You Look Lonely - F1

VII

Hi everyoneeee, this is quite a long chapter, but I couldn't help myself, sooo.
Kisses to all you readers, ily.

***

Dubai has been incredible so far. Jane, Lewis, and I visited the Burj Khalifa in the afternoon, savouring the sunset from up above.

Fortunately, Lewis called the building's security as soon as we landed, so they could keep the last floor a bit more secure from when we arrived, and as promised, we had the whole place to ourselves for twenty minutes.

The view was astonishing. I was speechless the whole time, and having Lewis Hamilton there, taking pictures of Jane and me made the entire experience even more surreal.

After that, we strolled around the historic neighbourhood of Al Fahidi. It was such a magical moment. Lewis was all covered up, head to toe, so no one could recognize him while Jane and I jumped around in long beige dresses, matching the stone walls of the buildings.

As we wandered through the narrow pristine alleys, we stumbled upon a quaint little café. The aroma of freshly brewed Arabic coffee drew us in. The café owner, an elderly man with a warm smile, welcomed us and offered us traditional coffee and dates.

We sat on colourful cushions, soaking in the atmosphere. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries and vintage photographs of old Dubai.

I was mesmerized.

"Look at this," Jane said, pointing at a photograph. "This place has so much history."

Lewis, despite his disguise, couldn't help but engage in conversation with the owner. They talked about the rapid development of Dubai and the preservation of its heritage and I watched speechless. What a man.

"You ready to go back? We should start getting ready for dinner soon," Jane suggested, breaking the serene moment. We all agreed and started moving toward the taxi point a few minutes away.

"So, are you happy I was able to convince you?" asked Jane cheekily, plopping her arm on my shoulder.

I shook my head, amused. "Of course, this is insane!"

"And you haven't seen anything yet. Can't wait to see your face when we go into the desert tomorrow," added Lewis, his kind laugh contagious.

At that moment, my phone started ringing with a call from my father. I had a different ringtone for him and my grandmother. It was nearly evening there, which meant he had just gotten home from work.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," I said, excusing myself.

"Hi little Lila, you already look quite tanned," his big smile appeared on the other side of the phone. I laughed at his nickname. He wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

"Hey, I think I burnt myself a tad. How was your day?" We chatted for a little. I didn't want to ignore the others, so as soon as we approached the taxi point, I decided to bid my goodbyes.

"Dad, we have to get a taxi. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Oh, Lila, I didn't know you went out with some friends. Let me say hi!" My eyes widened, and since Jane heard the conversation, she jumped into the frame.

"Good evening, Mr. Casadei. How are you doing?" she said. Everything felt surreal. My dad was now sipping on some coffee, sitting in his living room. You could peek at our "44" Mercedes flag plastered on the wall, right behind his back.

"You must be Jane! I heard a lot about you. Make sure you keep my kid safe, she's still a rookie in your world!"

"Dad, please!" I scolded him, my cheeks burning up.