As Lexi stepped out of the movie set, the darkness of the night enveloped her, but she was taken by surprise when she saw a familiar Ferrari waiting nearby. The window rolled down, and there was Charles with a warm smile.
"Hey, Lexi. Need a ride home?" he asked, the concern evident in his eyes.
Lexi couldn't help but feel touched by his thoughtfulness. "You didn't have to come all the way here, Charles. But yes, I'd appreciate a ride."
As Charles drove Lexi to her hotel, the warmth of their conversation eased the tension she had been carrying throughout the long day of filming. As they arrived, Charles turned to her with a gentle smile. "I hope you don't mind that I ordered some food for you. I know how busy you've been, and I don't want you skipping meals."
Lexi's heart swelled with gratitude for Charles's thoughtfulness. "Thank you so much, Charles. You didn't have to do that, but I really appreciate it."
Charles got out first and quickly hurried to the other side of the car to help an exhausted Alexandra with her bags. With a small smile, she thanked him, and the two quickly made their way inside the hotel.
Outside Alexandra's room, Charles hesitated, unsure of whether to enter or not. He knew she was exhausted, and the considerate part of him urged him to bid her goodnight and let her rest. However, when Alexandra reached out to pull him into a hug, he couldn't resist the warmth of her gesture, the familiar smell of her vanilla perfume pulling him in closer.
"Thank you for the ride and ordering food," Alexandra said, her voice soft and grateful. "I really appreciate it."
Charles returned the hug, feeling a mix of concern and affection for his friend. "You don't have to thank me, Lexi. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
With a gentle smile, she invited him inside, and Charles found himself unable to resist. He followed her into the room, but a part of him still worried about how tired she looked. "I know you must be exhausted," he said, his concern evident in his voice. "Are you sure you want me to stay?"
Alexandra looked at him with a reassuring smile. "I am tired, but I'd love some company, Charles."
Against his better judgment, Charles crumbled under her warm invitation. "Alright then, if you're sure. I'll stay."
Alexandra grinned and leaned her head onto his shoulder silently for a few moments before sighing. "Do you mind if I take a quick shower?" she asked. "Maybe you can pick a movie and order us some wine?"
Charles grinned. "Sure. Any preference?"
"On the movie? Or the wine?" she shot him a cheeky grin.
"Both." Charles laughed.
"Surprise me." Alexandra planted a surprising kiss on his cheek as she stood, moving to her hotel wardrobe to find a pair of satin pajamas. She quickly disappeared into the bathroom, and Charles let out a breath as he heard the shower begin to run.
As Charles placed the order for the wine, he noticed a guide to the hotel's spa on the desk. An idea sparked in his mind, and he decided to surprise Alexandra with something special. He quickly picked up the phone again and called the receptionist.
"Hi, I just placed an order for two bottles of red wine," Charles said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Could you also book Alexandra Heroux in for a massage tomorrow morning? Charge it to my credit card, please. Room 223. Merci."
The receptionist happily obliged, and Charles felt a sense of satisfaction. He knew how hard Alexandra had been working and thought a relaxing massage would be the perfect treat for her. As he hung up the phone, the knock on the door signaled the arrival of their food. Charles opened the door, greeted by the delicious aroma of their dinner. He thanked the staff and set the food down on the table.
With dinner taken care of, Charles finally settled onto the couch, searching for a movie to watch. As he perused the options, he couldn't help but hear the shower turning off in the bathroom, he turned to look, and quickly realized that the door wasn't shut properly, and was slightly ajar, giving him a view of her as she stepped out of the shower.
His eyes glazed over her body for a few moments as he felt his heart pounding, the butterflies in his chest fluttering wildly. He averted his eyes quickly, reminding himself that he shouldn't intrude on her privacy. However, the image of a naked Alexandra lingered in his mind, and he found it difficult to shake.
She was beautiful.
He couldn't understand it. He'd been in relationships before, been attracted to women before, but not like this. With Charlotte, he thought she was hot, and had a great personality, but as their relationship crumbled due to his commitments to racing, he found himself not that attracted to her in a sexual way anymore - something that infuriated her.
But Alexandra...he was fighting the urge to storm into the bathroom and kiss her, right here and right now. He looked at her and felt as though his chest was exploding, his breath catching in his throat. All he wanted was her.
He was sure in a moment of weakness if someone told him to choose his career or her, he'd blindly choose her. And that terrified him.
Determined to compose himself, Charles took a deep breath and focused on finding a movie. He managed to distract himself for a while, and when Alexandra emerged from the bathroom, now dressed in comfortable loungewear, Charles tried to act casual and unaffected by his earlier embarrassment. He handed her a glass of wine and gestured to the food.
"Dinner is served," he said with a warm smile.
She took the glass with a grateful smile, and they settled in to enjoy their meal and the movie. Charles did his best to focus on the film, attempting to steer his thoughts away from the attraction he felt towards Alexandra.
"Oh, before I forget too - I booked you in for a massage at the spa tomorrow morning." he smiled sheepishly. Her eyes lit up in both shock and excitement.
"What?" she asked. Suddenly she stood, and tackled him on the couch, engulfing him in a tight hug. "Oh Charles you shouldn't have! Thank you!" she paused. "Are you busy tomorrow morning?" she asked. He shook his head.
Immediately she stood and called the hotel reception. "Hi, I'd like to book Charles Leclerc into a massage tomorrow morning, please? Yes, the same time would be lovely. Thank you, have a wonderful night." she hung up the phone with a grin. "Spa day!" she shouted eagerly.
The pair laughed as she sat back down, and took a large sip of her wine with a smile as she raised her glass for a toast. "To you Charles, for being the most caring and considerate person I think I've ever met." she smiled sheepishly.
