Ice and asphalt [Charles Leclerc]

45

"Tell me again why we're doing this?" I ask my mom, crossing my arms as we stand in the middle of a sunlit dance studio. "Because Latin dance is fun!" she replies, grinning, as Pascale chuckles beside her. I sigh, already feeling the heat of the sun on my skin and wishing we were still lounging outside. "Well, I was enjoying the sun. That's fun too, you know," I mutter, not really in the mood to dance. "Don't whine," Pascale says with a smile. "You're a good dancer. It's us you need to worry about."

I roll my eyes, knowing that this private lesson means I'll actually have to try. My mom and Pascale, not so much. And since there aren't any men on this trip with us, I assume we'll be paired with professional dancers, which means no slacking. My hip's in decent shape, so as long as there's no jumping involved, I can manage. But I'll definitely have to pace myself—I don't want to risk aggravating the injury.

As we wait for the instructor to return, I stretch out on the floor, trying to loosen up my hip. Just as I stand, I glance at my dance partner and blink in surprise. "Theo?" I ask, my eyes locking onto the blue-eyed man in front of me. "Louise," he responds, flashing me a small smirk. I laugh in disbelief. "I didn't know you were a dancer."

"You didn't exactly give me the chance to tell you," he says with a chuckle as he takes my hand and leads me toward the middle of the dance floor. He's right—I hadn't given him the chance. It had been a little awkward since he asked me out back when I was with Max. Not that I'm going out with him now, though. Sure, he's handsome, but he's not Charles. And I'm very much with Charles.

"So, what are you doing in Spain? I thought you'd be back torturing people at the physio," I tease, the familiar banter making me feel at ease as we move around the room. The dance instructor must've known I could dance because Theo seems to have gotten instructions to just go with the flow, while my mom and Pascale are being taught step-by-step. He laughs lightly. "I'm allowed a vacation too, Louise."

"You're from Spain?" I ask, a little surprised. His internship had been in Nice, so I never considered that he might be local to this area. "Yeah," he replies, smiling wider. I smirk back at him, feeling the energy of the dance lighten the mood. "You're more interesting than I thought, Theo." He lets out a louder laugh, which catches the attention of both my mom and Pascale, who glance over with curious smiles. I bite my lip, trying not to laugh too as we continue to move gracefully across the floor.

As we twirl and step, Theo adds, "You know, I didn't expect to run into you like this. Small world."

"Yeah, very small world," I say, now more relaxed in the flow of the dance. "You're definitely good at this, though." He gives me a playful wink. "I try." We dance for a bit longer, my mom and Pascale now fully immersed in their own steps. The music fills the room, and I find myself enjoying the rhythm more than I expected.

"How's your hip holding up?" Theo asks, his voice softer, more concerned. "It's fine," I assure him. "Still have to be careful, though."

"Good. Just don't push it too much," he advises with a smile, but there's a hint of professional caution in his tone. As the song comes to an end, we stop and I feel a sense of accomplishment. It's been a while since I've danced like this, and I can't deny it's refreshing, even if it's just for fun. As we head to take a quick water break, Theo leans in slightly.

"You're still with Charles, right?" he asks, his tone casual but curious. I nod, feeling a slight flush. "Yeah, I am."

"Figured," he says, his smile not fading. "Just wanted to make sure I wasn't about to step on any toes." I laugh softly. "You're safe." As we grab our water bottles, I catch my mom and Pascale smiling over at me, clearly enjoying watching us interact. I can't help but smile back. Today might've started off with me wishing to be in the sun, but now I'm glad I was dragged into this.