I just noticed an error in the previous chapters lol Nadia is a lawyer working for the UN, not a partner in a separate law firm so I'll just edit that once this book ends :)
Predictions for the Dutch GP qualifying later?
Enjoy!
*****
December 31, 2027 - Monaco
I've always found routines to be helpful. When I was going through law school, routines were what kept me sane. I woke up at eight in the morning every day, went out for a short jog, and cooked myself some breakfast while drinking a cup of coffee. After breakfast, I'd take a shower and head to my best friend's studio which was just a ten minute walk from my apartment, my bag filled with books and papers I'd need to read before class.
Gabrielle Young was a force to be reckoned with– that was my first thought when I met her. Her hazel eyes openly judged me as soon as I walked through the doors of her studio and a smirk formed on her lips that were tainted with bold red lipstick. She didn't bother asking my name nor did I ask hers when I held up the piece of paper that I found at a nearby coffee shop during my first week here.
"What do you know about photography?" She asked as she moved around some frames in her studio.
"Zero." I said, setting my things down to help her as we moved the frames into a small storage room.
"Multimedia arts?" She asked and I shook my head.
"Your sign said you were looking for an assistant, not an artist." I said and she raised an eyebrow at me before nodding her head.
"I need someone to answer emails, schedule studio bookings, and manage inventory. Think you could do that?"
"As long as you let me study, then yes." I said and I remember her face scrunching up at the mention of school. She asked a few more questions and I told her I was studying in Harvard for law school. We made an agreement that I didn't need to stay in the studio the entire day as long as I finished everything I needed to do before going to class, and if I couldn't stay, I had to find someone to temporarily take my place.
I worked with her for two years, earning as much as I can to pay for rent. My parents were already paying for half of my tuition fee since I was only able to apply for a half scholarship, so covering my daily expenses would be too much for them. The restaurant they owned in Turkey was known within the community but the income they get can only cover so much. Gabby and I developed a routine when we were working together. I'd open the studio and then after an hour, she'd arrive with a cup of coffee of her own. She specifically told me not to buy one for her since she wants hers freshly made and for her to drink it seconds after being created.
The first year we worked together, she and I were so focused in our careers that we only had an employee-employer relationship. Law school was a menace and I spent most of my time in the studio huddled in front of books whenever I wasn't entertaining customers. Usually, I'd just greet them and then Gabby would take over when it came to meetings and photoshoots. She's been a photographer since her senior year in high school, growing a portfolio with the help of social media and she's gained a reputation for her work.
The first time we had a full conversation that didn't concern schedules and photoshoot time blocks was when I helped her walk home after being too drunk to do so. She had an exhibit at her studio and spent the later hours of the night drinking with a few of her photographer friends. Each of them were drunk on their own and chose to call for an Uber while Gabby said she was going to walk to her apartment that was only ten minutes away. I took care of her that night, switching from pulling her hair back as she puked into the toilet and doing some readings for my Human Rights Law class. The morning after, she didn't speak a word to me as she headed to the kitchen but a few minutes later, a cup of freshly brewed coffee and an omelette was placed in front of me as she sat across the table. I was up all night studying since exams were coming up and I reveled in the silence between us as we both ate breakfast.
Gabby and I have an odd friendship. We were both very blunt with the other, the two of us building walls against the people around us which was why it took so long for us to open up. Eventually, we did, and we've grown inseparable ever since. She became one of the top photographers of her generation while I became a successful lawyer, working in a firm that had an outstanding reputation. In all her ups and downs, I was there and she was present for mine.
Which is why I wasn't surprised that she showed up outside of our apartment at ten in the morning on New Year's Eve.
"Miss me?" She smirked as soon as I opened the door, right hand holding a paper bag that was mostly holding today's breakfast and coffee. I was holding my own cup, but I knew I'd be drinking my second after finishing it.
"Nope." I said and she grinned at me before wrapping me up in a hug. I sighed deeply as I returned it, grateful to have my best friend around me again. She's been calling every day to make up for her lack of physical presence since she was on the other side of the world with her family for their annual Christmas trip. "Thank you for being here."
"Where is he?" She asked, walking through the door and setting down the food by the dining table.
"He went out for a hike with Andrea." I said as we both took a seat and Gabby chuckled.
"I see he hasn't changed."
"Yes and no." I frowned and Gabby gestured for me to expand on my statement as she pulled out the food and drinks. "We've developed a routine." I grumbled as I finished my first cup of coffee and accepted the one she brought.
