hi! not sure if you write anymore for mat, but I was reading your “caught in the middle” series and just finished it, but you never ended up posting the epilogue? I was just curious if you’d ever consider writing more for mat or just the little epilogue or if you’re done with that (which is totally fine! my brain just wanted to try and figure it out haha) anyways, loved your writing, it was super cute and the fourth part was my favourite!! 💕
hello, gosh i'm really sorry this is a super late reply & i don't know if you'll ever see this, but realistically i don't think i will write more for the time being. i've tried every now and then because i really want to but just couldn't really put 'pen to paper' so to say, and the lack of ideas has been....frustrating, to put it very lightly :( i hope to some day, but won't make promises
Summary: you’re a pop star who built an empire on audacity. He’s an F1 driver who’s never heard your music. One concert, one spotlight, one pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs, and suddenly the man who drives 200 mph for a living can’t form a coherent thought. But the thing about champions? They don’t lose gracefully. And when he shows up in your DMs, you realize you might have just met your match (a story about two people who perform for millions but never expected to be completely undone by an audience of one)
Warnings: 18+ content
The clinking of ice against glass is the most interesting sound in the room.
Max swirls the amber liquid in his Heineken-branded tumbler, the condensation cold against his fingertips. He’s a professional. He can do this. He can stand in a painfully hip, repurposed warehouse in Amsterdam, surrounded by influencers whose entire careers are a mystery to him, and smile. He can nod along to conversations about engagement metrics and brand synergy. He can be the Max Verstappen they pay for: charming, accessible, but with that untouchable edge of a champion.
It’s just … boring. Soul-crushingly boring.
His phone buzzes in the pocket of his trousers. A welcome distraction. He pulls it out, a small, genuine smile finally gracing his lips when he sees his sister’s name. He angles himself away from a man passionately explaining the artistic merit of a filtered selfie and answers.
“Vic,” he says, his voice low. “Are you saving me?”
“Always,” Victoria’s cheerful voice chirps through the speaker. “But tonight, you’re actually the one who’s going to be saving me.”
Max takes a sip of his drink. It’s not actually beer; it’s sparkling water with a slice of lime. “I doubt that. What do you need? Did Luka hide the car keys again?”
“Worse. Much, much worse. Chantal is sick. Like, horribly sick. Food poisoning, I think.”
“Okay? So … you need me to bring you soup?” He’s already mentally calculating the fastest route to her house.
“No, you idiot,” she laughs, and he can picture her rolling her eyes. “I have a concert ticket. A non-refundable, very expensive, very good concert ticket that is now going to waste. Tom’s stuck in a meeting that will probably go until midnight, and I absolutely cannot go alone.”
Max’s brief moment of hope evaporates. “Vic, no.”
“Vic, yes. You’re in Amsterdam. I’m in Amsterdam. It’s perfect.”
“I’m working,” he argues, gesturing vaguely at the curated industrial-chic chaos around him. “I’m at the Heineken thing.”
“That ends in an hour. The concert doesn’t start until nine. Please, Max? I’ve been looking forward to this for months. She never tours in Europe.”
He frowns, the name on the tip of his tongue but not quite there. “She who?”
“Y/N Y/L/N!” Victoria says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, like he’s just asked who the current prime minister is. The name rings a bell, but only in the vague way a song he’s heard in a supermarket does. Pop star. American. That’s all he has.
“Never heard of her,” he lies, just to be difficult.
A dramatic sigh crackles down the line. “Max Emilian. Do not do this to me. She’s everywhere. She’s brilliant. You’ll love her.”
“I will not love her,” he says flatly. “I love quiet. I love my sim rig. I love going to bed before ten when I don’t have a race. I do not love … screaming teenagers.”
“It’s not all teenagers!” She protests, a little too quickly. “It’s a very diverse crowd. And you’re not even that old. Stop being such a grandad. It’s one night. For me. Your favorite sister.”
“My only sister.”
“Exactly! So by default, I’m your favorite. Please? I’ll buy you dinner first. Whatever you want.”
Max closes his eyes for a second, the thumping bass of the DJ’s set vibrating through the concrete floor. He pictures his quiet hotel room. The blissfully empty evening he had planned. A movie, maybe some room service. Silence. Then he pictures Victoria’s disappointed face. He’s always been a sucker for that face.
“Fine,” he groans, the word pulled from him like a bad tooth. “Fine. But you owe me. Big time.”
“Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She squeals, and he has to pull the phone away from his ear. “I’ll send you the address for the restaurant. Meet me there at seven-thirty. Wear something … less corporate.”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” He asks, looking down at his crisp, dark shirt and trousers.
“Nothing, if you’re trying to sell me a mortgage. See you soon! You won’t regret this!”
The line goes dead.
Max stares at his phone, a deep, weary sigh escaping his lips. He absolutely, one hundred percent, will regret this.
***
Two hours later, he regrets it even more.
The air outside the Ziggo Dome is electric and humid, thick with the scent of perfume, street food, and youthful exuberance. It’s a sea of glitter, denim, and brightly colored crop tops. Max, in a plain black t-shirt and jeans, feels like a mountain that has accidentally wandered into a fairy garden. He towers over almost everyone, a grim statue in a tide of giddy excitement.
“Isn’t this amazing?” Victoria shouts over the din, her eyes sparkling. She’s practically vibrating with energy, clutching a ridiculous light-up-something-or-other she bought from a vendor.
“It’s … loud,” Max replies, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He feels a dozen pairs of eyes on him and knows it’s not because he’s Max Verstappen, three-time World Champion. It’s because he’s a twenty-something-year-old man who looks profoundly miserable at what is clearly the Best Night of Everyone Else’s Life.
“Oh, stop it. You’re just grumpy,” she says, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the entrance. “Once the music starts, you’ll get into it.”
They find their spots, which are alarmingly close to the stage. It’s a standing area, and they’re penned in, the press of bodies around them immediate and overwhelming. Max feels a familiar, low-level anxiety prickle at the back of his neck — the kind he gets when he’s in a crowd and not in control. In his world, crowds are behind barriers. He’s the one on the other side. This is different. He’s in it.
“You said good seats,” he mutters to Victoria, who is happily chatting with a girl next to her about your best album.
“They are! We can see everything!” She beams.
The lights suddenly go down.
A roar erupts from the crowd, a physical force that presses in on Max from all sides. It’s deafening. A deep, pulsing bass note vibrates up through the soles of his shoes, shaking his entire skeleton. On the massive screen behind the stage, a pair of cherry-red lips appears. They part, and a voice, your voice, slick and sweet as honey, echoes through the arena.
“Oh, I leave quite an impression …”
And then, you’re there.
You explode onto the stage in a flash of pink light and pure, unadulterated confidence. You’re tiny, a firecracker of a person, all sparkling boots and blonde hair and legs that seem to go on for an impossible length. The crowd loses its collective mind.
Max just … watches.
“Five feet to be exact,” you sing, strutting across the stage, a smirk playing on your lips. “You’re wonderin’ why half his clothes went missin’ … my body’s where they’re at.”
The lyrics hit him like a splash of cold water. They’re brazen, unapologetic. He glances at Victoria, who is screaming the words right back at you, a look of pure adoration on her face. He looks back at the stage. You have the entire arena, thousands of people, cradled in the palm of your hand.
“I heard you’re back together and if that’s true,” you coo, leaning into the microphone stand, one hand on your hip. “You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you.”
A guy next to Max yells, “I love you, Y/N!”
Max feels an involuntary twitch in his jaw. The performance is … impressive. He can’t deny it. The choreography is tight, your vocals are flawless, and your stage presence is magnetic. He’s a professional athlete, he recognizes elite-level performance when he sees it. This is your grand prix, your qualifying lap, and you are absolutely nailing it.
But it’s the sheer, unblinking audacity of it all that catches him off guard. The way you sing about sexuality not as some hidden, whispered secret, but as a weapon, a tool, a source of power. It’s so foreign to his world of carefully managed PR and corporate-friendly soundbites.
He spends the next half-hour in a state of detached observation. You move through a handful of songs, each one a different flavour of pop perfection. You’re funny, charming the crowd with little anecdotes between songs. You’re vulnerable, sitting on a stool with just a guitar for a heartbreaking ballad that silences the entire arena. You’re a powerhouse, belting out a high note that seems to shake the building.
Max finds himself leaning forward, his arms crossed over his chest, his earlier grumpiness replaced by a grudging respect. Then, that respect deepens into genuine fascination. He’s not just watching a pop star anymore. He’s watching you. He’s watching the way you wink at the camera, the bead of sweat that trickles down your temple, the genuine, breathtaking smile you give your guitarist after a solo.
“Having fun yet?” Victoria shouts in his ear during a transition, a smug grin on her face.
He just grunts in response, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of admitting that yes, actually, he’s not entirely miserable anymore.
