LOVE OR RIDE | LESTAPPEN

chapter three - friends for show

"I don't want to stay in the same room with you. I'll text you everything on WhatsApp." he croaks, wanting to leave. Holy shit, what an asshole.

"Okay, so I'll come to you in two hours. Clean up this room by then so I don't feel like I'm in a barn in there." I bypass him quickly and head for the exit.

I almost run, walking towards the car. I drive quickly to the only person I want to see at the moment, which is Pierre. My best friend, who at least once a day hears some sort of challenge about Verstappen. I get the feeling that at times he is fed up with me, but he remains silent, always listening to what I have to say and that is enough for me. It's enough that he listens and nods, agreeing with me so as not to cause my anger.

I stop the car with a squeal of tires in front of the hotel. Along the way I must have broken twenty laws, but it doesn't matter much. I enter the building, bypassing the reception desk. The woman in the chair doesn't even ask who I'm going to, because I'm here almost every day even after several times. Of course, he doesn't want to move to my hotel, so I'm the one constantly going everywhere friend.

"Always me! After all, he can't move from his room!" I comment, waving my hands as I exit the elevator on the right floor. Just as I'm about to open the door, someone from inside overtakes me and opens it with such speed that I don't manage to move away. He gets hit in the face with them, making me hiss in pain, taking a step back. "You fucking prick!" I shout, holding my nose, checking to see if blood is pouring from it, but fortunately not.

"Forgive me, Charles! I didn't know you were coming! I was just about to go to you!" Pierre quickly approaches me and leads me inside, closing the door behind us. "How many fingers do you see?" he asks, lifting his hand up.

"I see a fucking idiot and three fingers stretched upwards. God, stop waving them in the air like that." I roll my eyes in annoyance, pushing his hand away.

"What happened?"

He knows me perfectly.

I sigh loudly, frustrated that I can't reveal too much because I signed a contract that, among other things, mentioned confidentiality. But I say something anyway, because I trust him and know he won't tell anyone. It could be a mistake, maybe people would hate me, but a mention is not accurate information. I never tell him about Ferrari, and it wouldn't affect the race if he told anyone. I am safe. In a way.

"They want me to pretend to be his... friend." I mumble, sitting down on the sofa. I groan, burying my face in my hands. "This is the worst of the worst nightmares, Pierre!" I shout, which can't be heard clearly because my mouth is covered by my hands.

"Charles, this is a good decision."

"I just know... Wait, what?" I abruptly raise my head, wrinkling my eyebrows. I thought he would support me again, nodding, and he says such stupid things! What kind of friend is this!

"I say it's a good decision. Look at it from the other side. I know you're blinded by anger and hatred, but from my perspective it's a good option. You keep doing stupid things that harm not only you, but the whole teams, all the drivers and Formula. Maybe you two will suddenly like each other, and if not, at least there will be no more problems." He shrugs his shoulders, sitting down next to me. He looks in my direction apologetically, but I know he is right and I can't be angry for expressing his opinion.

I sigh loudly, nodding my head. I agree with him, without saying it out loud, because the words won't pass through my throat. I don't like it when he's right, especially when it comes to Verstappen.

Pierre has been my best friend for a long time. We have known each other for so many years and have gone through good and bad times, so the trust in this man is so huge that I would blindly stand up for him if he said he was innocent, because he would do the same for me. The same is true now. I know he doesn't want bad things for me, and even though I'm angry, because at the end of the day we're talking about a Red Bull driver, I still doesn't show it, because I know it's not meant to be malicious, he's just trying to help me.

"Do you have interviews tomorrow?" he asks curiously, to which I nod again. "Then you have to talk through everything, write to him." He encourages me, trying to hide a smile.

"Stop, or I'll throw you out the window." I roll my eyes. "I'm to come to him." I add under my breath, reluctantly getting up from the sofa.

"Gossip after the meeting?"

"What kind?" I furrow my eyebrows uncomprehendingly, while the boy finally stops biting the inside of his cheek and a wide smile appears on his face. He raises his eyebrows ambiguously, sitting down facing me.

"Well... Does he kiss well and..."

"Silence, friend of the seven pains. I'm leaving." Annoyed, I quickly walk toward the door, hearing his laughter behind me. What is he even talking about!

"I'm waiting, Charles!" he calls out behind me.

"Oh my God..." I mumble under my breath, embarrassed by his childish behavior. I told him not to watch so many romances, because something will go to his head and I won't save him.

"His name is Max."

"Pierre, I'll kill you in a second." I walk out, slamming the door.

I love him, but in situations like this, I feel like killing him with my hands, so that he suffers a lot and knows that he did the wrong thing by starting with me.

And now the worst part, meeting a... new friend. Wonderful.