"It's only been two days since he woke up." She said, looking at me confused as I shrugged my shoulders.
"I can't talk to him. When Lorenzo and Arthur left us alone, it was like they brought the comfort of our home out with them. All that was left was awkwardness and I don't even remember the last time I felt that with Charles. Heck, I don't think we've ever been awkward." She raised her coffee up in agreement, knowing our history better than anyone because she was there to witness it all. "We only exchanged a few words when he asked if we had kept some footage of his past races and I gave him the hard drive we used to store it. Other than that and asking what he wanted to eat, we barely talk."
"What have you been doing–" She asked and I was supposed to answer but she beat me to it when she took a peek at my office because the door was wide open. My laptop was open and I had a stack of folders on top of my desk. "Nadia, it's New Year's Eve."
"I know."
"Why are you even working?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe I should've brought my entire liquor cabinet instead." She said as she glanced at the food and I had half a mind to believe that her joke wasn't really meant to be a joke. "You guys can't just ignore the elephant in the room. What happened to the words in sickness and in health?"
"A gray area forms when your husband asks about his ex-girlfriend." I blurted out and Gabby's mouth parted in shock.
"The fuck?"
"My sentiments exactly." Charles hasn't asked me about Rose again but it was obvious he's been asking around. Yesterday, Max messaged me to say that Charles asked him if he had Rose's number. I didn't reply because what in the world could I say to that?
Okay, maybe he's suddenly craving for some bread or maybe even a cheesecake. Or maybe he's secretly still in love with his ex and I'm just getting in the way.
"What's your plan then?" Gabby asked, knowing that I never live my life without a concrete plan.
"I talked to his doctor and he said the best way to bring back Charles' memory is to slowly ease him into it. I don't know how I'm going to do that when I don't think even he believes that he entered another relationship after Rose." I said and Gabby visibly flinched.
"I used to think I finally found someone who had a more negative outlook on love when I met him." She said and I agreed. Two years ago, Charles was– for lack of a better word– awful. His brother's divorce during the beginning of 2025 was the last straw with everyone around him pestering him about his breakup with Rose. People thought they were it until the end and the public didn't pull back in continuously asking him why he ended a three-year relationship and what he planned for his lovelife in the future. He was still the same on the track, winning his fourth championship with Ferrari during that year, but personally, he was the exact opposite.
We fought constantly and it didn't help either that I had just moved to Monaco at the time which meant I saw him more than I liked. I don't think I've argued with someone so much my entire life, counting my sessions in court. I argued for a living and he managed to have an answer to almost every rebuttal I made.
Almost.
I was pulled out of my thoughts and my conversation with Gabby stopped when we heard the front door open and footsteps followed. I leaned back into my seat and sipped on my coffee as Charles entered, nodding his head at me as he closed the door behind him. He was about to walk to the guest bedroom when his eyes caught Gabby's.
"Charles." She greeted, standing up and moving to stop a few feet from him, left eyebrow raised as she watched Charles' face contort in confusion.
"Hello?"
"Gabrielle Young." She said, holding her hand out and Charles hesitantly took it. I hid my smirk behind my cup when I saw him wince and Gabby smiled at him, most likely tightening the vice-like grip she held on his hand.
"Nice to meet you...again?" He dragged out and Gabby finally let go of his hand before turning to me.
"At least he still knows how to read the room."
"She's coming with us to Max's party later." Among the drivers who lived in Monaco, Max was always the one to throw the New Year's Eve party. Everyone pitched in but his house was always the venue because it was the one that could accommodate the most people.
"What time are we leaving?" Charles asked, running a hand through his hair as he grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen.
"Eight." I said and he nodded his head before making his way to the bedroom. I turned back to Gabby who was raising an eyebrow at me. "What?"
"First, I feel like I just watched two roommates talk to one another. Not a husband and wife." She said and I sighed before throwing my hands in the air as if I was telling her that's life. "And second, you didn't tell me that the party would be at Max's."
I smirked as Gabby glared at me. This was the first time she was celebrating New Year's Eve with us since she usually spends the entire holiday with her family or sometimes with her photographer friends. She and Max have hung out a few times and I knew better than to label it as a friendship. Well, it did start off like that with a bit of a physical relationship on the side, but six months ago, Gabby distanced herself from the Dutchman.
"Surprise?"
"I fucking hate you, Kaplan."
*****
I watched all of the practice sessions for the Dutch GP and I don't know how the race and qualifying are going to go 😬
✧Reese✧