Fake It - OP

Chapter 23

The race went how I should've expected it to go. Max won, Ferrari messed up a strategy, and a midfield team was higher up because of it. Thankfully that team wasn't Alpine, it was Mclaren. Oscar and Lando had finished the race P4 and P6. Lando lost out on the podium to Lewis in the beginning stint of the race and despite his best efforts had to take fourth. I knew he would be feeling like he should've been spraying champagne but being passed by a seven-time world champion has got to not hurt as much as being passed by a backmarker car. I hoped he wouldn't be too upset. Oscar on the other hand had spent the race fighting to keep P6 and did it well. The cars in front of him ended up being close, but just never close enough so I doubted there would be any doubt in the garage and within the team he had done anything other than a great job. My smile was so wide the entire race that my face hurt. I loved racing, and not only was it the first time I was watching all of the action from the garage, but the excitement didn't leave me for the rest of the day, knowing I got to do it all over again at another race.

Oscar had a meeting, after a meeting, after another meeting after the race. I ended up heading to his driver's room to relax. I didn't relax, but the quiet was a warm welcome after the noise in the garage. Again, I enjoyed it during the race, but being able to take the headphones off was a nice feeling as well. I also stole one of the Mclaren hoodies out of the closet when I couldn't figure out how to turn the AC down in the room. I hoped Oscar didn't mind. After just under two hours I heard the lock on the door click and then watched the door swing open to Oscar. He wasn't even changed out of his race suit and fireproofs yet. His hair was messy, and he smelt of sweat.

"Hey," he said in greeting. Oscar shut the door quickly behind him.

"Hi," I was momentarily speechless. His post-race look wasn't in the least way unattractive. "Great race today, it was incredible to watch."

"Thanks," He mumbles and didn't sound very excited. I figured something was off.

"Are you okay?" I asked carefully, watching as he pulled his race suit from his hips and removed the top half of his fireproofs. I faced the wall trying to be courteous but the image of his bare chest in my head was making me feel as if I should've left the room. Fake relationship I reminded myself. No need to be feeling any butterflies. It took a second for Oscar to reply.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I was happy with my race but I guess the team was hoping for me to gain a few positions. Lando got the same lecture though, so I don't think I need to be too upset." Lecture? There was no way he could've caught the Mercedes cars in front of him, and defending against Carlos was a feat in itself. In my opinion, he had nothing to be more proud of. "I don't understand though," he continued. "The team was talking to both of us and yet I felt like all the talk of being faster of being a better driver, a team player. I felt like it was still towards me." He sighed and I peeked out from the wall. He was wearing a Mclaren hoodie and his pants without coffee on them from earlier. Thankfully the closet was stocked with Mclaren clothes so the hoodie I stole wasn't the only one available to him. "I'm worried what we are doing isn't working."

I looked at Oscar, not just to check him out. Which I was trying desperately not to do. I mean really looked. In his eyes there was panic and I didn't really know how to help him or what to say. So I stood up from my seated position in the desk chair and took a step across the room to close the distance between us. I wrapped my arms around his torso and it didn't take a second before Oscar's arms circled my shoulders, pulling me into him. "I have only been around for two days," I said. "It's okay if we haven't convinced the world yet," I said calmly into his chest. Hugging him didn't feel in the slightest awkward.

He sighed and I felt his body relax into mine, his head fell onto the top of my own. "I know, it's just hard to think this is working when I get told off for an hour about not being like Lando."