photograph / ln4

eight

"SO HEAR me out," Lando said into the phone, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up to disguise all but the few curls resting on his forehead, his feet dragging him through the rainy streets of London. He'd just gotten back from Baku, where he'd managed to get onto the podium in third, although... it wasn't where he wanted to be. He wanted to be up there, on the first step. He had to be patient, though, and test out the limits of the car before it backfired on him. "You and me, Chinese take-out, Never Been Kissed. Tonight. I'm getting on my plane in an hour."

There was a rustle on the other side. "I don't know, Lan... didn't you say you have to leave again tomorrow?"

Lando shook his head, muttering hastily, "No! I mean, yes I do have to leave again tomorrow. But I want to see you, and I need to pick up some stuff at home. Plus, it's easier flying from Nice to Miami."

"Miami, you say?" Eleanor asked. Lando stopped in his tracks, earning a curse from a man behind him who nearly collided with him. He muttered his own series of profanities as rain started to pour down from the sky, and he struggled through the city in search of the way back to Max's apartment.

"I mean, yeah. So it's gonna be a big difference in time zone for us this round, love. Don't miss me too much," Lando swiftly changed the topic, licked his lips as he finally found the right street and turned a corner. He wanted nothing more than to be out of this rain and even more so to be wrapped up in Eleanor's arms eating his favourite teriyaki chicken and watching a terrible rom com. It was his ideal night in.

Eleanor sighed through the phone, making Lando's stomach swirl with anxiety. Every nerve ending in his body suddenly felt as if it was on fire; both because he yearned to touch her, but also because he strangely felt nervous about seeing her again. He knew she'd met Arden, Charles' girlfriend, and had already heard from the man how well the two got on. It was only a matter of time before she figured out that he had been... avoiding the truth. How long could he keep holding on to it?

He cleared his throat, slipping between the sliding doors that led to Max's apartment building. He always stayed here whenever he had to spend a day in London, since technically this was his apartment: he'd just been renting it out to Max. "I have to go, baby. I'll see you tonight?"

"I can't wait, Lan. See you tonight."

"See you."

ELEANOR FELT strangely nervous as the time ticked by and Lando's arrival was due any moment. She didn't know how to approach the topic of the TUMI billboard—what would she say? There had to be a reason that he was so secretive about it. Maybe he'd been treated badly because of it, judged for it, lost out on love for it.

She rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn, stretching out on the couch. Darcy was curled up near her legs, while Lizzy got comfortable behind her, a long stretch of white fur. However, their peace was disturbed when the doorbell rang and Eleanor shot up from the couch as if she'd been electrocuted.