The Last Chicane

The Real You

"Charles who?" I was completely lost. How did Tay know Charles?

Tay was frozen in her place, shock and amusement showing on her face.

"No puedo esperar para ver esto. (I can't wait to see this.)" she smirked.

Turning to face Charles..... Leclerc?

"Who are you?" a puzzled look on my face.

A mixture of emotions swept across his face before he finally answered.

"My name is Charles Leclerc."

"And what do you do for your job Charles Leclerc?" I wasn't necessarily mad that he didn't tell me. We've only known each other for a couple of days. I was mainly asking out of curiosity.

He paused for a second as if he was debating on whether to tell me or not.

"I am a Formula 1 driver for Ferrari." He spoke softly.

I couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling. I was quiet for a minute, deciding what to say next.

I turned to my cousin.

"Tatum, can you give us a minute? You don't have to wait up on me if you're ready to go. I'll call you when I make it to the hotel." I half smiled at her.

"Okay.... Promise me you'll let me know you make it to your room safely?" She asked.

"I'll make sure she gets back safely." Charles spoke for the first time in a moment.

Tatum nodded her head and was gone just as quickly as she had appeared.

I turned around again to face the city. I took in a deep breath before speaking.

"So. You are a Formula 1 driver?"

He nodded his head, still not speaking.

"What even is Formula 1?" I had heard about it. But I had absolutely no clue what it was other than race cars.

He looked at me with a question on his face.

"I'm not upset Charles. Why would I be?" I said while bumping my elbow with his in an attempt to lighten his mood, offering him a small smile.

He turned his head to lock eyes with me. "I just didn't want you to treat me any differently. Anytime I meet someone they always want something from me. A photograph, a signature, something. And it's not that I don't like doing those things for my fans, because I love them dearly. But sometimes I just want to be treated like a... normal person." He turned to look back over the balcony into the street.

"Well. I for one don't really care that you're a Formula 1 driver." I stated.

"You don't?" He asked, and I shook my head in response.

"Nope. Why would I? Behind the fast cars, social media and flashing lights, you're human- just like me."

He looked at me like. Really looked at me. It felt like he was staring straight into my soul.

"What's that look for?" I asked.

He smiled softly. "It's just, no one has ever said that to me." Breaking eye contact with me, I could tell he was telling the truth because of how sad he looked after saying that.

"So. You gonna tell me what Formula 1 is, or keep me guessing for a while longer?"

He started grinning again. "How about another time? Rain check on that one? There's something I'd rather do than talk about work."

I understood, nodding my head yes. He took out his phone and started playing "Fix You" by Coldplay.

"Dance with me?" He held out his hand, waiting for me to answer him.

It was just one dance, right? What's the worst that can happen?

Reaching out, I placed my hand in his. The same warmth that I had felt when we were downstairs returning.

He guided me away from the balcony and to the middle of the rooftop. He rested his hands on my waist as I reached up and looped my hands around his neck.

I could tell he needed this, the experience. No cameras, no media, no flashing lights, no pressure, just this. Living in the moment, for this experience.

We swayed to the song, our bodies slowly growing closer to each other until we were flush with each other. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on his shoulder. After a moment I felt him rest his chin on the top of my head.

I couldn't help but start thinking. How much pressure was he under constantly? How did the fame affect his daily life? Has anyone cared to ask him about his mental health? Does he get enough rest?

"So, Mr. Tour Guide. What do you have planned for us for tomorrow?" I asked, wanting to distract him from his thoughts.

"It is a surprise." He laughed.

The door to the club opened again, this time it's a taller guy with sandy blonde hair who appears.

"Charles, je te cherchais. qui est cette belle femme? (Charles, I've been looking for you. who is this beautiful woman?)"

French... Why didn't I learn French?

"C'est une amie Pierre. (She's a friend Pierre." Charles replied. Then he spoke in English.

"Blake, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Pierre Gasly. He is also a Formula 1 driver. Pierre, this is Blake, my friend." Charles introduced us.

"Hi, I'm Blake." I tucked a piece of hair that had fallen in front of my face behind me ear.

"I'm Pierre. It's nice to meet you, Charles' friend." He said smirking at Charles. I noticed the emphasis on the friend in his sentence, but brushed it off since I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that.

The three of us visited for a bit before Pierre headed downstairs, saying that it was nice to meet me and that he would catch up with Charles later.

"How long have you known Pierre?" I questioned.

"I have known him since childhood. We met each other in karting, racing against each other and have been best friends since." A smile grew on his face.

"Come on. It's getting late, let me get you back to your hotel room. You know, so your friend won't freak out. What was her name again?"

"Her name is Tatum. She's my best friend and also my cousin. She and I have been through a lot together." I explained.

Charles walked me back to my hotel as we made small talk.

"Well. This is it." I said stopping in front of my hotel room door. "Thanks for getting me back safely. Tatum will be happy to know I made it back in one piece."

He smiled awkwardly. "Goodnight, Blake."

"Night Charles." I replied.

I opened my door and glanced back at him.

"Hey Charles?"

He turned around to face me.

"I see you. Not for what your job is. Not for the fame. Not for the flashing lights. I see you. The real you. And I hope that I will get the chance to know more about you eventually." I gave him one last smile before entering my room and shutting the door behind me.

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Guys! We finally met Pierre!
Who will we meet next?
<3