Pit Stop [LANDO NORRIS]

10

AVERY

It's later that night, and I'm wandering around the hotel, my mind still buzzing from everything that's happened today. I'm trying not to think about it too much. The way Lando looked at me this morning, the smile he sent my way when we were in the paddock... it's all replaying in my head over and over again. I can't help it. It's just him. And everything feels a little different now.

I check my phone—no messages yet, but I'm sure Lando's probably busy with something. Just as I'm starting to lose myself in thought, my phone buzzes.

It's a message from him:

Lando: "Hey, you free? Want to go for a walk?"

My heart skips. I glance at the time. It's already pretty late, but I'm not going to say no. Not to him. I type back quickly:

Avery: "Sure. I'll meet you in the lobby."

A few minutes later, I'm standing by the hotel entrance, my hands tucked into my jacket. The cool night air feels nice, especially after the stuffy, busy atmosphere of the paddock all day. And then I see him—Lando, walking toward me in a hoodie, his hands in his pockets, looking effortlessly casual.

"Hey," he says, a little out of breath from the quick walk, his eyes lighting up when he sees me. "You ready to escape the madness for a bit?"

I grin. "Definitely. It's nice to get away from all the noise."

We fall into step, walking through the quiet hotel gardens. The paths are lined with trees and dim lights that cast a soft glow on the greenery around us. The only sound is the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze. It's peaceful. I'm not used to being in a place like this with him, outside the confines of the paddock, the noise of the races, and the constant pressure. Here, it's just... us.

"So," he says after a while, breaking the comfortable silence, "today was... interesting."

I glance over at him, catching that familiar playful twinkle in his eye. "You could say that."

He laughs quietly, his hand brushing against mine for a second as we walk. It's an accidental touch, but it makes me feel like my heart's in a race of its own. I glance at him quickly, biting back a smile.

"You know," he says, his voice a little softer now, "I've been thinking about last night. And... well, everything. I don't want this to be a one-time thing. Like I hope you know that like, I meant what I said when I said you were amazing, and everything last night, I don't know, it kind of feels like, maybe you're more than what I thought. You know what I mean?"

I'm not sure what I was expecting to hear, but the way he says it, with that careful honesty, makes my stomach flutter. I stop walking for a second, facing him.

"You're serious?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nods, giving me that warm, easy smile of his. "Yeah. I mean, I know it's all a bit... unexpected. But I like spending time with you, Avery. And I don't know, I'm not like wanting to call it anything or move too fast, but I also don't want you getting the wrong idea and thinking I'm not like... interested." 

There's a moment of silence between us, and my heart is pounding in my chest. I feel this nervous excitement all at once. It's crazy how quickly this has escalated, but at the same time, it feels right.

"But..." Lando says, his smile turning a little more serious. "We need to set some rules. You know, with everything going on. My job, your dad... It's not going to be easy if we want to keep this between us for a while."

I nod, knowing exactly what he means. It's not like we're just two people in a random hotel. He's a driver, and my dad's the team principal. The pressure of keeping this secret? That's a big deal.

"So, no one can know," I say, raising an eyebrow, waiting for him to confirm.

He grins, the playful glint in his eyes returning. "Not yet. We keep it low-key. Just between us. We can't really interact much in person. No secret texts in the middle of meetings." That one he sends a wink my way, "I think we just need to be careful, is all I'm saying" 

I laugh at that, rolling my eyes. "You're a lot more dramatic about this than I thought."

He shrugs, pretending to be serious. "It's a high-stakes situation. I don't need to be fighting off the press and your dad's glare all at once." he chuckles. 

I nod, agreeing. "Okay, deal. We keep it quiet for now. But..." I pause, giving him a teasing smile. "We can keep with the private meetings, yeah?"

He laughs, a bit louder this time, and his eyes soften. "Oh, trust me, I'm counting on it."

We continue walking, the sound of our footsteps mixing with the distant hum of the night. Everything feels lighter now, even though there's this underlying tension about the secret we're keeping. But I don't mind. I feel like I'm walking on air, and with Lando by my side, it's easier than I ever thought it would be.

"Seriously, though," I say after a few minutes, glancing sideways at him. "You really want to see where this could go?"

He glances at me, his face softer than usual, his expression more sincere. "Yeah. I do. You're fun, Avery. You've got this... energy that's hard not to like. And you're not like anyone else I've met in this world." He pauses, looking down for a moment, and when his eyes meet mine again, there's a quiet intensity to them. "I want to see where this can go. I want to see how it feels without all the pressure of everything else."

My heart skips. "I like that. I really do."

He smiles, and we walk a little further in comfortable silence, the tension between us gradually fading as we get more comfortable with the idea. It feels like this is the beginning of something—something real, something that could turn into more. We're taking it slow, but there's this undeniable spark between us that I'm not sure either of us can ignore.

When we finally get back to the hotel entrance, the soft night air still clinging to us, Lando stops and turns to face me. "Well," he says, running a hand through his hair. "I guess this is where we say good night."

"Yeah," I agree, feeling a little sad that our walk is over. But there's this warmth in my chest, something I can't quite explain.

He grins, leaning in slightly, his voice low but playful. "Good night, Avery. And remember—no one can know. But I'll be thinking about you."

I laugh, shaking my head at how flirty he's being. "I'll be thinking about you too."

Then, in a surprising moment of sweetness, he leans in and kisses my cheek, lingering for just a second before pulling away. "Sweet dreams," he says softly, his eyes meeting mine.

"You too," I whisper back, my heart fluttering all over again.