Hope is a dangerous thing for a Woman like me to have

Chapter 39

Edom's POV

I avoided Charles for the rest of the day, both in person and online. I stayed holed up in my hotel. I had gone to the gym to work the stress off before going back to my room and rotting in my bed, watching Family Guy in an attempt to cheer myself up. 

Despite the distractions, I couldn't help but think of him. As horrible as it was, I supposed it was good I had found out now and not months into our "relationship". I decided to take Peter Griffin's approach to Meg and told my brain to shut up. 

At 9pm, I recieved a knock on my door. 

"If it's Charles, go away." I shouted as I approach the door. 

"It's Lando." I was met with. 

I opened the door, trying to conceal my embarrassment. "Hey Lando. Everything good?"

"I haven't seen you all day and the restaurant downstairs said they hadn't either - I was coming to check on you... why were you expecting Charles?" He seemed confused. 

"Oh, I wasn't," I fake chuckled, like Charles hadn't been on my mind so much today I had expected it to summon him to me. "Just scared he might turn up to be a dick."

Lando pushed past me into my room, sitting on an arm chair facing the corner of my bed. "Something has been up all day and now I know it's because of Charles."

"No, seriously, nothing is up." I protested. 

"Yuh, sure." Lando raised his eyebrows sarcastically. "Get on that bed and tell me everything you've been keeping from me."

I sighed, defeated. I had hated keeping this from Lando and I knew it would do me good to talk to someone about it and maybe Lando could even help unscramble my thoughts. I made my way over, flopping onto the bed, before rearranging myself to sit cross-legged. 

"It's a long story," I started.

"Ok, well you need to eat so," Lando dramatically picked up the phone on the small table next to the seat and dialled for the reception. "Hi, yes this is Edom Hakimi's room - we would like some room service please... yes, dinner please - and pudding if possible... yes that would be lovely ... thank you so much ... see you in 5" He put down the phone and smiled warmly at me. "Sometimes being famous has its perks" he winked. 

An hour and a half later I had finished my story alongside a delicious parsnip soup and pulled pork wrap. 

"And so yeah, I haven't spoken or seen him since." I finished as I ripped the lid off a jelly packet. 

"Woah." Lando replied, still processing what I told him. "That's horrible Edom. I'm sorry you're having to go through that, and through it alone."

"I know it must sound silly - I mean you broke up with a long term girlfriend not too long ago and you guys were public." I smiled sadly at him. 

"No, that's different." He said. "And in retrospect, it was a bit silly to put her on Drive to Survive" he chuckled. "But I've learnt so much from it. So use this as a learning curve!" 

"And my lesson was what... never trust men?!" 

"Hahahaha, maybe! Maybe it was that Ferrari boys have the same coloured flags as the colour they drive in."

"I'm haunted by that scarlet red everywhere I go in this country" I groaned and Lando laughed again. "How can I avoid him Lando?"

"I hate to say it, but you can't. He's part of your job, so treat it like that instead of personal." Lando suggested. "And it sounded like he wanted to talk to you - maybe there's a side to this story that you're missing."