back on track

17. the one with the kiss and threat

I was still trying to process what just had happened. I had just kissed Lando freaking Norris.

As Lando and Carlos were doing interviews and messing with each other I pulled myself back together and took some pictures of them. I could see the smiles as all three friends talked to the media and hugged each other being happy for each other. It was true sportsmanship.

"I'll take that" a older woman said without even a small smile on her face. "No need for you to touch it again" She looked more mad than anything as she pulled Lando's helmet from my hands. Then she was gone. I was bit puzzled after so cold treatment. Felt like she was talking more about Lando than the helmet. Wonder if she had seen our little moment.

Finally the interviews were done and the guys were free and I could see Carlos scanning the people and once his eyes landed on me he spread his arms and I jogged and jumped on him wrapping my legs around him as he span me around.

"You did it!!" I screamed and Carlos screamed back. We looked like two fools for sure but I was so happy with our podium that I didn't care.

"We needed this" Carlos said after dropping me back to ground. I hadn't ever seen such a big smile on his face and nothing could take it away from him at least today. "P2 baby" he yelled and I let out a laugh. He seemed so relieved achieving something this big for the team.

We talked a bit and people came to congratulate Carlos before he needed to head to the podium. I hugged Max quickly before he headed up as well. I climbed up to the fence to my teammates to watch as three of my friends were about to get their moment.

I smiled watching the former teammates spraying the champagne on each other. It was something I felt that we wouldn't be able to see too many times this year. It had meant almost a perfect performances from both teams and some unluckiness from the others to get here. I mean, the car was getting better all the time, but was it competitive? Not so much, not with Mercedes and Red Bull.

I walked back to garage as the ceremony ended and found Charles sitting inside alone. "Hey" I said quietly sitting next to him. "How you holding up?" I asked him knowing how much of a disappointment this had been to him.

"I'm happy for him, you know" he started turning his face to me and you could see how hurt he was. "But it's hard to watch when I know I could've been there too" he looked back to his hands.

"Yeah I know" I said sadly not really knowing how to make the guy feel better. "Come on" I said to him and got up. "Let's go"

"Where?" he asked standing up and walking after me.

"Don't know but we'll figure it out" I told him as we kept walking away from the paddock. I knew that the team was going to be celebrating in the garage and even though I knew that Charles would have put up his happy face for them, it would've been killing him inside.

Before we managed to get out of the paddock area a woman in McLaren shirt stopped me by grabbing my arm. She wasn't being too gentle I might add. So I let out a little ouch sound which Charles caught and his overprotective brother mode was activated immediately.

"Hey, let go of her" he said harshly to the girl in front of me. I hadn't seen her before, but she didn't look too much older than me. She looked at Charles furious but let go anyway.

"Fine, but she needs to keep her hands to herself too" she snapped back looking now straight into my eyes.

"What are you talking about, I don't even know who you are" I was more than confused and I could see Charles struggling to get hang of all this too.

"Oh yeah, well let just say that I'm in a position where I could easily end your career here before it even starts" she spat out.

"Okay, but why?" I was starting to get a little worked up myself.

"Yeah what the hell are you talking about?" Charles sounded a bit angry too.

"Just don't touch my driver again or else" she threatened me and turned around on her heels and walked away leaving two of us with our mouths open.

"So, that was something" Charles was first one to talk. I looked at him with a shocked impression.

"I know what this is about, but who the hell was that?!"

"Please enlighten me, and don't' know. I've never seen her before around here" the Ferrari driver shrugged his shoulders.

"Should I really be worried that she is going to end me?" I asked carefully.

"I really doubt that, but I think we need to find out who she is first" Charles said and I nodded. "So are you gonna tell me what that was about?"

"I might have kissed Lando" I let out and his mouth turned into a O-shape. "It was just in the moment kinda thing and I don't think it meant anything but yeah that happened" I explained him still being little confused myself.

"Finally, I owe Carlos five tho" he shook his head and it was my mouth's turn to turn into a O.

"What?"

"Yeah, we had a bet that how long it would take him to man up and make a move" he explained like it was general knowledge.

"I am speechless" I shook my head to the guy.

"Anyways, we should probably find out who that was" Charles changed the topic back to the encounter we had just had.

"Yeah I would love to find out the story behind the whole "my driver" thing. Not ours, mine" I pointed out.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure she isn't part of Lando's team, at least I've never seen her before "That was some weird ass shit tho"