Death of a Bachelor (COMPLETED)

#34 Monaco

“I’ll be there tonight, Jester. Don’t worry, I’m not going to be late” Lewis assured, his voice calm but firm as he put the phone on speaker and tossed it onto the bed. His assistant, Jester, had been calling him relentlessly all morning, making sure everything was in order for tomorrow’s events in Monaco. Lewis, half-dressed and fresh out of the shower, chuckled to himself at how serious Jester could be when it came to race weekends.

He grabbed a fresh shirt from the closet and began packing his suitcase. His room was a bit of a mess, clothes strewn across the bed, a suitcase half-open on the floor, and towels carelessly draped over chairs. Normally, he was more organized, but today, his mind was a little scattered. His thoughts kept drifting to Simone, he will leave her again for another week and he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Sir Lewis, you know you’ve got the briefing tomorrow morning at 9 AM sharp, right?” Jester’s voice crackled from the phone, pulling Lewis back to the task at hand.

“Yeah, I know, man. I'm packing my things already and I’m leaving soon, promise” Lewis replied with a small grin, folding a few more shirts and tossing them into the suitcase. He could hear Jester’s exasperation on the other end, and it made him laugh quietly to himself. “You sound more worried about this than I am”

“That’s because I am more worried about it than you are!” Jester shot back, clearly stressed.

“I’m sorry man, You know I have responsibilities, and I can’t just ignore them. But I’m telling you right now, if something happens to her, I’ll skip the race. No hesitation.”

“God, you’re starting to annoy me” Jester muttered, though his tone softened with understanding. Lewis could almost picture him rolling his eyes in frustration. “I get it, I really do. You're in love! but Sir please just… make sure you get here on time. The team’s counting on you, and this is Monaco. It’s not just any race”

“Look, I’ll be there in a couple of hours, alright? And I’ll even be early” Lewis said with a smirk as he zipped up his suitcase, tossing it onto the bed beside the phone.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Jester let out a sigh. “Alright, alright. Just don’t make me more stressed. Monaco’s a big deal, and we’ve got media commitments before the race.”

He shook his head. “I’ve got it under control. I’ll see you tonight” he reassured, his tone softening as the call ended.

Lewis stood for a moment and stared at his packed suitcase. The room was quiet now, save for the distant hum of the city outside the window. He glanced out of the window, watching the golden rays stretch across the skyline, his mind wandering. The thought of leaving for Monaco without Simone tugged at him, the golden hour usually a time of calm reflection for him, felt bittersweet today.

“Everything alright?” Simone’s voice broke through the quiet, pulling Lewis from his thoughts. She stood in the doorway, wearing a kitchen apron smeared with traces of flour, her eyes filled with concern. The aroma of something baking in the oven lingered in the air, but her attention was entirely on him as he stood frozen, staring blankly out of the window.

Lewis blinked, snapping back to the present, and turned to face her. “Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine” he mumbled, though his voice lacked its usual energy. He offered her a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Simone wasn’t convinced. She took a few steps closer, wiping her hands on the apron, her gaze searching his face for answer. “You sure?” she asked.

He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair “I was just thinking… about you” he admitted, his eyes dropping to the packed suitcase sitting on the bed. He hesitated, his fingers fidgeting in the edge of his shirt.