MONEY MONEY MONEY, formula one

thirteen | confessions of a good friend

MAY 2022

It was the Monday morning. Daniela was due to fly back to Montreal on Tuesday and, to the surprise of no one, she just wanted to sleep. She had spent the last three days posing for photographers, smiling for cameras and dodging questions about her love life and - quite frankly - she was exhausted beyond belief.
Not so much that she wouldn't catch on to the situation she was currently in.

"Lance!" She whispered harshly, nudging at the arm wrapped around her. "Lance, we have to get up!"
He groaned a little and pulled her tighter. "Why? I want to stay right here..." he paused to yawn, "all day."
It took everything in her not to agree, but one of the two had to stand firm. "That's all well and good, but Seb and Larisa are coming soon."
"We have loads of time." He almost whined. She knew he was a morning person. He was always awake first, with a cup of coffee ready for her. That was their routine. This was weird.
"We have twenty minutes."
"Oh." His eyes flew open and repeated himself, now more aware of the situation. "Oh."

Now, would it have helped their little PR stunt if they were caught waking up late in each other's arms? Absolutely. Would it do well for her dignity knowing it was supposed to be fake, but their "couple-y" actions had begun to bleed into their private lives? Not a chance.
So - begrudgingly, and to both parties' disappointment - she wriggled out of the arms enclosing her and rolled out of bed. Lance's sarcastic grabby hands were downright laughable as she pulled on the first shirt she could find (his, ironically) and shuffled into the kitchen.

The cool floors were quick to act, waking her up enough to see clearly and prevent her burning herself as she made coffee for the two.
Dani heard a muffled groan, followed by a loud thud and a grunt. Lance appeared seconds later, clutching his elbow in pain. "I hit it on the bedside table, kiss it better?"

She pulled a face, ready to pull the good old-fashioned "are you serious?" but stopped short as the area seemed to swell in front of her eyes. He jutted out his lip, holding back the biggest grin one could imagine, watching and waiting for Dani to comply.

Rolling her eyes at the absurd wish (and the persistence of a certain man who knew how to convince her of anything) she quickly lent down to eye-level and pecked the bottom of his forearm. His grin almost made its way into the world, stopped only by a faux gasp. "Wow, all better!"

She shook her head. "Shut up and take your coffee."

Lance chuckled. That ridiculous chuckle which never failed to make her false annoyance fold. And those eyes that always accompanied it, never able hide his true thoughts from his rediscovered best friend. He was like an open book, if the pages contained a masterpiece only they could read.

It took everything in her to leave and get dressed, something she never thought she'd say. But then again, did she ever think she'd be in any part of this situation? After pulling on the first pair of jeans she could find - thankfully hers this time - the light knocking began on the apartment's door. Daniela prided herself on her choice in booking, managing to find something cheap but not a health risk. Of course, she forgot to change shirt as she raced to meet their friends. Sure, it wasn't her home, but she was raised by a magnificent hostess and she'd be damned if she didn't put those manners to good use. Even at the expense of... well, herself.

It was hard not to notice how Lance had already stepped aside, allowing her to open the door, or the racing green polo hanging below her bum with 'STROLL' and the number 18 printed in huge white letters on the back. Larisa hugged her equally eager, whispering in her ear about their "early honeymoon phase". When she pulled back, Dani caught the look Sebastian gave his younger friend, and her fiancé's faint red tinge on the tips of his ears.