It's 2 am on my end so I apologize in advance for typos or parts that don't make sense lol
Enjoy!
*****
May 24, 2025 - Monaco
I think it was everyone's goal to get Charles drunk tonight.
He's been on a high ever since the race finished and honestly, I can't blame him. I can't even wipe the smile on my face.
We were already at Jimmy'z, the time on my phone telling me it was well past midnight. I've danced with Gabby and Mick, letting Charles enjoy the spotlight as other drivers shoved shots at him to down. The main culprits were Max and Daniel, taking turns– Max would give a shot to the two of them then Daniel would do it on the next round. It's a losing game for Charles since he's taking a shot with every round but I don't think he's bothered by it.
Gabby brought her film camera as well which I'm sure we'll be seeing the contents of by the end of the week. The club was buzzing with energy, everyone in attendance showing their congratulations for their resident Monegasque. Even Lewis and Seb were here which from what I hear was a very rare occurrence.
When I grew tired of dancing, I took the vacant seat beside Lewis, running a hand through my hair. "Tired already?" He asked, laughing at me when I grabbed one of the unopened water bottles on the table.
"Definitely. I'm not a party person." I replied and Seb chuckled. "I'm Nadia." I introduced myself and shook his head, a small smile on his face.
"I've heard a lot about you."
"Good things I hope?"
"From others, yes." Seb grinned and I saw him share a look with Lewis. "From Charles, you infuriate him."
"That sounds correct." I smirked and they both shook their heads at me. "So, were you guys like this as well?"
"I was." Lewis nodded his head. "You should try out the parties in Brazil." He spent the next few minutes talking about the after parties he'd always go to after the grand prix there and how wild things could get. "Seb was worse than me."
I raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting it since he always seemed so calm and reserved. Seb only shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his drink, not offering any information about what Lewis was pertaining to.
"Nads!" I turned my head to see Max walking towards us, drunken smile flashing under the lights. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up before returning to the middle of the club where they were. "We're doing shots!"
"Please tell me my boyfriend hasn't drunk his body weight in alcohol." I said, sighing in relief when I saw Charles holding a bottle of water. His eyes were more hazy than usual, cheeks housing a flush in them as he talked to Daniel and Mick. Behind them, Gabby was talking to Pierre and his girlfriend, nursing a drink of her own.
"That was the plan but it's disappointing how strong his control is." Max pouted and I lightly slapped his shoulder.
"You're willingly doing shots?" Charles asked, surprised, when I stopped beside him. His arm snaked around my waist, hand settling on my hip as I placed mine around his waist as well.
"They're just shots." I said, letting go of my worries for the night. I watched as Max lined up the glasses while Daniel poured the liquor. A few seconds later, Charles moved closer and I felt the warmth of his body against mine, making me turn my head towards his direction.
I was caught off guard by the smile gracing his lips. It looked so genuine and carefree, different from the one I've seen him wear before. My eyes momentarily glanced down at his lips and this action didn't go unnoticed by him. I was expecting him to tease me, maybe even smirk at how flushed I must look right now, but he did the opposite.
He didn't utter a word but instead leaned down to kiss me, his free hand moving up to cup my jaw. Eyes closing on instinct, I kissed him back, letting my hand slide up to his chest to grip the collar of his shirt that was open on the first two buttons. He inclined his head to the side, making the kiss deeper, and I felt him sigh against my lips when my fingers touched his skin.
"Oi! Shots first, snog later." Daniel's voice caused us to pull away and I couldn't help but laugh as he neared us, Charles smiling against my cheek. I felt him plant a soft kiss on my jaw before turning to Daniel. I made a move to grab the shot glass he was holding but he pulled it back, looking at me curiously. "What do you think you're doing?"
I gave a confused look of my own and glanced at Charles to see him smirking at me. "Taking a shot?"
Daniel shook his head and passed one of the glasses to Charles. "He's taking the shot. This is for you." He gestured to the small ceramic plate that Max held out to me and my mouth fell upon seeing that it was filled with salt while his other hand held a sliced lemon.
"We're doing body shots." He grinned and without another thought, Max grabbed the plate before placing a line of salt on my neck.
"I did not consent to this." I glared at Charles while he only smiled mischievously at me. "I'm going to get you back after this." I told him and he leaned his head back in laughter.
