to himself. "It was stupid; you've got your boyfriend and that, so, yeah, sorry." Abi tilted her head and laughed softly.

"I don't have a boyfriend." She said with a smile, and George's brow immediately furrowed.

"The tall blonde lad you were with earlier." Abi just laughed, shaking her head. "Ah, I read that one wrong, didn't I." He said with a small smile, and Abi just nodded, a smile on her face.

"We're not dating and never will." She assured him, looking through the glass. "Cal's gay; he's just the other apprentice and the only person round here that's not over 40." She snorted a laugh, and George smiled, shaking his head.

"Well, that makes sense. Sorry for assuming. Again." He chuckled and then scratched the back of his neck. "And, look. If you don't want us to like, you know, try again I understand. I really do." He assured before offering Abi a smile.

"I don't think it's a good idea, I'll be honest with you." She said, slipping her handbag onto her shoulder and spinning her car keys around her finger. "I also don't think it's a great idea for me to drive home like this." She thought as she looked at her keys, the Mini key ring sparkling clean. "Barely had the thing three weeks and really don't want to crash it."

"I'll give you a lift home if you want?" George offered, making her look up and raise her brows in surprise. "Saves you getting a taxi or the train or something." He smiled softly, and Abi chewed her lip, looking at her car keys and then at George. Her other choice was Callum, but he had had just as much to drink as she had, so that was a no-go.

"Alright then." She smiled, George beaming from ear to ear.

They headed back through the party to find the front exit, Callum gaping at the two as they walked past, already ready to text Abi to congratulate her on making a move so fast. Instead, he went back to chatting to Robbie, who Abi was sure he would be going home with at the end of the night.

It was still raining, a drizzle in the air that was more annoying than soothing. As long as she was prepared for it, Abi didn't mind the rain too much. She would be more than content if she could spend the weekend in her flat with a book and a cup of tea, watching the rain from her cushioned windowsill. But this rain, warm rain, made her hair frizzy and the air humid.

They squashed under the golf umbrella and were soon at the door of his Mercedes, the passenger door opened for Abi and she got inside, glad to be out of the miserable conditions and instead into the warmth of George's incredibly expensive and impressive car. He put the damp umbrella into the boot and then slipped into the driver's side, tousling his damp hair with his hand and then starting the engine, the roar making Abi jump slightly, causing them both to laugh.

"Right then, where we going?" George asked, making his way out of the car park.

"Cirencester."

"Cirencester?" George exclaimed and then tutted, shaking his head. "Fine, guess I can't really kick you out the car now." He grumbled before heading onto the main road whilst keying the location into his sat nav.

"Please don't; it's a rather long walk." Abi laughed, looking out the window to the fields that raced past. "I do appreciate it though, thanks." She added, looking to George, who shot her a cautionary look and a hum.

"Well, we won't get to yours till-" He checked his watch and then the time on the screen. "Half eleven. So, if you have a sofa I could crash on..." He asked with a raised brow, a smirk teasing his lips. Abi scoffed a laugh and shook her head with a smile.

"Well, luckily, I do." She mumbled and folded her arms defensively. "It makes perfect sense; you drop me home, then take me to work in the morning and then head off to your hotel or where ever it is you're going!" Abi said with a grin, and George rolled his eyes, shaking his head but smiling nonetheless.

"I suppose that does make sense." He smiled, zipping around the roundabout and along the forest-lined A road. "A kip on your sofa in exchange for chauffeuring to work seems a bit of a one-sided deal, though." He observed, looking across to Abi, who was smiling at him.

"What, you want my bed instead?" She asked, a devilish grin on his face.

"Well, thank you so much for the offer; that is so kind of you!" He said, and Abi reached to thump his bicep. George could tell it was coming and tensed his arm, making Abi let out a noise of surprise as her fist gently hit the strong muscle. "Well prepared for that." He said with a wink before looking back to the road and fiddling with the radio to turn it on, the pair humming along to the '90s tune that was playing.

By the time they arrived at Abi's flat, it had stopped raining. George was a little surprised by the sight of the place, a tiny three-story townhouse with a bright blue front door dimly lit by the streetlamp on the other side of the road. Abi knew he had some kind of spacious mansion in the country somewhere or an all-glass penthouse in the London skyline. The money she was on was nowhere near good enough even to consider that, let alone being able to afford to buy somewhere to call her own.

"What?" Abi asked, house key in hand as she approached the front step, turning to raise an eyebrow at George.

"Nothing." He smiled, locking his car, following her up the front steps, and then in through the blue door. George figured it had once been a grand home with a massive entry hall, but it had been bricked up, and a door with a golden 1 adored the dark hallway instead. "Which one's yous?" He asked as they started up the stairs, turning past door two and up another set.

"This one." She said, hand on the handle of door number three. The door was soon unlocked, and George was invited inside, ducking under the small door frame. Abi threw her keys onto the side table and took off her fleece, abandoning it on the back of the sofa. "It's tiny, I know." She laughed, gesturing to the room after turning on the light, warm yellow light making the tiny space feel incredibly cosy. There wasn't much furniture - a large sofa, a television, bookshelves, and a small dining table that linked the lounge to the kitchenette.

