LIGHTS OUT 'lando norris

Chapter Ten

Qualifications started out bumpy with a near collision between Zhou and I, the entire 45 minutes felt chaotic and thoroughly taxing on my body, but it was all worth it. I'd qualified P3, my highest qualifying position in F1. I felt alive, like a subtle buzz radiated through me lighting me from within in with this sense of passion and drive. I felt hungry for the podium. And now it finally felt within my reach, as though I could taste the sweet poignant champagne on my lips. 

♬ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗡 - 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗰 - 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗰 ♬

I walked through the paddock my black fire proofs on and my suit hung lowly tied around my waist. I'd pulled my hair from there two braids, letting my scalp finally relax the breeze picking up the curls. Pieces drifting across my face lightly. My earplugs were lodged tightly in my ears playing my post quali playlist. I had an odd obsession with niche playlists I found it therapeutic of sorts, it was rare for me to not have music playing, it helped to dissolve the pressure and chaos of the outside world. This career has proven to be intense and overwhelming, music helped. And so these playlists of mine were nitpicked to the fullest.

The sun was high in the sky, it's rays harsh. The Spanish sun wasn't one for the weak. And so as I walked in the blistering heat with Fleetwood Mac drowning my ears, the beat fast and deep. My heart felt as though it had synced to the music, all of my surroundings diminishing to specs of dust. The bustling staff and attendees going unnoticed as I focused on one step at a time, my breath smooth as the chaos of The Chain urged me forwards. A deep craving filling me, this P3 felt like my desires had turned to reality. All the words that had been said about my rise to F1 being swept away by the flood of my achievements, I was determined to keep it that way. To never fall victim to that prejudice ever again. Brown curls, orange suit. My eyes had registered him before I had even noticed, in the corner of my vision I was pulled from the depths of my hyper focus. 

Without a second thought my feet turned, my stride doubling in speed as I hurried for him. The music accelerating to the guitar solo. A fitting part for my current actions as I bounded for him. 

He must have heard me coming seeing as he turned towards me before I'd even opened my mouth. His lips were wrapped around the straw of his bottle, pulling into a grin the second his eyes focused on me. 

"What do I owe the pleasure?" he grinned pulling the bottle down beside him. His other hand braced on his hip which had his suit wrapped tightly around like my own. 

I pulled the earplugs from my ears letting them hang around my neck, "I want to know what happened!" I whispered yelled at him, careful of my wording seeing as the paddock was crowded with cameras and mics and unfortunately the situation could have sounded raunchy to certain ears. I mean what if I had said "I want to know what happened last night in my room when I was piss drunk!" ? God Netflix would eat that up. 

"What happened in your room after the club?" My eyes shot wide, did I just speak that into the universe?! A pit had opened up in my stomach as my head whipped from side to side desperately ensuring no cameras were focusing on us. The coast looked clear... but I couldn't be sure. 

"What the fu- don't say that! People will get the wrong idea!"

"The wrong idea?" he smirked, "gosh you really don't remember what happened do you," he laughed.

Panic shot through me, surely he wasn't insinuating what I thought he was. I mean... I would definitely remember if we had fooled around right? Besides it's Lando Norris we're talking about. THE insufferable Lando Norris, now I admit he may be attractive but that doesn't disregard his personality enough. 

I grabbed his hand tightly, his hand instantly going stiff under my grasp. His smirk dropping. I yanked him between two of the motor homes, behind a stack of water tanks which I presumed where connected to the hospitality sections. "Nothing happened between us right!?" 

He was silent.

"Right?" I asked louder this time. 

Finally his eyes met mine once again, "Jesus Adamoli nothing happened it was a joke." 

"What a shit joke," I gushed. 

"You were black out drunk what did you think was going to happen?" he sighed running a hand through his curls. The curls that had turned into tightly crazed coils from wearing his balaclava all morning. I watched a drop of sweat travel down the length of his neck, dancing over his veins and sinking into the fireproof sitting against his collar bone. God this sun seriously was hot.

"Well you made it sound like we- you know-" I stumbled over my words. His eyes roamed over my face soaking in every detail, I felt my body shrinking under the intense gaze. My skin prickling every second we stayed in close proximity. "Why were you at my hotel then?" 

He took a small step forwards. Subconsciously my body moved backwards before I had even registered the movement. Lando's eyes flared with a hint of surprise and so he took another step forward. As per usual he was toying with me and it was working. I felt as though I were his prey and he was the predator as he cornered me. One step after another my back finally met the tin wall behind me a soft thud being the only noise between the two of us. It felt as though the air had been sucked directly from my lungs, my ability to breathe snatched from me. If I wasn't panicking from the close proximity I'd even say he was holding his breath. "Don't flatter yourself with delusions," his voice was quiet but deep, "I was at your hotel because you were such a drunken mess someone needed to escort you home." 

"You know what... fuck you!" I grimaced simply unsure of what to say to him. I felt entirely unnerved at how close we stood but the way he so casually kept insulting me did in fact hurt. Whether I'd like to admit it, I could feel the knife twisting in my stomach. 

"Well clearly that's what you wanna do," he scoffed. 

"God you're insufferable," I groaned, "now please get out of my face."

"Sure you want me to?" He winked and I scoffed rolling my eyes, "Probably shouldn't push me again, don't want another scandal now do you Adamoli," he smirked. His attitude was giving me major whiplash, I couldn't pinpoint any of his thoughts or motives. 

Lando finally took a step away from me, I instantly took the opportunity to get out of the situation I had put myself into. As I made to walk from our hidden sanction he yelled one final time, "you might wanna lay off the alcohol from now on yeah?" he said with a chuckle and devastating smirk.

I twisted flipping him my middle finger and emerged back into the bustling crowd. 

My state of hyper focus I had been in ten minutes ago was no where to be found, I was officially hot and bothered.