Arranged

~10~

I am in absolutely no mood for this day where I have to pretend that I am happily married to Liana, I have to try to keep my focus with my lap times but this is not going so well for me, I have a bad qualification and am annoyed. As I get out of my car I am immediately reminded that I am not alone here, as soon as my helmet is off my father comes walking up to me. "That didn't go so well." "I know that." I say angry, I walk to my dressing room and get ready for my media obligations.

A lot of questions are asked about my marriage and I try to respond to them the best I can while trying to keep my anger inside, after this day I would love to go out with Max somewhere but unfortunately Max is not here and I am stuck here with my father and Liana. "Lando are you coming to the drivers dinner later too?" I look over and see Pierre with his girlfriend. "Uhmm no idea, I have to check if my dad didn't already want to go out to dinner with me." "Oh yeah I saw him in your pit box today with a lady. Who was that? She seemed a little young to be his girlfriend." Pierre makes a joke and I can't laugh about it. "That's definitely not his girlfriend no, more like my wife." Surprised Pierre looks at me, I smile a little uncomfortably and say that then I have to move on again before I have to explain the whole story, or rather lie a whole story together.

I try to stay as close as possible to Adam throughout the day, a lot is happening around me and with him I feel the safest. "Did Lando tell you you're coming with me to the driver's dinner tonight?" I raise an eyebrow questioningly. "Do you guys talk to each other at all?" "Yeah yeah sure we do, but I hadn't heard this. What am I to make of this?" "Nothing special all the riders will be there and those whose partners are along who will come too, that way you can get to know some people you'll probably like it!" "But I didn't bring anything at all to wear for this." I stammer. "Don't worry, it's not a gala, I'm sure you'll have a nice dress you can put on." Together with Adam we step into the hotel lobby, ideally I want to go straight to my room to get ready for dinner, but Adam invites me to have another drink together, I would like to keep him as a friend so follow him to the hotel bar.

When I was on my way to my room I found myself in the elevator with I believe one of the Alpine's drivers and his girlfriend, I piloted her look and then quickly exited the elevator to go search among the clothes I had brought with me to see if I could find something that was somewhat her style. I didn't want to stand out too much but also didn't want to come across as if I wasn't happy. In the end I chose a mocha colored cocktail dress with matching heels, it wasn't to much and I felt good in it, I redid my makeup. For a moment I look at my mobile and see a notification from Lando coming in. '5 minutes in the lobby.' Quickly I grab a small bag from my suitcase and put my cell phone and some makeup in it.

"Please smile a little when we're inside and don't startle all the time when I touch you, we're supposed to be happily married for the outside world." "I'll do my best. And what if they ask how did we meet?""Then we'll tell the same story you told Carl." I nod and we get out of the car, Lando holds out his hand to me and I grab it. Immediately I feel my breathing change, this happens every time he touches me. His touch is always gentle while his words are always the opposite when I am alone with him. When we are inside I see the Alpine driver I had seen earlier in the elevator, he is also the first to approach us. "Lando how good that you can still be there. And who is this?" "This is Liana my wife." I am introduced to Pierre Gasly and his girlfriend Kika . I shake hands with them both, I feel insecure next to Kika there, she looks beautiful and I feel very ordinary.

I sit between Kika and Lando and have gotten into a conversation with her while Lando has his attention with the others at the table, I look at him a few times when he starts laughing loudly. When he sees me looking at him he smiles at me, something he never normally does and he puts his hand on mine which is on the table, again I feel a kind of electric shock go through my body at his touch. It's all fake Liana, I let the phrase go through my head once again. "How did you two meet, anyway?" Kika asks and Lando immediately turns to us. "Yes this is a very funny story." He starts telling it and can tell it even better than I had imagined. "That's so sweet. I really wish you the best you guys are fun together." "Thank you." Says Lando and he presses a kiss on my hand.

I am tired and starting to feel pretty tipsy, the coziness and warmth of the restaurant feels better than expected despite having to be here with her. Liana is in conversation with Kika and I think it's fine, maybe Kika can help her get a little more style, the dress she chose for this evening was just about adequate in my opinion, I was surprised she brought a dress at all. I am talking to Charles when out of the corner of my eye I see Logan join Kika and Liana. "It was Logan, wasn't it?" I hear Liana say. I try not to listen in on their conversation and try to keep my focus on Charles, this is going very well for me until I hear Logan make some flirty comments to her. For a moment I don't understand my own feelings, could it be because of the drink or because I see her so often that I start imagining things. I grab my glass of liquor from the table and quickly empty it, I look at my watch and I think it's time to go back to the hotel before I wake up tomorrow with a hangover. I grab Liana's bag from the chair and extend my hand to her. "Sorry Logan but this one is already taken." I say somewhat meanly as she grabs my hand and walks away with me. 

I take Liana to her room. "Sleep tight." I say as she opens the door to her hotel room. "Thanks, you too." It remains uncomfortably quiet between us for a moment; I press a kiss to her cheek and she flinches at this. "I'm going to bed I'll see you tomorrow Lando." With that said she closes the door and I continue walking down the hallway to my room. Why did I do that why did I give her that kiss? As far as I knew I hated it, it must be the tension for the race tomorrow and the pressure put on us as a 'couple'. My comment to Logan had also been uncalled for, what did I care if he liked her? Exactly nothing, he could have her like that. I open my hotel room and unbuckle my belt from my pants and drop onto my bed, I stare at the ceiling in thought for a while.

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