Off the Track Series Book 2
Elsa has been alone nearly all her life. Thrown into a career she didn't choose out of sheer need. But now, for the first time in nearly a decade life has given her the chance to take up her dreams and join the Ferrari te...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
We start our first evening in Italy at Amelia and Charles favorite bar, arriving well before sunset.
Amelia insisted this place has the best view for sunset and we couldn't miss, and nobody protested drinking early on our day off.
It feels like summer grad holiday, sunshine and laughter dotting this whole day so far. I wasn't sure it was the right idea, but I'm glad Pierre came along. Him and Charles are so close they're having a great time together, and they joke nonstop. It's contagious and lighthearted and the total opposite to the others days I've been having.
Pierre still hits on me but he hasn't put any pressure on me, and I'm so thankful for that.
I can't handle rushing into anything else.
And much as I hate to admit, number three is still carved into my heart.
I don't know if it ever won't be.
"I'll grab us another round of drinks, give me a hand Elsa?" Charles surprises me, lost in my thought but I hop up anyways. If there's any errand I'm keen to run it's the one to the bar.
I follow behind him as every eye in the restaurant floats over to him. A product of being around formula one drivers I'm still not quite used to. Charles however, seems more than comfortable with it.
I suppose the years will do that to you.
"Evening sir," The bartender greets us immediately and Charles gives him his kindest smile.
"Evening, four more spritz please."
"Coming right up."
I turn to Charles, "I never want to leave Italy." smiling like a cat whose got the cream.
I really do love it here.
Feel more at home here than I never did in London. And that's in so small part to Amelia and Charles.
"Come anytime," He promises like an older brother "I just hope my boy Pierre is pulling ahead." He teases me about Daniel, eyeing me over his sunglasses for a reaction.
I wonder if he knows I haven't even let Pierre touch me... Likely not.
"He's... nice." I downplay, because anything I say to him is sure to go back to our frenchman friend.
"Nice?" He cocks an eyebrow at my choice of word.
"Mhm." I smirk knowingly.
He takes my smirk as an answer with his own little grin "Keeping our cards close to our chest then?"
"What is a woman without her secrets?" I'm teasing him now.
He grants me a chuckle as the first of our drinks arrive. "Can you keep a secret?"
Oh buddy, can I ever.
Until someone else outs it for me.
But that's a conversation for another day entirely.
"Depends on the secret." I answer honestly with my curiosity peeked.
What kind of secret could be talking about? Chances are he's likely teasing.
Right?
Charles presses his lips together, looking awfully serious for someone who isn't about to present something serious.
My heart sinks with dread, the pessimist in me coming out on full display and I suddenly remember what Amelia said about him hiding things... Well if he is, I'm going to be the first one to tell her. If he thinks otherwise he's got another thing coming.
"Can you meet me for lunch in Bahrain? Tuesday at one. I'll text you the spot."
Lunch?
That has to be a secret?
I have no reason not to trust Charles, so I'm going to choose to grant him the benefit of the doubt.
I bet one hundred quid this is about the boys anyways.
"Tuesday?" I check my calendar as my mind races for answers, knowing full and well I'll rearrange my schedule for this anyways. "Sure. What for?"
Trying for some answers unsuccessfully, "I'll explain then. Just between us, ok?" He looks concerned just asking the question, his eyes displaying no bad motives at all.
"Promise." I extend him a pinky, lightening the conversation.
He shakes my pinky "It's officially a secret now. I have to break your pinky if you tell." Grinning crookedly as we take our glasses in hand.
Laughter bursts out of me. He actually doesn't know what a pinky promise is does he?
Bless him.
I explain on our walk and when we arrive to the table in a fit of giggles, four eyes are studying us curiously.
"This man doesn't know what a pinky promise is." I tease, looking at Amelia.
"It was an innocent mistake!" He defends himself, hands up in surrender.
"He thought it meant you break each others pinky if you break the promise." I can't help but rat him out and our entire table explodes in bubbles of laughter.
"Mate, you didn't say that." Pierre jokes with him further as the sun begins to set behind us.
"It's the language barrier!" Amelia defends him although she can't help the tears in her eyes.
Charles looks at her offended, "I speak four!"
"And pinky promise means the same in all of them!" Pierre jests and at this point my side hurts from laughing so far, any anxiety from the secret keeping washed away by the good times.
It's not even been twenty four hours but I'm glad it's the four of us here as friends, laughing our days away. Glad it's Italy. Glad for the time off. All of these things are healing for the soul.
