heatwave | Charles Leclerc | re-writing

Chapter 21

Milan, December 2022 - Victoria Marino

"My love."

I woke up to his french accent, his hand brushing my waist slowly.

"No, let me sleep," I yearned, burying my face on the pillow.

"I want to sleep too, but if you have plans for the day, we better get up."

He brushed a hair strand out of my face. I hated how right he was all the time.

"Only gonna get up because you're cute."

I pushed him off the bed, making him fall on the floor, which took a loud ass laugh from me.

"Good morning," I finally said.

We got ready and as soon as possible, we were out. We entered my car and headed to the center of the city.

"First stop of the day will be Jeremy's mom's café," I excitedly told him, walking to the building.

As the bell above the door rang, Catalina's head turned in my direction.

"Victoria," she went around the counter, running to hug me, "what a nice surprise, come here my love."

"It’s always nice to visit you!"

She kissed my cheek and stroked it gently before turning her gaze to my left.

“What the actual hell…” she muttered.

“Um, Catalina, this is Charles…”

“Leclerc,” she interrupted. “I know who he is.”

“My boyfriend.”

“WHAT-,” Some clients glanced at us. “Sorry, respectfully, WHAT?”

“I thought Jeremy told you…”

“Oh, you think that human project of his tells me anything? Haha, I wish.”

I laughed. “I’m indeed going to kill him. Anyway, Charles, this is Catalina, Jeremy’s mom. Catalina, this is Charles, my boyfriend.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” Charles said, hugging her.

“Me too!” she whispered in his ear. “If you hurt her, I’ll chase you, I’ll kidnap you, and I’ll cut your dick off.” Then she turned and asked, “Who wants coffee?”

She walked back to the counter, leaving Charles frozen in place.

“Get used to it,” I said. “She’ll never change.”

“That was… interesting… and frightening,” Charles muttered.

I sat at a table near the counter, Charles opposite me. Catalina brought two coffees and joined us.

“How did you two met?” she asked.

“I went to Paris to visit Kika. I thought I was just meeting her boyfriend, Pierre, but then she dropped the bomb that we’d be having dinner with more Formula One drivers. You know me - an anxious ball of nerves - and I almost died three times that night. That’s how I met him,” I said, laughing.

“What brought you here, then?” she asked, resting her face on her hand.

“Long story… Back in Paris, we promised to visit each other’s hometowns. He took me to Monaco, where he asked me to be his girlfriend. Now I’m showing him how beautiful Milan is.”

“I wish I were still your age…”

“Lina, you look better than ever. You’ve aged like fine wine.”