Red | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 2

"There's too many people downstairs, I could barely move without someone latching on to me," Charles complained, his accent thick.

"Oh the horrible life of a famous person," Ella rolled her eyes. "Occupational hazard I'm afraid."

My eyes were fixed on his face, his lips. No wonder he had people falling over to get him, his eyes alone could send someone into shock. I shook these thoughts out of my head, the last thing I needed right now was a boyfriend.

Caitlin's boyfriend, Lando, and Carlos had joined us at our little table. Don't get me wrong, they were both very attractive men, but they didn't give me a rush when I first saw them, like Charles did.

"Lando, Carlos this is one of my very old friends, Y/n," Caitlin smiled.

"She doesn't look very old," Lando laughed to himself whilst Caitlin glared at him. "I'm Lando."

"I'm Carlos, I'm better than Lando," he gave me a cheeky smile.

"Yeah ok," Lando rolled his eyes.

"How many wins do you have?" Carlos smiled.

"Mate, you've only got one," Lando replied.

"One more than you."

"I'm better than both of you," Charles piped up.

"While we leave the men to argue, why don't us ladies get a drink?" Macey suggested.

"Good idea, I've already run out," Ella picked up her empty glass.

We walked over to the bar where they all stared at me, shocked looks on their faces.

"I've not seen Charles look like that in a long time," Ella said, ordering 4 dry martinis.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"She means he's obsessed with you!" Macey exclaimed.

"Yeah, girls would kill to have Charles Leclerc look at them the way he just looked at you," Caitlin added.

My heart pounded in my chest. Was he really into me?

"Oh," I didn't really know what else to say.

"Oh? Girl, Charles Leclerc!" Macey exclaimed.

"I don't want a boyfriend," I shook my head.

"Who said anything about a boyfriend? Just hookup with him," Macey laughed.

"Woah Macey, calm down," Ella took the drink out of Macey's hand. "Why don't you want a boyfriend?"

I thought hard about what to say. "I've only just moved here, a boyfriend would complicate things."

"Ok whatever you say," Caitlin smiled at me, she made me feel comfortable here.

After a few hours or so of dancing and a fair amount of drinking, everyone decided to call it quits and head home.

Caitlin and Lando had already left and Macey was completely off her head so Ella was taking care of her. I found myself pretty much alone at the table we were originally sat at.

"Are you ok?" A familiar voice came from behind me.

"Oh, yes," I smiled as Charles joined me on the table.

"You don't look ok," he sat down next to me.

"I'm fine really," I sighed as he pulled a face. "It's my first night on my own in my apartment, and I don't really want to go home yet."

"Ah, I remember my first night away from my family, I actually really missed my brothers which was shocking," his laugh calmed my anxieties. "It gets better."

"It's weird being a whole other country, it's so pretty here," I smiled at him.

"Growing up here was amazing," Charles nodded. He grew up here? I really needed to do my research.

"I bet it was."

"Where did you grow up?"

"North West England, the Lake District specifically," I replied. "Beautiful in a different way. It's nearly 11 I should go."

"I'll walk you out," he didn't give me a chance to protest as he picked up my bag and handed it to me. I walked behind I'm and down into the main club, which was still rammed full of people.

"Oh my god, Charles hi!" A girl leapt out in front of him.

"Hello," he answered politely but his shoulders stiffened.

"Are you still single?" She ran her hand up his arm, I looked at her shocked.

"Um, no actually," all of a sudden he turned to look at me. His hand grabbed mine and pulled me next to him. "So if you wouldn't mind."

The girl glared at me before Charles whisked me out of the club and into the back of a taxi.

"Sorry about that," he smiled at me apologetically.

"No, no it's alright," I smiled back, still in shock. "That wasn't ok."

"Yeah but I shouldn't have done that without asking."

"No, Charles, it's fine," I laughed. "Look, this is me."

I pointed at my apartment block, illuminated in the dark.

"Oh, I literally live down there," he pointed down the road. "What a coincidence."

"I guess so," I opened the car door. "Nice meeting you, and nice being your fake girlfriend for 3 seconds."

I waved at him and made my way into the building. My heart was racing in my chest. I tried to shake feeling of him touching my hand, but I couldn't. This was not good.