During the next two races Valentino went on to finish on the podium ahead of Max Biaggi and like the tailor had predicted, a rivalry between the two country men had blossomed.

"Everything has to be perfect, everything has to be perfect!" The tailor's mantra as he took a few inspecting laps around the shop, again.

"Get rid of this." He said, tossing some uncut fabric Alessia's way.

The fabric however, falls onto the floor. Alessia's embrace is already full of other things the tailor had been tossing her way.

"I don't understand Sir, why are we redecorating the entire store for the second time this month?" Alessia has to cup the tower of fabric with her chin to prevent everything from tipping over.

"What is there to understand Miss Diallo? In five days the MotoGP Grand Prix will take place here in Mugello, the town will be filled with tourists, let alone loyal customers who will come to see me, Fernado"

Alessia sighs, forsure this meant working overtime.

Coming home from a hectic day made the flight of stairs appear in front of Alessia like The Mount Everest.

"Out of my way." A pesky looking lady said, shoving Alessia aside, who still stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the mountain

After what seemed like an hour her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Lessy where are you, you okay?"

It's Valentino, expecting Alessia for the last forty-five minutes.

"Yeah I'm okay." She said sleepily, "I'm actually downstairs."

Soon his rapid steps were heard descending the flight of stairs. Alessia was half asleep against the railing when Valentino reached her. Together they made the climb.

"I have a surprise for you." He said as they reached the top. "You're gonna love it."

"I am?"

A newfound energy came with the excitement.

Stepping through the door.

"Alessia! Welcome home!"

On the sofa with his bare feet on the table, Valentino's uncle, Flavio.

She holds the sigh, "Uncle Flavio, what a surprise!"

"He is staying here until the race."

"How come I'm the last to know?" She said between clenched teeth.

Valentino chuckles "wouldn't that ruin the surprise?"

Uncle Flavio, a juvenile persona, a bachelor in his mid thirties. Alessia believes that all sorts of women would throw themselves over him, if he could only manage to put a cap on his annoying personality as the "Joker" of the family.

Next day, Alessia woke up late for work. Uncle Flavio offered to give her a ride, a slight relief, meaning Esmeralda didn't have to stay with the Borellis whilst he was in town. Mrs Borelli kept on making silly portraits of her daughter, surrounding her with all sorts of peculiar props, the stuffed animals left Esmeralda with nightmares about killer rabbits.

"So are you two getting along, living in that dump of an apartment you call home?" Uncle Flavio's chuckle is a dreadful sound to Alessia's ears.

"You knew all along,Valentino moving us into a haunted house and didn't bother to tell me."

This makes Uncle Flavio laugh even louder. "Trust me I told him what your reaction would be, he just wouldn't listen."

"You're evil." She mumbles a subtle smile twitching her lips.

"Hey, you should know Vale by now, when he puts his mind into something he just won't let it be interfered."

"Yeah but a moldy house?" She frowns

Uncle Flavio's expression mellows, he still has this youthful glow about him. "It was the first house we looked at that summer. I think Vale was quick to imagine you together in it. He must have fallen in love with the vision, not wanting to let it go, you know?"

I guess the one thing she liked about Valentino's uncle was that occasionally something humble and heartwarming would come out of his big mouth.

"Is that the father of your child?" The tailor asks pulling the blinds as Alessia enters the shop.

"My what?

He sighs, "The father of your child?"

"No." She said, quick to shake her head.

"Good, because he dresses like a farmer."

An uneventful morning, the tailor had Alessia clean the back office ahead of tomorrow's broadcasting of the Mugello practice session.

It was right around lunch time when Alessia was being lazy dusting off the shelves, a customer entered the shop.

"Sorry we're closed." She overhears the tailor tell the customer. They usually didn't allow anyone in this close to lunchtime.

She found it odd to hear the tailor say "My apologies sir I'll see what I can do....." very odd for the stubborn man that he was.

Clicking heels were soon heard approaching, the tailor entering the back office in hysteria.

"What's wrong?"

The tailor fans himself in panic.

"Max Biaggi..." He gasps.

"What?"

"Max Biaggi, in my shop, Max Biaggi is in my shop." Like a little girl he squeals.

Quickly they move to the doorway. It was Max Biaggi alright. The same stately man Alessia met in the Paddock in South Africa. With him he carried a brown paper bag as he looked around the shop.

"What does he want?" She whispers.

"I dunno? For me to take a look at his suit, says it is urgent."

"Then what are you doing in here?" she hissed angrily.

The tailor cries, "I told you I'm allergic to leather."

"He wants you to take a look at his race suit?"

"Yes!" The tailor exhales.

Max Biaggi grows impatient as they make him wait.

"What did you tell him?" She whispers.

"I told him I'd go get my assistant."

"What! And you're telling me this now." Alessia and the tailor make sure that they both look presentable, brushing each other off before leaving the office.

They fix a smile as they approach an anxious Biaggi.

"Do as I say and keep quiet." The tailor leaned in to whisper. "Sorry for the delay Sir, but my assistant seemed to have gone for an early break."

"No I didn't."

A sudden nudge from his elbow stabs Alessia's side.

