Rise Up

Chapter 43: Small Steps

After an intense day of interviews, briefings with the team and filming videos for the social media accounts, I came back to my hotel room, to find some relax before dinner. I took a shower and while the warm water was scrolling down my body, pulling away all the stress from the day, my mind started its own race as always, going through all the things I've experienced in all these past months.

Getting a seat in a Formula 1 team, finding a great atmosphere at job, continuing my studies at university although the difficulties due all the traveling, handling the knee and all what it took, finding a boyfriend and losing him, more than once...

Tonight Lando invited me for dinner, in order to talk all this mess out- or at least try to. Saying that I've been nervous since I flew over here in Miami is an understatement, many things passed my head, increasing all my worries.

Was it the right thing to do?
What should I do?
What should we do for us?
Is there still an us?

After choosing what to wear, consisting in a simple tight jeans, a white tank top and my favorite blue blazer, I got ready, putting some make-up on, just to not look like too lazy, and fixing my hair, that with the American humidity wasn't that good.

I wore my usual jewels, grabbed the purse and sprayed some perfume on my neck and wrists- the perfume I knew he loves- before locking the door and reaching the elevator. For the first time, we weren't in the same hotel, because of some parternship McLaren had in the city, so I called an Uber to reach the place he sent me in a text a few hours ago.

The city scrolled down the window of the car that drove me there- I just wasn't in the mood for driving, being so exhausted from the day and slightly nervous for the night.

When the car stopped, I thanked the driver and exited, finding my date already there at the entrance. As soon as he saw me by the other side of the road, a huge smile appeared on his face. He fixed his black jacket and ran across the street to reach me.

"Hey, glad you came." He said, catching his breathe after the short run.

"Shouldn't have I come?" I giggled, looking for the first time in a while into his somehow magic eyes, that still had an effect, a strong effect, on me.

"After all of this, I wasn't too sure." He chuckled after me, grabbing my hand and leaning in to kiss my cheek. 

Like a real gentleman, he walked me at the entrance and hold the door opened for me, never losing his contagious smile, neither for a second.

"I hope you like it here, I found this restaurant on the internet and I thought it was good to have a little of privacy." He explained, taking a seat at a small table in the back of this cool restaurant, adorned with soft lights and low jazz music in the background, creating a perfect romantic atmosphere. 

"Yeah, it seems good. Thank you."

His big eyes were already breaking my rationality.

"You're beautiful. Like always."

"What a gentleman tonight!" I chuckled at him.

"Trying my best, I admit it."

I felt my cheeks blushed, so I directed my gaze back on the table in front of us, opening the menu and starting to read it.

"Ready to order?"

After the short interruption by the waiter, a heavy silence came between us, increasing the distance already there.

"So... how are you doing?"

I was glad he tried to restart a normal conversation.

"Oh, ehm, well, I'd say the usual. Nothing more, nothing less." My response came out a bit too dry but it was difficult to came back to normal.