[1] MONACO || C. LECLERC

TWO

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CAMILLE

I took the bottle of cold water and smiled at the lady behind the counter, one who I didn't recognise so I assumed she was new working round here. The first day back was finally over and I was absolutely exhausted. Max had driven brilliantly as always during both FP1 and FP2, but I could see how tired he was when he returned to the garage and climbed from the car. He had to run to media for a couple of interviews, however, afterwards, we were heading straight back to the hotel. Victoria and I were sharing a room, because after the incident in Belgium, I couldn't be alone at night in places I didn't know. The only places I ever felt comfortable sleeping alone was at my parents home in Amsterdam, where I had a room to save me from booking a hotel each time I flew over, and in the apartment I shared with Max.

Victoria and I planned to have a girls night this evening, something we'd not done for a few weeks because I'd been working. We'd already agreed on using room service, ordering a pizza each off the menu before finding a film to watch on Netflix. Victoria's company was unmatched and whenever we spent time together, I found myself feeling more thankful to have such an amazing friend. She was always there for me and it felt like I could never pay her back, no matter how hard I tried. With so many similarities to her brother, it was no wonder that Victoria and I were such good friends.

I rushed down the steps and out into the warm Australian sun, hoping that Max would be ready to leave when I arrived. Excitement filled me from head to toe as I thought about congratulating him for such a strong drive. Although, I was tired, with jet lag still proving to be quite a problem, and I couldn't wait to arrive back at the hotel.

I was too focused on scrolling through my Instagram feed as I rushed through the paddock to pay attention to my surroundings. I seemed to ignore the sheer around of people who filled the paddock, most of them heading to the gates so they could head back to their hotel before returning tomorrow. It was a bad idea. I almost tripped on someone else's feet, totally risking falling in front of the whole paddock. My heart dropped to my stomach as I filled with embarrassment. I tilted my head upwards and was surprised to be met with a red-faced, timid looking boy, who seemed just as embarrassed as I was. Dressed in Sauber teamwear and a pair of jeans, I thought the boy was quite cute, but I didn't want him to think that. Anyway, I didn't come to Australia looking for a relationship. From simply looking at his outfit choice, it was obvious he worked for Sauber, but I didn't recognise him, so I assumed he was new.

"Merde," French. The mysterious boy muttered under his breath before we made strong eye contact. I hoped the confusion on my face was enough to tell him that I had no idea what he'd just said to me. His eyes were such an unusual shade of darkish green with a slight brown tinge, but they were rather enticing. "I am so sorry."

"It's okay," I smiled, brushing myself off and forcing myself to leave the trance I was becoming engrossed in. As much as I didn't want to, I couldn't help but admire this boy. "I should have been looking."

"I was running right into you and did nothing about it, are you okay?" He held his hand out for me but I ignored the gesture, alarm bells immediately ringing in my head. I wasn't one for making physical contact with boys. I only trusted Max to get close and even though this gesture was friendly, I couldn't accept it. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," I shook my head, remembering that I promised Max I wouldn't be late. It worked well as an excuse to remove myself from this situation. "Sorry, I have to go."