That weekend I accompanied Arthur to his F2 race in Germany. He had a strong weekend, coming in third fastest in qualifying and finishing the race in second. It had just been us and Lorenzo, and we'd actually had a lot of fun exploring the city. And now we were on our way to the Canadian GP.
Unlike the European races where we flew privately, we were flying commercially to Montreal, it being such a long flight. This meant that Arthur and I were on our own, Lorenzo and Charles taking an earlier flight. It was nice for it to just be the two of us for once.
"So, what's the plan for this weekend?" I asked Arthur after takeoff.
Arthur sighed before answering, "Lots of sponsor meetings. Lorenzo has a ton planned with some of the American based sponsors and companies. He really wants me to lock in another one or two before the end of the season. Particularly since I'm having a run of good luck."
I nodded gently, "Can I come to the meetings?"
"I'm not sure. I'll have to ask Lorenzo what he thinks. I'm sorry," he replied, his blue eyes looking at me softly.
"It's okay. I promise. If you have to work, you have to work."
"How did I get so lucky with you?" He asked and I smiled.
"I think I'm the luckier one. We're literally on a plane to Canada. How cool is that?"
He laughed before leaning over to press a kiss to my lips. "I love you so much."
"I love you more."
I ended up sleeping for most of the flight, and a few hours later we arrived at the hotel. When we got there, I was shocked to see a large crowd out front. There were always fans hanging around outside the hotels, but this group seemed huge.
"Woah," Arthur exclaimed.
"I thought it was just me! What are all these people doing here?"
"Someone must have leaked where the drivers are staying. Normally people just kind of guess, but this looks to me like they knew they'd all be here. Security is going to be a nightmare."
As Arthur finished his sentence, I could see Lorenzo coming out of the front of the hotel and towards our car. He opened the door and slipped in quicky.
"Hey," he greeted us. "Clearly there's a lot going on here. I think we should be okay to go in without security, but I figured I'd come help get Emmy inside, in case you get stopped Arthur."
Well. That was kind of sweet.
"Great idea," Arthur confirmed and looked at me. "You good to follow Lorenzo?"
I nodded emphatically, "Definitely. Should I grab our bags from the back?"
"No, security will grab them and bring them inside," Lorenzo responded. "Alright, let's go."
Lorenzo got out of the car first, grabbing my hand as I followed, with Arthur coming out after us. The second I had emerged from the car lights started flashing and people were calling my name. It only intensified when Arthur stepped out. As agreed, I followed Lorenzo straight to the door, not sure how far behind us Arthur was. When we reached the lobby, I realized he hadn't made it far at all, greeting fans to take pictures and sign autographs.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" I asked Lorenzo.
"Yeah, he'll be fine. Seems like the crowd is sticking behind the barriers." I nodded as he spoke. "Do you want to wait for him or head up to your room?"
"Umm. I think I may wait for him? I know you guys have a ton of meetings this weekend, so trying to get as much time with him as I can."
Lorenzo looked like he approved but handed me the key to our room anyway. "I'll try not to keep him away too much. How about we all have dinner on Friday night? It's currently free in the schedule."
"That would be great!" But before I could say any more, I saw Arthur's head poking into the lobby, looking around for us. I waved softly to him, and it was enough to get his attention, making his way over to us.
"That was intense," he announced in greeting. "Has it been like that all day?"
"Yeah," Lorenzo confirmed. "The barrier wasn't set up when Charles and I arrived earlier, it was nuts."
"No one is going to get any privacy this weekend, that's for sure. The fans will have every moment captured," Arthur observed.
Lorenzo checked his watch. "Alright you two, why don't you head up to the room to rest for a bit. Arthur, meet me down here at 5:30 so we can head out to our first meeting."
"Oh, umm," Arthur started. "Is it possible for Emmy to come to some of the meetings?"
Lorenzo sighed deeply. "I don't think that's a good idea. Nothing against you, Emmy," he said looking at me quickly. "I just want to make sure that the sponsors see you as being buttoned up and professional. And I don't think bringing your girlfriend fits into that."
I could see Arthur getting annoyed, but before he could say anything I jumped in. "I totally get it! Don't worry Lorenzo, I'm more than capable of entertaining myself for a few days."
Arthur definitely wanted to argue, but I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. He looked down and then at me, before letting out a breath. "Okay, you're right. The Leclerc brothers fly solo."
Lorenzo laughed and the corners of my lips turned up.
"Be here at 5:30, Arthur. I mean it," Lorenzo said and then left us.
As we waited for the elevator Arthur turned to me, "You're 100% sure that you don't mind me going to these meetings? I feel bad I brought you all the way here and we're barely going to spend time together."