"Look, I only came here because they told me that you were the best, can you help me or not?"

"I am humbled by your kind words sir, however I am afraid that leather is not an area of my expertise, I've brought my assistant to take a look at your suit if she may."

Max Biaggi places the bag on top of the table, the same type of leather suit he wore during the South African Grand Prix spills out of it. Alessia's eyes widen at the sight of the crimson. Amazed, she lets her hands spread across the leather, the tailor quick to slap her hands away.

"Isn't she too young to be your assistant?"

Alessia's eyebrow rises with Biaggi's words, for the first time their eyes meet.

"Yes,..." The tailor shook his head disappointingly, "I'm afraid they come in all shapes and sizes these days" By the way Biaggi's eyes mellow at the sight of hers, tells Alessia that he might remember her from before. "...this one in particular is a single mother that I have taken on. Charity..." The tailor waves.

"She's fine." Max said short. Heat rising to Alessia's face. "I need her to redo the shoulders and torso so it fits me better, I've been jumping between two tailors and they keep messing up my measurements. Can she do that?"

"Of course we can. May I ask when you are asking for all of this to be done, it is a very complex task."

"Free practice is tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" Alessia and the tailor gasp simultaneously.

"Like I said, it's urgent and if you are as good as they say...."

The tailor's Adam's apple moves as he swallows nervously. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable in one of the dressing rooms Mr Biaggi, we'll soon be with you to do your measurements."

"Thank you, I'll be in great debt to you, both of you." Biaggi said, addressing Alessia directly for the first time.

As he disappears inside one of the dressing rooms, the tailor drags Alessia back to the office.

"What are we gonna do, I can't pull this off!" Alessia dries the sweat dabbing her forehead.

The tailor began pacing back and forth, "Yes you do, we'll get some books."

"Books?" She frowns "How are they gonna help now?"

"Do you know the construction of a racing suit?"

Alessia is left staring blankly into space.

"That's what I thought."

"This could take all night, I have to get home to my daughter."

The tailor waves her words away, "Just leave her with the farmer."

Noticing her panic the tailor brings his hand to stop her from biting her nails. "Listen, this could be it for us, the beginning of your career and the take off of mine. If we pull this off Max Biaggi will be in great debt to us, we will be well known amongst his peers, do you understand me Miss Diallo?."

Alessia nods, but at the same time she has the need to sit down.

After a few minutes of collecting herself Alessia finds herself standing in front of the dressing rooms. She cleared her throat to announce her presence. Max Biaggi swung the curtains open and was found still fiddling with the last buttons on his shirt.

Alessia knows that she is blushing.

"Err... Fernando went to get some books, we could wait for him to do the measurements if it makes you feel more comfortable?"

A smirk appears on Biaggi's lips, seeing Alessia's eyes land on anything but himself.

"Would it make you feel more comfortable?" He grins.

Alessia exhales, she is being unprofessional. "No I'm alright." She said firmly.

Biaggi watches Alessia take a lap around him, scoping him out. She prays he doesn't notice her hands tremble as she goes to measure his naked torso. If he did, he doesn't say anything, which Alessia is thankful for.

"How could they have gotten the measurements wrong?"

Curious, Max Biaggi watches her bite her lip and mumble words to herself as if he wasn't present.

"I got it!" She suddenly gasps. Stepping away from him, the measuring tape still held tightly in her grip.

"Got what?"

"The other tailor''s when they measured you, were you...you know?" She stumbles on the words.

"Shirtless?" He read her gaze.

"Yes!" She said snapping her fingers.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well when you race don't you wear those undergarments to reduce the sweating?"

"Clever girl." He smirks.

*****

"Wow wow, what are you doing?" The tailor returns with a pile of books stacked up to his chin. He walks in to find Alessia finishing up the measurements on Biaggi.

"You can't measure him with clothes on, we're not making a jacket, Miss Diallo!"

A vein is throbbing on the side of his neck.

Biaggi put a hand up to silence him. "She figured out why the other tailor's got the measurements wrong."

The tailor frowns, "She did?"

"Yeah, I see you only hire the best."

Alessia hides her face, remembering that Max Biaggi wasn't very subtle with his flirting.

The tailor clears his throat, "Of course we do." He said, fixing his posture. "That will be all for today Mr Biaggi, who do we contact to deliver you the suit?"

Max reaches for his pocket and retrieves a pen and a small notebook. "Here is my number..." He starts scraping down the digits, "During race weekends my assistance will be answering all of my calls, other than those days, it's all me."

The tailor looks at the note like it's a lost dollar bill found on the streets of Italy, however his expression quickly withers as Max hands Alessia the note.

"Let's hope for tomorrow!" Max's last words before making his way towards the exit.

A moment of silence, when the door closes behind him.

"Yes, yes!" The tailor then shouts. "My moment has finally come."

Alessia looks to the note in her hand, "This could work." She thinks, This could be exactly what she needs.

"No time to waste." The tailor's sharp voice interrupts her thinking. "Let's get back to work, chop, chop."

Alessia moves towards the back office, but before she could put it in her pocket.... "Give me that!" The tailor said, snatching the note from her loose grip.