Casual | Lando Norris

One

Lilly

     My knees were pressed against my chest, my feet filling the space inside the sink as I sat on top of my bathroom counter. Mouthing along to the music that played through my speaker while I finished up on my makeup. Rubbing my lips together to assure the color was all spread out before staring back at my reflection. The brightness of my blue eyes was quite the contrast to the darkness of my hair that I had thrown into an updo. The freckles that once scattered around my face were now barely visible, lightly covered up from my foundation.

     I swung my legs around and lowered my feet back onto the ground. Exiting through the doorway that connected into my bedroom, walking over to the edge of my bed. The clothes I had chosen were laid out across the duvet, a beautiful white pantsuit paired with black stilettos. I shimmied my silk robe off my shoulders and began getting dressed. Glancing over at the clock the see how much longer I had before Charles would start shouting at me to hurry.

     Charles Leclerc and I have been friends since we could learn how to walk. My mom had worked along Pascale cutting hair and the two quickly became inseparable. That was until my lovely mother decided to walk out on her family, leaving my father to raise my two sisters and I alone. But he wasn't truly alone. The Leclerc's stuck by our side through everything and when my father passed away in a tragic car accident, Charles' mother took me and my sisters in. Raising us until we were old enough to move out. I knew it wasn't easy for her to round up six kids each day but Pascale did her best.

     Each of my sisters shared an apartment with their respective significant others and I was stuck living with Charles. As a freelance photographer, my bank account fluctuated too much to live alone. So he offered to let me stay with him until I found a job with a consistent income. Something I was struggling to find. I never really saw him since he was gone for most of the year for F1 anyways.

    "Lillian Elzier you better hurry up! We are supposed to meet your sisters at the restaurant in twenty minutes!" Charles voice shouted at me from down the hall before appearing in the doorway. His body leaned against the frame and watched me closely as I stood in the center of my room, trying to click my earrings into place.

    "Relax, i'm almost ready. I just need to grab my purse." I reached for my little clutch before pushing past him. The sounds of our heels clicking in sync as we walked out of the apartment. His red Ferrari sat at the bottom of the steps, waiting patiently to be driven.

     Charles waved to fans that were gaucking at him from afar before opening the door and helping me inside. The engine roared as he sped off through the streets of Monaco. People turned their heads to stare at each stop light we came to and I ignored them. Focusing on the music that was playing instead. I've been around Charles through his rise to fame in formula one but I still hadn't gotten used to all the stares I got when seen with him.

     A crowd was gathered outside of the restaurant once we arrived, each person waiting patiently to be seated. Charles handed off his key to the valet and I felt his hand rest on the small of my back as he guided me to the front. Passing the whispers of everyone in line. The girl who stood behind the hostess booth gave us a warm smile as we approached and motioned with her hand for us to follow her.

    "I'm sorry we're late!" I apologized as my sisters stood to their feet, embracing Charles and I one at a time before taking their seats again.

    "You have Lilly to blame for that." Charles admitted as we slid into the booth across from them. They laughed at his comment and lowered their gaze, going back to looking over the menu.

    "I'll have whatever they're drinking." I said smiling as I looked over to the waitress who stood at the end of our table. She took Charles' order before disappearing back into the crowded room.