Homesick | Charles Leclerc

08

As Charles placed the order for the wine, he noticed a guide to the hotel's spa on the desk. An idea sparked in his mind, and he decided to surprise Alexandra with something special. He quickly picked up the phone again and called the receptionist.

"Hi, I just placed an order for two bottles of red wine," Charles said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Could you also book Alexandra Heroux in for a massage tomorrow morning? Charge it to my credit card, please. Room 223. Merci."

The receptionist happily obliged, and Charles felt a sense of satisfaction. He knew how hard Alexandra had been working and thought a relaxing massage would be the perfect treat for her. As he hung up the phone, the knock on the door signaled the arrival of their food. Charles opened the door, greeted by the delicious aroma of their dinner. He thanked the staff and set the food down on the table.

With dinner taken care of, Charles finally settled onto the couch, searching for a movie to watch. As he perused the options, he couldn't help but hear the shower turning off in the bathroom, he turned to look, and quickly realized that the door wasn't shut properly, and was slightly ajar, giving him a view of her as she stepped out of the shower.

His eyes glazed over her body for a few moments as he felt his heart pounding, the butterflies in his chest fluttering wildly. He averted his eyes quickly, reminding himself that he shouldn't intrude on her privacy. However, the image of a naked Alexandra lingered in his mind, and he found it difficult to shake. 

She was beautiful. 

He couldn't understand it. He'd been in relationships before, been attracted to women before, but not like this. With Charlotte, he thought she was hot, and had a great personality, but as their relationship crumbled due to his commitments to racing, he found himself not that attracted to her in a sexual way anymore - something that infuriated her. 

But Alexandra...he was fighting the urge to storm into the bathroom and kiss her, right here and right now. He looked at her and felt as though his chest was exploding, his breath catching in his throat. All he wanted was her. 

He was sure in a moment of weakness if someone told him to choose his career or her, he'd blindly choose her. And that terrified him. 

Determined to compose himself, Charles took a deep breath and focused on finding a movie. He managed to distract himself for a while, and when Alexandra emerged from the bathroom, now dressed in comfortable loungewear, Charles tried to act casual and unaffected by his earlier embarrassment. He handed her a glass of wine and gestured to the food.

"Dinner is served," he said with a warm smile.

She took the glass with a grateful smile, and they settled in to enjoy their meal and the movie. Charles did his best to focus on the film, attempting to steer his thoughts away from the attraction he felt towards Alexandra.

"Oh, before I forget too - I booked you in for a massage at the spa tomorrow morning." he smiled sheepishly. Her eyes lit up in both shock and excitement. 

"What?" she asked. Suddenly she stood, and tackled him on the couch, engulfing him in a tight hug. "Oh Charles you shouldn't have! Thank you!" she paused. "Are you busy tomorrow morning?" she asked. He shook his head. 

Immediately she stood and called the hotel reception. "Hi, I'd like to book Charles Leclerc into a massage tomorrow morning, please? Yes, the same time would be lovely. Thank you, have a wonderful night." she hung up the phone with a grin. "Spa day!" she shouted eagerly. 

The pair laughed as she sat back down, and took a large sip of her wine with a smile as she raised her glass for a toast. "To you Charles, for being the most caring and considerate person I think I've ever met." she smiled sheepishly.