LOCK UP - Lando Norris [BOOK 2]

02

As I pull up to the McLaren technology centre, Lando is sitting on the wall at the front entrance, flicking through his phone.

"Hey, sorry" I shout as he comes toward the open window of his door.

"Traffic bad?" Lando asks as flops down into the seat, leaning over the centre console, placing a delicate kiss onto my lips, sending a shock of electricity through me.

No matter how many times Lando kisses me, he always leaves me feeling giddy, and I think it's always going to. I don't want to allow myself to ever get used to the feeling of his lips on mine.

"Yeah" I lie, because for right now, it's easier. Traffic wasn't perfect, but it certainly wasn't the reason I was half hour late. "How did it go?" I ask as I take in the scent of his freshly washed curls as he removes his hood from his head, shaking out the locks, tiny pellets of water hitting the surface of my skin.

"Yeah it was okay, keen to actually get out to testing, you know. There's only so much you can do on a sim. I need to feel it on the track to know exactly how to manoeuvre it." he informs.

Track talk and car set up talk has always been open conversation between Lando and I. We came to this silent agreement that when I was with him, I wasn't a Verstappen. I couldn't be. It would never work. But then the worry of never being my full self lingers over me, worrying about the purity of the relationship.

"I'm sure it will all be okay. Is Zak feeling confident for the season?" I ask.

"Yeah, he doesn't ever really give too much away though, keeps his cards to his chest. I think he knows the reality of the car the same as us. It's all just assumption until we get on track. Are you hungry?" he asks changing the subject.

As if on cue, my stomach lets out a rumble, causing Lando to chuckle, "Yup" I chirp.

"Turn left here, there's a good little place over on Brox Road" he instructs.

Pulling up to The Castle In, it's a gorgeous looking hotel pub, all brick and white framed windows.

Lando throws his hood over his head as he step out of the car into the winter air and I pull my jacket around my body tighter. As we step inside, they've got the fireplace going in the corner and I fall in love with the atmosphere here.

"Are you, Lando Norris?" one of the waitresses asks as we are seated at a corner table near the windows.

"I am, how are you?" Lando acknowledges to which the waitress turns into a typical fan and she pulls out her phone. I'm used to this sort of behaviour, not only did I get it all the time with Max, but since being with Lando, we can't go anywhere without someone recognising him and asking for pictures or autographs.

Lando is always so good about it, I know that he would rather enjoy his personal time in peace, but he also knows how important it is to thank the fans for their support, so I'm always happy to help with pulling out a pen from my bag or taking the picture for the individual on their phones.

As she finally leaves after getting her phone case signed and leaving two menus on the table, Lando looks at me with that familiar apology in his eyes.

I reach across the table and settle my hand inside his, giving it a comforting squeeze. "What are you thinking?" I ask, looking down at the menu in front of me.

He thinks it over for a minute before settling on a burger and fries, typical.

Our meals arrive before some of the other guests in the restaurant and it's where those smaller perks come from being in the public eye.

"Did you catch up with Johan today?" He asks as he shoves another load of fries into his mouth.

"I did, Christian had some big partnership happening over at the centre so he gave the engineers an early mark." I inform.

Lando nods in understanding. "How is he?"

Lando and Johan didn't entirely get along, after everything that happened last season, Johan didn't exactly warm up to the idea of us being together, but he knew it's what I wanted so he supported it. And I think Lando knew Johan's feelings toward him, but I appreciated that they both made an effort to pretend to be interested in each other.

"Yeah he's good. I think he's seeing someone though, he just won't tell me" I tease.

"Oh really?" Lando gushes. "Why wouldn't he tell you something like that though?"

I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know. Maybe it's early days. I don't know"

Lando looks at me cautiously. "Does it bother you?" He pushes.

"No" I reply.

"Evelyn, I don't see why.."

"Lando, drop it" I snap, "Can you just leave it please?" I whisper shout at him before quickly darting my eyes to either side to see if I've picked up an audience. 

Lando just stares at me for a few beats before return to his meal, the sound of his fork hitting the plate with force. 

We eat in silence for the remainder of our meal before Lando pays the check and then returns to the table, picking up his phone and heading straight for the front door. I remove myself from my seat and thank the waitress for us before following Lando out into the night air. 

As I approach the car, Lando is breathing air into his palms and rubbing them together to warm himself up, pacing back and forth near the drivers door. 

"What the hell was that all about?" he shouts now that no-one else is around us. 

"Why are you trying to create a problem between me and Johan?" I ask. 

He looks at me in shock, his arms held out either side of him. "You're the one who brought it up!" he enforces. 

"And I told you, it was fine, why did you keep pushing on the issue?" 

"So, you admit there is an issue?" he sasses and I roll my eyes at him. 

"You're impossible sometimes, lets go" I encourage. 

Lando gets into the drivers side and I open the door to the passenger side, closing it behind me and fiddling with the temperature dial as he pulls out of the parking to the pub. 

We remain in silence for majority of the way back to Lando's apartment in the city. 

"I don't want to fight with you" I mutter after a while. 

Lando reaches over and retrieves my hand from my lap, bringing it up to his mouth and placing a kiss on my palm before linking our hands together, "I don't want to either, I'm sorry" 

Leaning across the centre console, I rest my head against the side of his arm, "I'm sorry too" 

Even though we don't speak the rest of the way, I feel like we've smoothed over the issue enough to get us through the night. 

"Are you staying over?" he asks as we approach the exit towards his apartment. 

"Yeah, if that is okay?" I ask. 

He peers over at me, the city lights illuminating his face in blinks of light. "Of course it's okay. I always want you there" he admits. 

As we reach his apartment and walk up the stairs to his front door, I follow along behind him and try and replay the night in my head, working out why it escalated so fast. Why my guard had been up and whether subconsciously, I was mad at Johan for not telling me. 

All winter break he had been disappearing at different hours of the day and returning home at late hours. I knew it had nothing to do with the factory. One of the few benefits of being a Verstappen. But something had him preoccupied, and on his phone, twenty-four seven. 

But I couldn't work out, why he wouldn't tell me.