heatwave | Charles Leclerc | re-writing

Chapter 23

Milan, December 2022 - Victoria Marino

I've just droped Charles in the Milan Malpensa Airport, because he's heading to Monaco to spend Christmas and New Years Eve with his family.

Now, I'm meeting Jeremy so we can go to the Vogue Italia studios to do the photoshooting.

We're meeting at his mom's café to have breakfast. I park my car near the building and when I enter the café, Jeremy smiles at me and I seat with him.

- Good morning sunshine!

- Good morning bitch - I answer.

- Oh, you're not in your best days, are you?

- I'm really not, Charles is going to Monaco and I just miss him a little bit.

- Is it only that? - he asks.

- Yeah.

- And why did you went to the bathroom yesterday, spent fifteen minutes there and came back with red eyes?

- Allergies?

- Allergies? Do you think I was born five minutes ago? What the hell happened, Victoria?

- Fine. I was with you guys and I saw Chiara smilling with Charles. A rage wave passed through my body and, because I didn't want to kill or spank anyone, I went to the bathroom. Than, an anxiety attack / depressive moment / me overthinking and hating myself kicked in and yeah.

- Then you went downstairs like nothing happened?

- I didn't want to bother anyone.

- For the love of God, Victoria, you wouldn't bother nobody. Stop being a people pleaser all the time. - He covers his face with his hands and does a dramatic stop and thinks - Why did you grab ice when we all left?

- How do you know that? - I ask him, horrified.

- Charles saw and didn't want to ask, so he texted me asking to investigate about it.

- That creeps the shit out of me.

- Just answer it bitch.

- Ok, ok. Long short story, I was judging myself and started to feel dizzy, then I stepped back and fell. My back hit the toilet and the ice was supposed to make it less swollen.

- So you have an anxiety attack, you hurt youself in the bathroom, you could literally get paralised and you didn't tell us nothing? Great friend.

His mom comes around and leaves our breakfast in the table. Two croissants and two coffees.

- Thank you so much, mom.

- Thanks, Catalina - I give her a side hug and she reciprocates.

I bite my croissant and Jeremy does the same. I start to shake my leg under the table, making me understand that maybe I am nervous for the long day I have ahead me.

- You nervous? - He asks, sipping from his coffee.

- Of course. It's Vogue. It's not like I'm taking pictures to post on Instagram or something like that.

- I know, but you always kill it. It's going to be amazing, you'll see it.

- I hope so. Now, can you finish your food? We need to be there by nine. It's either that or we don't do the job. - He starts chewing even slower - Can you hurry the fuck up?

- Ok, ok. I'm only doing it because I still want to have money on my bank account at the end of the month.

- You better watch out, or I'll cut your salary.