Wrong number

8) actions have consequences

They got seated and started talking about anything, like their plans during the summer break. They ordered and while waiting for their food, Charles started ranting about Max and what happened in the hotel lobby.

Pierre was simply nodding and drinking his drink because he was so used of hearing how Max "was a bitch" or "Max did a shitty move on track" or even "I hate his stupid smile". Yeah that one was sus. In honesty, he wasn't listening that much. But he actually started listening closely when he heard "and then he cornered me and his face was a few centimetre away from mine!". He opened his eyes wide hearing this and thought the worst. Thinking they fought and that he almost sent him to the hospital. When Charles continued by saying he kept looking at him, Pierre just thought there would be insults.

"He kissed me!"

Pierre spat his drink on him and started coughing. "Excuse the shit out of me!?" Charles was laughing seeing Pierre, as he didn't expect an as big reaction as this one. "Yeah! He really did!" he said still laughing. "Then you won't believe what he did after." Pierre nodded, interested in the new and fresh gossip. "He bit me. Like my lips and he did it hard. After he walked away and wouldn't answer me!" The only thing the number 16 wouldn't tell is what he actually felt in the moment. That he actually kinda liked to have lips on his.

Pierre was so surprised he had already put his drink down and had his mouth open. "Nah! You gotta be kidding me!" The Frenchman definitely couldn't believe it and had the same questions as the monégasque. Did Max loved him and had weird kinks? Or was he just fucked up in his head? And he thought he knew Max well.

The two of them continued talking about it until Charles received a call. He picked up his phone and was surprised to see his PR's name on the screen.

"- Hi, how are you?

- Hello, Charles. You must have seen the videos from this morning.

- Videos? What videos?

- Oh so you haven't. Well it was of your fight with Verstappen. Some fans saw it and posted it online.

Charles' face was becoming pale imagining already loads of pictures and video of the two of them kissing.

- Listen he did it ok! It's not me! We're not like that, he ki-

He was cut by his PR in his panic.

- Woah relax. I don't know what you're talking about but I'm talking of when you both yelled and pushed/ hit each others. You'll simply have a small conference with a few journalists tomorrow morning.

- What! Seriously, why a whole conference for a small fight? he said less panicking but more annoyed.

- Yes, Charles. See you there tomorrow I need to go talk to his PR."

They hung up and Charles briefed Pierre on what his PR said to him. The two friends finished lunch and hung out a bit together. They walked around the surroundings close to the hotel to see a bit of the city.

Max was walking in the paddock and to his garage when his PR officer came to him. They started talking together as Max yapped about his performances. But she interrupted his maxplaining and started explaining why she was there as well how fans had saw and filmed his fight from earlier in the day.

She showed him actual videos from instagram and twitter. When she told him that there was video proof he got scared that they were caught "kissing". But it was only when they yelled and hit each other.

So she informed him that there would be a small conference for them two with a few journalists to answer questions. Max was obviously not happy about that and was wondering why it needed a whole conference.

His PR answered that since they were two of the most popular drivers on the grid and in the two top teams they needed too. As they had a good influence in the sport. And silly season was already wild enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charles was accompanied by his PR when he arrived at the small conference the next day. She was briefing him on exactly what to say. He saw Max coming and they barely looked at each other. Both remembering the "kiss". His own PR was briefing him and she told them both something.
"By the way you have to fake being friends." The two drivers both exclaimed "What no?!". They were both horrified as the last times they tried befriending it went horribly. The two PR officers both left without saying anything else.

Max semi-yelled at her to tell them how to do it. He absolutely did not know how to be friends with his rival and more specifically Charles. They didn't know anything about each other and how to communicate without fighting.

"- So huh... Max was hesitating. What do we do?

- No idea, Charles replied. What are we supposed to say. "Oh yeah that was just a friendly fight where we hit and insulted each other".

- I don't know! I don't know shit about you and you don't know shit about me, how are we supposed to fake a friendship?

- Well we could-

Charles was cut by someone from the FIA guiding them to their seats in front of the cameras.
"I'll handle this, I'm good at PR." Charles had reassured Max. They both got seated nervously.

- Hello gentlemen, we are here today because there are some videos online of you fighting in the middle of a hotel lobby, a first journalist spoke up. Could we know why did you fight and will this influence your racing?

-Huh actually it was only a small friendly fight, Charles started talking silently telling Max not to. It won't impact our racing as we raced all our lives together and always fought a bit like this. We are still friends after all.

Charles smiled at Max and tried to not seem fake. The Dutchman tried to smile back. For a second his gaze went down to his lips again. Geez what's happening to me, he thought.

- Yeah we always have been friends and we are close.

- Do you think fights like that will happen again in public as you are important figures in the sport and it could eventually affect PR? a second journalist asked them.

- No I don't think we'll fight again like that, especially in public. I also don't think it will affect PR, Max spoke up. It's our friendship that we manage on our own.

- We know how to separate on track from off track, Charles added.

- What is your best memory with each other?

The kiss, they both thought simultaneously.

-When we raced together in karting and we'd both end on the podium, Max answered.

- The inchident, Charles said grinning and looking at Max who laughed a bit."

They had a few other questions about how their friendship started and racing together before they were dismissed.

They answered that they were friends since karting when they met more than a decade ago. They were also asked if they would make public appearances together as friends and they said yes without thinking, cursing themselves. The two drivers told vague fake stories about them. They also knew on the spot that their PR's wouldn't forget what they said and would organise a small get together with them acting like friends.

Do you want guys for them to get together fast or slowly so maybe I can adapt?