The stage is bathed in a soft, dreamy pink light. A new, slinky synth beat starts to pulse through the speakers. The mood shifts. It’s slower, more intimate, more suggestive.
“Oh my god, it’s ‘Juno’,” Victoria whispers, her voice filled with reverence. “This is my favorite.”
You begin to sing, your voice a playful, seductive purr.
“Don’t have to tell your hot ass a thing … oh yeah, you just get it.”
You prowl the stage, your movements fluid and feline. The song is a flirtation, a proposition set to music.
“Wanna try out my fuzzy pink handcuffs?” You sing, and a ripple of laughter and screams goes through the crowd. “Oh, I hear you knockin’, baby … come on up.”
Max feels a strange heat creep up his neck. The lyrics are direct, and you deliver them while looking straight into the camera, a look in your eyes that’s both innocent and wildly mischievous. It feels like you’re singing to one person, and one person only. It feels, impossibly, like you’re singing to him.
Victoria nudges him hard in the ribs. “She’s incredible, right?”
He doesn’t answer. He can’t. He’s completely, utterly transfixed.
The song builds, the beat getting heavier. You’re dancing with a kind of joyful, sensual freedom that is mesmerizing.
“You make me wanna make you fall in love,” you belt out, and the crowd sings it back to you, a unified chorus of devotion.
Then comes the bridge. The music softens, becoming a spare, pulsing beat. The lights dim until there’s only a single, stark white spotlight on you. You walk to the very front of the stage, right to the edge, your sparkling boots just inches from the precipice.
You look out over the crowd, a sly, knowing smile on your face. You hold the microphone delicately in one hand.
“Wanna try out some freaky positions?” You ask, your voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that somehow carries to every corner of the arena.
The crowd holds its breath.
You pause, letting the tension hang in the air for one, two, three beats.
Then you ask, your voice dripping with suggestion, “Have you ever tried … this one?”
And you drop to your knees.
Right there, in front of seventeen thousand people.
You bring the microphone to your lips, tilt your head back, and close your eyes. Your movements are slow, deliberate, and utterly unmistakable. It’s a pantomime of obvious fellatio. It’s shocking. It’s hilarious. It’s the most brazenly confident thing Max has ever seen in his life.
And it completely, unequivocally, resets his brain.
Every thought in his head — the upcoming race weekend, the sponsor obligations, the feeling of being out of place, the simmering annoyance at his sister — vanishes. It’s all gone. Wiped clean. The intricate wiring of his meticulously controlled mind short-circuits, throwing sparks into the darkness. There is only the image of you, on your knees, bathed in a single spotlight.
The arena explodes. It’s a tidal wave of screams, laughter, and whistles. Victoria beside him is shrieking, clutching his arm so hard he’ll probably have bruises tomorrow.
Max doesn’t make a sound. He can’t. His jaw is slack. His heart is hammering against his ribs, a frantic, unfamiliar rhythm. He feels a primal, electric shock jolt through his entire system, a feeling so potent it almost makes his knees weak.
It’s not just desire. It’s … awe.
You hold the pose for a few seconds longer before pulling the microphone away with a wink, jumping back to your feet as the beat drops back in, and finishing the song as if nothing happened. As if you didn’t just detonate a small bomb in the chest of every person watching.
For the rest of the song, Max is on another planet. He’s disconnected from the noise, the crowd, from his own body. He is just a pair of eyes, locked on you.
After the song finishes, you’re breathing heavily, a triumphant grin on your face. You take a bottle of water from the side of the stage, take a long drink, and then address the crowd.
“Amsterdam!” You yell, and they yell back. “You guys are incredible tonight. So much energy. So much love.” You pause, scanning the faces in the front rows. “But … I’m afraid I have to be the bearer of bad news. There’s a criminal in our midst tonight.”
The crowd plays along with a chorus of dramatic boos and gasps.
“I know, I know,” you say, shaking your head sadly. “It’s a serious offense. This person has committed a crime of the highest order. The crime … of being illegally hot in a public place.”
The audience cheers, everyone hoping they’re about to be chosen.
You place a hand on your hip, your eyes sweeping across the crowd with theatrical seriousness. Your gaze travels over the screaming girls, the couples, the guys trying to look cool. Your eyes move, section by section. Max watches, his heart still beating a little too fast, a strange sense of dread and something else pooling in his stomach.
Then, your eyes stop.
They stop on him.
For a moment, he thinks it must be a mistake. You must be looking at the person behind him, or next to him. But no. Your eyes lock directly onto his. A slow, predatory smile spreads across your face. You lift a finger, pointing right at him.
“You,” you say, your voice ringing through the arena. The spotlight that was just on you swings over, blinding him as it finds its new target. “Yes, you, sir. In the plain black t-shirt. The one who looks like he’d rather be at a dentist appointment.”
The entire crowd around him turns to stare. Victoria lets out a sound that’s somewhere between a gasp and a cackle.
Max freezes. The world narrows to the blinding white light and your smiling face on the giant screens. He can feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. This is his worst nightmare. No, his worst nightmare is a DNF due to engine failure. This is a close second.
“Don’t look so scared,” you tease, your voice echoing around him. “Although, you should be. That level of handsome is a public disturbance. It’s distracting me from my job.” You motion to a burly security guard at the side of the stage. “Bring him to me. He needs to be apprehended.”
“Go!” Victoria hisses, pushing him forward. “Oh my god, Max, go!”
He feels like he’s walking through cement. The security guard, a man the size of a small car, gently but firmly guides him towards the barrier. A gap is opened, and he’s being led through the backstage wings and then up a small set of stairs. His ears are ringing.
He steps out onto the stage, and the roar of the crowd is a physical blow. The heat of the lights is intense. He squints, trying to see past the glare.
And then you’re in front of him.
Up close, you’re even smaller than he thought. And infinitely more terrifying. You’re radiating energy, your skin glowing with a light sheen of sweat, your eyes sparkling with mischief. You’re holding a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs.
“Hello, criminal,” you say, your voice now soft enough that only he can hear it over the music that has started to play softly in the background. Your microphone is still live, though, broadcasting your words to the entire arena.
“Hi,” Max manages to croak out. His own voice sounds foreign to him.
“What’s your name, handsome?” You ask, circling him like a shark.
“Max.”
“Max,” you repeat, tasting the name. “Well, Max, tonight you’ve been a very, very bad boy. You thought you could just show up here, looking like that, and get away with it? Not on my watch.”
You take his wrist. Your touch is light, but it sends another jolt straight through him. Your fingers are cool against his skin. He watches, mesmerized, as you fasten one of the fuzzy pink cuffs around his wrist. The crowd is going insane.
“I sentence you,” you declare, your voice booming again, “to one song, served right here, where I can keep an eye on you.”
You attach the other cuff to the base of the microphone stand, effectively tying him to the center of the stage. You step back to admire your handiwork, a satisfied smirk on your face.
“Don’t go anywhere,” you say, tapping him lightly on the chest before turning your back to him and facing the crowd.
The opening chords of another upbeat, ridiculously catchy song fill the air. And you start to sing.
Max is trapped. He’s standing on stage, handcuffed to a microphone stand, at a pop concert he didn’t want to be at, in front of seventeen thousand people. And all he can do is watch you.
From this vantage point, it’s a completely different universe. He can see the intricate details of your costume, the concentration in your eyes as you hit a complex dance move, the way you connect with individual people in the front row, making each one feel like you’re singing only to them. He sees the consummate professional, the master of your craft, the artist in her element.
You keep glancing back at him, a playful wink here, a little shimmy in his direction there. He knows it’s part of the show, a performance for the crowd, but it feels intensely personal. He feels his blush deepen with every look. He’s acutely aware of how stiff he’s standing, how out of place he must look. He’s Max Verstappen. He’s used to being looked at. But not like this. Never, ever like this.
The song seems to last an eternity and also be over in a flash. As the final note rings out, you spin around and walk back to him, your chest rising and falling with exertion.
“Well?” You say, leaning in close again, your voice a low murmur just for him. “Have you learned your lesson?”
He finds his voice, a little rough. “I think so.”
“Good.” You produce a tiny key from a hidden pocket and unlock the handcuff on his wrist. As you free him, your fingers brush against his again. This time, the touch lingers for a fraction of a second too long. “You’re free to go, Max. For now.”
You give him a final, dazzling smile before turning to the audience. “Let’s hear it for our good sport, Max!”
The crowd cheers as the same security guard leads him back down the stairs and to his spot. He feels like he’s just run a full race distance. His adrenaline is pumping, his palms are sweaty, his mind is a complete blur.
He stumbles back into his spot next to Victoria, who immediately grabs him.
“Oh. My. God,” she says, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and glee. “That just happened. You were handcuffed by Y/N Y/L/N. On stage. I cannot believe that just happened!”
