Dopamine | Adrenaline Book Two

3.2- Happy Birthday!

Max's absence immediately affected Charles' demeanor, but he concealed the disappointment and jealousy he felt as he watched the other man follow after Kelly, without so much as a glance back. After a bit more banter with Fernando, Charles could feel the effects of the alcohol wearing off, and he didn't like where his sober thoughts were leading him.

With empty seats at their table, it didn't take long for Rebecca, Carlos' girlfriend, to make her way over. Alexandra immediately stood and moved to the other side of Charles, so she and Rebecca could sit next to each other, effectively excluding Charles from their conversation. But he realized he had been doing the same to her earlier, so it was nothing to be upset over. Not having the girl's attention didn't affect him in the way that Max's absence had. Fernando had shifted his attention to Jenson Button, a retired driver, who was all smiles around the man, laughing at Fernando's jokes as if comedy had just been invented by the Aston Martin driver at that very moment.

With no one to talk to and his sobering state creeping up on him, Charles walked toward the dance floor where waiters were circulating with trays of drinks. Charles was quick to accept one, downing it before immediately seeking the next.

With blurry vision and a limited attention span, Charles began to have fun again. He danced with people he hardly knew, acting like an extroverted version of himself. At that moment, Charles couldn't remember ever being upset over anything, and all he wanted to do was be friends with everyone within his proximity.

"You're having fun!" a Spanish accent called out to him, closing some of the gap between them. "Do you want another?" Carlos offered, and Charles was in no position to refuse, taking the drink offered to him and downing it in two sips. Not in much of a mood to talk to his former teammate, he planned his exit, but the dance floor had become too crowded, and his blurry vision wasn't helping in finding an exit path.

The Spanish driver had plans of his own and was too busy looking at a certain McLaren driver to notice Charles' lack of attention on him. Once Carlos was certain that Lando, who'd been spending the entire night by Oscar's side, was looking at him, he reached for Charles' waist and whispered in his ear, hoping to provoke his former lover but only whispering friendly advice to Charles: "You need fresh air, follow me."

Taking slow, deep breaths of the cool night air, Charles leaned against the railing, grateful for the reprieve from the overwhelming atmosphere of the party. The quiet solitude allowed him to gather his thoughts, the alcohol-induced haze slowly lifting as he focused on the distant sounds of the city below. Despite his initial reluctance to head back inside, a sense of calm washed over him, and he found himself ready to rejoin the festivities with a newfound sense of clarity.

"I'm not attracted to you," Charles blurted out, afraid that Carlos had planned to get him alone for something other than to be a genuine friend. At the laughter emitting from the other man, Charles's face began to blush, but the heat of the alcohol helped it blend in naturally.

Carlos chuckled, shaking his head. "Relax, mate. I just thought you could use a breather. No ulterior motives here," he reassured, clapping Charles lightly on the back. "But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. Whether it's about racing or anything else," he offered sincerely.

Before Charles could ramble, Carlos's train of thought had already been steered in a different direction, his eyes following Lando through the glass door and leaving Charles behind once he saw the McLaren driver walking away from his teammate.

Feeling the party would only exacerbate his nausea, the driver decided to take a walk, subconsciously gravitating toward the ocean. He found himself sitting at the pier, his feet dangling above the water, his gaze fixated on the stars above.