Love in thirds

2.2 Carlos & Marie

Ever since the night you and Carlos shared, he has been flirting with you even more. It's just not in an annoying way anymore, he actually wants you to know that he thinks you look pretty, that the shirt you're wearing makes you look like an angel and that the way your jeans hug your curves kills him. Due to so many things going on with work, you haven't been able to see each other a lot. After Portugal two months ago it was Spain, and Carlos used that opportunity to spend time with his family. You had been working every race weekend, so when you were off you spend time with your friends, or you were busy sewing. You had made some pieces for a few of your friends back home in Austria, and you were delighted to finally see your family after a lot of months away from home. Needless to say, you had no idea what you and Carlos were.

You're hanging out with your friends after the Austrian GP. Your flight to England leaves tomorrow evening, so you're having dinner with your closest friends before going out for the last time. You don't want to fully tell them about what happened between you and Carlos, but you do tell them about what happened and how you feel about 'this guy'. In case it doesn't work out, you can always tell them you had a one-night stand with Carlos Sainz. "So, what you're saying is, you went out for dinner with your friend in Milan, she was like 'you should totally bang this guy he is great', and you actually did that but now you probably have feelings?" one of your friends summarizes what you just told them. "Well, I mean, yeah?" you sigh. "I always thought he was attractive, but I also knew how much he sleeps around. I wasn't in the mood for just a one night only, but after that night he has been really sweet to me and tries to make a little bit of time free wherever he can to just chat. He still hasn't asked me out though, so I'm really confused actually." The advice your friends gave was very useful, "either you get in bed with someone else, or you just confront the guy."

After arriving in Silverstone, you had decided that talking about it with Carlos was the scariest but most mature option. 'When he comes in for his usual coffee, I'm going to ask him if he wants to have dinner together tonight so we can talk' you think to yourself. When you turn around towards the next team member, you look into Carlos' eyes. "Hola mi guapa!" he says excitedly. "You remember my order now, right?" you nod, and he smiles. "I actually wanted to ask if you'd like to have dinner with me tonight? I think it would be good if we talked." Carlos raises his eyebrows, he knew you could be straightforward, but this was quite bold. And why do you want to talk? Are you mad at him? He nods slowly after realizing that he didn't react. "Yeah, but let's eat close to the hotel. I don't want to have to drive after eating." "Yeah, that's fine, I don't mind where we're going, as long as we can have an undisturbed evening." He smiles at you, saying that he'll make sure to plan a reservation for around 7:30PM. You agree, and after telling you that he'll pick you up from your hotel room, he leaves with his coffee in his hand.

Your workday was quite uneventful, the team was busy, so you managed to sneak out for a walk around the paddock. You sit down on the grass in the sun, enjoying the rays on your face. A group of girls sits a bit farther away from you, but you can still hear them since they're talking quite loudly. "I heard that one Ferrari driver is dating again! Apparently, he is done with his womanizer days, kind of upsetting!" they all giggle. "Which one do you mean? Leclerc?" "No! The other one, Sainz! I think he was pictured with a dark-haired girl a few weeks ago, and then some other moments as well. I didn't read the article though." They stand up, "I like the other one more anyways!" they all laugh loudly, while you stare in the grass. 'Carlos dating a dark-haired girl? Could that be the reason that he hasn't asked me out?' you think to yourself. While making your way back to hospitality you can't help but feel like you stepped into a trap. 'He probably wasn't that interested in me anyways.'

You tried shaking off the sadness and doubt, trying to tell yourself that you shouldn't jump to conclusions without asking Carlos first. 'For god's sake Marie, you're an adult, we communicate before we freak out, get it together' you tell yourself sternly while making your way back to the hotel. After arriving you jump in the shower quickly, washing away the smell of coffee, and sit in front of the mirror to apply some light make-up. After getting dressed into a pair of black lose pants and a black tank top, you throw the linen shirt you sew a few weeks ago over it in case it gets colder tonight. You slip into some sneakers, praying that Carlos is not wearing a red-carpet worthy outfit. Then again, whatever he puts on can be worn on the red-carpet in your eyes. You spray on some perfume before brushing out your hair. You let it loose but bring a hair tie in case it gets annoying during dinner. You hear a knock on your door at 7:15PM, and you take a deep breath before opening the door.