Max just shakes his head, unable to form a coherent sentence. He looks back towards the stage. You’re already launching into your next song, a global smash hit that everyone knows the words to.
But he doesn’t hear the music anymore. He doesn’t feel the press of the crowd. He can only see you. He can still feel the ghost of your touch on his wrist, can still hear your whispered “for now” ringing in his ears.
The grumpy, reluctant man who walked into this arena a few hours ago is gone. In his place is someone else. Someone who just had his entire world tilted on its axis by a five-foot pop star in sparkling boots.
He watches the rest of the show in a daze, a strange, small smile he can’t control playing on his lips.
Victoria was right. He didn’t regret it. Not one bit.
***
The ringing in Max’s ears finally subsides somewhere in the taxi back to the hotel, replaced by the relentless, high-pitched ringing of Victoria’s voice.
“I just can’t get over it. The look on your face! It was like a computer that had just been unplugged. Just … blank. Blue screen of death, Max, honestly.”
Max stares out the window, the blurred lights of Amsterdam streaking across the glass. The city is alive, humming with a nocturnal energy he usually appreciates. Tonight, he barely registers it. His mind is a looped video file, playing one specific scene over and over. The spotlight. The smirk. The fuzzy pink handcuffs.
“Are you even listening to me?” Victoria asks, nudging him.
“I’m listening,” he says, his voice quiet. “You’re enjoying my public humiliation. Loud and clear.”
“Oh, it was not humiliation! It was an honor!” She insists. “Do you know how many people would kill to be in your position? She chose you. Out of everyone. She thought you were the hottest person there.”
“She thought I was the most miserable-looking person there,” he corrects, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. “She said so.”
“Details, details. The point is, you were on stage with Y/N Y/L/N. My very boring, very serious brother who only cares about tire degradation and understeer was just handcuffed by one of the world’s biggest pop stars. This is the best night of my life.”
“Glad I could provide the entertainment,” he says, the sarcasm lacking any real bite. He can’t even summon the energy to be properly annoyed with her. Something else is occupying that space, a low-level hum of … something. He can’t put a name to it. It’s not excitement, not exactly. It’s more like the feeling he gets on the grid just before the five red lights go out. A deep, thrumming anticipation of the unknown.
When they pull up to his hotel, Victoria leans over and gives him a quick, tight hug. “Seriously, though. Thanks for coming with me tonight, Max. I know it wasn't your thing.”
“It was …” he starts, searching for the right word. He settles for, “… not as bad as I thought it would be.”
Victoria pulls back, her eyes shining with laughter. “That’s the most glowing review I’ve ever heard you give anything that doesn’t have four wheels and an engine. I’ll take it. Now go get some sleep. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He hasn’t seen a ghost. He’s seen a goddess, maybe. Or a succubus. He’s not quite sure which.
The hotel room is just as he left it: sterile, quiet, and blessedly empty. The silence is a physical presence after the overwhelming noise of the concert. He toes off his shoes, drops his keys on the console table, and walks over to the floor-to-ceiling window. The view of the city is panoramic, a glittering tapestry of light and darkness.
He pulls his phone from his pocket, intending to put it on the charger and forget about the world. But the screen is lit up with a relentless barrage of notifications.
Dozens of them.
Lando: mate what the FUCK is this??????
Lando: [Link to Twitter video]
Lando: VERSTAPPEN YOU DOG
Daniel: I leave you alone for five minutes and you get arrested by a pop star? Proud of you.
Charles: Are you okay? I saw a video.
Even a message from his dad: Wat is dit? Bel me.
Max’s thumb hovers over the link Lando sent. He feels a knot of dread tighten in his stomach. He presses it.
The Twitter video player opens. It’s shaky, clearly filmed on a phone from somewhere in the crowd, but the audio is surprisingly clear. He watches the whole scene unfold from an outsider’s perspective. He sees you scan the crowd. He sees you point. He sees the spotlight hit him, sees his own deer-in-the-headlights expression magnified on the giant screens. He watches himself walk stiffly to the stage, looking like a man being led to the gallows.
And he watches you. The way you moved, the confidence radiating from you, the playful but utterly dominant energy you exuded. Then he sees the moment you handcuffed him, leaning in to whisper in his ear. From this angle, it looks intimate. Conspiratorial.
He scrolls down. The video has over a million views. It was posted less than an hour ago.
The comments are a chaotic whirlwind.
WHO IS THIS MAN??? HE’S GORGEOUS
Wait … no … that CAN’T be Max Verstappen.
THE F1 AND Y/N Y/L/N CROSSOVER I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED IN MY LIFE
THE WAY SHE LOOKS AT HIM OMG SHIP SHIP SHIP
he looks so flustered i can’t breathe
my man’s brain left the chat during Juno and never came back lmao
His cheeks burn. He clicks off the app, but it’s no use. He opens Instagram. He’s been tagged in hundreds of photos. His follower count is climbing at an alarming rate. He’s trending. #MaxVerstappen, #YNYLN, and #FuzzyPinkHandcuffs are the top three trends in the Netherlands.
He throws the phone onto the bed and runs a hand through his hair, pacing the length of the room. This is a PR nightmare. Or a PR dream, depending on who you ask. His media team is probably having a collective aneurysm. He’s supposed to be in Amsterdam for Heineken, projecting a mature, corporate-friendly image. Not … this. Not being the flustered boy toy in a pop star’s stage show.
But as he paces, another feeling starts to bubble up through the mortification. A slow, undeniable thrill. No one ever saw him like that. He was always in control, always the champion, the ‘Mad Max’ in the car, the cool professional out of it. Tonight, the world saw him completely disarmed. Vulnerable. And it was all because of you.
He stops in front of the window again, staring at his faint reflection in the glass. The corner of his own mouth quirks up into a smile.
“What the hell,” he whispers to the empty room.
***
“I cannot believe you arrested Max Verstappen.”
You’re sitting on a plush couch in your dressing room, a bottle of water in one hand, while your makeup artist gently removes the layers of glitter and eyeliner from your face. The post-show adrenaline is still singing in your veins, a pleasant, fizzy sensation that makes the whole world feel bright and conquerable.
“I arrested a hot guy in a black t-shirt,” you correct, taking a long sip of water. “I didn’t ask for his resume.”
Your tour manager, a perpetually stressed but fiercely loyal woman named Brit, is pacing in front of you, phone pressed to her ear. Your best friend and personal assistant, Laila, is the one who broke the news, and she’s now sitting cross-legged on the floor, scrolling through her phone with a look of manic glee.
“It doesn’t matter! The internet has decided he’s Max Verstappen,” Laila says, not looking up. “And, I mean, they’re not wrong. I’ve cross-referenced. It’s him. Official accounts are posting about it. Sports journalists are posting about it. It’s a thing.”
“Okay, so he’s … a sports guy?” You ask, feigning nonchalance as your makeup artist dabs at your eyelids with a cotton pad.
Laila finally looks up, her expression aghast. “A sports guy? Y/N, he’s a Formula 1 driver. He’s like … the Michael Jordan of driving in circles really, really fast. He’s a four-time world champion. He’s a Dutch national hero. We are in his country. You basically arrested the king.”
The information settles over you. It clicks into place, explaining a few things. The way he held himself, even when he was clearly uncomfortable — there was a coiled, athletic stillness to him. The look in his eyes wasn’t just surprise, it was the analytical gaze of someone constantly processing data, assessing a situation. And it explained the crowd’s slightly more frenzied reaction when the spotlight hit him. You’d assumed it was just for the gag.
“Huh,” is all you say. A slow smile begins to form on your newly cleaned face. “So the king is a fan?”
“I don’t think he was a fan,” Laila snorts. “From the videos of him before you pulled him up, he looked like he was being held at gunpoint. I think he was dragged there.”
This is even better. You didn’t just fluster a fan. You broke through the shell of a world champion who didn’t even want to be there. You got under his skin. The thought is ridiculously satisfying.
“Well, he’s a fan now,” you declare with a wink.
Brit hangs up her phone with a dramatic sigh. “Okay. So, I just spoke with your publicist. Her official take is: this is fantastic. It’s unexpected, it’s organic, it’s getting you in front of a completely new demographic. The sports blogs are eating it up. She says to just lean into it. Be playful. Don’t make it weird.”
You take the final cotton pad from Sarah and wipe the last of the lipstick from your mouth. “When have I ever made things weird?”
Laila and Brit share a look.
“Okay, fine,” you concede. “But this is different. This is … fun.”
You take Laila’s phone and start scrolling. You see the same videos Max saw, but from your perspective. You watch his face, magnified on the giant screens. The initial shock. The slow creep of a blush up his neck. The way his eyes darted around before inevitably locking back onto you. Laila was right. His brain had completely stalled. And you were the one who’d done it.
You click on his Instagram profile. It’s exactly what you’d expect. Polished, professional photos. Him in his race suit, him celebrating on a podium, him in a tailored suit at some gala. Intense. Focused. Untouchable.
