The Shakedown (Lewis Hamilton x Reader)

Suffocating

Good morning, another day. Today Kelly and Penelope left for Monaco; she will drop off her daughter and meet me in Paris tomorrow. I'm honestly looking forward to a change of scenery. Ever since I had those eyes on me on my last outing, I don't feel comfortable here.

Later today, I had to leave my house, though Lewis and I planned to have a little date at his home. He couldn't go to Paris with me because he had to go to Barcelona for practice, the season was about to start soon.

The plan would be to meet in Barcelona after working to catch the last practice round. I can't say that I'm looking forward to it, but on the brightest side, I'd be with him, and that's all that matters.

"Hey, Jay's ready for you downstairs," Susan told me.

"Great," I answered.

"All your bags are there so that you can go straight to the airport tomorrow from there," she added.

"Thank you, Susan," I said.

We both went downstairs to the lobby to head to the car. When we arrived, the entrance was filled with paparazzi outside.

"What's happening?" Susan asked the concierge.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but they have been out there all morning."

"Do you think they are here for me?" I asked Susan.

"Maybe," she said, "should I ask Jay to go down to the garage?"

"Yes," I responded, "I think that would be best."

She headed outside, but when she opened the door, I think one of the men saw me because they went off—firing their cameras inside, hoping to catch me through the glass walls. Their flashes shined so bright they almost blinded me.

I moved to the side, hoping they would stop, but they didn't. Susan came back in and signalled for me to follow her downstairs to the basement, where Jay was already waiting for us.

We got in the car and managed to escape that ambush in one piece.

"How do they know where I lived?" I asked Susan.

"I don't know," Susan said, "these people know everything!"

Before going to Lewis, I had to stop at the IWC store to pick up a custom order I had made. When we arrived, there was no one outside, so I managed to get in without a problem.

"Hello, Miss Y/n," my sales associate, Clara, greeted.

"Hi, Clara," I said, "how are you?"

"Great, and you?" she asked.

"I'm good," I answered, "is my special order ready?"

"Yes, it is," she said, "let me get it for you."

I waited for a few minutes, and she emerged from the back with my order.

I took a look at it and said, "it's perfect, Clara, thank you."

"It's a pleasure. Should I wrap it up for you?" She asked.

"Yes, please," I responded, and she provided to wrap it up for me while I took care of the payment.

After she was done, I gave Susan the package to hold, and when we got to the door, there was paparazzi again and this time nowhere to run.

Clara asked the security guards to clear a small path to my car. The moment they opened the doors to leave, the camera flashes started, with various men shouting their questions.

"Y/n, are you dating Lewis Hamilton?!" The first one shooter.

"How could you cheat on your boyfriend?!" Another asked.

"Did you not love Brad?!" Yet another asked.

As I got closer and closer to the car, their attempts to snap a photo got more aggressive as they squeezed in on me harder. I felt suffocated. The moment we got in the car, we were already hyperventilating and nervous from experience, so Jay drove off as fast as possible.

"That was intense," Susan said.

I nodded and instructed them to get security for us for the trip. If this was London, I couldn't imagine Paris.

When we arrived at Lewis' house, I quickly rushed inside; even though it was very private, I couldn't risk it. I got in and walked to his embrace.

"Hey," he said while holding me, "are you okay? What's wrong?"

We sat down, and I told him everything that had happened that morning. He took the time to listen to me and apologise for the hassle I went through. Even though I've experienced the spotlight, paparazzi is something ill never get used to; that's why I keep my life as low key as possible.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," he said.

"It's okay," I replied, "I was sorta getting ready for this, but I didn't expect it to be this bad."

"Yeah, they tend to the most when they want information or pictures," he explained.

"But anyway, let's have lunch," I said.

"Yes, I cooked today," he said.

"Really?" I asked, "this is exciting."

He made me a delicious vegan lasagne, and I couldn't get enough. Can he get any more perfect? We spent the rest of the day watching a movie with Roscoe on the couch.

"Before I forgot," I said, getting up from the couch and then running to the room to get my bag.

"What?" he asked.

"I got you something," I answered, handing him the wrapped gift.

He took it and said, "Thank you, but wait, what is the occasion?"

"It was supposed to be for your birthday, but it took way too long," I explained.

"You didn't have to get me anything," he said, "you already threw me a beautiful dinner."

"I know," I said, "but I wanted to."

He smiled and started to unwrap the gift to reveal an IWC Big Pilots watch in the colour moss green that was particularly unique.

"So I saw the watch collection you have and noticed that you were missing this colour, it..."

"I love it," he interrupted.

I giggle and say, "I haven't told you the best part."

"You gave it to me; that's the best part," he said.

I took it from his hand and turned it around, where it had an engraved message that read, "I'm with you, always".

"This way, even when I'm not with you in a race, you'll know," I said.

He looked at me and said, "I love you."

And at that moment, he melted all my worries; he turned a bad day with the worst experience I'd ever had into nothing, filling it purely with joy. I don't understand the power he has over my whole day, but all I know is that I feel the same way.

"I love you too."