Enjoy The Butterflies - English version

8.

Lando suggests that we meet up again before the end of the summer break since we're both staying on the coast until the end of the holidays. Of course, I wasn't going to say no. That's how I end up at his hotel pool getting sunk by the guy. We spend the afternoon laughing and spending all this time in Lando's company makes me blush constantly. It's true that I have a pretty big crush on the pilot.

On this afternoon, I even have the impression more than once that the Englishman is flirting with me. Between the furtive smiles, the eyes contacts and the fact that he teases me about everything and nothing, I admit that I have the impression that what I can feel for him is reciprocal. So I do what I do best, I imagine things. Being a specialist in the field, I decide that it's the best option for me.

- What are you thinking about Addie?

- Oh, uh, nothing, I was just in a fog...

- Are you sure?

- I promise.

OH MY GOD, this is embarrassing. Was I so lost in my movies? I'll never do that in his presence again. He'll start wondering if he doesn't.

I quickly go back to our game, the other residents of the hotel look at us as if we were aliens but absolutely not. We're just two young people having fun.

After a good hour of sinking each other into the pool, I decide to go out for a bit and get a tan. But Lando decides otherwise. While I'm sunbathing on one of the many deckchairs, he comes and lies down on me as if the deckchair was empty. I laugh and tickle him. He immediately leaves again, jumping off the seat. I laugh until I can't take it anymore. All this makes my stomach hurt but I prefer to have a stomach ache for this than for anything else.

I look at the time and see that it's already 6pm. I suggest to Lando that we go for a drink in town. I understand that getting spotted is the least of his worries so I don't worry about him anymore. He accepts immediately. Luckily I had planned a backup outfit not because I thought we were absolutely going to go out but especially because I suspected that if we went to the pool, I would need another outfit because the first one would be absolutely unusable to even get back to the rental. Oddly enough, I wasn't wrong.

I ask Lando if I can use his room to change. He accepts and we both head to the third floor of the hotel. I take my bag with me and head to the bathroom to have my privacy.

When I want to leave the bathroom, I hear a new voice in the room that I recognize as the voice of his best friend Max.

- Lando, tell me, what do you feel for her? Because I saw you downstairs, I swear, it was like you were flirting!

- Nothing is happening at all, I don't see where you saw that we were flirting but not at all, she's my friend, she's cool, that's all, there's nothing more, you're imagining things Max...

- Are you sure about what you're telling me?

- Absolutely, besides, basically, we work together, we just got on well, now we're friends, and anyway, you know very well that nothing will be possible with another girl until Luisa is finally truly out of my head.

- Again with that?! But change the record, it's been two and a half years! I know it hurt you but still!

- No, Max, I can't do it, I'd like to but I can't, it's too hard for me.

- If you started by unsubscribing from her insta account, that would already be good, seeing her every day on your news feed, it will never help you!

- It can't work like that!

- Believe me, I know what I'm talking about!

Wow, now that's a good way to bring me back down to earth. I don't think I'm going to leave the bathroom right away in the end...

***

The evening is going very well despite what I heard earlier. I understood very well that I wouldn't have any chance with Lando so I tell myself that I still want to be his friend and that it's not so bad to keep the relationship as it is. We are in a small bar in Biarritz. What surprised me the most is that his best friend isn't accompanying us. Men are strange!

Around 9pm, I ask Lando to take me home, not really wanting to take the bus so late. His answer is not long in coming, he takes the keys to his car and takes me with him. The journey is as usual, with laughter and good humor. I decided that sulking at him would be useless so we continue as if I hadn't heard anything. In any case, sulking at someone for something you weren't supposed to hear is useless so why do it. We are adults and that's not how adults react.

When he drops me off, it's the same scenario as the other night, he kisses me on the cheek. I know he only considers me as his friend but I have to admit that on some points, it's true that we can say that it's ambiguous but it's not, he's just like that. That'll teach me to make up stories for nothing.

- Addie, I wanted to tell you, it was super cool to spend these few days together! I know you're leaving tomorrow but I say we can do it again one of these days! And then, you tell your friends that I was delighted to meet them!

My heart is beating wildly in my chest, these words make me so happy, I think he doesn't know how much happy it makes me feel to hear these words come out of his mouth.

- Of course! They were also very happy to meet you! And anyway, we'll see each other in less than a week in Zandvoort!

- That's true!

And then, he does something I didn't expect, he gets out of his car and comes to me and hugs me. I instantly freak out. Why is he doing that? Are we still on the friends line or have we reached a new level?

- You know Addie, I really consider you a good friend, there is this bond that has been created between us, I don't know what it is but I feel like the friendship we have is indestructible, it's like I've known you for years.

- Oh! Thank you very much, what you tell me means a lot to me Lando! I completely agree, this bond is magnificent.

If only he knew that on the other side, there is not only friendship but at least I am sure that I am in the friend zone. No need to make me understand it better.

- Lando, do you want to take a picture of the two of us to have a souvenir of these few days?

- Absolutely! You'll send it to me, right?

I laugh, as if I was going to keep the picture just for myself.

The picture is hilarious, I close my eyes because of the flash and Lando makes a face that's impossible. This picture is more than chaotic but I love it. We still take one where we both look good even though we both know which one we're going to keep.

I say goodbye to him and go up to find my friends. Upstairs, they applaud me, I don't really understand why so I laugh, my solution that works every time!

- Well then, honey? We just managed a Formula 1 driver?

- What are you talking about Six?

- We saw you hugging!

- But girls, we're not there yet! He was just telling me that he was happy to have me as a friend. I got put in the friendzone girls!

- WHAT?!

I explain to them the events of the afternoon and the evening so that they understand what happened. Their faces are astonished throughout my story. I feel like I'm telling them an incredible story given their faces but no, it's just one afternoon in my life where I get friendzoned by a guy I like.

The only thing that makes me say that I'm not at the end of my surprises with him is that I'm sure that a man doesn't hug all his friends...

**********
This is the eighth chapter, hope you liked it !