REMEMBER THE NAME

2019:22

"This place is so fancy." Sophie gawks as she looks around the restaurant. It had high ceilings that were decorated by murals and golden pillars which blended seamlessly with the cream walls and tiled floors that had matching specks of cold, alongside the classic Italian furniture which just screamed elegance.

"It is. The interior is beautiful." Charles admires the surroundings as well, also glancing outside as the pair had been lucky enough to be placed near the window, looking out on to the busy streets.

"I've been to Italy for races, but I've never actually gotten to see it and understand their culture." She says, still in awe.

"Really?" Charles asks shocked. Normally as a driver one of the benefits is the travelling if they enjoy it, and the growing understanding of other lifestyles.

"Yeah. I would try to do little things when travelling with F2, but when I was growing up I was living with my grandparents so we tried to make our travelling times short because we would have to get home to run the garage. And then I had school as well." Sophie explains, meeting his green eyes.

"I thought you would've grown up with your mum and Toto in Monaco." He tilts his head. Although Sophie and Charles had met at European karting races when growing up, they had never been close enough to divulge in their personal lives besides a comment or two.

"The whole thing is a little confusing. I don't want to bore you." She laughs lightly, looking in to her lap.

"I promise you it won't bore me." She look up to see him smiling. "Tell me." He genuinely looked intrigued.

"We'll my mum had me when she was quite young, and at that point my grandparents stepped in and offered to raise me to allow her to reach her dreams. I don't have anything against my mum about it, in fact I admire her for it because it must have been so challenging for her to leave me at those times, knowing that she would miss her first child's milestones. So growing up it was always my grandparents, they're the ones who got me in to racing - specifically my papa. So he was the one who took me to karting events and tournaments in his work van, before we eventually broke in to the European ones. They sacrificed a lot: time, money, their own lives, and for that I'll never be able to repay them." She smiles off out the window at all of the memories. "I did get to visit Monaco a lot, it's almost like a second home but I made the decision to keep living with my grandparents. I was already in Scottish schooling, I didn't speak French, I was still in contact everyday with my mum, and it allowed me to see my dad from time to time. It was the best decision to make." She looks back at Charles, expecting him to have zoned out but instead he looks at her intently.

"That was such a sensible thing to do at a young age." He smiles.

"What about you?" She smiles whilst leaning back. "What is the untold story of Charles Leclerc?"

"Most of it is already out in the world." He huffs whilst leaning back.

"That can't be all that you you are telling me." She laughs. "We'll if you're not going to tell me about your past, then tell me about your future."

"My future? You're really that interested?" He chuckles, crossing his arms, which Sophie noticed makes his biceps stand out.

"If you were interested in my past then I'm sure that I can be interested in your future." She smirks.