Then you scroll to the tagged photos. The most recent ones are all from tonight. A sea of pictures of him on your stage, looking boyish and overwhelmed, a stark contrast to his own curated feed.
You feel a little flutter in your stomach, a spark of something potent and exciting. It’s the thrill of the chase, but with the roles reversed. You’re not used to being the pursuer, but then again, you’re not used to a man who looks at you with such a baffling mixture of terror and utter fascination.
“What are you doing?” Laila asks, noticing the dangerous glint in your eye.
“Conducting some market research,” you say sweetly.
You follow him.
Then you switch back to your own account, navigate to your direct messages, and type his name into the search bar. His profile pops up. The little blue checkmark sits next to his name, a silent confirmation.
Your thumb hovers over the message bar.
What do you say to the king you’ve just publicly dethroned?
Brit’s advice rings in your ears. Be playful. Don’t make it weird. But ‘not weird’ is boring. ‘Not weird’ is for other pop stars. Your entire brand is built on being a little weird, a lot bold. On singing the things most people only dare to think.
You think back to the show. The moment the energy shifted. The moment his carefully constructed composure finally cracked.
You smile. You know exactly what to say.
You type it out quickly, your heart giving a little thud of exhilaration. You read it back once. It’s perfect. It’s audacious. It’s you.
You hit send before you can talk yourself out of it.
***
Max is lying on his back in the king-sized bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep is a distant country he has no visa for. His mind is a racetrack, and the memory of you is doing endless hot laps.
He’s analysed it from every angle, the way he would with telemetry data after a qualifying session. The initial moment of eye contact. The walk to the stage. The feel of the fuzzy cuff on his wrist. The sound of your voice up close, stripped of the arena’s reverb. It was lower, huskier than he expected.
He rolls over, punching his pillow into a new shape, as if that will somehow rearrange his thoughts. It doesn’t work. He’s restless, agitated. He feels like he’s full of unspent energy, the phantom limb of an adrenaline crash that never came.
His phone, lying face down on the nightstand, buzzes against the wood.
He groans. It’s probably Lando again, with a newly created meme photoshopped from a picture of the concert. He resolves to ignore it. He needs to shut his brain off.
The phone buzzes again. A persistent, insistent little vibration.
With a sigh of resignation, he reaches over and grabs it. Maybe if he just looks at it, the itch of curiosity will be scratched and he can finally sleep.
He squints at the lock screen, his eyes adjusting to the brightness. There are two new notifications. Both from Instagram.
His breath catches in his throat.
It’s not a tag. It’s not a comment. It’s a message request.
@yourusername wants to send you a message.
Max sits bolt upright in bed. The sheet pools around his waist. He stares at the notification, his heart starting a frantic, staccato rhythm against his ribs. This can’t be real. It has to be a fake account, a prank. One of the millions of fan accounts.
But the profile picture is the same one from her official page. And his mind, ever the pragmatist, supplies the logical next step: check.
His thumb, feeling strangely clumsy, slides to open the notification. It takes him to the message request folder. There it is, at the top of the list. Your name, your picture, and the little blue checkmark that means everything in this strange, online world.
It’s real.
He taps on it, his pulse thundering in his ears. The chat opens. There’s only one message from you, sitting there, glowing in the darkness of his hotel room.
He reads it.
Y/N Y/L/N: So. That was fun. But the stage lighting doesn’t really do it justice. Ever wonder what a real demonstration of the Juno position looks like?
Time stops.
The air leaves Max’s lungs in a silent whoosh. He reads the message again. And a third time, just to be sure his sleep-deprived brain isn’t hallucinating.
It’s still there. Bold. Unapologetic. A direct challenge wrapped in a deeply provocative question. It’s the verbal equivalent of you dropping to your knees in that spotlight. It’s designed to shock, to disarm, to get a reaction.
And it works.
A slow, wide grin spreads across Max’s face. The last vestiges of his embarrassment evaporate, replaced by a surge of pure, unadulterated adrenaline that’s more potent than winning a race. The mortified man-boy from the concert stage is gone. The champion is back.
You’re playing his game. Or rather, you’re inviting him to play yours. High stakes, high risk, high reward. This, he understands. This is a language he speaks fluently.
His mind races, cycling through a dozen possible replies.
A simple ‘yes’ is too eager, too predictable. He’d be handing her all the power.
‘I might be interested’ is too weak, too corporate.
Ignoring it is an admission of defeat. And Max Verstappen does not lose.
He needs something that matches her energy. Something that acknowledges her move and raises the stakes. He needs a response that is as concise, confident, and just as cocky as her message.
He thinks about the terse, coded language of the racetrack. The call and response between driver and race engineer. Information received. Action required.
He knows what to write.
His thumbs fly across the screen. He doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t second-guess.
Max Verstappen: Copy. Send location.
He hits send.
The single grey tick turns to two. Then, instantly, they turn blue. She’s seen it.
He holds his breath. The ball is back in her court. For a full ten seconds, there is nothing. He wonders if he’s been too bold, if he’s misread the entire situation.
Then, the little bubble with the three dots appears.
She is typing.
***
You stare at his reply, a genuine, delighted laugh bubbling up from your chest.
It’s perfect. It’s not the fawning, overly enthusiastic response you get from most guys, nor is it an attempt to play it cool that just comes off as insecure. It’s direct. It’s efficient. It’s a challenge met with equal force. It’s the most Formula 1-sounding text you could possibly imagine, and you find it ridiculously charming.
He’s not intimidated. He’s ready.
Laila is asleep in the bunk across from you on the tour bus, which is now hurtling down a dark highway toward your next stop. The only light is the glow of your phone. You have to bite your lip to keep from laughing out loud and waking her.
Okay, champion. You want to play? Let’s play.
You could send him your hotel address. You could tell him to meet you tomorrow. That would be the easy way. The boring way. You want to draw this out, just a little. You want to see what he’s made of.
Y/N Y/L/N: Not so fast, champion. A proper demonstration requires a proper setting. And I’m not sure you’ve earned it yet.
You hit send. The response comes back almost immediately.
Max Verstappen: What’s the objective?
You grin. Objective. He’s treating this like a race strategy. You can practically hear his engineer in his ear.
Y/N Y/L/N: The objective is for you to convince me you can handle it.
Max Verstappen: I handle 200 mph corners for a living. I think I can handle a pop star.
Oh, he’s cocky. You love it.
Y/N Y/L/N: Driving is easy. You’re just sitting down. This requires stamina. Finesse. An appreciation for the craft.
Max Verstappen: You have no idea what you’re talking about. But I’m a fast learner.
Y/N Y/L/N: I’m sure you are. But I have a very busy schedule. My European tour is tightly packed. You might have missed your window of opportunity.
You’re testing him. Seeing if he’ll back down. Seeing if he’ll push.
There’s a longer pause this time. You watch the screen, your heart doing a little tap dance against your ribs. Maybe you pushed too far. Maybe he’s decided it’s not worth the effort.
Then, the three dots appear again.
Max Verstappen: I’m looking at your tour schedule. And my race calendar. You have a day off in two days, after your show in Cologne. I have a simulator session I can move.
You blink at the message. He’s … planning. He’s looking at logistics. This isn’t just a flirtatious game to him anymore, it’s a puzzle to be solved. The seriousness of it, the methodical way he’s approaching this, is the hottest thing you’ve ever encountered.
Y/N Y/L/N: Stalking my tour schedule now? A little desperate, don’t you think?
Max Verstappen: It’s called preparation. You should try it. So. Cologne. You’re at the Hyatt. I can get a room there. We can have dinner. You can … convince me of your craft.
He’s flipped it back on you. Now you’re the one who has to perform. It’s brilliant.
Y/N Y/L/N: Dinner? How charmingly old-fashioned.
Max Verstappen: I am an old man, remember? That’s what you told 17,000 people tonight.
You laugh softly. He’s got a sense of humor buried under all that intensity. This is getting better and better.
Y/N Y/L/N: Fine, Verstappen. Dinner. Two days. Cologne. If you can keep up with the conversation, maybe I’ll consider giving you a private demonstration.
Max Verstappen: I’ll be the one deciding if you get a second date.
The sheer audacity. You have to put the phone down for a second, a wide, incredulous smile on your face. He’s not just playing the game; he’s trying to rewrite the rules.
Y/N Y/L/N: Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just because you have a world title doesn’t mean you’re getting past the first round with me.
Max Verstappen: Good. I like a challenge.
Max Verstappen: Good night, Y/N.
He used your name. Your actual name. It feels surprisingly intimate after the verbal sparring. And he ended the conversation. He won the last word. He’s in control.
You stare at his final message, a giddy, unfamiliar feeling fluttering in your chest. You have a feeling that Max Verstappen is unlike anyone you have ever met before. And you cannot wait to see him again.
