Fast pacing | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 2: Diving deeper

I woke up the next morning with a slight headache, having had more red wine than I could handle at our dinner the night before. I don't even know why I drank so much. Perhaps the strange situation with the racer earlier influnced me on a deeper level. I still couldn't come to terms with the fact that this man was so arrogant and behaved so horribly to me and the same time was so charming. He must act like that with all his fans. Unbelievable. But why am I even still thinking about him?!

I told my mom that I wouldn't be able to go with them to the third Free practice, as I couldn't imagine combining that headache with the horrible heat and possibly meeting the unfriendly man. She, or rather my dad, insisted that I get a good rest for the rest of the morning so that I could at least join them for Qualifying because he thought that was the most interesting part of the whole weekend. Did I want to go? I didn't. But was I going to do it for Dad and Uncle Fred? Absolutely yes. I drank an Analgin and fell back asleep, hoping the pain in my head would have magically disappeared once I woke up.

I slowly opened my eyes and grabbed my phone to check what time it was. 2:30 p.m.! It couldn't be. I had less than an hour to straighten up and get there. I got in the shower and while showering I tried to fully wake up as I was still under the effects of the nap. I put on light makeup, lifted my hair, letting two strands fall around my face. I put on straight blue jeans and a white top.

I looked in the mirror a few times, turning around a few more times to make sure I looked okay. Okay, but for who? I rolled my eyes at myself, grabbed my bag, and walked out. Waiting for me out front was the rental car my dad had provided. He must have been joking! In front of me was a brand new black Ferrari Daytona SP3. I had no time to waste, so I just sighed and got in, then immediately started the engine. To be honest, it felt wonderful. My dad probably knows me more than I know myself and always knew how much this car would suit me. I smiled at that thought and headed for the track.

As I parked my car in the lot I tried to ignore the thousands of stares I managed to attract. Actually, not me, but the car. I walked out and quickly ran to the entrance with the idea of not attracting any more attention. I walked in and with a quick stride I dashed towards the Ferrari garage where I hoped to quickly find my people.

I was so focused on not being a minute late that I didn't look to see if there was a person across the place as I turned the corner and entered the garage. That was the moment I bumped into someone. I startled and looked up as the guy was taller than me. I can't believe that fate literally collided me with him. "You again?!" he said irritably, rolling his eyes and walking casually around me to go to his car. I can't believe he's acting so arrogant again! How could he possibly be so horrible! But there was no denying that he was also truly charming - the eyes, the lips, the hair. There was some magnetizing charm that seemed to hit me right on the heels when he looked at me. I hadn't felt that way about someone before. To simultaneously loathe him and yet seek his gaze.

I finally managed to find the others in the lounge. I got a coffee and sat next to my dad, who was explaining the idea of the Quali and the purpose of the three rounds. This time I had my eyes glued to the screen and was much more focused than yesterday. Now I had a goal. I wanted to see him. Honestly, I didn't care if he qualified first or was eliminated in the first round. I just wanted to see his eyes, which were affecting me in a way I'd never felt before. Shivers raced through my body as I rewound the tape to our two quick and unexpected encounters.

The qualification ended and I went to look for uncle. I saw him talking to someone, so I stood and waited patiently for them to finish. However, he saw me and gestured with his hand for me to go to him. I smiled and went to him, and he hugged me gently. At that moment, I also saw who his conversation partner was - Mr. Beautiful Eyes. He was extremely confused and it showed in his look. Uncle Fred noticed too and hurried to introduce me, "Charles, meet my greatest weakness, my niece Sophia." Charles smiled lightly and took my hand, me expecting us to shake hands, but he brought it to his lips and kissed my knuckles gently. "Nice to meet you, Sophia." What a dork! He was only acting like that because he realized his boss was my uncle. I rolled my eyes and smiled slightly. "Good luck at the race tomorrow." I told him dryly. "I'll dedicate my win to you." he said, smiling and winked at me. How could he be so cocky. He was going to start from the second row. There were much faster racers ahead of him. How was he ever going to make it to first place? I rolled my eyes at him and waited for him to go away so I can finally talk with my uncle.

A little later it was time to go home. My parents and uncle decided it was a great idea to go out to dinner again. However, I refused them as I preferred to stay in the hotel and watch a movie. After my mother's long and agonizing speech that we were all in this together and it was important to spend every moment together now, my father convinced her that I was old enough and on my own to decide what I wanted to do. I headed for the parking lot where my car was, as it appeared that the others had arranged van transportation and needed to leave by another exit.

As I walked towards my car I noticed a man walking around it and looking at it in detail. I was a little worried as there were hardly any people around anymore. What if it was a thief? I didn't want to just give him the keys to avoid getting killed. But then again, I had no way to defend myself. As various scenarios raced through my head, I began to recognize the silhouette of the man as I approached. Charles. What on earth was he doing next to my car?

"Hey, what are you looking at?" I said as I approached. I expected him to flinch since his back was to me, but he didn't. He turned slowly towards me and when he saw me he smiled slightly. "I can't believe anyone has managed to get the same as mine. They assured me it was special craftsmanship." he said, fully focused on the subject. I chuckled slightly, because now was the time for me to be the one to shut him up. I pulled the keys out of my small bag and clicked the remote to unlock the car. He looked at me quizzically and very quickly warmed up to the fact that I was the one who owned the car. "Pretty good ride, to be honest." I said victoriously and opened the driver's seat door. "You surprise me." he said and laughed lightly, following me and standing to the side so I could see him in all his glory. I shrugged casually and told him quite confidently, "I'm full of surprises."

Then I started the engine and drove off. I sighed heavily and quietly repeated my last sentence out loud, only to realize how ridiculous I was acting. What was happening to me? Why was I talking like that when I was around him. This wasn't me, so what could a boring girl like me surprise him with. "Goddamn, Sophia, why are you like this!" I whispered to myself.

I ordered room service - my favorite truffle pasta. I changed into my comfy pajamas, removed my makeup and put my hair up in a casual bun. Before I put on some Netflix movie, I googled for information on the rules and goals in Formula One, and I'm ashamed to admit, but I also googled for Charles. I wanted to find out more about him. I'm glad we lived in a time where typing someone's name into the internet was enough to learn more about them. I couldn't imagine questioning him face to face.To be honest, I looked at more pictures of him than I read on Wikipedia, but even that was enough for me. I also found out from gossip sites that he had broken up with his girlfriend about a year ago, but had been spotted in the company of several different ladies since then. Typical playboy.

Eventually I found out from F1 fan pages that there is a documentary series on the sport on Netflix. I put on episode 1 and completely immersed myself in the stories of the various racers. I also saw Charles when he was younger - he was charming and cute then too, but now... Now he was a big man radiating real hot sex appeal. I stared at the big screen on the wall as if I were in a trance. Eventually the evening ended for me after watching the entire first season. I can't believe I didn't fall asleep, on the contrary - I even managed to build on my knowledge of the sport even more. I already couldn't wait for tomorrow to come so I can watch the race.