As the wine flowed and they talked over the movie, Charles could see Lexi beginning to drift off, and silently stood to leave. She opened her eyes and frowned. "I think I'm gonna go," Charles said softly. "Here, let's get you into bed." he helped her as she stood up, half asleep, and make her way to the bed. Charles pulled the covers around her and smiled softly.
"Stay." she mumbled.
"What?"
"Please. Stay. I have trouble sleeping, but you make me feel safe. Charles, please stay with me." She pleaded, holding back a yawn.
It took Charles half a millisecond to decide to stay.
He quickly kicked off his shoes, and crawled beside her, a frown on his face. She giggled. "You don't have to wear jeans to bed you know." she laughed. "Or sleep on top of the covers. I don't bite."
With an awkward laugh, Charles got undressed, leaving him in just a t-shirt and boxers as he got under the covers beside her. Groggily, she pulled herself into his arms, and he smiled into her hair as she kissed his shoulder gently.
"Merci, Charles." she yawned.
They lay in silence for a while before she spoke again when Lexi shared a surprising revelation with Charles.
"You know, I did some background research on all the F1 drivers before this movie."
Charles chuckled, feeling a sense of warmth at the thought that she took the time to know more about him. "I can't blame you. I've also done some investigating on you. I've watched a lot of your old interviews."
Lexi raised an eyebrow playfully. "Oh, really? And what did you find out?"
He shrugged with a grin. "I found out that you're not just a talented actor, but also a genuinely kind and passionate person."
As they laughed together, the mood became lighter, but it soon shifted when Lexi turned serious. She looked at Charles with sincerity in her eyes. "I think they'd be proud of you, you know." she smiled sadly.
"Who?" Charles asked, his heart frozen.
"Jules and your dad." She smiled softly and pulled him closer to her. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you."
Charles's smile softened, appreciating her empathy and understanding. "Not a day goes by when I don't miss them."
"I believe they'd be really proud of the man you've become," Lexi continued. "You're not just a talented driver, Charles. You're compassionate, caring, and you bring people together. You're everything good that a person should be."
Charles felt a lump in his throat, touched by her words. "You think so?"
"I know so," she replied firmly. "I've seen how you treat everyone with respect and kindness. You have this ability to make people feel at ease, and that's a rare gift."
Charles looked into her eyes, feeling a newfound sense of connection. "Do I make you feel at ease?" he asked.
She nodded.
"The only person who's ever made me feel as peaceful as you do was my mother." she smiled.
"And that's a feeling I haven't felt in a very long time, Charles."
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
Charles sent an image:
Charles:
she's eating and relaxing.
Can someone let the cast
know she's okay?
Lewis:
on it
Pierre:
why is she in a robe?
Charles:
She showered?
Max:
with you?
Daniel:
answer him!
Lando:
omg why's he gone silent
Alex:
omg
Pierre:
u dog
Lance:
I bet they're fucking
Sebastian:
Lando:
Lewis:
what the fuck is wrong with you?
Charles:
omg i was just getting wine chill out! We're not fucking you idiots
Charles Leclerc added an unknown number to the group
Lexi:
WE'RE NOT FUCKING WE'RE WATCHING STAR WARS
Lexi Heroux left the group
George Russell: how come lexi never wants to do cool stuff with me? 🙃
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
In the middle of the night, Charles stirred awake to find Lexi sound asleep in his arms. He smiled softly at the sight of her, her peaceful expression, and the gentle rise and fall of her breath. However, his heart sank as he noticed her flinching in her sleep, a troubled expression crossing her features.
He gently tried to wake her, but Lexi remained lost in her slumber. Charles could tell that she was having a bad dream as he heard her quietly muttering. Her voice trembled with vulnerability as she whispered, "This is your fault, Lewis."
Concerned, Charles placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her even in her unconscious state. He knew that dreams could sometimes bring up past traumas or unresolved emotions, and he wanted to be there for her in any way he could.
Lexi continued to whimper, her brow furrowing with distress. Charles felt a pang of sadness, seeing her reliving painful memories even in her sleep. He wished he could take away her pain and protect her from any harm, but he knew that all he could do was be there for her when she needed him.
For a while, Charles sat in silence, holding Lexi close, providing a sense of safety and warmth. He knew that waking her up suddenly might not be the best approach, so he opted to wait for her to wake on her own.
As the minutes passed, he felt her body begin to shake slightly, and he knew she was waking up. Her eyes opened, glistening with unshed tears, and Charles could see the raw emotion in them.
"Lexi," he whispered gently, wiping a tear from her cheek.
She looked at him with a mixture of surprise and vulnerability, realizing she had been crying in her sleep. "Charles, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."
He shook his head, reaching out to cup her cheek. "Don't apologize. I'm here for you."
Lexi took a shaky breath, her voice wavering with emotion. "It was just a bad dream. I'm fine."
But Charles could see through her brave facade. "You don't have to pretend with me, Lexi. I know it was more than just a bad dream. If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."
She hesitated for a moment, but the sincerity in his eyes was enough to encourage her to open up. She spoke softly, her voice laced with pain. "It's just... memories of my brother. Sometimes they come back, and since I started working on this film, he's all I dream of when I fall asleep."
Charles nodded, understanding the weight of her emotions. "You'll be okay, Mon Amor. I promise. Come here,"
Tears streamed down Lexi's cheeks, and Charles pulled her into a comforting embrace. She clung to him, seeking solace in his presence. "Thank you for being here, Charles. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"I'll always be here for you," he whispered, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "Lexi. I promise."