"Where's your bedroom?" George asked, untying his shoelaces and looking around the room, smiling at the collage of photos on the wall above to sofa, noticing one of one of their camping trips when they were much younger, Abi pulling funny faces with Rachel and Dani, the three of them covered in face paint.

"Bit forward." Abi smiled, taking off her heels and placing them at the front door, then scooping her hair into a messy ponytail. "It's upstairs, with the bathroom." She nodded to the small staircase at the other end of the kitchen. "I'll grab a blanket; then it's all yours." She said with a hum as George stood back up and reached for her wrist before she could go any further.

"I don't expect you to give up your bed for me; it's honestly fine." He assured, and Abi wafted her hand and smiled. "No, honestly, I'm more than happy on the sofa." He affirmed, and Abi sighed, nodding and smiling at him. She didn't strike his hand away this time, the two standing like that for a moment. Silence engulfed them as George's eyes wandered over her. "That dress really does look amazing on you." He commented, then dropped her wrist.

"I'm glad; it cost me a small fortune." She laughed. "Did you want a drink? Now you don't have to go anywhere for the next few hours?" She rose a brow and walked to the kitchenette, opening a cupboard and proudly displaying her collection of bottles and containers of all kinds of alcohol. George hummed to himself and looked at the cupboard's contents.

"Whisky would be great." He said, then heading to the sofa and sitting down, watching Abi as she made herself a gin and tonic and poured George a single measure. "Don't want you oversleeping in the morning; I'm a busy boy." He smiled as the whisky was placed on the coffee table, and Abi sat beside him, curling her legs under her and using her fleece as a blanket.

"As if I would." She laughed and shook her head before sipping her drink. George looked up at the photos above them. "Dani and Rich got married last year." She said, smiling at the picture and then getting her phone out of the pocket of her fleece, flicking through the photos till she found one of the happy couple, showing it to George.

"Wow, I've not spoken to any of the lads in years." He said with a frown, looking at the picture and then dragging his eyes back to the photos on the wall. "What about that one." He pointed to a photo of Abi in a long black dress, clutching some kind of award.

"Oh, they do these silly awards ceremonies at work. I won new engineer of the year or something like that." She said with a modest smile before returning to her drink whilst George inspecting the photographs.

"Very impressive stuff, though." George noted, smiling at her. "Must be loads joining the ranks each year; to win is dead impressive." He said, picking up his whisky. "Look at us, two Wilsbech kids doing something with their lives." Abi laughed and sipped her drink, shaking her head.

"Well, you're certainly doing better than I am." She said with a smile, sitting back on the sofa and shuffling to get comfortable. "And definitely earning more money than I am." Abi added with a grin, making George laugh and turn around to face her.

"Hmm, well, suppose I can't argue with that." He chuckled and then yawned, rubbing his face with his other hand. "Sorry, been a busy day." He smiled and kicked his feet onto the coffee table as he nursed his whiskey.

"Don't apologise," Abi said with a soft laugh. "Did you want me to go and get a quilt? Or we could watch TV for a bit or-"

"I really fancied you when we were at school." Abi paused and looked at him with raised eyebrows, totally knocking her train of thought. "I know I never acted like it until prom, but I did Abi." He whispered, his hand reaching to gently stroke Abi's wrist. "I never wanted to mess you about; I wouldn't have dreamed of it; you know I'm not like that." He continued, pausing the down the rest of his whisky. "I just want you to know that, I should have made things clearer when I could. I'm sorry." His fingers rubbed the soft skin on the back of Abi's wrist, a small smile on his face. Abi sighed and smiled back.

She could still remember the night so clearly, how she had ended up in a taxi with George, cuddled into his side with his blazer around her arms. They had wasted no time when they got to his, but when she woke up the next morning, regret was all she felt. George asked her to stay, holding onto her and begging her not to go. But she had to go, and she cursed herself every day to be so weak as to let George take advantage of her. Never again, she had promised herself. And as she sat across from him, looking deep into the eyes she had wanted to gaze at for so long, she had to remind herself of that promise she had made.

"I'm over it." She said quietly, downing the rest of her gin and tonic and then standing, going to put their glasses on the kitchen counter. "You can pour yourself another; I'm going to get changed." She took the short stairs to the loft conversion that acted as her bedroom. Dirty clothes were hurriedly thrown into the wash bin, and everything was neatened to a more respectable level. She undressed and put on her pyjamas, washing her makeup off and applying a thick and necessary slathering of moisturiser. A deep breath and she was heading back downstairs, blanket under her arm. She greeted George with a smile, the tall man flicking through the television channels with a bored look.

"I wanted to put a film on, but there's none on." He frowned, settling on a rerun of QI. "I got you another drink." He nodded for the ball glass of gin and tonic that sat beside his triple measure of whisky.

"Hmm, careful you don't drink all of it. That's my dad's favourite malt," She warned, sitting beside him and wrapping the blanket around herself. "I found a men's t-shirt at the bottom of my wardrobe if you wanted to get out of your suit. I put it at the end of my bed." She smiled, and George

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