Track Limits

Netherlands - Him

CHARLES POV:

The win from p4 came as a pleasant surprise. The party that was planned after was expected, but I suddenly felt a lot more energy.

There was just one thing standing in my way. My hope was that the person causing the delay in partying would fold and party too. Mia had to call me over to her hotel room to get more content for her story this week. According to her , when she called me I really messed up all her pre writing with this win, so it's was my responsibility to come over and give some inspiring quotes that wrote the article itself.

While I was amused and feeling like I was knocking out questions, my focus was quickly fading. My stomach was now grumbling and I was ready for a drink, but I didn't want any to short change Mia. It was her work after all, but she was smart to tell me she only had one question left. She could sense my eagerness to eat then held up a finger before typing quickly with a little hum.

I looked around the hotel suite. Pierre was scrolling his phone on the couch next to me, he was my partner in crime for the evening. Mia was sitting on the end of the bed with her laptop open and glasses on. Fischer was out on the deck with a book in his hand, but he kept the sliding door open chatting to Pierre occasionally when Mia was typing.

He seemed to know a far different Mia than me and I respected that. I was eager to convince myself I still knew her, and there seemed to be hints even in the hotel room.

Looking around it was like two different forces collided. There was a bag that was open with neatly folded clothes placed down into it. Two pairs of shoes placed perfectly beside the bag.

On the love seat across from us it looked that an entire bag was exploded onto to the surface. The pattern continued and was comical as one side of the bed was made to perfection and one side being lazily thrown back into place. I knew that had to be Mia, there had to be that wonderful rambunctious side to her somewhere. At this point, I was refusing to believe she had completely buried it away with her professional self. It became a personal mission to find it at that very moment.

"And how are you going to celebrate," Mia finally asked taking me away from my thoughts.

I smiled. "Party and drink." My words came out playful.

"Okay good, I'll just leave that one out. It's a dumb question anyway," Mia sighed closing her laptop sounding slightly annoyed. She slid her glasses off and rubbed her temples looking tired.

"What if I said party and drink with everyone including Mia and Fischer?"

Mia laughed at my comment and shook her head. She ran her lips together catching my attention while she made a funny sound. "You're hysterical."

"And serious," I said quickly pushing the point further. While she hummed, Mia's body language finally cut the professional bullshit that was kept up all month. She was in sweats, hair up, leaned back on her arms, sitting crisscross. It was the way you spent time with people you have known forever, and it fell more right in every way.

In some ways it almost offended me when she treated me like any other bloke in the F1 world, we had more history than some fake smile and proper office talk. That was a me problem though.

"Charles I can't," Mia began.

"Can't what baby," Fischer said walking into the room now.

Mia signed leaning back and falling into the bed. "Can't go out and party tonight." She sounded defeated.

Fischer sat on the end of the bed as well. "Party you say?"

I smiled thinking this was a way to get everyone on board. "Drinks on me," I added.