Dopamine | Adrenaline Book Two

34- Favoritism

Unlike most of the other drivers, including Charles himself, Max owned his own private jet. It featured a livery emblazoned with his unmistakable logo, painted in red against a grayish background. This distinctive design made it easily stand out among the sea of white private jets crowding the airport area.

Max often took a few of his teammates or other drivers on his flights, offering them a free ride to their next destination. So, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to his flight crew to see Charles join them this time. The Ferrari driver had been on private jets before—he didn't own his own but was usually sponsored by companies to fly with them. Those jets, however, didn't compare to Max's. For a moment, he wondered if the price of a jet was worth it but quickly brought himself back down to reality. Charles was by no means struggling, but the maintenance of a jet wasn't a cost that would go unnoticed for him. Max still was, by far, more well-paid than him.

"Mr. Verstappen, welcome onboard," one of the pilots greeted as Max climbed aboard through a small set of stairs.

"Hey, Thomas, how's it looking today?" Max asked as he walked further into the plane's luxurious corridor, setting his bags down.

"Clear skies. We're expecting a ten-hour flight to Spain, where we'll stop to refuel before heading to Abu Dhabi."

"Sounds good. This time it's just me and Charles," Max said, pointing to Charles, who had followed him inside.

"He's a driver too, isn't he?" the co-pilot asked.

"Yeah," Max smiled, nearing the two crew members. "He won today." The blond pointed back at Charles, his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.

"We have some champagne if you want," the flight attendant offered as she quickly moved to the bar area.

"Do you want some?" Max asked Charles.

At the mention of his win, Charles couldn't help but blush. He wanted to say that it was thanks to Max but knew it would sound confusing to anyone but them. Instead, the brunette nodded. "Yes, please. I didn't get much of a chance to celebrate. A little makeshift one might be nice," he accepted the offer with a smile and followed behind Max.

"I've known you this long, and this is the first time you're offering me a flight?" Charles teased as he grabbed his champagne glass, trying to ease his own nerves now that the sexual tension had eased. "I heard Lando has been here a few times," he added with a playful nudge, though the awkwardness of the moment made him question whether his words were more about jealousy or genuine curiosity.

Max chuckled, taking a sip of his champagne. "Yeah, Lando's used to be a frequent flyer. I suppose I've been a bit selective about who I invite. Didn't want to overdo it, you know?"

Charles raised an eyebrow, his smile widening. "Selective, huh? I see. So, what's the criteria for an invitation?"

Grabbing his own glass, Max thanked the flight attendant and moved to the back of the jet to take a seat, while the pilots prepared for takeoff. "Yeah, we fuck every time he flies with me," Max said, attempting to keep a serious face. His composure cracked almost immediately, and he burst into laughter. "I'm kidding," he confessed between chuckles, taking a sip of his drink before adjusting his seat belt. "We never did anything."

Taking a sip of the champagne, Charles tried to calm his nerves, knowing that he had a tendency to spill out all his thoughts when he was unsure of something and doing his best to prevent that.

"Max," Charles whispered as he took the seat next to him, his gaze locking with Max's blue eyes. He knew he was on the verge of saying something but was interrupted when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.