the IT girl

The Podcast Question

Lando settled into the chair, adjusting the mic in front of him as the bright lights of the podcast studio cast a warm glow. He was a guest on The Race Review podcast, hosted by his good friends James and Will. The show was laid-back, a mix of racing talk, banter, and random questions that kept things interesting. He had been on the podcast before, but today felt different. He had a feeling it wasn't just going to be about racing.

James leaned in, a cheeky smile already forming on his face. "So, Lando, mate, how's life? Racing's been good, but we know there's more going on with you than just Formula 1, right?"

Lando chuckled, trying to keep it cool. "Yeah, yeah, everything's been pretty good. Keeping busy with races and all that."

Will jumped in, leaning toward the mic with a mischievous grin. "Come on, don't be shy, man. You've been making some interesting posts on Instagram lately."

Lando raised an eyebrow, playing it off like he didn't know where they were going with this. "Interesting? What are you talking about?"

James and Will exchanged a glance before James pulled out his phone and flashed it at Lando, showing him his own Instagram post from a few days ago. The picture was a close-up of two pairs of shoes—his worn-out sneakers next to a pair of dainty, black heels—set against the backdrop of a city street. The caption had been vague: "Good times with someone special."

Lando had known exactly what he was doing when he posted it, but he hadn't expected it to draw this much attention. Especially since nobody knew whose heels those were. Well, except him.

Will leaned in, grinning. "These shoes, Lando. Care to tell us whose they are?"

Lando smirked, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back in his chair. "It's just a fun post. You know, hanging out with a friend."

James wasn't letting him off that easy. "A friend, huh? Funny, because those heels definitely don't look like anything Carlos or Charles would wear."

The three of them burst into laughter, but Lando could feel the pressure mounting. He wasn't ready to reveal the truth yet—not to the world, not even to his friends. His relationship with Lily was still in its early stages, and they were both navigating how much of their personal lives they wanted to share with the public.

"Yeah, yeah, definitely not their style," Lando replied, still keeping it vague. "Let's just say it's someone I've been spending time with. That's all I'm gonna say for now."

Will raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Spending time, huh? Sounds like things are heating up off the track, too."

Lando chuckled, trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground. "You guys are too nosy, seriously. Can't a guy just have a private life?"

James and Will exchanged glances again, but they knew when to back off—at least a little. James leaned back, shrugging. "Alright, alright, we'll let you off the hook for now. But if those shoes show up in another post, we're calling it."

Lando laughed along, but his mind wandered to Lily. They hadn't talked about making anything public yet. She was private, guarded, and still working through her own issues. The last thing he wanted was to pressure her into something she wasn't ready for.

As the podcast continued, the conversation shifted back to racing, upcoming Grand Prix predictions, and some light-hearted banter about who would finish the season stronger. But even as they laughed and talked, Lando couldn't help but think about how much his life had changed in the past few weeks. Meeting Lily had stirred something in him he hadn't expected—something real.

When the recording ended and the microphones were turned off, James clapped Lando on the back as they stood up. "You're not getting away with that mystery forever, mate."

Lando smiled, grabbing his phone from the table. "Maybe, maybe not. We'll see."

As he walked out of the studio, Lando checked his phone. A new message had popped up from Lily:
Lily: How was the podcast? They didn't ask too many awkward questions, did they?

Lando grinned as he replied:
Lando: Let's just say they're very interested in shoes these days.
He added a winking emoji at the end and sent it, wondering how long they could keep this little secret between them. For now, it was theirs, and that felt like enough.