stop and stare

11.

Monaco race day.

It is the most popular race on the calendar and the hardest one to get tickets to. The Monaco Grand Prix mainly consists of celebrities watching 22 drivers risk their lives going at speeds over 350 KM/H just for that feeling of adrenaline that we're all addicted to. And the icing on the cake is that they can watch it for free...

It's safe to say I don't like the Monaco Grand Prix. 

And my race result reflects that by my P2 instead of P1. Charles took the P1 position on the podium, and Ollie Bearman took P3. We all celebrated together and relished in the all-too-familiar feeling of being on the podium, before heading back to our garages for the debrief.

I try to pay attention to Fred as he congratulates the team on yet another one-two finish, but the speech is getting old and boring. I look down briefly at my hands and notice Charles, move his body to cross his arms and wiggle his fingers at me slightly. In his hand was a slip of paper. I took it from his fingers and opened it under the table. It read:

I want to show you something after we finish here, don't worry Lan knows not to wait for you after.

I smile at his note and wonder about what he has in store for me. The meeting wraps up quickly after that and we head out together. He holds the door for me and as I walk through I can feel his hand gravitate towards my waist. When we get to the other side he drops it and we walk side by side out of the team building. 

"What do you want to show me?"  I ask him as we make our way to his car.

"It's a surprise Scarlet, you'll have to wait and see," I smile at his words as we continue our walk.

We make our way past the McLaren garage and I see Ell and Lando leaving. I wave over to them and they wave and smile back. We tap our passes on the barricades and leave the paddock. We walk over to his car and he opens the door for me before getting in himself. I kick my shoes off and leave them in the footwell before crossing my legs in the seat. I rest the top of my head on the headrest and take a deep breath.

"You okay?" Charles asks me before starting up the engine of his car.

"Yeah I'm all good, just decompressing after the race," I reply to him.

"Well, I have the perfect way to destress yourself, and it just so happens that it has something to do with where I am taking you," He smiles as he pulls out from the car park.

"What are we doing?" I asked him again, desperate to know what was going on.

"Nuh-uh," He says, "Still not allowed to know," 

I huff in pretend annoyance and rest my head in my hand that was resting against the window. I feel his warm hand caress my knee and I smile to myself before moving my other hand to the top of his. We held hands for the rest of the journey, with him only moving his hand when he needed to indicate, before returning it to mine. I recognise the drive as the same drive to his apartment and I start to put my shoes back on.

"Don't worry, my apartment isn't the surprise, we just need to change cars and I have to pick some stuff up that I left at reception this morning. I won't be long," H says as we pull into his apartment complex's parking. He parks his car and quickly rushes into the complex. I get out of the car and stand next to it awkwardly. 

Within two minutes, he's back out and he unlocks his Ferrari Purosangue. He puts a black duffel bag in the boot before opening my door for me again and letting me get in before he does. I sit how I sat before with my shoes off and legs crossed. He starts the engine and we drive off.