Checkmate - [F1 - Pierre Gasly / Lance Stroll]

12

After the craziness of Silverstone, and her personal afterparty with Pierre Gasly, she was thankful that no one was able to recognize her in that saucy photo from social media. Only the drivers that she met in the lobby knew her secret.

With that in mind, Lance was a ticking time bomb for her to worry about. He knew this information, and she couldn't entirely trust that he wasn't going to let the news slip to Eleanor or his father. That would put her job at risk, so Rose knew that she would have to tread carefully during her time covering Eleanor in Hungary.

Rose's mind was fully distracted with thoughts about work, as she drove her little red bug onto the private terminal tarmac.

"Hi Mr. Stroll," Rose smiled, as she got out of her car and pulled her luggage out of the trunk.

She pulled out an itinerary of meetings and other engagements out of her work bag and handed it to him as she entered the plane.

"Thanks, Rose," he nodded and entered the plane behind her.

Rose motioned towards Lance's usual seat that was now empty.

"No Lance?" She asked.

Lawrence looked at his watch, "He should be here, must be running late," he noted briefly, as he sat down in his usual spot.

Rose nodded and headed back to her regular spot in the back corner of the airplane. She had her personal space at the back and a table to do work with. As Rose placed her book on the table and she got settled in her seat, she noticed for the first time that it was an actual chess table. She quickly looked around the table, and she found the chess pieces stored in a compartment that was built into the wall of the plane.

"Woah!" Rose said audibly while looking at the glass-like chess pieces. Rose didn't know what they were made out of, but one set was frosted and the other was the same color of the Aston martins F1 team; a deep green with just a hint of blue. She picked up the king and admired the detail in the engraving.

She looked up from the piece in her hand, and saw Lance putting his bag away in the closet at the front of the plane. Her eyes drifted behind him. A brunette woman with fair skin, who was impeccably dressed stepped onto the plane.

Lance looked at Rose momentarily. He half smiled a very sympathetic smile. Rose shook her head trying to clear the flash of emotion that ran through her.

She returned her attention to the chess piece and placed it down. Her mind was buzzing and somehow subconsciously started to set up the chess board. As she placed the final couple of pawns on the board, she looked up and saw Lance and the brunette sitting across from her.

"Oh," Rose said, as she sat back in her chair. She cleared her throat, "Hi," she said, giving a small nod to the pair.

"Hi Rosemary," Lance gave her a tight smile, "How are you?" He said with a hint of concern in his voice. He leaned forward, his forearms resting on his thighs.

"I'm fine," Rose responded, as her chest tightened. The thought of him telling Eleanor about her time with Pierre made her nervous. Rose looked from Lance to the brunette.

"This is Gwen," he said simply. "My girlfriend," he added quickly.

"Hi," Rose hesitated, then smiled, greeting the newcomer on the plane.

Gwen looked up from her phone and smiled quickly, then returned her attention to her phone. "Sorry, just super busy with work. Dealing with finalizing a contract" She said, still looking at her phone.

"Care for a game?" Lance said, as he gestured to the already set up chess board.

"Uh..." Rose thought about it. "Sure," her eyes shifted to Gwen momentarily.

"Hey Gwen, can you give us a second?" Lance asked softly.

With a mumble, Gwen stood up and headed to the front of the plane, her eyes never leaving her phone.

"Sorry about that, she is busy with work," Lance said, as he watched Gwen walk away over his shoulder.

"No need to apologize, we are all busy," Rose responded. "What does she do for work?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He hesitated. "She's a model," he said quickly. "You have the white pieces, you go first," Lance said, swiftly changing the subject.

"Right," Rose focused on the pieces.

She moved a pawn. Then she subtly looked to Lance, who swiftly mirrored her by moving a pawn.

"I did have a question for you," Rose said, while moving another pawn.

"Shoot," he said, still focused on the board.

Rose responded with her next move, "Have you told Eleanor?" She looked at him quickly, then focused down on the board.

"Told Eleanor?" Lance questioned. "About what?" he said casually.

"Lance, really?"

"Are you afraid of Eleanor finding out about that photo of Pierre 'playing pool' with you?" He said, pausing his chess move to use air quotes.

"Obviously," Rose said with a hint of frustration. "I could lose my job," she added.

"Lose your job? Over a photo?" He questioned bluntly, moving a pawn at the same time.

"Can you not answer a question with a question?" She said with the frustration growing. She moved her chess piece more forcefully.

"I don't know, why?" Lance added with a smirk, quickly looking up from the game board.

"Well, workplace romances are strictly forbidden," Rose said, remembering the clause in her contract. The one she signed in the coffee shop with Eleanor.

"Does Pierre work for Aston Martin?" Lance asked with a rhetorical tone.

Rose sighed, "No..." She rolled her eyes at him and moved her bishop.

"Then why would I tell Eleanor? I'm not a gossip, but do you think I should tell her?" He asked moving his queen.

"No, She doesn't need to know anything..." Rose trailed off. As she moved a Rook within striking distance. "Yet," she added.

Lance looked at her quickly, as he moved his King out of danger.

"Yet?" He questioned. "Will this 'pool playing' continue?" He chuckled slightly, and added air quotes yet again, as he moved a rook out of the way. That wry smile faded, as soon as he made eye contact with Rose.

"Shut up," Rose laughed. "So what if it did... It wouldn't affect you at all," she added. Her eyes drifted over his shoulder to Gwen for a split second.

Lance subtly followed her gaze, while her comments had the time to take effect. "True," he said as he fully concentrated on the game. Lance looked up at her, "Just be careful, don't spill any team secrets," he winked.

Rose saluted cheekily.

Lance laughed in response, as he slid his queen across the board.

"Checkmate," Lance said quietly. Rose quickly reviewed the board, and then she gently placed her king down on the board. "Good game," Lance extended his hand.

Rose quickly shook it "Good game. Honestly... I'm shocked. I didn't see that move coming if I'm being honest."

"I'm full of surprises," Lance laughed. Lance stiffened and looked Rose in the eyes, "Despite all of the teasing, I'm glad to have you as a part of the team." His eyes flashed for a moment, "Don't worry, Eleanor wont find about your new passion for pool," he laughed harder than he needed to at his own joke. Rose smiled back softly, and Lance made his way to Gwen at the front of the plane.

Rose sighed when he walked away and she started to clean up the chess set. As she put away the last couple of pieces, her phone started to bing with a stream of incoming text messages.