You type back one last message.
Y/N Y/L/N: Good night, Max. Don’t get your hopes up.
You turn your phone off and slide it under your pillow. You lie back in the darkness of your bunk, the gentle rocking of the bus a soothing lullaby. But you know you won’t be sleeping for a while. Your mind is already in Cologne, in a hotel restaurant, sitting across from a man who looks at you like you’re the most terrifying and fascinating puzzle he’s ever seen.
And you think, with a thrill of pure, delicious anticipation, that the show is only just getting started.
***
The two days that follow are a strange, suspended reality. A low-frequency hum of anticipation lives just under your skin, a constant companion through your soundcheck in Cologne, the press interviews, the meet-and-greet with fans. You are physically present for all of it, smiling, charming, hitting your notes. But a part of your mind is elsewhere, replaying a text exchange, dissecting the subtext of every concise, infuriatingly confident message from Max.
He doesn’t text often, but when he does, it’s with purpose.
The morning after your initial conversation, a message appears.
Max Verstappen: Good morning. My travel is booked. I will see you tomorrow.
It’s a statement of fact. A confirmation of a logistic. It’s the least romantic text you’ve ever received, and yet it sends a ridiculous thrill through you. There are no emojis, no playful banter. Just the cold, hard fact that he is coming. He is committed to the objective.
You, on the other hand, play your part.
Y/N Y/L/N: Don’t get lost on the way. Big cities can be scary for country boys 😉
His reply takes an hour.
Max Verstappen: I navigate Monaco at 300 kph. I can find the hotel.
You laugh out loud when you read it, earning a strange look from your choreographer.
The day of the date feels like the slow, torturous climb of a rollercoaster. The show that night is electric. You feel alive, every nerve ending tingling with a mixture of performance adrenaline and the knowledge that he is somewhere in the same city, waiting. You pour all of that crackling energy into your set, giving the Cologne audience a performance that feels even more charged, more brazen than the one in Amsterdam. When you get to the Juno position, you hold his imagined gaze, a silent promise hanging in the air of the arena.
Back in your hotel suite, you dismiss your team with breezy assurances that you just want to decompress alone.
“Are you sure?” Laila asks, lingering by the door, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You usually want to order a mountain of fries and dissect the show for at least an hour.”
“I’m sure,” you say, already pulling off your stage-dusted boots. “Just tired tonight. Long day.”
“Uh-huh,” she says, unconvinced. “Well, text me if you need anything. Or if a certain Dutch national hero happens to get lost and wander into your room.”
You throw a pillow at her, and she ducks out of the room, cackling.
Alone, the silence of the suite buzzes around you. You stand under the spray of the shower, the hot water sluicing away the sweat and glitter of the show, but it can’t wash away the thrumming anticipation. This is different from the usual pre-date jitters. This isn’t about impressing someone. This is a game. A high-stakes match against an opponent who is, in his own way, as much of a champion as you are.
You choose your outfit with the care of a general planning a campaign. Nothing too overt. That would be too easy. You settle on a black silk slip dress. It’s simple, elegant, and whispers rather than shouts. It skims your body, hinting at every curve without clinging. It says, I didn’t try too hard, but you’re going to have a very hard time not thinking about what’s underneath this.
You leave your hair slightly damp, letting it wave naturally. Your makeup is minimal — a touch of mascara, a sheer gloss on your lips. This is not the Y/N from the stage. This is the you he hasn’t seen. The you behind the performance. That, you decide, is the most strategic move of all.
At exactly nine o’clock, your phone buzzes.
Max Verstappen: I’m in the lobby bar. In the corner.
No ‘are you ready?’, no ‘let me know when you’re coming down’. Just a statement of his position. He’s in place. He’s waiting.
Your heart gives a single, hard thump.
Showtime.
***
The hotel bar is the kind of place that specializes in expensive brown liquor and hushed conversations. It’s all dark wood, low lighting, and the quiet clinking of heavy glassware. You spot him immediately.
He’s exactly where he said he’d be, in a discreet booth in the far corner, nursing a glass of what looks like sparkling water. He’s not on his phone. He’s just watching the room with a calm, unnerving stillness. He’s wearing a dark grey jumper that makes his shoulders look even broader than they do in a race suit, and his hair is soft and unstyled. The sight of him, so different from the intense, helmeted athlete or the flustered boy on your stage, sends a fresh jolt of electricity through you.
He sees you the moment you step into the room. His eyes lock onto yours, and for a second, the rest of the bar melts away. He doesn't smile, but you see a flicker of something in his gaze — appreciation, surprise, something else you can’t quite name. He stands up as you approach, a simple, almost formal gesture of courtesy that feels surprisingly charming.
“Hi,” you say, your voice a little softer than you intended.
“Hi,” he replies. His voice is a low rumble that seems to vibrate in the space between you. He gestures to the seat opposite him. “You look … different.”
You slide into the booth, the leather cool against your bare legs. “Different good, or different like I’ve just escaped a glitter factory?”
A small smile finally touches his lips. It transforms his whole face, softening the sharp, intense lines. “Different good. Very good.”
A waiter materializes at your elbow. You order a glass of champagne, and Max orders another water.
“No celebration drink?” You ask, arching an eyebrow after the waiter has gone. “I thought you Heineken guys were always on the clock.”
“I’m working tomorrow,” he says simply. “Simulator. Can’t be slow.”
“Ah, yes. The discipline,” you say, leaning your elbows on the table. “Tell me, Max, are you ever not working? Do you ever just … turn it off?”
“Do you?” He counters, his blue eyes sharp and intelligent. He’s not just making conversation; he’s probing, gathering data.
You have to give him a small, impressed smile. “Touché. No, I guess not. Even when I’m ‘off,’ I’m thinking about lyrics, melodies, the next tour …”
“It’s the same,” he nods, seeming to understand completely. “There is always the next race. The next corner. You can’t leave it behind. It’s who you are.”
In that single moment, a bridge forms between your two vastly different worlds. The pop star and the racing driver. On the surface, nothing alike. But underneath, you are both predators, obsessive perfectionists, addicted to the roar of the crowd and the taste of victory. You both live your lives in the unforgiving glare of the public spotlight.
“So,” you say, changing the subject, a playful glint returning to your eyes. “Will you enjoy the show tonight? Or did you need a chaperone to drag you here, too?”
He takes a slow sip of his water, his gaze never leaving yours. “I came on my own this time.” He pauses. “It was good. You are … very good at what you do.”
Coming from him, the simple, unadorned compliment lands with more weight than a thousand gushing reviews. It’s a professional assessment. Champion to champion.
“And you’re very good at what you do,” you reply. “Though I still think it’s mostly just sitting down and turning a wheel.”
He lets out a low chuckle. “You wouldn’t last ten laps.”
“You wouldn’t last one song in my heels.”
“Deal,” he says, his smile widening. “But you have to wear the race suit.”
The waiter arrives with your champagne. You lift the glass, the tiny bubbles catching the light. “To unlikely deals,” you say.
He lifts his water glass. “To keeping up.”
The clink of your glasses hangs in the air. The overture is over. The real match is beginning.
You talk for over an hour. The conversation flows with a surprising ease. He asks you about your songwriting process with a genuine, technical curiosity. You ask him about the psychology of racing, of pushing a machine and your own body to the absolute edge of their limits. You find you are both fluent in the language of pressure.
He’s not what you expected. He’s not arrogant, but he has a deep, unshakable core of self-belief that is more potent than any boast. He’s funny, in a dry, deadpan way. And he’s an intensely focused listener. When you speak, he watches you with an unnerving concentration, as if he’s trying to memorize the very cadence of your voice.
You feel the familiar pull of attraction deepening into something more dangerous. A genuine fascination. You’re enjoying this too much. You’re letting your guard down. Time to retake the offensive.
As he’s explaining the physics of downforce, you stretch your legs out under the table. You let your bare foot brush against his ankle.
He stops talking. Mid-sentence.
It’s just for a second. A tiny, fractional pause. But you see it. A flicker in his eyes. A subtle tightening of his jaw. You’ve breached his defenses.
You pretend it was an accident, pulling your foot back slightly before letting it find his leg again, this time with a little more purpose. You slowly, deliberately, trace the line of his calf with your toes, the silk of your dress whispering against the leather of the booth.
He resumes his explanation of downforce, but his voice is a fraction deeper. He doesn't acknowledge what you're doing. He just keeps talking, his eyes locked on yours, as if he’s daring you to push it further.
Challenge accepted.
You slide your foot higher, your toes finding the rough denim of his jeans at his knee. You press, gently. He continues to speak, his composure on the surface absolute. But you can feel the rigid tension in his leg muscles under your foot. You’re getting to him. The untouchable champion is not so untouchable after all.
