Aimee and Tracey had travelled to Monaco a little bit ahead of the rest of the team. With the special Senna tribute livery and all the extra promotion that went with it, they and a lot more work to do than usual.
"It's only a couple of days." Aimee said softly as she stood on the doorstep with Tom, bag in hand ready to go.
"I don't like it." He frowned. "We always go together."
"You'll be there in three days." She reminded him. "It's just all the extra stuff we've got to do for the tribute livery. Tracey wants to get a head start on it otherwise we'll be drowning in all the usual race week stuff on top of it."
Tom frowned again. "And it's just you and Tracey going?"
Aimee nodded. "We need to get the events set up and all that stuff." She glanced over her shoulder at where Tracey was sat on the driveway in her car waiting to take her to the airport.
Tom let out a huff, muttering under his breath something that she didn't quite catch. "Behave yourself, I'll see you in a couple of days." His grip on her arm was a little bit too tight to be comfortable as he kissed her goodbye.
Aimee scurried off, throwing her bag onto the back seat of Tracey's car and getting into the passenger side of the car. "Thanks for the lift. You're a lifesaver." Aimee greeted her.
Tracey raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't look too busy to take you to me."
Aimee felt her cheeks flush. "He's er... he's got to be somewhere in half an hour. The timings didn't quite work." She mumbled. It was a lie, of course. Tom had just thrown an absolute fit about her going ahead of him and refused to drive her to the airport.
"Right." Tracey's tone made it very clear that she didn't believe her. "Well, either way, I'm excited. I love Monaco and I wasn't about to say no to a few extra days."
"We have so much work to do." Aimee reminded her with a laugh.
"I know, but we're the dream team! We can totally get it all done and still have time to have some fun in the evenings!" Tracey declared. "Besides, I'm your boss you can't say no to me!"
Aimee laughed quietly. "We'll see." It wasn't worth the hassle. If Tom found out he'd go nuts, he'd specifically made her promise she wouldn't go out. Even if Tracey was her boss and also her self proclaimed work mum he still wouldn't be happy.
"How's your arm now?" Tracey asked as she joined the motorway in the direction of the airport.
"Oh er... yeah it's alright I think. It's a bit stiff still but they were happy enough with the X-rays." Aimee mumbled, already searching her brain for a way to change the subject.
"Well, if it gets too much you let me know." Tracey said kindly. "There's plenty of people around we can get to do the heavy lifting."
"Did Jon put you up to this?" Aimee asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He's just worried about you, we all are." Tracey faltered for a minute. "You do know I'm here, if you ever need anything, if there's anything you want to talk about?"
Aimee was briefly contemplating jumping out of the moving car as she searched for a way to answer that. "I'm fine Tracey, I promise."
****
Thankfully the topic of conversation had been dropped after that, and before she knew it the two of them had touched down in Nice and were making their way to Monaco to find their hotel.
Tracey was quietly running through the plans for the next day, although much of it was dependent on what time Oscar's flight arrived. Lando being based in Monaco made it slightly easier.
As though he'd heard them talking about him, Aimee's phone buzzed with an incoming message from him wanting to know if they'd arrived and where they were staying.
She quickly shot a message back saying they'd arrived and were just sorting out the schedule for tomorrow and she'd let him know what time they needed to meet.
The reply was instantaneous.
I wasn't asking for work reasons. Dinner tonight? My place?
Aimee didn't quite hold back the groan that came as she read his message. She knew he wasn't going to let it go.
"What's wrong with you?" Tracey asked.
"Lando is trying to get me to meet him for dinner later." She rolled her eyes.
"And?" Tracey prompted. "It's nice you two are friends."
"I know."
"But?"
"But Tom really doesn't like it." Aimee sighed, almost under her breath.
The look that flickered across Tracey's face suggested that she knew a lot more than Aimee had realised. "You can't let that man keep you from everyone and everything forever." Tracey shook her head. "He's not even here, how is he going to know?"
"It's not worth it Tracey, believe me." Aimee sighed. "Lando has been a really good friend but it's caused me so many problems over the last few months."
"Just go and have dinner with him, have some fun." Tracey insisted. "If Tom asks, and he won't, I'll say you were with me. Let your hair down, live a little. You're only young once!"
"You're not going to let me out of this are you?" Aimee laughed quietly.
"No, I'm not." Tracey laughed. "It's my duty as your work Mum to get you out of your shell."
"Fine." Aimee shook her head with a smile on her face. Tracey was right, how would Tom ever know? For the first time in years, she had a little bit of freedom to do whatever she wanted without him breathing down her neck.
The freedom was liberating.
YOU ARE READING
Stay With Me- Lando Norris
Fanfiction*Completed* After discovering that one of his coworkers is in a desperate situation, Lando makes it his mission to try and help her. Except she doesn't want his help, and does everything she can to push him away.
