Lando's Love (2021)

Chapter 26

My arrival in Spain did not go unnoticed. First, I had 2 days with Carlos, Isa, and the rest of the Sainz family in Madrid, then I planned to meet a friend, Iona, on Wednesday in Barcelona. I loved Carlos's family; they had always been lovely to me. I was also delighted to see Isa again. These 2 days in Madrid were very welcome. I was talking to Mother Carlos on Tuesday morning when we arrived about my affairs of the heart.

"So Lando, Carlos told us that you had found your other half..."

"What a chatterbox, that one! " 

"Even if he hadn't told us, it's been all over the news since the winter tests. So, tell me more. "

"Her name is Astrid; she is French and a law student. She has a dog, a one-and-a-half-year-old corgi called Sigma. They are both inseparable. Astrid is a smart, beautiful, and very stubborn girl. She does everything to succeed in her studies and I love her even more for wanting to be independent from me later on. " 

"If she has a dog that she considers her own daughter and takes everywhere, she is a good person in my eyes. She seems like an amazing young woman. And you seem to be in love! "

"She is and I am. "

She smiled at me, ruffled my hair, and left to join her husband who was talking to Carlos. Carlos turned to me and approached.

"Is everything all right? "

"Yes, it's just nice to see everyone again. " 

"It's nice to see you too. "

"On the other hand, you've been a big talker with your family about my life, haven't you? "

"Did you just talk about Astrid with my mother? "

"You don't deny it and I'll take that question as an affirmation to my own question. "

We laughed before joining the group to have lunch. Those two days went by very quickly! On Wednesday morning I drove to Barcelona to meet Iona in a café. We had been friends for so long... I saw her from a distance!

"Hey, hi Lan! You keep changing. You look more and more like a man. "

"Hi Iona, how are you? You look prettier every time I see you! " 

"You flatter me. How are you? "

"Good, good. How's your boyfriend? " 

"Perfectly well, we're going to move in together in a little while. "

"That's great! Congratulations! " 

"What about you? I hear you have a girlfriend now..."

"That's right, she's great, I'd like you to meet her sometime. " 

"Why isn't she here? "

"She stayed in France for her exams. " 

"I see, so tell me everything I need to know about the year that has passed since we last saw each other! "

We talked for a good two hours at least. We laughed about our childhood memories or things that had happened to us. It was a good time with her, like every time. When I came out of the café, I saw people taking pictures of my McLaren that I had for the week. I approached and greeted them. I took some pictures with them, or of them in front of the car. My car looked more famous than me... It made me smile. I went back to the hotel. I was going back to my room when I received the message that scared me more than anything else...

SWEETHEART ❤

Can I know who it is?
I don't understand
I'd like an explanation, please.
You didn't tell me you were going to see someone.
You just told me you were going to see Carlos' family...
Did I do something to make you think I was jealous?
Or that I didn't trust you?
Please explain...

OH NO! I had forgotten to warn her, and she must have seen the pictures of Iona and me. I felt, by her last message, that I had just hurt her feelings. I decided to call her. One ring, two rings, three rings, four rings... Nothing, she didn't pick up. I went to Carlos' room. I heard her on the phone:

"I assure you she's just a friend .... Of course not, I mean, he trusts you .... Maybe he just forgot to tell you .... You should take it up with him directly, shouldn't you? .... I'll go and talk to him, but you should talk to him. Call him! .... No, I won't be the middleman. .... No, don't cry. Look, I can assure you she's an old friend and she has a boyfriend. You have nothing to worry about. He loves you like crazy; he hasn't stopped talking about you to my parents. Call him, Tris. He'll explain it better than I can. You can also call Isa; she'll be happy to talk to you. .... Take care, we'll talk later."

I had hurt her... How could I have forgotten to tell her? At least Carlos had told the truth. I returned to my room just in time to see Astrid's call. Her voice was trembling and there were tears in her eyes.

Hello

Hi

Look, I'm really sorry. I completely forgot to warn you. She's just a friend, I promise! I trust you Tris, I could trust you with my life!

(She then flashed that smile I love so much!)

I believe you Lan; you don't have to promise me that. It was just hard to come out of my exam this afternoon and see those pictures when I didn't know about them. It's not that I want to know everything you do. It's just that you're in another country and you're having lunch with a beautiful young woman, and I don't know... I don't know if you understand, but it hurts...

I understand... I love you Tris!

I love you too, Lan!

Our conversation continued like this until she fell asleep in front of her phone, which she had placed on its stand on her bedside table. She was adorable. So, I quickly sent a message to Carlos to thank him.

CARLOTA (AKA MUPPET) 🏎

Situation back to normal, thank you!

Glad to hear it, how do you know I know?

She's close to you and you're the only one
who could answer her questions in this kind of situation.
(And maybe I was eavesdropping
when I needed your advice and
you were on the phone with her...).

It's not nice to eavesdrop on people's conversations! But I'm glad you guys are doing better.

Thanks, see you tomorrow!

Good night Lando.

~~~~~

A/N

Another small chapter, the next one is about the Spanish GP and then it will be the reunion!