You get bolder. You hook your ankle around his, pulling his leg slightly closer to yours. You’re playing a secret, silent game in the middle of a respectable hotel bar, and the illicit thrill of it is intoxicating.
He finishes his point about tyre degradation and then falls silent. He just looks at you, his gaze intense, unreadable. The air between you is thick with unspoken things. Your foot is still hooked around his ankle.
“Are you finished?” He asks, his voice low and steady.
For a second, you think he means with your drink. But the look in his eyes tells you he means something else entirely.
“I’m just getting started,” you whisper.
He holds your gaze for another long moment. Then, he puts his napkin on the table, a gesture of finality.
“I have a suite,” he says. It’s not a question. It’s a statement. An instruction. “We should go.”
He’s taking back control. Calling the play. And every cell in your body sings in agreement.
“Lead the way, champion,” you say, your voice a purr.
***
The walk from the bar to the elevator is the longest walk of your life. He doesn’t touch you, but you can feel the heat radiating from him. He walks a half-step ahead of you, a silent, dominant presence clearing a path through the lobby. You feel like a satellite caught in his gravitational pull.
Inside the elevator, the silence is deafening. The mirrored walls reflect the two of you, standing a foot apart, not looking at each other but acutely aware of every tiny movement, every breath. The air is so charged you feel like a spark could set it all on fire. You watch his reflection. His jaw is set, his hands are clenched into loose fists at his sides. He is a picture of forced composure, a volcano putting a lid on itself.
The soft ding of the elevator arriving at his floor makes you both jump.
He leads you down the hallway to his room, his key card beeping softly as he unlocks the door. He pushes it open and stands back, letting you enter first.
The suite is huge and impersonal, the way all expensive hotel rooms are. A sprawling living area, a minibar, and a wall of windows showing the glittering lights of Cologne. But you don’t see any of it. All you see is him as he closes the door behind you, the solid click of the lock echoing in the quiet room.
The sound seals you in. The public game is over. The private one is about to begin.
He walks past you towards the minibar. “Do you want a drink?” He asks, his back to you. It’s a last, desperate grasp at normalcy. At control.
You’re not going to let him have it.
You walk up behind him, stopping so close you can feel the warmth of his body. You can smell his cologne, a clean, sharp scent of citrus and something woody.
“I don’t want a drink, Max,” you say, your voice low and husky.
He turns around slowly. You’re so close you have to tilt your head back to look up at him. His eyes are dark, his pupils blown wide. The cool, collected man from the bar is gone. In his place is someone else. Someone raw and unguarded.
“Then what do you want?” He asks, his voice rough.
You reach up and place a hand flat on his chest. You can feel his heart hammering against your palm, a frantic, wild rhythm that matches your own.
“I want to know if you can still talk a big game up close,” you whisper, letting your fingers trail up his chest to the collar of his jumper. “Still think you can handle me, champion?”
That’s it. That’s the word. The spark.
He snaps.
His control shatters into a million pieces. In one swift, fluid movement, he has you backed against the solid wood of the door, his body caging yours. One of his hands comes up to brace the door next to your head, the other finds your waist, his fingers digging into the silk of your dress, pulling you flush against him. You can feel the hard, undeniable proof of his arousal pressed against your stomach.
His face is inches from yours, his eyes burning with an intensity that steals your breath.
“Handle you?” He growls, his voice a low, guttural sound that vibrates through you. “I have thought about nothing else for two days. Since the moment you put those ridiculous handcuffs on my wrist. I’ve thought about your mouth. I’ve thought about this dress. And I’ve thought about every single word of that fucking song.”
Your mind goes blank. All the witty comebacks, the playful teasing, it all evaporates in the face of this raw, overwhelming honesty. This is what was hiding beneath all that discipline. A ferocious, tightly leashed desire. And you are the one who just snapped the leash.
“Max …” you breathe, your voice barely a whisper.
“Don’t,” he says, his gaze dropping to your lips. “Don’t talk. Not yet.”
And then he kisses you.
It’s not a kiss. It’s a collision. It’s desperate and hungry and furious. It’s two days of tension and a lifetime of control being obliterated in a single, devastating moment. His mouth is hot and demanding, his lips crashing against yours with a bruising force that makes you see stars. He tastes of mint and bottled water and pure, unadulterated need.
You kiss him back with equal ferocity, your hands coming up to tangle in his soft hair, pulling him closer, deeper. You open your mouth to him, and his tongue sweeps in, claiming you with a possessive, masterful confidence. It’s a battle, a fight for dominance, and you are both losing, both winning, both surrendering completely.
He breaks the kiss only to trail his mouth down your jaw, along your throat, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. You arch your back, a low sound of pleasure escaping your lips. His hand at your waist slides lower, cupping your ass, lifting you up and grinding you against him.
“Is this … handling it?” He murmurs against your neck, his breath hot on your skin.
“You’re getting warmer,” you pant, your brain struggling to form coherent thoughts.
He lifts his head, his eyes blazing, and kisses you again, hard and deep. He walks you backwards, away from the door, his mouth never leaving yours. You stumble over something, but he holds you steady, his arms like steel bands around you. He doesn't stop until the back of your knees hit the edge of the bed. He pushes you down gently, following you, his body covering yours, caging you on the mattress.
He breaks the kiss, his chest heaving, and props himself up on his elbows, looking down at you. Your dress is rucked up around your thighs, your hair is a mess, your lips are swollen from his. You probably look like a storm just passed through you.
“Okay,” he says, his voice still rough with passion. “Okay.” It’s like he’s trying to reboot his own brain, to find the control again.
But you’re not done with him yet. You haven’t fulfilled your promise.
You reach up and place your hands on his chest, pushing him gently. “My turn,” you say, your voice breathy.
He looks at you, confused, but allows you to push him into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. He watches you, his eyes full of questions, as you slide off the bed and onto your knees in front of him. You look up at him from the floor, and you see the exact moment recognition dawns in his eyes. It’s the same look he had at the concert. Shock. Awe. Utter, brain-melting disbelief.
“The stage lighting really doesn’t do it justice,” you whisper, repeating your words from the DM. You give him a slow, wicked smile. “Time for your private demonstration.”
You reach out and unbuckle his belt, the metallic click loud in the silent room. You pull the zipper of his jeans down slowly, deliberately, your eyes never leaving his. His breath hitches. His hands, which had been resting on his knees, clench into tight fists.
You take him into your hand. He’s hot and hard and heavy, and a fresh wave of desire, of power, washes over you. You lean in, your lips brushing against the tip of him, a teasing, feather-light touch. He lets out a low, strangled groan and his head falls back against the headboard.
“Look at me,” you command softly.
His eyes snap open, locking with yours. They are dark, hazy with lust.
“Do you want to try,” you whisper, “this one?”
And you take him into your mouth.
You put every ounce of your skill, your confidence, your audacity into it. This is a performance, but it’s the most intimate one you’ve ever given. It’s slow and deep and decadent. You use your tongue, your lips, your hands, orchestrating his pleasure with the precision of a conductor. You watch his face the entire time, watch the way his jaw clenches, the muscles in his neck cord, the way his eyes squeeze shut as you push him closer to the edge. You’re in complete control, and the power is a heady, intoxicating drug.
He lasts longer than you expect, his famous discipline fighting a losing battle against the pure, overwhelming sensation. His hands come down to fist in your hair, not pulling, just holding on, anchoring himself in the storm you’ve created. His breathing is harsh, ragged.
“Y/N …” he chokes out your name, a plea and a prayer.
You know he’s close, on the brink. And just as he’s about to shatter, you pull away.
He lets out a frustrated growl, his eyes snapping open. They are wild, furious, and filled with a desperate need that makes you weak at the knees.
“What are you doing?” He rasps.
You get to your feet, a triumphant smirk on your lips. “Demonstration over,” you say, your voice a little shaky.
For a second, he just stares at you, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Then, in a movement so fast you don't have time to react, he’s on his feet. He grabs your arm, spins you around, and pushes you face down onto the bed.
“My turn,” he growls in your ear, his voice a low, predatory rumble.
He pushes the silk of your dress up to your waist, his hot breath on the back of your neck. His hands explore your body, not with gentleness, but with a hungry, desperate curiosity. He spans your waist, his thumbs pressing into the small of your back.
“You have no idea what you just started,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against your earlobe.
He parts you with his fingers, and you gasp as his thumb finds your clit, pressing down with a firm, knowing pressure. You moan into the pillow, your carefully constructed control completely gone. You are pure sensation, pure need.
Then, his mouth replaces his hand.
And your world ends.
If your performance was a work of art, his is an act of sheer, focused demolition. There is no finesse, no teasing. It is a direct, relentless, overwhelming assault on your senses. His tongue is masterful, merciless. He finds your rhythm instantly and pushes you, harder, faster, deeper. He’s not performing, he’s claiming. He’s not asking, he’s taking. He’s a champion, and he is determined to win.
