𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒: 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬

[ 023 ]

'Love is less of a fall and more of slowly wrapping your arms around someone and never letting them go.'
- Unknown

She parked her white Audi A6 in one of the few parking spots near the café where she and Lando had planned to meet.

Just as she had turned off the engine and unbuckled her seatbelt, she realized how late she really was. Ten minutes. Lando would surely be waiting and she was embarrassed. She had hurried so much after getting up too late to make it on time, had even raced through Monte Carlo and was still late.

She got out of the car with trembling legs. Meeting Lando still made her nervous. Spending time alone with someone who threw her so emotionally off track that she could no longer think clearly in his presence. And now she was late, which made her more than a little uncomfortable.

She walked the few meters quickly towards the café. The sun was already hitting the ground hard. And warmed her so much that she didn't need a jacket.

She walked through the small entrance that led to a seating area in the fresh air. The fence was decorated with beautiful, colorful flowers. Parasols had been put up to provide guests with some shade.

She walked on towards the entrance, opened the door and a small bell rang as she entered the building. The smell of coffee with sweet baggage hit her nose and she knew she was going to sin heavily this morning.

A glance around the room showed her that most people had decided to sit outside. Only a few people were sitting inside at their laptops, sipping their coffee with relish.

Lando was also sitting in a back corner too. He looked at her kindly and his smile stretched across both ears. She walked quickly to him.

When she reached the two benches, he stood up.

"Good morning."

"Good morning." she said out of breath, "Sorry I'm late. Well, I overslept. I tried to hurry, but I clearly failed."

"Hey, hold your breath," he said with a laugh, "I've only been waiting two minutes, so it's all good."

"Really?" she laughed nervously, "Then I'm reassured."

He smiled and pulled her into a hug. The hug wasn't long, but it still felt intimate. His scent immediately reached her nose. It was a mixture of peppermint and expensive men's perfume, which she couldn't categorize.

They broke away from the embrace and sat down on a bench opposite each other.

"Where did you park your car? I didn't even see it," she said, thinking.

At the same moment, a waitress came to their table, greeted them nicely and placed two cards in front of them.

"I don't usually park my car myself," he smiled, "I give the key to a chauffeur who then parks it."

"Of course, Mr. Lando Norris doesn't park his car himself. How could I even suspect that?" she tried to keep a serious face, even though it was pure sarcasm.

"By the way, this service is open to everyone, Ms. Luise Leclerc," he also said, grinning mischievously.

"No, thank you. I can actually park my car myself. Very well, in fact," she laughed, "If you need help with that," she shrugged.

"That's not so nice now," he said with a huff.

She picked up the card and turned to the first page. He did the same. There was a brief silence. Each of them thought about what to order for breakfast.

Just as they had decided on something, the somewhat voluminous, brown-haired woman came back. She smiled kindly and held a small notepad and a pen in her hand.