Roses || Lando Norris

4

Bahrain, pre-season testing day 1

"Box, box." Tom, my engineer spoke through my headpiece. I turned the radio off and groaned. I spun.I hit the barriers and destroyed the left part of the car almost completely.

The whole day has been going horribly ever since I woke up. I forgot my car keys, having been made to walk the seven stories back to my hotel room by foot since the elevator was being repaired. I skipped breakfast entirely and arrived late at the paddock, where I was met with a glaring Lando Norris.

We haven't seen each other once, since the car reveal. As much as it made me happy, it made me anxious. We were filming our first challenge at the race, and Paul told me we needed to have chemistry. The chemistry we didn't have. The chemistry we weren't even a little close to.

He advised me to try and spend time with Lando, get to know him. Then, he took it all back after I explained what happened after the car reveal. To him and Alex, of course. Paul said I needed to give him time.

"Time?" both, Alex and I exclaimed.

"Babe, I don't know whose side you're on, but I say make him regret his words." Alex spoke to Paul, then me.

"Listen I've known Lando for four years now. He'll come around." Paul sighed, looking at me with a tired expression.

"Why should I have to wait for him to do that?" I said with a grimace. "Shouldn't he just respect me out of, I don't know, common sense?"

"I know you're a PR genius, but you know she's right. He can't walk around acting as if she's burned his house down." Alex told Paul softly.

We came to the conclusion, that I needed a one-on-one chat with Lando Norris. Which was the last thing I wanted to do after a session like this.

I exited the car and took off my helmet, trying to hide my disappointed expression.

"It was a steering issue." Tom came to pat me on the back. I fucking know, I wanted to snap, but only nodded. I knew the results meant nothing, but still, seeing the lap times where I pushed compared to Redbull pissed me off. I could only watch my name drop lower and lower down the positions after other's flying laps, until I tore my eyes away from the screen and dragged my feet towards my drivers room.

Opening the door, I almost dropped my helmet in shock. Lando Norris was sat on my couch, scrolling through his phone with a bored expression. His eyes quickly snapped up to meet mine.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my brows knitting together. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly decided against it, repressing it with a sigh.

"Alan sent me. Said we needed to talk." He spoke instead. I wasn't sure I'd heard correctly, but considering his defeated expression, he was most likely forced to come in here.

"O-kay..." I put down my helmet and leaned against the door. I just knew Paul was behind this. I might as well make the best of it.

"Do you know which challenge we're filming?" I asked, suddenly feeling very awkward. He put his phone away and shook his head.

"Is this about the chemistry?" I asked, remembering Paul's words. If it was, it was a shitty attempt to get us to communicate. What do Lando Norris and I have in common to talk about?

"I'm not interested in building that up with you." he said slightly annoyed.

"Okay, then tell me why you had your head against the steering wheel after the first PR meeting." I offered instead. I knew I probably shouldn't poke a bear with a stick, but we'll have chemistry one way or the other. Radioactivity works for me.