You lose all sense of time and space. There is only the bedspread clutched in your fists, the sound of your own helpless moans, and the exquisite, unbearable pleasure he is inflicting on you. Your hips buck against his mouth, chasing the feeling, chasing the release.
“Max, please,” you cry out, not even sure what you’re asking for.
He doesn’t stop. He just holds your hips tighter, his mouth becoming even more insistent. He is pushing you over an edge you didn't even know was there. The pleasure builds and builds, a tight, coiling knot in your stomach, until it becomes unbearable.
And then, it snaps.
Your climax rips through you, a violent, soul-shattering wave of pure ecstasy. You scream his name into the pillow as your body convulses, the release so powerful it leaves you trembling and breathless, completely undone.
He doesn't stop until the last aftershock has faded. He stays there for a moment longer before moving up, collapsing onto the bed beside you, his body slick with sweat. He pulls you against his side, his arm wrapping around you, holding you tight.
You lie there in silence for a long time, the only sound the ragged rhythm of your breathing slowly returning to normal. Your body feels boneless, your mind blissfully blank.
He broke through all your defenses. He met your challenge and raised the stakes to a level you never could have imagined. He didn't just handle you. He conquered you.
You turn your head on the pillow to look at him. His eyes are closed, but a small, satisfied smile plays on his lips.
“So,” you say, your voice a wrecked, husky whisper. “Second date?”
His eyes flutter open. He looks at you, his eyes clear and bright, and the smile widens into a genuine, breathtaking grin.
“Copy,” he says. “Send location.”
***
The morning light in Cologne is grey and unforgiving, slicing through a gap in the heavy blackout curtains. You wake slowly, your body a warm, heavy tangle of limbs and satisfaction. For a moment, you don't know where you are. Then you feel it — the solid weight of an arm draped possessively over your waist, the steady rhythm of a heartbeat against your back.
It all comes rushing back in a dizzying, cinematic flash. The bar. The elevator. The devastating, all-consuming kiss against the door. The demonstration. And his … rebuttal.
A slow smile spreads across your face. You lie still, listening to the sound of his breathing, the quiet hum of the city outside. This is usually the part you hate. The awkward morning-after shuffle, the polite but pointed small talk, the unspoken question of who leaves first. You’re an expert at the clean getaway.
But as you lie there, pinned by the arm of a sleeping world champion, you feel a distinct lack of any desire to escape. You feel … comfortable. Calm. It’s a dangerously unfamiliar sensation.
You carefully, quietly, try to slide out from under his arm. You fail. The arm tightens, and a low, sleepy groan rumbles from his chest. He pulls you back against him, his face nuzzling into the curve of your neck.
“Don’t move,” he murmurs, his voice thick with sleep.
“I was just going to the bathroom,” you whisper, your heart giving a little flutter at the casual intimacy of the gesture.
“Bathroom can wait,” he says, his lips brushing against your skin. “Five more minutes.”
You surrender, letting your body relax back into his. The five minutes stretch into fifteen, a peaceful, silent bubble in the heart of a bustling hotel. He doesn’t say anything else, and neither do you. You just lie there, existing in the same space, and it feels more natural than it has any right to.
Eventually, the silence is broken by the insistent buzz of a phone on the nightstand. Max groans again, a sound of pure protest this time. He reluctantly untangles himself from you, the loss of his warmth immediate, and leans over to grab the offending device.
He squints at the screen, running a hand through his already messy hair. “It’s my race engineer,” he says, his voice still gravelly. He clears his throat. “I have to … I have a session.”
“The famous simulator,” you say, propping yourself up on your elbows, the sheet pooling around your waist.
He looks at you, and for the first time in the clear morning light, you see him without the mask of intensity or the haze of lust. He just looks like a guy who’s been woken up too early. A handsome guy, yes, but a normal one. There’s a faint crease on his cheek from the pillow. It’s ridiculously endearing.
“Yeah,” he says, a faint blush creeping up his neck. He seems suddenly, uncharacteristically awkward. “I, uh, I have to go.”
Here it is. The pivot. The moment the magic of the night gives way to the harsh reality of the morning.
“Okay,” you say, keeping your voice light and breezy. You start to get out of bed, ready to gather your dress from the floor and perform your signature vanishing act.
“Wait,” he says, and his voice is sharp enough to make you pause.
You turn to look at him. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, his phone in one hand, looking at you with that intense, analytical gaze you’re coming to recognize. The awkwardness is gone, replaced by a focused seriousness.
“What?” You ask.
He seems to be weighing his words carefully. “This wasn’t … I don’t do this.”
You raise an eyebrow. “Do what? Have spectacularly hot, mutually satisfying sex with international pop stars? I’m sure it’s a rare occurrence.”
A small smile tugs at his lips, but his eyes remain serious. “No. This. A … one-night thing. It’s not my style.”
“Relax, champion,” you say, a little too quickly. “You don’t have to give me the ‘it’s not you, it’s my demanding career’ speech. I get it. I wrote the platinum-selling album on the subject. No strings, no expectations. It was a great demonstration. End of story.”
You’re protecting yourself, throwing up your usual walls of wit and nonchalance. But the words feel hollow even as you say them.
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he says, his gaze unwavering. He stands up and walks over to you, stopping just in front of you. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs, and you have to actively force your brain to focus on his face. “I’m saying this isn’t the end of the story. For me.”
Your breath catches in your throat. “What are you saying, Max?”
“I’m saying I want to see you again,” he says, his voice low and firm, leaving no room for misunderstanding. “Not for a game. Not for a challenge. I just … want to see you.”
The raw, unvarnished honesty of it knocks the air out of your lungs. There are no clever lines, no carefully constructed moves. Just a simple, direct statement of intent. It’s terrifying. And it’s thrilling.
“My schedule is insane,” you hear yourself say, the old excuses coming automatically. “I’m in a different city every other day. And you’re …”
“I know what my schedule is,” he cuts in. “I know what yours is. I looked it up again this morning.” Of course he did. “It’s difficult. It’s not impossible.” He reaches out and tucks a stray strand of hair behind your ear, his touch surprisingly gentle. “I want to try.”
You look into his eyes, and you see no games, no pretense. You see the same focus and determination he probably has when he’s hunting down a rival on the last lap of a race. And it’s all directed at you.
A slow, genuine smile spreads across your face. “Okay, Verstappen,” you say softly. “Let’s try.”
***
Trying, it turns out, is a logistical nightmare that feels like the easiest thing in the world.
Your life becomes a chaotic puzzle of time zones, flight paths, and encrypted text messages. It’s a relationship built in the stolen moments between soundchecks and simulator sessions, in quiet hotel rooms in cities you barely have time to see.
It’s a study in contradictions.
You are loud, he is quiet. Your life is a curated performance of joyful chaos, his is a monastic devotion to the millimeter, the microsecond. You thrive on the energy of thousands of screaming fans, he finds his peace in the solitary focus of the cockpit.
And somehow, it works. He becomes your anchor in the whirlwind of your life. You become his escape from the crushing pressure of his.
The first time you go to a race, it’s Monaco. Of course it’s Monaco. You step into the paddock, and it’s like entering another planet. The air is thick with the smell of burning rubber and expensive perfume, the sound a constant, high-strung symphony of screaming engines and a dozen different languages. It’s the only place on earth where your sequined jumpsuit doesn't even warrant a second glance.
Max meets you by the Red Bull hospitality suite, a rare, genuine smile on his face as he watches you take it all in.
“A bit much, isn’t it?” He says, his hand finding the small of your back.
“Honey, ‘a bit much’ is my brand,” you reply, grinning up at him. “I feel right at home.”
He gets a jealous look from another driver and Max’s hand on your back becomes just a little more possessive. He introduces you to his race engineer, GP, a man with a perpetually amused glint in his eye.
“So you’re the one,” GP says, shaking your hand. “The one who finally managed to knock him off his focus.”
“Oh, I think his focus is perfectly intact,” you say, giving Max a sly wink. “I’m just … recalibrating his suspension.”
GP lets out a bark of laughter. “I like her, Max. Don’t mess this one up.”
You spend the race in the garage, a pair of oversized headphones clamped over your ears. You don’t understand ninety percent of what’s happening, but you understand the tension. You watch the data on the screens, the focused ballet of the pit crew, the raw, primal emotion when Max makes a daring overtake. You see him in his element, a modern-day gladiator in a carbon fibre chariot, and your fascination with him deepens into a profound respect.
He starts showing up to your shows whenever his calendar has a twenty-four-hour gap. He’ll fly from Spa to London, from Monza to Paris, just to stand at the side of the stage and watch you. He never says much. He just stands there, his arms crossed, a small, proud smile on his face as you command the adoration of thousands. He’s your quiet island in the middle of the screaming ocean of your life.
One night, after a show in New York, you’re back in the hotel, exhausted and high on adrenaline. He’s sitting on the couch, watching you pace around the room as you dissect the performance.
