smooth operator - carlos sainz jr. [ discontinued ]

05.

media day was almost over just one last interview, this one happened to be with natalie from sky sports. that made elara a bit happier inside. leah had guided her over to where natalie was, "here comes elara campbell!" natalie said into the camera that was near her. "how are you my dear?" she asked, giving the girl a quick side hug, elara returning the same hug. 

"hi natalie, i'm doing quite well actually" elara responded. "last interview for the day and then i'm going to go take a nap" 

a little chuckle escaped from natalie's lips, "then let's get started. how do you feel about a new team this year?"

"a little bit of excitement, some nervousness in there as well, but overall quite happy. there's always something about driving for a new team that brings a sense of nerves. but everyone at mercedes has been so nice and supportive that i can't wait to get to drive the car this season" 

"that is good to hear, are you ready for testing? and have you driven the car yet?"

"i think i am ready for testing, and i've been on the sim with the team, but haven't driven the car around a track yet. so we'll see how it goes, but i have some confidence that it will be amazing" 

"wonderful, now for a bit of a different question, who is a better teammate lewis or max?" 

elara let out a loud laugh at the question, "i couldn't answer that, it's not fair to lewis because i've known max for a longer time! but i will have to say roscoe and milo get along great, so you know that brings lewis up a little bit" showing her hands as they pretended to weigh out the two differences. just as lando barged into the interview saying that he was the better teammate out of every driver. natalie started laughing as elara just shook her head, smiling at the young british boy. "you cannot argue with that information" she finally said. 

"well thank you elara for answering a few questions, i wish you the best of luck for testing this season and will see you around," natalie said as the interview had come to an end. elara said goodbye to the sky sports team and walked away, conversing with lando who decided to follow her around. 

"so el" lando began, the older girl looking at him with raised eyebrows, "what are we going to do now?" 

"i am going to go back and take a nap. there is also no we in this" elara said. 

"what! that is crazy! don't you want to hang with your favorite driver on the grid?" lando practically begging. elara looked over at the boy who was giving her puppy eyes.

"why do you even want to hang out?" 

"because i miss you! and i want to see milo!" 

"fine, but i am still taking my nap but you can come over i guess" she finally said, walking towards the parking lot. "didn't you drive here yourself?"

"no, i caught a ride with carlos, can we get food?" lando said still following the girl to her car. elara let out a loud sigh and kept on walking, choosing better to ignore the mclaren driver for now. reaching her car, the two hopped in, before pulling out of the track grounds. just as she was about to leave, carlos walked right in front of her car, elara having to slam on the breaks. thankfully not hitting the ferrari driver.

"AY!" the spaniard shouted.

"ELARA!" lando shouted from beside her. "WHAT THE FUCK!" the girl just sat there shocked, she doesn't even know why she was shocked because nothing bad happened. carlos appeared at the window by the driver's side, waiting for elara to roll it down. 

"hi carlos, pleasant day we're having right?" 

"you almost hit me!" 

"but i didn't!" 

"yeah, thank god, don't know what i would do if you did" lando huffed from the passenger seat. 

"oh hush, or you can walk back" elara directed at him. "i'm super sorry carlos, i really am" 

"está bien. don't worry about it" now the driver was leaning on her car, still talking to her through the window. "so, why is this muppet in your car" he said, gesturing to lando. 

"he wants to hang out" elara explained. "and now wants to get food" 

"i see, well enjoy!" carlos said with a teasing smile.

"wait, carlos! you want to come with?" lando shouted, now almost over elara's body trying to talk to his best friend. 

"get off of me you idiot!" 

"i mean if elara will let me come over, then sí" both boys looked at elara, lando giving puppy dog eyes again and carlos with a smile. the girl grumbled a bit before mumbling an okay out, lando giving her a hug as if he just got permission to have a sleepover when he was five years old. "i'll see you lot at the hotel, text me your room number. bye lando, bye elara"

"BYE CARLOS!" lando shouted at the retreating ferrari driver. "so what kind of food are we getting?" elara just hit her head on the steering wheel before driving off, managing to not him any more people. not that she has before. 

++

reaching the hotel, lando and elara had stopped for takeout on the way home. elara had spotted carlos waiting in the lobby since lando texted him that they had stopped for dinner. "hey carlos" elara spoke, walking up to him. 

"hola ara" he said, elara smiling at the nickname with a slight blush on her cheeks. "where's lando?" 

"he should be right behind me" turning around, the two couldn't find him. "fuck"

"mierda," the two said at the same time, looking around the not-so-big lobby, wondering where he was until he walked back through the hotel doors with max. 

"guess i'm not going to get a nap today" elara grumbled, crossing her arms. she looked like one of those mothers who were about to tell their kid off for wandering around, which technically did happen.

"lo siento ara" carlos said, just as max and lando walked over to the two of them. 

"i swear i need to put you on a leash lando" elara said, pointing a finger at the boy who just shook his head no, max laughing next to him. 

"let's not point fingers here," carlos said, pushing elara's finger away from the younger boy. 

"c'mon i just wanna eat and milo's waiting on me," elara said, leaving the group and heading to the elevators, the boys soon following. reaching her hotel room door, opening it up she found milo sitting at the door wagging his tail back and forth. "hi mo," she entered the door, the three drivers following in. milo let out a happy bark, running around everyone, super excited people came to play with him. lando had got the takeout set up on the table in the room, max already lounging on the bed. carlos had fallen victim to petting milo and then when he'd stop, milo would paw him to keep petting him. "milo!" elara exclaimed gaining the pup's attention, "dinner!" the puppy ran over to where his dinner was, leaving carlos be. 

after a while, lando put on one of the knockoff cinderella movies disney makes, and everyone squeezed onto elara's bed, including milo. "this is such a boring movie!" max said after 10 minutes, he was squeezed between elara and lando on the bed and wasn't a fan.

"don't disrespect another cinderella story! selena gomez is in it" lando rebutted back. 

"that's the only good thing about this movie!" max argued. 

"both of you just watch the movie," elara said, "or get out" 

"fine we'll watch the movie" max grumbled, raising his hands in mock surrender, as elara slumped back, slightly leaning on carlos. 30 minutes in and she was out like a light on his shoulder, lando had taken a picture of her saying it was for 'blackmail'. max had made the decision to usher everyone out of the room, but when carlos tried to get up, an arm snaked around his, holding him back. lando pulled his phone out again, this time taking a video of carlos trying to get out of the girl's tight grasp. max started laughing at the sight of one of his friends not letting carlos go, he finally managed to get his arm free, as elara shifted in her sleep, the drivers leaving her room for the night, lando and max slightly teasing carlos for what just happened.