Picture Perfect

Chapter 10

Ellie

"How are you feeling today, Ellie?" 

Charlie had shown up at my front door earlier than anticipated before our flight. I was aware I was uncharacteristically quiet in comparison to my usual demeanor. Still, I couldn't forget about that little journal that was stuffed between my clothes inside my suitcase. 

"Much better, thank you for being there with me yesterday"

"Anytime Angel" 

-I could remember the first time he called me that; well, the French version of it -"Mon Ange."- It was a funny response to me scolding Carlos and him during a photoshoot, he replied, and I quote "Cela n'arrivera plus Mon Ange."

-It won't happen again, My Angel-

I'd be lying if I said my cheeks didn't turn red, as I let out a flustered little chuckle before rolling my eyes at both guys who sat in front of me, laughing hysterically. 

I guess the nickname just stuck, as he hasn't stopped calling me that ever since. -

I finished the last of my preparations before Charlie and I headed out of my home and into his car, driving to the airport where the usual jet was waiting for us.

Our plane rides were usually very unpredictable, there was a whole group chat with most drivers and some team principals to settle private jets. At first, I thought the whole "one plane for three people" was a bit excessive, but with the amount of flying we had to do, it made sense, and it made everything much more convenient when it came to schedules. 

"Bonita!" Carlos jumped from behind one of the seats, walking towards me rapidly before lifting me in a hug. "Did you miss me?" He mocked before placing me back down.

"I'll have to get back to you on that one" I laughed. 

He nudged my shoulder as his gaze searched for his seat, Charlie and I proceeded to do the same, waiting for take-off for our surprisingly short plane ride. 

"Are you excited Carlitos?" My voice was a little louder than usual, trying to make up for the loud engine noises that surrounded us. 

"I'm always excited for my home race, and I better take advantage of this one" His voice lowered "After all, I'm not quite sure I'll have another home race with you guys"

Just hearing that twisted my guts, but it was true. Charles had extended his contract with Ferrari at the end of last year, securing a seat for the foreseeable future. Now, Carlos was a whole different story.

Most teams had begun announcing their driver line-ups for next year, some of them sticking with their current teams, some swapping and some drivers retiring after the last race at Abu Dhabi. Carlos hoped to hear from Fred, Ferrari's team principal, in the first few weeks of the season in regards of an extension; but everything had been too quiet from their end. They had even been avoidant of the subject when Carlos tried to bring it up, I was a witness of it. 

I quite honestly couldn't come to terms with the idea of working for Ferrari without having both of them there, so I chose to put the possibility behind me, try to forget it and focus on the current season, but it was an impending reality I had to accept. 

"Everything will work out Carlitos, I'm sure of it" I rose of my seat and jumped to the one next to him. "They wouldn't be dumb enough to let you go" I placed my hand on top of his and squeezed two of his fingers. 

He smiled warmly, his eyes depicting a certain sadness that was impossible to hide. 

"After all, they need someone to keep Charlie in check" I tried to lighten the mood "Someone's got to make the races tough for him" I added with a wink, successfully getting him to smile. I nudged him lightly and whispered "Everything is going to be okay Carlos, let's be patient, okay? The season is just beginning"