“The bridge in ‘Tornado Warning’ was a little pitchy, and I missed my mark on the final chorus choreography …”
He just watches you, his expression calm and steady. “It was amazing,” he says when you finally pause for breath.
“You always say that,” you say, flopping down onto the couch next to him.
“Because it’s always true,” he replies simply. He reaches over and pulls you into his lap, his arms wrapping around you. You sigh, your body melting into his, the frantic energy of the show finally draining away.
“How do you do it?” You whisper into his neck. “How do you stay so … calm?”
“It’s easy,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against your temple. “You’re loud enough for both of us.”
***
For his birthday, you decide to give him a gift only you can.
“I’m writing a song for you,” you announce one evening over a crackly FaceTime call. He’s in Singapore, you’re in L.A.
He groans, but he’s smiling. “Please don’t. My team already gives me enough shit for dating you. And Lando will be insufferable.”
“Oh, it’s too late,” you say sweetly. “The hook is already written. It’s very … aerodynamic.”
The song, titled ‘Pole Position’, drops two weeks later. It’s a pulsing, synth-heavy, ridiculously sexy track. It’s also the most explicit thing you’ve ever written. It’s filled with barely-veiled metaphors about G-forces, chicanes, and finishing first. The bridge is a breathy, spoken-word masterpiece that contains the line, “They say you’re the master of the late-breaking … I can attest to your stamina.”
It’s an instant, scandalous, global smash hit.
Max texts you the day it’s released.
Maxie ❤️: You are going to be the death of me.
You text back: You love it.
There’s a long pause.
Maxie ❤️: The car is on its way to your video shoot.
You had somehow, through a combination of dazzling charm, irrefutable brand synergy logic, and possibly a little light blackmail, convinced the Red Bull marketing team to let you use one of their F1 cars for the music video.
The video is a masterpiece of high-gloss camp. You, writhing on the chassis of an RB19 in a leather catsuit. You, licking champagne off a winner’s trophy. You, sitting in the cockpit, running your hands over the steering wheel with a look of pure, unadulterated lust on your face.
The video breaks the internet. Red Bull’s social media engagement goes up by 500 percent. Red Bull sends you a case of champagne with a note that says, “Well played.”
Max’s response is more succinct.
He wins the next race in Austin in a dominant, lights-to-flag victory. As he crosses the finish line, GP’s voice crackles over the radio.
“Okay, Max, that is P1. A brilliant, brilliant drive, mate. Absolutely flawless.”
There’s a pause, filled only with the sound of Max’s heavy breathing and the whine of the downshifting engine.
Then, his voice comes over the global broadcast, clear and steady.
“Yeah, that was a good one,” he says. “That one was for you, Y/N.”
You’re watching from the green room of a talk show in New York, and you burst into tears. It’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you.
***
Time blurs, the way it does when you’re happy. Seasons pass in a flurry of checkered flags and sold-out stadiums. Your love story becomes a strange, accepted part of the cultural landscape. The scandalous pop star and the stoic racing champion. The odd couple who, against all odds, make perfect sense.
You are there in the suffocating humidity of Singapore, the glamour of Las Vegas, the historic grandeur of Silverstone. He is there in the wings of Madison Square Garden, the front row of the O2 Arena, the chaotic backstage of Glastonbury.
Then comes the race in Abu Dhabi.
It’s the culmination of a long, brutal season. He’s been fighting tooth and nail, a relentless battle for every point. It all comes down to this one race, under the desert lights. If he wins, he secures his fifth World Championship.
You’re in the garage, a nervous wreck. You’re twisting the strap of your paddock pass, your heart hammering in time with the screaming engines. You watch the race unfold on the monitors, your stomach in knots. It’s a tense, strategic affair. He doesn’t put a wheel wrong. He is a machine, a perfect fusion of man and carbon fiber.
He crosses the line. He wins.
The garage explodes. A tidal wave of joy and relief washes over everyone. Engineers are hugging, mechanics are crying. You are just standing there, tears streaming down your face, a sob of pure pride caught in your throat.
Later, after the podium, the interviews, the whirlwind of celebration, you find him in his driver’s room. He’s sitting on a bench, his head in his hands, the emotion of the day finally catching up to him.
You walk over and sit next to him, placing a hand on his back.
He looks up, his eyes red-rimmed. He gives you a watery, exhausted smile. “We did it.”
“You did it,” you say softly, wiping a tear from his cheek. “You’re incredible.”
He leans in and rests his forehead against yours. “Couldn’t do it without you,” he whispers. “My lucky charm.”
A few days later, you’re on stage in London. It’s the first show of your new world tour, a bigger, more ambitious production than ever before. The “arrest” segment with the fuzzy handcuffs has long been retired, replaced by new, even more elaborate gags.
Halfway through the set, as you’re catching your breath between songs, you scan the crowd. And you see him.
He’s not at the side of the stage. He’s in the audience, standing in the middle of the crowd with Victoria and some of his friends. He’s wearing a baseball cap pulled down low, but you’d recognize him anywhere. He looks happy, relaxed, the weight of the championship finally lifted. He’s just a guy at a concert, watching his girlfriend.
He catches your eye. He smiles and gives you a small, almost imperceptible nod.
And an idea, a crazy, perfect, full-circle idea, sparks in your mind.
You grin at your band, a silent, mischievous signal that you’re going off-script. They look confused but nod along, ever the professionals.
You turn back to the microphone, a dramatic, serious expression on your face.
“London,” you say, and the arena quiets down, sensing a shift in the show. “I’m afraid I have to interrupt this evening’s proceedings for a very serious matter.”
A confused murmur ripples through the crowd.
“It has come to my attention,” you continue, your voice ringing with theatrical gravity, “that there is a criminal in our midst. A repeat offender.”
The crowd starts to buzz, a mixture of confusion and excitement.
“This man is guilty of multiple offenses,” you declare, starting to pace the stage. “Disturbing the peace. Driving too fast. Stealing way, way too many trophies. And, most egregiously … he stole my heart.”
A collective “aww” rises from the audience as they start to understand.
You look directly at Max, a spotlight operator catching your cue and swinging a beam of light onto him. The crowd around him erupts as they realize who it is. He buries his face in his hands for a second, a mixture of embarrassment and laughter, before looking back up at you, his eyes shining.
“Yeah, you,” you say, pointing at him, your voice softening. “In the stupid baseball cap. The five-time World Champion who looks like he just won the lottery.”
You motion to your stage manager in the wings. He whispers into his headset. A moment later, your prop master runs out and hands you something.
Fuzzy. Pink.
The arena explodes. The sound is deafening. It’s a roar of recognition, of joy, of love for the public, ridiculous story that has become yours.
“Security,” you say into the microphone, your voice thick with emotion but a wide, triumphant grin on your face. “Bring him to me. He’s got a life sentence to serve.”
They part the crowd for him, and he makes his way to the stage, a look of pure love on his face. He’s not the flustered, overwhelmed man he was all those years ago. He’s a king, walking onto a stage that is as much his as it is yours.
He bounds up the stairs, and you meet him in the center of the stage. The roar of the crowd fades into a distant hum.
“You’re ridiculous,” he says, his voice for your ears only.
“You started it,” you whisper back, your eyes sparkling with happy tears.
You take his wrist, the familiar fuzzy cuff soft against his skin. “Max Emilian Verstappen,” you declare to the cheering arena, “for the crime of being illegally handsome, impossibly talented, and for loving a chaotic pop star with your whole heart …”
You click the other cuff onto your own wrist, linking you together.
“… I sentence you to a lifetime with me.”
He doesn’t say anything. He just leans in, cups your face in his free hand, and kisses you. It’s a kiss filled with years of history, of stolen moments and public declarations, of quiet mornings and screaming crowds. It’s a kiss that says home.
The crowd is a roaring, beautiful, joyful blur. But in the center of the stage, in the middle of the storm you’ve created together, there is only the two of you. Linked together. Finally and forever apprehended.
GP: Max, you have given everything. You can be proud of that, mate. Hold your head up high.
Max: We show them one final time. Congrats guys! what a comeback in the second half of this season. You can be really really proud of that. Don't be feeling disappointed. I'm definitely not disappointed. I'm really proud of everyone who never gave up. Keep pushing. Never giving up believing it, making it a success again, even when it's really difficult so, thank you very much to everyone. And also thank you to Honda for all these years together and all these amazing successes that we've had. And we definitely need to close it in style, so thank you very much for that.
Laurent: Well done, Max. You dominated that one once again. It's been from beginning to the end, dominated that one finish in style took us through an incredible ride for this second part of the year. Very very thankful and we'll try even harder next. Thanks Max!
Max: Yeah, exactly Laurent. Don't worry. I'm happy. I'm happy with what we have achieved so far so, let's keep going.