"It's okay Arthur, I promise. I obviously want to spend time with you, but like I said earlier. You have to work, and I get that. This is too important for your career."
"Okay, fine," he relented as we stepped onto the elevator. "Maybe you can hang out with Charles a bit too? I don't think he's coming to all these meetings with us."
There was nothing I wanted to do less than hang out with Charles Leclerc.
It had been about two weeks since the party in Milan and the nauseous ball in my stomach was just starting to go away.
I had decided, definitively, that Charles had just been drunk and confused. He'd seemed stricken before Pierre and Kika found us, expressing immediate guilt.
I was confident that it wouldn't happen again, and I could put this behind us. But that didn't mean I wanted to spend time with him, particularly alone time.
"Oh, we don't have to bother Charles," I insisted. "I'm perfectly fine on my own. The fine arts museum is just down the street, and they're supposed to have an amazing botanical garden - plus the mountain! And if all else fails, there's room service and bubble baths."
"Urg. Bubble baths," Arthur moaned. "You're killing me here, pretty girl."
I giggled and leant in to kiss him gently before moving my lips to his ear, "Well, if you're good, maybe I'll send you some live updates from the bath to get through your meetings."
+++
Arthur hadn't been kidding when he said Lorenzo had packed his calendar. After their meeting on Wednesday night, they'd had a breakfast meeting that had lasted until lunch, drinks that turned into dinner and another breakfast meeting on Friday morning.
Arthur had returned to the room both nights completely miserable, complaining about how boring it had been and begging me to help get him out of the next ones. But with mine and Lorenzo's newfound friendship, there was no chance I was getting in the middle of that.
Besides, I'd been having a blast.
Of course, I'd missed Arthur and wished he was with me, but I was enjoying exploring another new city. Montreal had some incredible street art in addition to the fine arts museum. I'd spent hours just wandering through the streets and then the formal galleries. Again, I'd filled my camera with photos of ornate architecture and world class paintings - and I hadn't even made it to the cathedral or the botanical gardens yet.
The time by myself had given me a lot of clarity, and I was finally feeling like I had my feet under me.
Now I was back in our hotel room getting ready for family dinner, as I'd started calling it. Lorenzo had booked us a table at one of the best restaurants in the city, a little French place in a trendy neighborhood.
I was trying to ignore the fact that Charles would be there, this being the first time I'd seen him since the kiss.
"Honey, I'm home," Arthur greeted me as he entered the room with a broad grin. He immediately plopped down on the bed with a sigh.
"You look exhausted," I said as I got up and made my way over to him, lying next to him and cuddling in close.
"Completely and totally," he replied and pulled me into his chest. "Lorenzo is a slavedriver. I don't know how he does this all day."
"Did they go well though?"
"I think so," Arthur confirmed. "Lorenzo seemed particularly pleased about yesterday's breakfast. I think he's hoping we get an offer before we leave."
"Oh wow! I didn't realize it happened that quickly."
"It doesn't usually. But Lorenzo said he has a feeling this guy wanted to move quickly."
"That's awesome, fingers crossed!" I said before placing a quick kiss on his lips. I went to move away, but Arthur wrapped an arm around my waist and another behind my head, pulling me in for a deeper kiss. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying being close to one another.
Before long, I pulled away again. "Come on, we need to get ready," I said, my lips feeling bee stung from our kiss.
"Urg. Can't we just stay here?"
"Nope!" I said, popping the p at the end. "I've been reading about this restaurant. It is literally the best in the city. You can't get a reservation for months when it's NOT the grand prix. We are going."
Arthur grumbled but got up and headed to the shower. "Fine, but after dinner, you and I have a date with that bed!"
I giggled and continued on getting ready.
+++
A while later, Arthur and I had settled into a table at the restaurant while we waited for his brothers to arrive. Despite the peace that Lorenzo and I had come to, I had no intention of letting Arthur, and me by association, fall into his bad habit of being late.
Just a few minutes later, I saw Charles step through the door with Lorenzo behind him. Charles locked eyes with me and smiled, while I felt my blood run cold and immediately looked away.
This was going to be harder than I thought.
The boys greeted us as they sat down, but before a waitress could come take our orders, Lorenzo got a phone call and left the table.
"Wonder what that's about?" Charles remarked. "Lorenzo never takes calls at the dinner table."
"Of course, he doesn't, it's disrespectful," I reinforced back to Charles. He looked at me briefly before changing the subject.
"How have your sponsor meetings gone Arthur?"
"I think pretty well. Lorenzo seems happy with the conversations, so if Lorenzo is happy, we're all happy," Arthur replied and Charles laughed.
