Madrid English Version

Chapter 21

 After the long night in the elevator, Aria went to the grocery store, because she forgot the spread the night before. She hesitated asking Carlos to tag along but she decided to let him rest. The brunette went alone, her earbuds blaring her favorite music. She wandered through the streets of Madrid, suddenly aware of her city's beauty. The amazingness of her homeland's capital, the city that saw her come to life, grow, and cry many times, take care of her siblings, ...

Aria thought a lot about leaving the country, the Spain she cherished so much, for its beauty just as much as the food, the culture and all the other reasons that stopped her from leaving her paradise on earth. She first refused to do leave to be near her brothers and sisters. She wanted to be there for them, in case they ever needed anything: help, talk, complain about their parents, needed someone to cover for them if they snuck out, or just so they have a place to stay other than their parent's.

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The Spanish woman was walking up and down the aisles when she received a text for the English guy saying: "I hope you're home, my flight lands in ten minutes, so I'll be at your place in an hour or so ".

She first thought he was joking, but the picture of Lando standing in the front of the luggage belt, in the middle of the Spanish airport dissipated any doubts about the truthfulness of the message. She immediately headed back to the store with a trolley to pick things that would fill up her cupboards.

The brunette barely had time to finish sorting her groceries when her doorbell rang. She guessed Lando was behind her door because he kept continuously ringing it, even when the door was wide open.

- Ari, I missed you so much, he said embracing her, what's up?

- I missed you too Lanny. Well not so much. Oh right, my dad came over yesterday to see if I finally got a boyfriend.

- And what did you say? asked the driver, entering the apartment and putting his suitcase directly in the guest room, before following his friend into the kitchen, and helping her put the rest of the groceries away

- I didn't have to say anything. Carlos coincidentally came out at that time, and acted like we were together. Aria left out the elevator scene on purpose for now, preferring to keep it to herself

- Awww you guys are so cute! Did you kiss in front of them?

- No, are you crazy?! He just thanked me for the dinner I "apparently" brought, met my parents and then they left

- I'm kinda disappointed. I'm expecting better from you next time

- Lando, shush and put the yogurts in the fridge

- By the way, is Moretti there? he asked, embarrassed, lowering his gaze to the floor, while aria's mouth opened and closed in astonishment

- And why would you want to know that? answered Aria, teasing him

- Well I wanted to invite her to my birthday party at my house, and also to the last Grand prix of the season

- Are you serious right now ?!

- C'mon Ari of course I am. Serious is my middle name, said Lando ironically

- That is so nice of you, thanks! She's gonna be so happy ! You know what, let me give you her number, so you can reach her for more than your birthday party, she said, sporting a cocky smile, under the exasperated gaze of the driver

- You're so annoying Aria

- I love you too Lanny. And well, I have the right to tease you a little, because you did the same thing with Carlos and I. It's just my turn now

- You're gonna end up together, marry, have plenty of kids one whom you'll name Lando, and then you'll accompany him to every Grand prix with Lando junior, and you'll be every fan's favorite wag. Then you'll both die on a Spanish island, old and wrinkled, watching junior's son, Lando junior junior race cars, explained the man, proud of the plans he made for his friends

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After they finished putting the groceries away, the two friends went on a walk around the capital because the British boy never visited it, expect from the few times he went sightseeing with Carlos. Aria took him to nearby typically Spanish restaurant, where she forced him to get a tortilla, I mean come on, he wanted to have a hamburger.

Their meal eaten, they passed the royal castle, l'Alcazar. They visited it and Lando hoped to see the king and queen. His disappointment was huge as he realized this would not happen. To console him, Aria bought him a sweatshirt from the tourist shop as well as ice creams. Lando took three scoops of ice cream, one nuts, one chocolate and one green lime whereas Aria took a two coops ice cream: one dark chocolate and one passion fruit.

The pair spent all afternoon in the city, kind of afraid someone would recognize Lando and spread rumors about the two friends but surprisingly, the only one who seemed to know him was the server from lunch. Around eight pm, the cold began to spread in the streets and most of the tourists et passerby went home. Lando and Aria retuned to the engineer's house, where they ordered pizzas for dinner. They ate in front of marvel movies, the brunette not having seen any of them so the driver introduced her with great pleasure to the universe he liked so much.

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