Apex | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 39

"Actually, I was hoping to borrow Nads for a bit. I'm planning to meet up with Gabby but I'm not sure how to go around her schedule." He confidently said, glancing at me and my shoulders dropped in relief.

"Right. I'm sorry I can't go." I said, my eyes watching Rose for her reaction but I saw nothing. She either didn't care or she was just one hell of an actress.

"That's too bad." She frowned, blue eyes shining despite her tone of voice. There it is. "Maybe next time?"

"Definitely." I put on a fake smile and picked up my things before turning to Charles. "I'll see you at the hotel?"

He just nodded his head, not making a move to either hug me or give me a kiss goodbye which would've been a good thing to show especially since we had Rose as an audience. I gave him a look before leaning up on my tiptoes and kissing his cheek.

As Max led me out of the paddock, I couldn't help but look back. Rose and Charles were still where we left them but the two were now sitting down. I watched as Charles leaned his head back in laughter after Rose said something and a thought entered my head.

They look like the perfect couple.

"Nads, you need to stop." Max's voice interrupted my thoughts and I snapped my head back to him.

"What?"

"I know what's going through your head right now and I'm telling you it's not what you think it is."

"Doesn't seem like it." I sighed, realizing that I sound like a jealous girlfriend. For a second there, I got worried then I realize I have to act like the jealous girlfriend in front of Max. "Thanks for the save, though."

Max smiled and placed his arm over my shoulders to give me a side hug. "Anytime, Nads. Now, let's get back to the hotel. I'm starving and from what I remember, you have to do lawyer things."

I shook my head at him and returned the hug, thankful that I've found a friend in him. Max stayed in our hotel room for a bit so that he could have dinner with me. We ended up talking about Gabby at some point and I gotta say, I never pegged Max as the romantic type but I see it now. He left a few minutes before my meeting with a promise of seeing me tomorrow at the paddock.

"How's it going over there?" Sara asked me when the others had logged out of the meeting. I gave her a small smile and she grinned. "I heard your friends with Mick Schumacher now."

I raised an eyebrow at her and leaned closer to my laptop. "Do you have a crush on the German driver?"

Sara shook her head and laughed at me. "Please, I don't go for those that are younger than me. Besides, I'm already lining up for Lewis."

"I know Lewis as well." I teased and I laughed as her eyes widened, obviously gobsmacked.

"I do not have enough willpower to control myself around Lewis Hamilton. I'm also more of a Jenson Button girl if you know him as well." I chatted with Sara for a few more minutes until I bid goodbye, knowing she must be tired since they just wrapped up a really complicated case.

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was only nine in the evening and I had nothing else to do. I grabbed my room key and the current book I'm reading before heading downstairs where I saw the hotel had a balcony on the third floor for one of their cafes.

There were a few people there, most of them coming from the other teams. I nodded my head at Isa when I saw her at one of the tables with Carlos' sister and she sent a small smile in return.

"Un café au lait, s'il vous plaît." [A latte, please.] I told the waiter, my French a little bit better now. Ever since Charles found out I was trying to learn it, he'd sometimes speak to me in French before giving me the English translation.