Carlos looks you up and down while smiling, "you look beautiful!" his smile dims a bit when he sees you looking quite sad. He is confused for a minute, weren't you the one who wanted to go on a date? Or maybe this is not a date and you're going to tell him that you're not interested in him anymore. He rips himself from his thoughts when he hears you close the door and turn to him, waiting for him to guide you to the restaurant. "Right, yes, so uhm, I planned a reservation for 7:30, it's just a few minutes walking distance from here. I made sure to ask for a bit of a secluded place since you wanted to talk." He rambles, and you nod your head while smiling a little bit. He looks so cute when he's flustered, you really hope he isn't dating anyone else. You're in way too deep, so that will definitely break your heart. You make some small talk on your way to the restaurant, before going inside and taking a seat.

After you both sat down and ordered the food, you look around you while fiddling with your fingers. "Marie?" Carlos asks, "what did you want to talk about?" You take a deep breath, "so, at first I wanted to talk because I was a bit confused about what we were. I know we were both so busy with work and our families, so I didn't mind not being able to spend some time together, but after today there is something else I need to ask you first..." you swallow, this is really not what you want to ask someone ever. Carlos scoots the chair closer and takes your hands in his hands to stop you from fiddling. "You don't have to be nervous, it's just me." He says, trying to reassure you. 'it's just me he says, that's the whole problem' you think to yourself before nodding and preparing yourself mentally. Before you can start talking your orders are being placed on the table, so you and Carlos smile and nod while patiently waiting so you can continue the conversation.

"This afternoon I was sitting outside for a bit because it wasn't busy anyways. There was a group of girls, and they were talking about you being seen with a dark-haired girl a lot the last few weeks. They said you were dating her. I just, uhm, wanted to know if that was true? Because if that's the case then we don't need to talk about us at a-" Carlos cuts you of by giving you a kiss on your cheek. "I don't know where they saw those photos, I had an ex-girlfriend with dark hair, so maybe they saw old photos. The only things I've been doing the last few weeks were spending time with my family and working and thinking about you every free moment of my day. So no, I am not dating anyone, although I wish I could say that I was dating you..."

You look at him with wide eyes, but smile nonetheless. Carlos smiles back, and you stare at each other for a bit. "We should start eating though" you chuckle, making Carlos laugh. The rest of the dinner is spend chatting about the last few weeks. Carlos tells you about the things he has done with his family, making you laugh about all the silly stories. You tell him about your sewing projects, the fun things you and your friends did and the nice dinners you had with your family. Time flies by while you spend time together, and it makes you feel so happy that you can be so relaxed around each other. You walk back to the hotel with your hands intertwined, and Carlos softly kisses you goodnight in front of your hotel room. You wanted to invite him in, but it's race weekend, so it wouldn't be the best idea.

The next few days are busy. Carlos' practice on Friday and qualification on Saturday were alright. He starts 10th on Sunday, not what he hoped and pushed for, so he was in a bit of a mood. You tried to reassure him when he came in for his coffee Sunday, and he smiled while squeezing your hand quickly, hoping no one noticed. The race went well, at least for Carlos it went well. He managed to go 4 places up, making him end as sixth. He was in a much better mood when you made it back to the hotel. You invited him in for a movie night, which he happily accepted. While you were watching the movie you both got a message saying that due to multiple covid cases, it was advised to quarantine after the race.

"So, wild idea," Carlos starts, "how about you join me in Spain for quarantine? We have a few days off before Hungary, that way we can spend some uninterrupted quality time?" you think about it for a moment, before realising this is the perfect opportunity to get closer to each other, hopefully, and see if you both would like to be in a relationship. You smile at him before telling him you'd love that. He cradles you close to his chest while you both focus on the movie. Nervous but excited for the upcoming week.