MON CHÉRI | Charles Leclerc

01

''I can't wait to see you again,'' Emelia told her mother over the phone. "Me too amore, it's been a while. Any plans today?'' she asked. The last time the women saw each other was around Christmas, it was now march.

Emelia lived a bit outside of Maranello, a city in Italy. After her grandfather passed she inherited his house, well villa. She wasn't rich or anything like that but that house, well it was big. She was a writer but that wasn't enough to live off. That's why Emelia also worked in a cute bookshop near the center of Maranello. It was quite a bike ride but she enjoyed it.

''Well I tried to do some writing this morning but it seems my block is still there. I don't know what it is but I can not seem to get anything on paper,'' she complained to her mother, "I'm planning to go to the cafe this afternoon and just read.''

''Don't worry too much Emmy, just take some time off and it will come to you,'' Emelia laughed at the nickname her mother still used. ''I hope, some peace and quiet will do me good.''

After a terrible bike ride, she arrived at her favorite cafe, since she lived outside of the city it was common for her to go there instead of all the way into the center. ''I can not even Amara,'' she complained to the waitress she had become friends with over the last months. ''Buongiourno Em, what has got you so irritated? Planning on wasting the rest of your day here? '' Emelia actually was planning on spending her entire day, reading in the little cafe hoping to clear her mind, she's been here a lot since she lost her inspiration to write.

''Don't even start with me today,'' Amara started laughing at her friend. ''I'm serious here Mara, do you have a spot for me though?'' it's never this busy Emelia thought to herself. ''I'm not sure, you will have to check, want the usual?''

''Yes please,'' Emelia basically groaned scanning the cafe for a spot. She got a tad more annoyed when she saw the wasn't any but quickly realized she could just ask someone if she can't sit down. What would one person need with an entire table and multiple chairs? Emelia never had any problems with asking stuff like this, simply walking over to the guy who was sitting at her favorite spot, ''Hi, I'm sorry for interrupting you but could I maybe sit at this table?"'

Emelia batted her eyes, smiling innocently. The man did not know her but how could he say no? She asked politely and if he was being honest he found her quite attractive. ''Sure,'' he said shooting her a kind smile.

''I see you found a spot,'' Amara walked over, bringing Emelia a huge cup of coffee, "tell me what happened this morning, the weather is great so I'd assume you would be in a good mood.''

''I honestly was, aside from the fact I still couldn't get anything on paper but what's new.'' she joked, ''anyways, I was grabbing my bike over here what normally would take what? Five minutes? Well, it took me half an hour, thirty fucking minutes because of all those fucking Ferrari fans and employees coming back. Like we get it, you won a bloody car race but please let us all 'lower' than you live. One of them actually said that to me. Can you believe it, just because I'm not obsessed with some men driving cars should not mean you get to call me lower?'' her rant quickly came to an end when the man next to her stifled a laugh.

Emelia felt quite offended and was ready to ask him why he found this funny but Amara shut her up before she could start. ''My my Em, you always find someone to test that temper of you,'' she teased. ''But I get it, I'd be mad too,''

''Got to keep my edge on don't I, but you go back to your work. I have a cup of coffee and a book to finish,'' Amara nodded at her friend who shot her a quick smile before she took a sip out of her cup.

''Guessing you had an eventful morning,'' an unfamiliar voice next to Emelia said startling her a bit. ''I'm sorry, did not mean to scare you,'' the man next to her continued. ''It's uh, fine honestly. Sorry, you had to hear all that, you probably came here to enjoy some coffee and here I was blabbing about my awful morning.''

The man stifled another laugh, ''No worries, found it amusing if I'm being honest,'' this made Emelia let out a little laugh as well, ''look at you handsome stranger, bullying me for my traumatic morning. I almost got ran over by hundreds of imbeciles in red and you are joking about it.'' he looked offended but Emelia did not realize it, ''I, uh, handsome?'' he stumbled over his words, for a second losing the confidence that his friends would confirm usually was radiating off him.

''I- uh- well- I-'' she repeated teasing him, ''just kidding but yes handsome, don't make that boost your ego. Even though I assume many girls do that for you,'' he tried his best to hide his reddening cheeks, cursing himself in his head. He did not meet many girls who were this straightforward and confident making him forget how to act a little. ''I'm Charles le- just Charles,'' he introduced himself to Emelia. ''Well nice to meet you 'just Charles', I'm Emelia.''

"So not a Ferrari fan I'm guessing?"

"Not particularly, they have beautiful cars, I love red and I actually met Michael Schumacher but that's about it."

She wasn't planning on telling the stranger about how well she knew Michael. So she just kept quiet about it.

He smiled kindly, looking straight into her eyes, "a shame," he stifled yet another laugh. "If you say so, do you watch?" Emelia asked as he thought for a second, "something like that yeah." Emelia found that answer to be strange, what does he mean by something like that. You either watch, you don't or maybe sometimes but something like that? That's when she realised, fuck.

author speaking
hi there and thank you so much for reading the first chapter!!! actually loved writing this story and have so much fun to come. hope you guys like it and would love to see your votes and comments

lots of love from lou 🫶🏼