Royal Speed | Leclerc & Verstappen

3 | racing dinner

-|- Monaco 2021 - F1 race weekend -|-

"How was it like meeting him?" Davide asked me as he, once again, helped me into my suit.

It was the first time since yesterday morning that we were alone and therefore able to speak freely and without any formalities. After his question though I felt the temperature in my cheeks instantly rising and therefore quickly stepped away, over to the mirror.

"Yeah, like with any other people I meet." I simply returned, hoping that the Frenchman would be fine with that answer.

Meanwhile I looked at myself in the mirror, brushing over the dress-jacket of my suit, a much more fancy one than the ones I had wore to the qualifying and race as this was a very formal dinner and my family was the host.

Also, but only a tiny bit, I wanted to impress the Dutchman, even though he would probably pay no interest in me or my look, thinking back at our conversations and interaction in the garage and on the podium.

"Charles, hello?" Davide laughed and waved his hand so that I noticed him in the mirror, "It's not any person we're speaking of, man, this is Max Verstappen, probably the next dominator of formula one and pretty much known as being arrogant and conceited, was he really like that?"

"I don't know." I quickly returned, fumbling with the bow tie around my neck, "We barely spoke and it was just the normal prince small talk."

Nervously I bit my bottom lip and looked down, feeling my hands getting a little sweaty again. Hopefully Davide wouldn't notice any of this, as by now, he knew pretty much if I was telling the truth after spending so many years together.

As he wasn't saying anything I looked up after some time, meeting his look in the mirror, where he was grinning towards me. I froze for a moment and he laughed before he stepped closer, helping me with the bow tie.

"He must have really made an impression if you're that nervous about this dinner." the Frenchman nudged me and I only closed me eyes, trying to calm down again from all the feelings inside me.

"He was quite intimidating." I explained and Davide only nodded his head, "And I'm not nervous because of him, there are a lot of other people attending this dinner and it's my first time with them."

"I never said you're nervous because of him." he said and lifted his hands innocently as he stepped away.

Immediately I bit my bottom lip as I noticed that I screwed it myself. I simply decided not to say something about it as I took one last look inside the mirror before I turned around.

"Your watch, sir." Davide said with a smirk as he handed me the silver piece of jewelry.

 "Thanks Davide." was all I returned, gifting him an annoyed looked even though a little smile came through, before I stepped out of the room and down to the big lobby of the palace, where my father was already waiting for me.

"You look good my son." he patted my shoulder and I only nodded, nervous about the arrival of our guests.

As every year, like I had been told, there were some people of the racing family and also from the Monaco racing club as the winner of today's formula one race, which was Max Verstappen this year, for the first time actually like Pierre had told me.