Neighbours, Friends, Lovers

21. Charlotte effect

▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ Charles Pov ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀

I find myself sit between Pierre and Lewis, with many cameras, eyes and lights aimed at us while I'm completely lost in my thoughts.

The race week just stared and Thursday is the best boring day of it for me. It's all made of Press conferences. But the reason I'm lost in my thoughts it's one and only and it has the name of Charlotte.
I am so excited to have her here from the really beginning of the race week for me.

The room gets silent and I get awakened by Pierre tapping my arm with his elbow and only now I realise that everyone is staring at me waiting for me to say something.
Heat rushes through my cheeks not knowing what to do.

"Excuse me, I got lost." I say giggling and scratching the back of my neck, hoping that I didn't look like a complete idiot in live tv.
"I asked how you stay focused even through the breaks of and the constant travelling." the white haired old guy repeats the question for me, with an annoyed smile even if the annoyed ones should be us that we are forced to answer to the most basic questions ever.

"I just surround myself by my loved ones, and don't relay on motivation but on discipline and constancy." I say and I see Lewis the king of quotes and inspirational speeches nod pretty proud of me and telling me a "Well done".
I thank him knowing well that maybe selfconciously I just stole some words from his many instagram stories speeches.

When the question goes to Alex albon known as Alebono  from the real fans, Pierre looks in my way and covering his mouth he asks "What's up with you?" he asks and I smile a bit flattered by his curiosity. This Charlotte effect it's so obvious on me and I like it.

"She is here." I simply say and it gets few seconds to transform his look from confused to surprised.
"She? Is who I'm thinking of?" he says not hiding his excitement and shock with his eyebrows hitting the roof.
"Yes. She." I say try hardly to not smile with no success.
"How? When? I didn't see anything online." he asks so curious.
"We are not out officially." I say hiding  my mouth again.
"Oh boy. Are you planning to do it this week?" he asks keep going with our gossiping since we stoped paying attention to the press while ago.
"We will see." I say inhaling deeply and letting it go.
When he is about open his mouth he gets interrupted by a journalist so we keep it quiet till the end.

Pierre reaches for me on our way out placing his big hand on my shoulder.

"If I can give you an advice, keep her away from the fans till you can." he says straight face and I can see that he's still healing from his last beak up. He suffered a lot knowing that the reason she broke up it wasn't him but just the fact that she couldn't handle the constant hate and this lifestyle.
"But I want us to be free and I don't want her to think I'm not thaking this seriously." I let out all my fears.
"But trust me she will go through a lot when you will be out to the public. If I would be you I would protect her till I can." he says quickly since we're getting to the exit door.

"It's up to her honestly, then I will protect her whatever her decision will be." I say honest even if I know I couldn't handle a secrecy relationship, just beca I need to have her next to me during race weeks.
"I always found you two cute." Pierre says.
I look over him and I find him smiling at me.
"Yeah, I remember you telling me a couple times." I say giggling remembering well how he used to tease me while I was with Gaia. I kept denying and the he tried to hit up on her and then I should have opened my eyes about what I was feeling for her wasn't just a friendship.

"Is she still a sister to you now?" he asks mocking me and deserving getting elbowed in the ribs.

Once I get some free time  I run the the Ferrari Hospitality where I find her studying sit on the sofa looking at the iPad and writing something on her notebook.