𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐑 // carlos sainz

seis

chapter six
isabel martinéz

Much sooner than expected, Charles comes back, holding a red tray—because God forbid there to be any other colour here, with what seems like a seven-course meal. He offers a warm smile, a gesture that holds the promise of mending the rift between us that had stretched on for an entire year.

"What the—" I exclaim.

"Okay, so, there are strawberries, apples and cherries." He closes the door with the back of his foot, and points at the different fruits, while making his way over to the couch.

"Seriously? All red?" I ask.

"There's also a banana."

"Is it yellow?"

He hesitates. "...No."

Charles carefully places the tray on the table, and looks over at me. The corners of his mouth turn into a mischievous smile as he sees the look on my face, and it's clear he tries to suppress his laughter.

"You are unbelievable." I roll my eyes.

"So are you, Belly."

I get the feeling he means something else than I do, because he looks up and down at me while saying so. It creates an awkward atmosphere.

He sits down next to me on the couch, and takes a sip from his bottle of water. On the tray are also pastries, two pieces of apple pie, two smoothies and a single lollipop.

"Cherry?" I ask, holding up the lollipop.

"Your favourite."

I smile widely. He remembers. Charles has a strange habit of buying me cherry flavoured lollipops for my birthday, adding one to the bunch each year.

Last year was an exception, but he has been buying them for me ever since my seventh birthday. It's a tradition. Our tradition.

"Where do you find a cherry lollipop around here? Most restaurants don't even have them."

"We have a vending machine."

"Oh. Right."

He shrugs his shoulders. "Consider it a late birthday gift. Like, eleven months too late."

"Why, thank you."

I am more comfortable around Charles than expected, given the fact that we have not spoken for an entire year. It's obvious that we are both trying to find the right words to talk about what happened, and though we might have found them, the right moment is yet to arrive.

And then there is also Carlos, who behaves as strange as ever, if not stranger.

"Say, you work with Carlos, is he always this weird? I don't remember him that way." I ask, popping the lollipop in my mouth. The delicious cherry flavour explodes in my mouth like a bomb.

"You spoke to Carlos?"

"Yes. Sort of."

Charles seems surprised. "Hm."

For but a second I think there is something else he wants to share with me, but instead, he just shakes his head. "Usually not, but maybe he just has a bad day. It must be hard for him to race on the circuit where his best friend passed away."

"I guess so."

"Besides, hasn't he always been weird to you?"

"Well, true, but this time it was a different kind of weird."

Charles munches on a grape, and shrugs his shoulders once more. "I'm sure it was nothing, everyone is a little on edge this weekend. You know why."

The answer to that is Diego. He was a friend to everyone on the grid, he is deeply missed by all the drivers. Of course they are a little sad.

We finish our food in silence, both being occupied by our thoughts. Charles wipes his hands on a napkin and stretches his arms, when his team principal, Frédéric Vasseur, walks by.

"Press conference will start in about fifteen minutes, we will be expecting you as soon as possible." He pats both of Charles' shoulders.

"Noted."

"Good to see you, miss Martinéz." He grants me a jolly smile. Frédéric is somewhat intimidating, to say the least, but he means more than well.

"Likewise, sir."

Fred walks over to a pack of mechanics, leaving the two of us alone again. Charles clears the table of any rubbish, and turns to me.

"Duty calls." he sighs.

"Yeah. So it seems."

"Listen, it was nice seeing you again." Charles invites me for a hug, for some reason his hugs have always been comforting. He caresses my back with one hand, and I kind of hope this moment would never end.

"It really was."

"Alright," he pulls away from the hug, "do you remember the way out?"

I nod.

"Perfect. See you later, Belly."

"See you, good luck."

I walk past the vending machine on the way out, but to my surprise, there are no cherry flavoured lollipops.