"By all means, Nova. You'll get your turn after." He winked and I felt my stomach flutter at the thought of doing a body shot on him. I was partly thankful the lights in the club were flashed pink right now because it hid the evident blush that had deepened on my cheeks.
"Open your mouth, please." Max said, voice laced with excitement. I caught Gabby's eyes and she looked at me wide eyed before moving to where we were.
"Are you doing what I think you're doing?" She asked, eyes moving to the salt on my neck and the shot glass Charles was holding. "Please tell me the answer is yes."
"It's a yes." Max answered for me as I bit the side of the lemon. Gabby squealed and pulled out her phone, ready to take a video of the whole thing.
Max stepped aside as Daniel began yelling, "Shots! Shots! Shots!" Soon enough, almost the entire club was shouting along with him, cheering Charles on as he walked towards me.
"Please tell me you're enjoying this as much as I am." He said and I didn't hesitate to flash him my middle finger. He chuckled lowly before leaning closer to me. I was expecting him to lick the salt but he stopped by my ear first. "I love it when you wear red, Nova." He whispered, causing goosebumps to appear on my skin.
I don't know if he was talking about my dress or the color of my cheeks and I didn't get to linger on the thought as I felt his tongue on my neck, my eyes closing as I tried to calm my breathing. Charles licked the strip of salt before slightly pulling back and downing his shot. He smiled wickedly at me before leaning down once again to take the lemon from my mouth. His lips grazed mine as he bit on the fruit, making me let go of it. He dropped it after a second and pulled on my waist to connect his lips with mine.
Everything felt so hot as he kissed me deeply, the taste of the lemon and alcohol filling my senses. I heard everyone cheer as I leaned backwards, Charles' body pushing over mine, getting lost in the kiss. We finally pulled away after a few seconds, chests moving up and down in shallow breathes, as he leaned his forehead against mine.
"Having fun?" I asked him, my fingers dragging along his jaw and I felt him squeeze my hip.
"Very much so." He smirked, taking a step back.
It was my turn now as Daniel passed a shot glass to me and Max placed a line of salt on Charles neck. I smirked back upon seeing that the trail fell upon a specific spot just a few inches below his ear, knowing that he'd always shiver whenever I kissed it. He placed both of his hands behind his back, holding the lemon between his lips and looking at me with his green eyes filled with an invitation.
It was probably just a sign that he was ready for me, but I couldn't help but think that it meant something else. This entire race weekend has been different for the two of us. Ever since he slept over to make sure I wasn't alone at night, the invisible line that we had drawn slowly faded.
Tonight, it was like no line had existed at all.
I stepped forward, not breaking eye contact as I stopped just in front of him. The heat in his eyes was enough to make my heart beat faster, the anticipation of what I was about to do not helping in any way to slow it down. I gave him one last smirk before leaning closer, trying to get as much of the salt I could. When I reached his spot, I intentionally let my teeth lightly graze it and I felt him shift, knowing that I got the effect I wanted. His eyes had grown darker when I pulled back and drank the alcohol. The hands that were placed behind his back moved to my waist as I took the lemon from his lips.
This time though, I didn't give immediately.
I knew he wanted to kiss me again but I didn't drop the lemon like he did. "You're such a tease." He said, biting his lip.
I pulled the lemon away from my lips using my hand and smiled at him. "I know."
The party lasted until five in the morning, most of them ending up drunk by the time we decided to leave. Daniel was one of them as he talked nonstop, both arms placed over Mick and Max's shoulders. My right arm was looped around Gabby's while the other was connected with Charles'. He seemed to have sobered up since Daniel and Max stopped handing him shots after I did one.
People crowded the streets of Monaco, the celebrations of the grand prix still going.
"Are you tired?" Charles asked when we stopped in front of the cars that they had hired for the night, the boys helping Daniel get inside one of them.
I shook my head. My feet hurt a bit because of my heels, but my body was still buzzing with energy. It's been a while since I felt this way, stress free and wanting to explore.
Charles walked over to Max as I felt Gabby lean her head against my shoulder. "You're different with him." She said low enough for only the two of us to hear.
I didn't ask how because I already knew she was right. "Good different?" I asked and Gabby pulled back, giving me a small smile as she squeezed my hand.
