Rêveries

Chapter 26.

Charles had to fly to Milan to practice in the simulator for the next few races and when he asked me to come with him, I declined. It was primarily because Lucie was going and if Charles was going to be busy all day then she'd probably expect her and I to hang out. I had nothing against Lucie. It was very hard to have something against Lucie. She was thoughtful, funny and extremely kind. She seemed to be such a good person that I felt bad when I avoided them.

Arthur was going to be home for three days more than Charles so I used him as an excuse to not go with them to Milan. If I was going to avoid them, the least I could do was to not make it obvious that I was. They don't have to know I'm avoiding them because I don't avoid them because of them. I avoid them because of me.

But I do get petty sometimes. I'm not proud of it, but I'm human. A part of me is simply jealous about the fact that they get to be happy together while I'm here, having to avoid her stupid boyfriend because apparently I was stupid enough to crush on him.

They flew to Milan and I was left alone with Arthur. We hung out with Evie a lot who was still home. Max had his simulator in Monaco, so he would stay here for a few more days and then I would fly with them to Singapore. We wanted to use the last few days of summer wisely and did as much fun stuff we could before Evie and I left.

Max and Evie pick me up for the airport early in the morning. I was packed, dressed and tired when they picked me up and I was ready for the 13 hour flight to be absolute hell. We were flying with most of the Red Bull team so Daniel was there too. I slept for most of the flight and for the remainder of the time before we landed I spent talking to Evie, Max and Daniel who were sitting around me. Daniel and I played cards and I kept winning which made him more and more frustrated.

Charles was there to pick me up at the airport even though I told him I could just meet up with him at the hotel. I was exhausted and groggy after the long flight and when I tried to pass him to simply speed up the process of me getting to the hotel, he grabbed me and pulled me into a hug.

"J'en ai marre Charles, ce vol était un enfer!" I'm tired Charles, the flight was hell! I say, my voice getting muffled against his shirt.

"Nous avons tant à faire, tu dormiras quand tu seras mort," We have so much to do, you'll sleep when you're dead, he says with a chuckle as he shakes his head. I widen my eyes as I look at him. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I sleep when I want to sleep.

We walked out of the airport and were met by lots of people who knew Max would be coming and a lot of people who had seen Charles get here. They were all excited and happy while I just wanted to get to the hotel. Still, I remember what Mia told me and just smile my way through the pain.

Charles must've seen the distress on my face and put an arm around me as he led me towards the car. We got into an Alfa Romeo and drove to the hotel.

"On reste au Ritz," We're staying at the Ritz, Charles says as we pull out of the airport parking lot. My eyes go wide as I turn my head to him.

"Ta gueule," Shut up, I tell him. The Ritz is a dream to stay at. When I was younger I always asked if Jules had the money to stay at the Ritz in Paris if he wanted to. He always told me no even though I'm sure he could, he just didn't want to admit it.

"C'est assez grandiose," It's quite grand, he chuckles as he nods at me and I realize he's serious. I hit his arm in excitement. If I would've known I would've packed something that was more appropriate for such a place. I know it's only a hotel lobby but I don't want to walk around there like I just got lost around the neighborhood.

We step out outside of the hotel and someone takes out my suitcase from the back, one opens my door and one takes the keys from Charles. God... I'm in sweatpants. They open the door for us and Charles checks me in for me, since I'm bloody seventeen and can't even book my own room yet. He waves my card in front of me as we walk to the lift and take it up a floor way too high up.

The room is gorgeous and spacious and I have a whole ass bathtub. I have a bathtub and the whole wall opposite from the bed is a window and it overlooks the street circuit perfectly. I wouldn't even have to go to the track. I would see it perfectly from here. Charles watches my excitement with a smile on his face and I lay face down on the bed, because lord have mercy.

The first night I just took a bath and I slept. Charles lets me on the condition that I will join him to act as a tourist the day after. So when I wake up the next morning, at the Ritz, feeling both fancy and refreshed.

Singapore is one of the most impressive countries I've been in and I asked Charles to take pictures of me everywhere so that I could send them to my mother and to Svea. He posted me once on his Instagram story and I had to beg him to delete it, but he bribed me with ice cream so I let him keep it up.

We both do some shopping and we look in awe around us everywhere we go. Then Evie calls me and asks me to tell Max that she was with us if he asks and I agree, guessing she's out with Pierre and just lied to Max to not make him suspicious.

Later that night, we all went out to eat. Well, the drivers that could stand us. Evie ordered a drink and when I looked sad because I couldn't, Daniel ordered one for me. Later that night, I asked Lewis to order for me and he agreed, then I asked Carlos and he agreed and then I tried asking Seb and he laughed in my face. But I did get a few drinks down, so me and Evie were hilarious. We sat there, talking, gossiping about silly season with Lewis and Seb. We were all leaning closer together so we could whisper without anyone hearing and there was some scolding hot tea. Since Daniel was going to Renault, Carlos was being let go of his seat and from the looks of it he was going to Mclaren, but where the hell was Fernando going? Is he retiring?They talked about Kimi's seat still being empty and I was fighting not to say anything.

Evie and I spend most of our days before the weekend together on the roof of the hotel. There's a bar, there's a pool and there are sunbeds. We tan all morning with some dips in the pool, halfway through the afternoon we go downstairs to get dressed and we either go to the paddock to annoy the boys or we go look around, because it's still impressive just walking around.

Thursday we go for a paddock walk together while the boys do all the press and the interviews. When we get bored we spend a lot of time with Carlos, trying to find out if he's going to Mclaren or just trying to cheer him up if his seat is at risk. He's hilarious and I start to like him very quickly. We also spend time with Lewis and Seb, because they say shit like 'your youth makes us feel young again' as if they were in their late 70's or something. But then we sat there with them to focus on our breathing and some meditation shit like that.

Pierre and Evie don't talk to each other at all on the paddock unless they're in a group of other people. They text each other, but won't talk to each other in case Max finds out. I keep telling her to just ignore Max or blame me for setting them up or something. What the hell is Max going to do to me? I'd like to know.

FP 1-2- and 3 go as per usual for Charles. I watch him from the box and I see Netflix running around him occasionally. He qualified P13 and he was so happy about making it to Q2 even if he got eliminated there.

On the race day, I arrived at the paddock with Charles in the afternoon. The whole schedule has been at night rather than in the afternoon as in most of the other places and I loved not having to wake up before noon for the races. When we arrived I helped him sign some things, getting caps and shirts from the fans and taking them over to Charles so he could sign them. He took some pictures with fans and we went inside. I sat in the lounge for this race, watching from a terrace. I was too stressed about the water on the side of the track. I was afraid of someone going through the wall and I decided I didn't want to hear it if anything happened so I stayed upstairs, just watching the screen.

Charles finished P9 which gave him points. I went down to the garage to congratulate him when he came back in. Seb finished in P3, Max in P2 and Lewis in P1, so we went to celebrate and congratulate them all before Charles had to do his media.

By the end of the race it was too late to go out and celebrate, so we all headed back to the hotel. Before we walked inside the lobby, Charles grabbed my wrist and we walked back onto the street. He spun me around once and then he danced with me for just a few moments before spinning me around again and letting me go to head inside. He's really dancing me around the world.