It Started With His Number -- Lando Norris

Part 18

Lando and I walked out towards his car. His McLaren 765LT spider sat in my driveway, sparkling in the sun.

"I thought that the fancy one might look better, you know?" Lando told me cautiously, unclenching and clenching his fists. I laughed and shook my head at him. Lando walked forward and to the car, pulling his car keys out of his pocket as he went. I followed him and got into the passenger side, closing the door gently, and settling my skirts around me. Lando drove us to the wedding, we talked about sports, mostly.

"I hate Padel, it is such a rich person sport, I mean, just play tennis." I told him at one point, staring at him.

"It's fun!" he replied, smiling at me.

"But why wouldn't you play regular tennis?" I asked him, quizzical. 

"Well. I don't know." Lando said, turning around a sharp corner.

"I'm going to teach you how to play tennis." I decided, nodding.

"What? Why?" Lando said, sounding panicked.

"Because you cannot be playing Padel ball, any longer" I told him as we pulled into the venue for the wedding. "I'm going to have to go help Imogen get ready, so just mingle for a while until I come out and then I'll stay with you." I said, collecting my bag.

"Mingle?" Lando said, sounding panicked.

"Do you not know how to mingle?" I asked him, looking at him questioningly.

"No?!" Lando replied, sounding panicked.

"Okay, come on." I said, stepping out of the car and onto the pavement. I heard Lando sigh and start to get out too. When he walked around to my side, I took him by his elbow and started to lead him towards a group of 20-something men. Some of the guys looked up as we walked towards them.

"Lori!" I heard one of them say, stepping out of the crowd, my ex. Noah Lee, that asshole. I stopped walking, feeling Lando stop to, I started to back away.

"We'll find someone else." I muttered to Lando as I turned around.

"You wear that dress for me? You look HOT." Noah continued, I tensed and felt Lando take a step forward beside me.

"What did you just say?" Lando asked Noah, his voice low and dangerous.

"Just leave it." I told Lando, tugging on his arm.

"Why don't you do what she says, hmm?" Noah responds to Lando.

"Why don't you fuck off, hmm?" Lando replies in the same condescending tone. Everyone around them started to agree with Lando.

"Who even invited you?" I asked Noah, stepping beside Lando. I felt Lando's arm circle my waist, pulling me towards him. I looked up at him to find him staring at me. When I looked at him, he looked away, rubbing his neck. He didn't pull his arm away though, I liked the way it felt, strong and comforting. I heard someone mutter that Noah hadn't been invited.

"You should leave." Lando told Noah. The people around him started to pull Noah away, leading him towards the car park where his old, beat up pick up truck was waiting for him, no doubt. I sighed when he was finally out of sight. I felt Lando's arm unwrap from around my waist, I looked up again to see him looking at me.

"You okay?" he asked. I breathed out again.

"I don't know, it takes a while to set in." I told him, turning around and searching the crowd for familiar faces.

"Sorry about the arm thing, I wanted him to back off." Lando said, rubbing the back of his neck again.

"It's okay." I replied. After a pause I muttered "I kind of liked it." I said it so quietly I was sure Lando hadn't heard, but I saw him, smile slightly after I had said it. I blushed. I looked up as the boys that had taken Noah away stopped in front of us.

"Sorry, we couldn't get him to leave." Lawrence (one of the group) said, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

"Thanks though, mate." Lando replied, doing the weird Bro handshake.

"I have to go, see you later, Lando" I said, smiling at Lando had then turning towards the entrance to the hotel. I walked up to Imogen's room, through the overly fancy hotel that Xander's (the groom) family owned. They had paid for everything at this wedding. I helped Imogen get ready and gossiped with the other bridesmaids, it was more fun than I thought it would be. When it was time to make our way out and to the church I walked out with Imogen, all the guests had made the walk down the road to the church already, we would be the last ones to get there. We got into the limo and started the 1-minute journey down the road. Here we go, I thought.   

**This is the last today, promise!**