"This is the happiest I've seen you since December." She said and I felt my heart ache at the memory of it. Gabby must've seen it in my eyes because she pulled me in for a hug. "You deserve so much more than you think you do, Nads. Stop doubting it." She kissed my cheek and turned around to head inside the other car, Max holding out the door for her. "Have fun." She smirked, giving Charles and I a wink before getting inside.
"Ready?" He asked, offering his hand and I didn't hesitate to take it.
The car ride took about half an hour since he made a short stop to a twenty-four hour convenience store to grab some food. I laughed upon seeing that the entire plastic bag was filled with junk food that he rarely eats because of his diet. "Andrea's going to kill you." I said, pulling out a bag of chips and raising an eyebrow at him.
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." He smiled.
The driver he hired parked the car in front of what looked like a viewing deck, the lights of Monaco presented right in front of us. We moved over to one of the benches, placing the food in between us. I already took off my heels and lifted my feet on the seat as Charles folded the sleeves of his shirt. "What are we having tonight?" I asked, smiling as he pulled everything out.
"For tonight, the chef recommends we eat the dessert first with our specialty, brownies and vanilla ice cream. For the main course, we have an array of options— barbecue, cheese, and sour cream flavored chips." He said, tone posh as if he was working at a Michelin star restaurant.
"Delicious." I smiled, grabbing a spoonful of vanilla.
We talked about the craziness of tonight and how Daniel would most likely be waking up with a hangover tomorrow. I mentioned my conversation with Seb and Lewis and it was amusing to see his eyes light up at the mention of Seb. I knew they were teammates before but I didn't expect him to hold such admiration for the older driver.
"What's your favorite place in Monaco?" I asked him, holding the bag of barbecue flavored chips while he held the cheese one. He had moved closer and my feet were now propped up on his lap, his hand laid over my ankles.
"If I tell you, you're just going to tease me." He said and I grew even more intrigued. I set down the bag of chips and gave him my full attention. "You're very stubborn."
"It's one of my best qualities." I smiled and he shook his head in return. Charles looked around before glancing at me as if he was expecting me to drop the subject. Nu-uh. He didn't speak but he did raise his hand and gestured to the place around us, making me raise my eyebrows up in surprise. "This is your favorite place?"
"Mhm."
"Huh."
"What?"
"I thought it'd be anything related to Formula One." I said and he gave me a look of bewilderment which made me laugh.
"I don't want my life to revolve around Formula One." He sighed, leaning his head back and looking up at the sky. "I used to come here with my father. He liked going on morning walks and he used to take me with him when I was younger. When I began driving for Ferrari, I had to change my visits to a much later time to avoid tourists."
I don't know if he noticed, but he always has a soft smile on his face whenever he mentions his dad. There's only been a few times but it's obvious that he missed him a lot.
"Back in Turkey, there's this small cafe that only I knew about in my family. It was a family business and has been in that spot for decades." I focused my gaze on the view in front of us, not turning to Charles even though I felt his eyes on me. "I had my first cup of coffee there when I was thirteen. Since then, I've never missed a day without drinking at least a cup. If I go back home, it's definitely a place I'd visit again."
"If?" He asked, placing his arm behind my back, fingers playing with my hair.
This time, I turned to meet his eyes. "I still don't know if I can go back there. It just— too much has happened."
"I could come with you if you'd like."
I shifted my body on the bench and propped my chin on my hand, looking into his eyes. "You're being very nice. It's odd." I joked and he grinned at me, copying my position.
"I am nice. You just annoy me so much you don't get to see it."
"I find that very hard to believe."
"You're not nice."
"I'm nice when I want to be so sucks for you."
"How is it that whenever we talk, we always argue?" He asked, eyes looking around my face before smiling at me. "It's weirdly satisfying."
"Are you telling me that verbal sparring is a kink of yours?" I smirked and he pushed me, my body almost falling off the bench if I hadn't gripped his arm. "Silence means yes."
"You're infuriating, Nova." He glares although it doesn't hold any hostility. It's like he was just doing it for the fun of it.
"Admit it." I said, moving closer until my face was only inches from his. "You like it when I keep you on your toes."
His eyes flickered to my lips and I smirked, feeling successful as his eyes gazed back into mine.
"You're not wrong about that."
*****
This chapter had a lot of dialogues 😂 This was what I envisioned Nadia's outfit to be btw
✧Reese✧