Driving Me Crazy

Chapter Seventeen

Charles

My gloved hands grip my steering wheel, perfectly fitting in the molds for my fingers. Everything in this car is custom-made for me. The engine purrs underneath me, shaking my body slightly. The heat that comes out of the engine bay causes me to begin sweating before the cars even arrive on track. The pit crew has me lined up to begin practice, waiting for the announcement to be released.

As soon as we get the word, they remove my tire warmers and direct me out onto the track to begin the first practice of the Miami GP. Miami is the fifth race of the season, giving me plenty of time to warm up with the new car before the prix is in full motion. Max and I have been very competitive, leaving us fairly close in points. He has a 3-point lead over me currently, but there's no doubt that it won't change around over the rest of the season. Formula one changes all of the time, it's still anyone's game.

Once I leave the pit lane, I press my foot on the accelerator and use the paddle shifters to bring my car up to speed. There are minimal people on the track at the moment, so I don't have to worry about anybody getting in my way. The only downfall to that is the fact that the track isn't as hot as it will be towards the end of the session, the heat gives us better traction.

My car lurches forward causing my head to move slightly, losing my line of sight for a moment. When you first start racing this might be the worst thing to experience, but after six years in my seat, you get used to it. I started racing for Formula One at 19, so being 25 has me on the older side of the grid for the moment. There are some veteran drivers, but every new driver just gets younger by the day.

The team announces through my helmets team radio that we are starting my timed lap for the practice session. Breathing deeply, I prepare myself for the force of the car. I cross the starting line and push my car to its limits, the team praising me over the radio. Every turn puts immense strain on my body, but we train for months to fight the pain. My body gets pushed to the limit every time I step behind the wheel of this car. Turn after turn, every second counts, the first practice is the most crucial towards the weekend.

"The finish line is just ahead of you, push, push." They announce. The signal to push even harder has me reaching 198mph. Flying over the line, the team announces that I was over a second faster than the rest of the grid, landing me the P1 spot for the day.

"Thanks, guys, now we have to keep this position all weekend," I reply to my team. After the practice, I retire my car for the session and make my way into the garage. They help me get out of the car and make sure I get enough hydration before I am allowed to leave the pits. While removing all of my gear, I get the news that Lando managed to land P2 in today's practice. I remove my helmet and facial fireproofs, unzip my suit, and leave it hanging around my waist while I make my way down to the McLaren garages to congratulate Lando.

When I arrive, I see Lando getting out of his car. Upon approval, I walk in and make my way over to my friend. He is still in the process of removing his gear, but as soon as he untangles himself, I give him a handshake and clap his back while congratulating him.

"P2 baby!" I shout in celebration.

"Yes sir! God that was a great first practice," Lando replies.

"Did you see Max almost lose it at the end of the last lap? I thought he was going to spin out," I say, trying to make conversation while Lando lets his body relax.

"Yeah! I thought he was going to spin as we- Oh fuck." Lando's eyes go wide and his mouth becomes a straight line.

Worried about his reaction, I ask, "You okay? What happened?"

He reaches his arm behind him and rubs the back of his neck, which is blatantly an anxiety tick. Trying to figure out what happened, I follow where his eyes lead, causing me to turn around. That's when I realize that I completely forgot what he said the other night.

"Holy shit," I say breathlessly when I see her. The outfit she's wearing fits her body perfectly, exposing all of the curves that I just want to run my hands along. I don't miss the fact that her outfit color coordinates with my team, but I have a feeling that has something to do with the perky blonde next to her. Katana's long hair flows perfectly down her back despite the wind tunnel that the cars create in the area. The headset she's wearing signals to me that she was listening in on Lando's radio and something unexpected pings in my chest. Am I jealous of Lando?

Her eyes have yet to meet mine due to the fact that Zak has her and her friend in a trance with the stats on the panel. Turning back, I look at Lando and see that his face is deep red.

"I'm sorry, I forgot about the whole thing," he pleads.

"It's not a problem, I forgot you mentioned it. Racing does things to your memory." I try to ease Lando's nerves, as he struggles with mental health a bit more than other people. I would hate to see him stressed out over something that I caused.

His eyes meet mine before he opens his mouth to speak. "Good because they're walking over here now, and I really like this girl so don't fuck it up." His tone becomes sharper, signaling that he's serious.

Lando steps past me to make his way over to the girls. When I turn to face them, all I can notice is the giant smile on his face. He has never really had girls around the grid before, but he seems to really enjoy having her around. His eyes are gleaming as he looks into hers, her smile beaming at his. Holding out his arms, she jumps into them to engage in a hug in celebration of his performance.

When I look over, I see Katana admiring them the way that I just was. Her face looks both disappointed and in awe at the interaction between the two love birds. The smile she wears disappears the second she notices me standing there, but panic fills her eyes when Camryn notices me and insists that she introduce us. Nudging Lando, she winks at Katana and begins making her way toward me. Did she not tell her best friend about me? Ouch.

"Charles, these lovely ladies are Camryn and Katana. Ladies, Charles Leclerc." His eyes almost look as if they're in pain due to the awkwardness of the situation. Luckily I'm a great actor, so she better play along. I plaster a giant smile on my face and put on a show like I'm not in complete and utter misery without Katana.

"Hello ladies, are you enjoying the prix so far?" I ask, maintaining the conversation.

Camryn is the first to speak, "Absolutely! You did very well out there, don't you think, Katana?" She looks absolutely mortified that she got singled out, but her pause has me chuckling lightly.

"Oh, uh, yeah, he did really well." She manages to make out.

"Are you okay? You seem really nervous." I wink when I say the words, purposely trying to egg her on. What limits do I need to push to get her to talk again? I love the sound of her voice. Her eyes go from scared, to vengeful in a matter of seconds and I know I have my hands full with this one. At least I know she feels something for me, even if it is rage.