Enjoy The Butterflies - English version

10.

The gap between Lando and Alex Albon is tiny, they swap positions every lap. I don't think I've ever seen so many changes of leader during a grand prix. During yet another Albon pass in front of Lando, I hear the engineers and mechanics grumbling. I'm tense, it's so close, Alex is very nice but I'm obviously for the McLaren driver to win.

After a fierce fight between the two drivers, it's Lando who wins, I jump for joy in the orange garage and return to the same place as the day before. I see Lando again getting out of his car with the same smile as yesterday, and even more radiant. You could mistake him for the sun!

I relive the same scene as in qualifying, he jumps into the arms of the same people except that when he gets to me, he also hugs me and kisses me on the cheek.

- I'm glad you're here Addie!

I smile stupidly and then we hear the whistles of the men from the team. I slowly detach myself from the guy. Then he winks at me and goes back to the interviewer who is none other than the former Formula 1 driver and world champion, Nico Rosberg. Lando answers everything without being serious for a single second. His speech is just a succession of sarcasm and jokes about the fact that it is the first time since 2021 that Max has not won the Grand Prix at home. Everyone is dying of laughter, even if the Dutch public takes it a little worse because Max is not even on the podium. So, I agree he may have had fun a little too early but everyone knows that Lando has this temperament and that he and the Dutchman are very good friends. And above all, we can all see Max crying with laughter from his garage, you have to believe that the second degree affects some more than others.

After the three interviews, the podium ceremony takes place. It is very beautiful, Lando almost blew up his own trophy, his engineers even explained to me that in Hungary in 2023, he really broke Max's trophy by popping the champagne. Just kidding, so this kid will never grow up?

***

Lando pulls me everywhere, he absolutely wants us to go to a nightclub tonight. Basically, I don't really like these places but I guess I'm going to go to please the driver. I know that there will be a lot of drivers except Max who will go home to see his girlfriend and his stepdaughter, Penelope. Honestly, if the two of them don't get engaged before the end of the year, I don't understand anything about their relationship anymore. Anyway, we all know that the two of them are incredibly cute together and that they deserve to have a happy ending!

So I find myself in front of a nightclub in Amsterdam, more precisely the Claire. According to Lando, the place is famous and quite nice. We are in the VIP queue and the people in front of us seem to be looking for their IDs. Unfortunately, when they pass in front of the security, there is no way to find them, so they are thrown out of the queue. I feel a little bad for them. Right after, Lando whispers a word in the security guy's ear that I don't understand at all. The big guy in front of us gives him a smile and lets us in without looking at our IDs for a single second, as if we were regulars at the place.

- How did you do it?

- I know the DJ!

- What?

- Yeah, that's my friend, Martin Garrix.

- Like you-you're friends with Martin Garrix?

- What, are you becoming a fan of mine, darling? Are you finally getting there?

- Don't get a big head Norris, he's just a very famous DJ, I didn't think you were friends

- What do you want, I'm famous too my dear!

- Stop with your stupid nicknames.

The atmosphere inside is electric, people are dancing, others are shouting the lyrics of the most famous songs and those who are left are getting drunk at the bar. Lando pulls me by the arm and leads me to the part where we are going to spend the evening. In the VIP area, there are already my brother and Kika, Charles and Charlotte, and another girl that I don't immediately recognize. But when I recognize her, I know that Lando is going to try to get out of there as quickly as possible, it's his ex-girlfriend, Luisa. At the same time, I see Esteban entering the room. With Lando, we glance at each other, we hesitate to leave the place but I have a better idea.

- Come on, let's dance!

- Are you sure?

- Yes, you'll see it'll do you good! Dancing always feels good!

- Ok, if you want!

I pull him onto the dance floor and we dance for a while. But when I see that he's looking at her a little, his eyes filled with sadness, I bring his gaze back to me and the dance floor. And from there, he gives me a big smile and starts dancing again.

After a few slightly drinks, the dance becomes more and more chaotic and gives way to our laughter, our random songs and dancing. Then the music slows down a bit, or maybe it's the alcohol? I don't really know anymore but I know that our bodies are getting closer, we start dancing a little tighter, our faces are slowly getting closer to each other. Everything seems extremely slow, as if it took hours for our lips to finally touch. But what am I talking about, he's not going to kiss me. His ex is in the same room, I wouldn't allow myself to do something so stupid. So I move away even though I don't want to. It's safer. But his hand is holding me back, so I do something I didn't even think I had the strength to do, I remove his hand and move away from his face before making a big mistake. His face only shows me incomprehension. I think that even if he doesn't understand my decision, I made the right choice.

***

The party continues in full swing and we are still dancing, I don't think we have ever joined the VIP area to avoid the only two people we don't want to see on the entire planet.

But when I dance, I feel that something, or rather someone has approached me. And this person can't be Lando since the pilot is right in front of me yelling to Dua Lipa. But I don't even have time to turn around that I feel a hand touch my butt. I'm hallucinating, is what I think is really happening? I turn around and see a man in his thirties, a smile on his lips, my survival instinct takes over and all the alcohol in my body is evacuated in the space of a millisecond. I slap my hand on his cheek. I notice at the same time that Lando understands what is happening. He pulls me back and stands between the man and me. I see him put his knee in the guy's balls. When the guy falls to the ground, Lando pulls my hand once more that evening and pulls me outside. I have never left a place so quickly. He accompanies me to his car and tells me that we are going home. The journey is done in silence, we are both shocked by what has just happened.

- Do you want to talk about it Addie?

- But talk about what? We both saw the same thing!

- That's true but I have never witnessed that, I don't necessarily know how to react, I just do what I can.

- I know, and thank you for that honestly. Few people would have done the same thing!

- You are my friend Addie, of course I am going to get you out of this type of situation, I find it absolutely horrible and I absolutely do not tolerate any of this. These people should go to prison.

I smile at him. He is still very attentive and I find it nice to see that these situations can also affect men.

- We're going to sleep, I think it will do us good, right?

- I don't know, I'm not very reassured... Don't you want us to order something to eat and chat a little in the room?

- Of course, it's up to you! We do what you want!

I thank him with a look, he's really a good guy and I'm happy to have him as a friend!

***

I wake up the next day with a headache that I've never had before. I don't remember anything at all, it's terrifying.

************
Here is the tenth chapter a little bit late, I'm sorry. But I hope you still liked it !