STAY THE NIGHT || Charles Leclerc

THIRTY SEVEN

"Olivia! My favorite paddock girlfriend!" Katerina said as she saw me, greeting me with a tight hug. It was the Saturday of the Spanish grand prix, the weather having turned out to be a beautifully sunny weekend. Kat and I had agreed to meet in a cafe not too far from the circuit, having some lunch before attending the qualifying session together. We'd discovered the cafe a few years ago, and made a point to visit every year.

"So, how's life been in the last few weeks?" Kat asked as we both sat down "It's a shame you weren't in Miami, I missed having a familiar face around."

"I think I'd rather swim to Miami than bear a flight for that long, Kat!" I chuckled "Life's been... different. Busy, but good."

"Different? How?"

"Uhm" I hesitated for a second, knowing that Kat would be the first person I told that I'd dropped out of university. As far as Charles was aware, I'd still been attending my lectures, when I'd really been going to work with Mrs Moretti. "I've dropped out of university, and I work in a cafe now. Moretti's, you know the one?"

"Hold up" Kat raised a hand "You dropped out of uni? When were you planning on telling me?"

"Uh, now?" I smiled "I realized that university just wasn't something that I wanted in my life right now, so I made the decision to drop out. Maybe someday I'll go back and get my degree, but for now I'm happy working from Monday to Thursday, and supporting Charles at the track on the weekends. So yeah, a lot's changed, but I'm glad it has. Mentally, I feel so much better all ready, and it's only been a week or two."

"Olivia Anne Thomas, I aspire to have the outlook on life that you do" Kat said to me "You inspire me, you know that? I know I'm drifting away from the topic here, but you really are an inspiration."

"Aww Kat" I said, blushing slightly "Thank you"

"I really do mean it Ol, I look up to you. I hope you don't mind me saying, but your life hasn't been the easiest. I didn't know you when you lost Mia, and I wish I did so that I could've been there for you. I wish that you didn't have to go through that experience, but I believe that it made you such a stronger person.

I hear Charles and Pierre talk about you often at race weekends, and I notice how much Charles misses you when you're not at the track with him. Your personality, the person that you are, makes everyone who knows you adore you Olly. You're smart, funny and you're level-headed. But most importantly, you're a charmer, Olly Thomas. You've somehow perfected the ability to have everybody you meet wrapped around your little finger. We all fall for you, Olly. Some of us, I think, fell slightly more than others."

"Katerina Berezhna, what did I ever do to deserve you as a friend?" I asked, tears beginning to well up. "Look at me, I'm getting all emotional now."

"Here," Kat said, handing me a tissue. "But seriously Olly, I mean every word of what I just said. You really are amazing"

"Thank you Kat. But can you do me a favor?"

"Of course, what is it?" Kat asked me

"Can you not mention me dropping out of uni to anyone? Like, not even Pierre?"

"You haven't told Charles yet, have you?" Kat spoke, a knowing smile on her face.

I shook my head. "No, I've been too scared as to what he'd say. He knows that being an architect is everything to me."

"But he knows that you can make the right decisions for yourself, Olly. Charles isn't the type of guy who's going to tell you what's best for yourself. He knows that if you dropped out of uni, then it was the best decision for you. That man would let you hit him with your car if that's what you wanted. He loves you."

"I know." I said, laughing at what Kat had just said "But still, I don't want to tell him just yet."

"Say that again?" Kat said

"I don't want to tell him just yet."

"No, the bit before that."

"Oh, uhm. I know?"

"THANK YOU!" Kat almost shouted "Please can I be your maid of honor?"

"My maid of... Katerina, what on earth are you on about?"

"You just said you know that Charles loves you" Kat began "And it's pretty obvious you love him too, so when are you getting married?"

"Kat! Slow down!" I laughed nervously "Me and Charles aren't together, and we're definitely not getting married! We're just good friends."

"Good friends who basically live together and are both head over heels in love with each other but are too scared to admit it, out of the fear of losing such an amazing friendship? I've seen the way he looks at you, and how you look at him. It's the same way that Pierre and I look at each other. It's called love, Olivia Thomas, and I think both of you are afraid to admit it."

Katerina sat back in her chair with her arms folded, happy at her mini speech.

"You think that Charles Marc Herve Perceval Leclerc is in love with me? Are you being serious?"

"Olly, when am I not serious? Actually don't answer that," Kat held up her hand to halt my reply "But yes, I am wholly serious about this. I believe that you are both in love with each other."

"I don't think that you're right, Kat." I said, leaning back into my chair and folding my arms across my chest.

"But I know that I am," Kat replied, copying my body language. "And when you call me one day, with a ring on your finger, I hope that you remember this conversation and make me your maid of honor. And you never know, if you and Charles are stubborn enough to stay apart until Pierre and I have children, then they can be your flower girls."

A/N: Hi guys! Firstly I just want to apologize for not updating in so long! Life's been pretty busy in the last few weeks and I just haven't found time to sit down and write some chapters, let alone publish them!

As I'm struggling with getting regular updates in for my fics, I figured it was best to change my upload schedule. So from now on, I'll be updating Stay the Night one week, and Solace the next. I'm hoping this means that I'll be able to actually have enough time to write, edit and upload chapters, rather than disappearing for weeks at a time.

Finally some quick thank you's before I wrap this chapter up. Thank you for: 31 thousand reads on Stay the Night, four thousand reads on Solace, AND for 100 followers !! Each one of these achievements means so much to me and I'm honestly so grateful to those who have read, voted for and commented on my stories and to those who follow me!

See you next week!
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