Flight Attendant - Lando norris fanfic

14 - First date

I still couldn't believe I'd agreed to this—a date with Lando Norris. What on earth had possessed me to say yes? My reflection stared back at me, wide-eyed and doubtful, as I tugged at the hem of my dress for what felt like the hundredth time. It wasn't that I didn't want to go, it's just... Lando. Lando, with his easy charm, his cocky grin, and his ability to disarm me completely. I felt like I was preparing for battle, not dinner.

I'd picked a simple black dress, one that wasn't too fancy but still made me feel somewhat confident. Casual, but still... enough. I'd been stressing over it for the better part of an hour, and now I was running late. Typical.

When I finally arrived at the restaurant, there he was, leaning casually against the entrance, like he hadn't a care in the world. His dark jeans and navy sweater made him look effortlessly cool, and that crooked grin appeared as soon as he saw me. My heart did an annoying little flip.

"There she is," he said, his eyes sweeping over me in a way that made my skin tingle. "You look... wow."

I felt my face warm under his gaze and quickly tried to brush off the compliment. "It's just a dress," I said, trying to sound casual as if I wasn't completely aware of how much thought I'd put into it.

He grinned, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "Yeah, well, that dress is doing a lot."

"Let's not make this weird before we've even sat down," I shot back, laughing to cover my nerves.

Lando chuckled and opened the door for me, that trademark charm on full display. "Weird? Cordelia, I'm the epitome of smooth."

I gave him a skeptical look as we were led to a small, intimate table in the corner of the restaurant. "Debatable."

The candlelight cast a soft glow over the table, making everything feel more intimate than I was ready for. I was on edge, nervous about the evening, but also about him. Being with Lando was... complicated. I knew I was attracted to him, but letting my guard down around someone like him felt risky.

As we sat down, Lando immediately broke the tension with his easy humor. "You know, this might be the most normal thing I've done in months," he said, leaning back in his chair with that effortless swagger.

"Normal?" I raised an eyebrow. "You, Mr. Formula 1 superstar, doing something normal? I doubt it."

He laughed, shaking his head. "I swear, I do normal things sometimes. Like eating dinner, for example."

I rolled my eyes, smirking. "So, what's the most un-normal thing you've done lately?"

"Oh, let's see..." He leaned back, thinking for a moment. "Last week, I did have the chance to drove David Beckham."

I blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Dead serious," he said, with an exaggeratedly serious expression. "It was mad."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're ridiculous."

"Ridiculously charming, I know," he quipped, flashing that playful grin again.

As we ordered our food and settled in, the conversation flowed easily. We traded light-hearted stories at first—Lando telling me about the chaos of his racing schedule and the weird situations he'd found himself in. I found myself laughing more than I had in a while, which made me feel a little more at ease.

But as the evening wore on, our conversation deepened, and I saw a different side of him. Lando leaned forward, his expression softening, as he opened up about the pressures of fame, the constant scrutiny, and the toll it took on him.

"Sometimes," he said, swirling his drink, "it feels like no one actually sees me. They see the driver, the celebrity, but not... me."

I studied him for a moment, feeling my chest tighten with sympathy. I hadn't expected this level of vulnerability from him, and it made me see him in a different light. "That must be hard," I said softly. "Always having to live up to this... image."