DEEP BREATHS | lando norris

CHAPTER 26

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I run my hands through my hair anxiously, watching the white walls all around me. They're not completly plain, of course they're not. There are some pictures handing in the frames of magazine covers with pictures of moto racing legends or drivers. I recognize Michael Schumacher's face and Fernando Alonso's and a few others. Some of the covers are good news about the drivers. Some are dated back to the days when they have won championships or retired from the sport. Some of the scandals with them involved also.

Suddenly the light bulb above my head starts blinking. I look up at it wondering what is wrong but as my gaze holds to a halt at it, the bulb immidiately stops blinking. I sigh and lay my back on the plastic chair. I feel the cold coming from the wall but it is kind of pleasureable. It's so hot outside that if I would have to stand there any longer I don't know if I could.

A secretary stands up from her seat by the desk and goes past me, her high heels ringing on the floor. There is no one here, in the corridor, except me and her. The whole building seems so empty inside that I almost didn't believe when I stepped in. On the website everything seems to be so lifefull. Like a real industry. But while I'm really here? It's everything but what was on the photos.

I hear woman exchanging a few words with some man in the last room on my left before she walks back, this time stopping in front of me. I look up at her, scanning her outfit first.

She's wearing a plain white skirt, very tight, pinning on her legs and a navy blue sweater which doesn't really work with her bottoms. I fake a smile when she does, wanting to already go into the room and do what I came here for.

"Mr. Jenkins is already waiting for you, miss." she says and waits for me to stand up so she can show me where Mr. Jenkin's room is. I actually know because she was there five seconds ago, but I don't want to be mean, so I follow her when she starts walking.

The akward sound of her and mine high heels on the floor is kind of exhausting but I push the thought away. I collect my thoughs, sighing out loud, getting mentally ready for what I am about to do. After what he did to me I couldn't just leave the topic all alone. It was too much to keep to myself and I wanted to ruin him for his decision. He shouldn't make it. If he didn't I wouldn't be here now and his carrer wouldn't be probably ruined.

The secretary pushes the doors and gets into the room with even wider fake smile as she points to me. She doesn't say my name but I'm not sure if the man behind the desk knows it. I get my hair behind my shoulders since it was annoying me a lot.

I notice that the room has much more space and a lot of windows makes it feel like no secrets could hide here. So I am in a good place.

"Thank you, Tina." the man says and waves at the secretary to leave. She looks dissapointed but she obediently goes out of the room and closes the door behind her.

I come up to the chair in front of the desk of Mr. Jenkins, who is now sitting with his hands closed on each other and waiting for me to start talking. Not that I did. I was still looking around. I don't know why, maybe I wanted to push the moment of me ruining the man's life as much as I could. Maybe my conscience had problems with me wanting to hurt him. I don't know why though. He had hurt me so badly.

I still remember it and dream of it some days. It's more of a nightmare really, if I would want to be precise. Always ending the same time and always shattering my heart.

The man—Mr. Jenkins— clears his throat and waits for me to start.

"I'm Christian Jenkins and as far as I know you came here to give us some informations about one of..." he wants to end his sentence but I interrupt him, right before he says the last two words. I don't want to hear them being said out loud because I would feel guilty. And I don't want to feel guilty. Because I believe I am doing a right thing. Or at least I'm convincing myself I am.

"Yes." I simply say, nodding my head and looking at Mr. Jenkins.

"But before we start I would want to know your name. I just have to have it written down somewhere." he passes me a pen and a plain sheet of paper.

I sigh and take both things in my hand, writing down my name as he asked me to. I push the paper and pen back in his direction. He picks them up and smiles as he sees my surname. So he definitely knows who I am. Good. That means I don't have to do all of the background work.

"So, would you like us, as a magazine to out your name on the cover somewhere, Marie Calan?" he asks me, raising up his sight from the paper to me.

I smile a bit before leaning down in the chair.

"Yes, you can put my name on the cover somewhere." I answer with a sly smirk on my face. Finally.

I can ruin him.

"I'm recording. You can start talking now." Jenkins points on the voice recorder and I just nod, clearing my throat.