heatwave | Charles Leclerc | re-writing

Chapter 30

New York, January 2023 - Victoria Marino

I, in fact, had lunch with Carlos. Which is weird. Not because we were having lunch after I foght with his teammate, but because I flirted with him and he flirted with me, his teammate's girlfriend/ex/I don't know what we are.

He told me I looked gorgeous and my eyes looked like dark chocolate. I've never seen him so nervous about something.

And I just keep wondering: why me? As a matter of fact, I've never felt attractive, and lately I've been getting picked up by the most handsome men in the world. Any girl would die for Charles or Lando or Carlos. But why would they come to me?

This is all so weird. And it's weirder because we are currently walking between the refreshing trees in the Central Park.

- So, you like to cook? - I say, turning my head to look at him.

- I do. That's just one of my many talents.

I chuckle slightly at his sentence and he raises his eyebrow.

- What? - He asks, stopping to walk and getting left behind.

- You think you have many talents? I bet I can do everything you do and better.

- Maybe. But you can't cook better than me. I was taught by my grandma. - He says with a grin on his lips - She had this fairy hands that made the most delicious food that ever touched my mouth. And I for sure know that if I weren't a driver, I would be a chef.

- You need to prove that. I just believe in facts. I'm George Russel in the flesh.

He lets out a loud laugh that made some heads turn in our direction.

- You are getting good in those jokes. Facts. One day, I'll make you my famous pancakes.

- Pinky promise? - I ask, showing him my little finger.

- Pinky promise. - He interwines our fingers, making me laugh. - This is very nostalgic.

- Yes. Reminds me of the times I used to play with my mom and she'd always pinky promise me that she would let me be up 'till later. And she did.

- Yeah. I just believe in pinky promises. You never break a pinky promise. Ever.

- That's true. - The silence takes over the moment and it all gets ankward. I realise that he understands that everything is getting weirder and weirder so he speaks up.

- I have the best gossip in the world to tell you, but you'll need to pinky promise me that you won't tell nobody - he lifts his finger in the air and I interwine our fingers.

- I pinky promise.

- Ok. Yesterday at night, when I got back to our hotel, I was laying in my bed, just scrolling through Instagram and suddently I receive a call. Alex Albon. I pick up and he starts speaking really fast. So I just tell him: "Alex, shut the fuck up, I can't hear a shit".

- You don't normally curse. - I say, looking at him with a confused look in my eyes.

- Facts. - I chuckle - But that only happens when you're around.

- Why? I curse all the fucking time.

- I know, but I don't wanna give you the wrong impression. - I open my mouth to speak but he cuts me off - Anyway, he starts speaking slower and tells me that he asked Lily to marry him. - My mouth fells open in shock and he nods his head - And the plot twist of this is: they are engaged for 6 MONTHS NOW. That fucking pussy didn't tell us nothing. The wedding is on the 10th of February, a Saturday.