Life in the Fast Lane

Chapter Three

It was finally here; the weekend Liv could swear she was waiting her entire life for. Though she never thought this would be happening, she was beyond ecstatic it was. She was going to see what it was like in person. She would see the process, experience the crowd, and wander around the track. Thanks to Jake's dad's connections, not only were they going to experience the weekend of racing, but they were going to have a tour around the track. Jane was beginning to get annoyed with how much Liv was talking about it, but she didn't care. She was on top of the world.

She had skipped out on her last class of the day on Thursday to make the drive to Germany. There were assignments she knew she would have to catch up on once they got back to school, so she was glad when Jake had volunteered to drive the whole way. It was a lengthy 7.5-hour drive, but she was certain she would be able to get all the necessary work done so she could enjoy the big weekend ahead.

"I cannot believe we're here. Like, we're actually here" Liv mused as the pair walked to the hotel elevator in the lobby. They were staying in a hotel that wasn't far from the track, and wow was the place fancy. It was something that Liv never imagined she would ever live in her wildest dreams.

"We might get lucky, we could end up meeting one of the drivers" Jake smirked, knowing it would elicit a small shriek from Liv. She did just as he predicted; she let out a tiny squeak before going silent. She bit her lower lip rather forcefully, as if it was somehow going to contain her excitement.

"Did you know they'd be staying here?" Liv demanded, and Jake nodded, laughing. He pressed the button to go to the 6th floor, where their room was located, and eyed Liv after the doors shut. It was nearing 1am, so the hotel lobby and elevators remained quiet.

"Just another little surprise for you" he teased, and Liv's face lit up once more. The surprises seemed to keep coming, and Liv was living for it. Even though her parents had some apprehension of her going away to school in Denmark, so far, she was glad she did. She met an amazing boyfriend, met some new friends, was living with her best friend Jane, what could be better?

"Are there any more surprises? Because I may die of heart failure" Liv questioned. They came off the elevator and began to head in the direction of their room. Even the hallways of this hotel are so well decorated, Liv thought to herself. In any hotel she had ever stayed at, they certainly weren't that well-kept! Hell, even the rooms she had stayed in occasionally were sketchy enough.

"No, no more surprises, I promise" Jake assured her, and she let out a small breath. "I mean, except for how nice this room is going to be, but you know..." he trailed off, opening the door to the most beautiful hotel room she had ever seen. They were staying at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, one of Germany's nicest hotels. The room was huge; bigger than any room Liv had stayed in. There was a small hall that led to a nice living room area, with a couch, chair and coffee table that looked like they were antique and hardly ever used. The next room was the bedroom, with a giant inviting king sized bed. Liv dropped her bags and launched herself onto the bed, feeling a sudden tired feeling wash over her.

"So, I wasn't sure if you wanted to share a bed or not- I don't mind sleeping on the couch" Jake broke the silence. "I know we haven't been together long-"

"No, no- I don't mind sharing the bed" Liv assured him. "Besides, pretty sure this bed is so big we wouldn't even know there was someone else in it" she laughed, and he couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"As long as you're sure- I didn't want to overstep" Jake told her, and Liv almost melted on the spot. How cute was he?

"You're the best, you know that?" Liv asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question.

"Yeah, but I don't mind hearing it." He smirked, setting his bag down and heading towards the bathroom. Liv laid on the bed for a moment, before deciding she'd better get herself ready for bed. They were going to have a long day tomorrow, and she wanted to be able to soak in as much of it as she could.

***
It was almost like the excitement was too much. Liv found herself wide awake at 4:30am, just two hours after she had easily fallen into a peaceful sleep. She tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, before she decided to take a walk in the luxurious hotel, knowing the hallways would be bare, and she'd be free to explore as she pleased.

As predicted, Jake lay all the way over on the other side of the bed from Liv. It truly felt like there was nobody else in there with her. After pulling on her sweatpants and Jake's hoodie, she kissed his forehead as he mumbled in his sleep. She laughed, whispering she was going for a walk, before carefully finding her way out of their room, double checking to ensure she had the key in her possession.

She found herself the elevator before pressing the L button. She hadn't gotten to explore the Lobby when they arrived since they were so fatigued from the drive. Unsurprisingly, there were no stops for the elevator on the way down; who else would be up this early in the morning if they didn't have to be, right?
Liv nodded her head to the man behind the desk, who looked exhausted and simply gave her a curt nod. He must have been nearing the end of his long, overnight shift, for he looked like he was about ready to tumble.

She admired the beauty that was the hotel lobby for a moment. It still felt like a dream that she was even here. Right off the lobby there was a bar, empty of course, but was filled with wine glasses hanging from their place, every chair and table perfectly placed. It would be hard to find anything wrong with this-

"Oh! Oh my god, I'm sorry!" Liv blurted out. She was so absorbed in her exploring she didn't even notice the man standing right in front of her; until he quite literally was right in front of her. She didn't even realize who he was at first, but when she heard his voice, it clicked instantly.

It was the curly brown hair that caught her attention first. Even with his Mclaren hood up, it stuck out in every direction. He looked tired, but not exhausted, and Liv half wondered why on earth he would be awake at this hour of the morning.

"It's okay" he let out a laugh. "I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going either" he admitted, shrugging. In all truth he hadn't been expecting to run into anyone on his way down to the lobby; why would he? Who else would be awake at this hour, let alone roaming around a hotel?

"You're Lando!" Liv blurted out loudly, before covering her hands over her mouth. "Shit, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that" she backpedaled, feeling immediately embarrassed. Lando just laughed, his eyes glowing.

"No, no, it's fine- don't worry" Lando continued to laugh. "I take it you're here for the races, then?" he asked, and she nodded excitedly. "First time?"

"Yeah, we came from Denmark last night- but I couldn't sleep" Liv admitted. It was a mixture of excitement and that sweet, sweet, insomnia she tangled with on a nightly basis.

"I was wondering why I wasn't the only one up and wandering around right now" Lando laughed, before stretching his arms over his head, feeling a little stiff.

"I shouldn't keep you- but good luck this weekend!" Liv told him, speaking as calmly as humanly possible. She didn't want him to think she was a crazy fan, unable to control herself around him. He was a person and deserved to be spoken to as such.

"Thanks! Maybe I'll see you around." He smiled after he spoke, brushing by her as he made his way to the hotel desk.