Lock Up ⏐Charles Leclerc

Chapter 7

"Which one's the brake again?" I asked and Charles' wide eyes turned to me in fear.

He was sitting on the passenger seat with both of his hands on either side of him, tightly gripping any part of the car he can. When I mentioned the idea of me driving his car for a few minutes, he immediately said no and even patted his pocket to make sure his keys were with him.

"Oh my god. My car is going to die." He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. I laughed so hard at the raw fear evident on his face.

"I'm not that bad."

"The fact that you're doubting your skills doesn't mean you're good either." I ignored him and checked the side mirrors before turning on the engine. A smile formed on my face at the sound of the engine.

"If Ferrari sees me, you might lose your job next season." I said and Charles was about to speak up when I pressed on the gas and the car began to move forward.

We moved onto a less commercial road where I was free to drive around in high speeds. It was just a five kilometer road that went straight, with two lanes on each side so I can overtake if necessary.

I was having the time of my life while the person beside me was holding on for dear life. Thinking about it, this must be killing him. If I drove as a profession, I'd want to stay behind the wheel at all times.

"Watch the gutter!" Charles panicked when I overtook a small car and had to move to the other lane. "Valentine, you're going to give me a heart attack."

"Shut up. You drive faster than this." I was only at a hundred and fifty miles per hour and I could press on the gas if I wanted to but I didn't trust myself to drive that fast. I know my limits, but it's amusing to watch Charles say a silent prayer whenever I press harder on the gas.

When we reached the end of the road we were on, I began to slow down and Charles sighed in relief. He closed his eyes and sagged into the passenger seat, a hand placed over his heart.

"I am never letting you drive again." He said, clicking a button that would bring the top down.

"What about my car?"

"I feel sorry for the rental company. It's a miracle you haven't crashed yet." One of my hands let go of the steering wheel to slap his chest since that was the easiest one to reach. Charles laughed and grabbed my hand before placing it back on the wheel. "Hands and eyes on the wheel, Bellerose." He smirked.

"Should I do the 10-2 position as well?" I asked, my voice laced with as much sarcasm I can give. He didn't answer me and instead just turned on the radio.

An unfamiliar Italian song played and I heard Charles humming beside me. I just casually drove, my hair moving behind me because of the wind. I'd probably look like Jimmy Neutron later with my hair standing all over the place but I don't care. This drive felt so peaceful, nothing but the fields around us.

I heard a click from my right. Before I could turn and look what that was, Charles' palm went over my head and forced me to face the road. "I said eyes on the road, Bellerose." I smiled when he used my last name.

"Did you just take a picture of me, Leclerc?" He let go of my head and held his phone up again. This time, there were multiple clicks. I was getting self conscious so I tried to block my face with my right hand as Charles moved around on his seat to try and get a decent picture. "If you don't stop, I'm gonna race again."

That shut him up faster than his car could drive.

"Okay, I'm not taking that lightly. Time to switch!" He exclaimed and I agreed. We switched seats and since I was too lazy to get out of the car, I just went over the center console. It seemed easier in my head but the jeans I was wearing made it difficult to cross over.