But before any conversation could continue, Lorenzo returned looking stressed but smiling.
"I have good news and bad news," he started. "The good news is that one of the sponsors we met with has a deal ready!"
"Are you serious?" Arthur exclaimed, looking at me and squeezing my hand. "That's amazing!"
"Completely serious. He said that you impressed him with your dedication and positive attitude, and he wants to get in before your next race."
"That's incredible! Congratulations," Charles jumped in.
"But what's the bad news?" Arthur asked.
Lorenzo scratched the back of his head. "He wants to meet tonight to go over the deal."
"Tonight? When tonight?"
"Uh, now?" My heart sank at Lorenzo's words.
"We can't go now. We're at dinner! And Emmy's been dying to try this place! I've barely spent any time with her!" Arthur exclaimed.
"Arthur, please, it's fine," I said to try and ease the mood. "We can come back another time."
"Why don't you two go, and Emmy and I will stay?" Charles suddenly suggested.
"That's a great idea!" Lorenzo encouraged. I looked at Arthur, unsure of what to say. I did not want to have dinner with Charles, but how was I going to explain why I'd rather go home than have a meal at a restaurant I'd been dying to try - when we were already here.
"What do you think Em?" Arthur asked, making it clear I held the cards here.
I swallowed; I had no way out.
"I'd obviously rather have dinner with you, but we're already here. And your sponsorship is too important. You and Lorenzo go, I'll stay with Charles."
Arthur seemed unsure, as if he could read my mind. "Are you sure?"
I felt all of their eyes on me. "Of course. You guys go," I said with a smile.
Lorenzo clapped his hands, while Arthur gave me a kiss and the two made their way out of the restaurant. Leaving just me and Charles.
We sat in silence for a few moments, a waitress coming over to take our orders.
"Can I get you both anything to drink?" she asked politely.
"Just water is fine for me, thank you," I said.
"Nonsense," Charles stepped in. "We'll take a bottle of pinot noir, please."
The waitress nodded and left. I glared at Charles, "I don't really feel like drinking."
"A little wine never hurts. Helps loosen everyone up," he said with a smile.
"I don't need to loosen up, I'm fine," I said.
"Of course, Emmy. I didn't mean anything by it."
We lapsed into silence again. God, this was awkward.
I took a deep breath, "How did practice go today? Conditions seemed perfect."
"It was good. Car was a little slower on the straight than we expected, but we're going to change the set up a bit."
I nodded. "Ferrari tends to be strong here. Hopefully you and Carlos can score some good points, end up on the podium."
"What do I get if I get a podium?" Charles flirted back.
I didn't say anything, looking at him unimpressed.
"Oh, come on Em, I was kidding."
I'd had enough. "You're kidding? You think it's funny to flirt with your brother's girlfriend? What do you think Arthur would think if he heard you? If he knew..."
"If he knew what Em? Hmm, what should he know?" Charles interrupted, sounding agitated now.
I glared at him. I guess we were doing this.
"You had no right to kiss me. That was completely over the line Charles. I am your BROTHER's GIRLFRIEND. What about that do you not get?"
He scoffed. "Oh, come on. It was nothing. Besides, we both know that if you had met me first then we'd be together!"
"What in the world makes you think that?" I pared back at him, completely flabbergasted.
"That night in the club. When you were getting a drink at the bar. I saw how you were looking at me."
I was floored. Is this what he thought? That he had some sort of claim on me because of a 30-second conversation we'd had in a bar? I barely remembered meeting him that night.
"I don't know what you've been telling yourself all these months, but I am not interested in you. I love your brother. He's the one that I want. And if you don't back off..."
"You'll what?" He cut me off. "You'll tell him?! Go ahead Em, tell him. But you're insane if you think he'd believe you over me."
He was right, of course. Why would Arthur believe me?
It was the piece I'd been wrestling with this whole time. I'd wanted to tell him so many times. I'd been close to tell him the day of Sophia's party, sure that I couldn't live with the guilt.
But I'd stopped myself, afraid that he wouldn't believe me or that he'd blame me somehow.
I knew Pierre and Kika would probably vouch for my story, but what if they didn't? Pierre was Charles's best friend and I had no idea if they'd talked after - what if Charles convinced him it was my fault? The scenarios were killing me and I felt like I couldn't trust my gut.
I didn't say another word to him, feeling the tears threatening to spill.
I grabbed my bag and made my way out of the restaurant, hearing Charles halfheartedly calling after me. I walked for a few blocks before I opened my phone to call an Uber, seeing a text from Arthur.
Have fun with Charles and enjoy dinner! I'll make this up to you pretty girl. Love you!