|Love 4 Apex| Lando Norris

🏎 16 - Music for a Sushi Restaurant

The soft glow of the restaurant's lanterns bathed the table in a warm light, contrasting with the thoughts buzzing in Rose's mind. She stared down at her chopsticks, twirling them absently, while Daniel sat across from her, eyes lighting up as he scanned the sushi menu.

"Alright, Rosie, I'm going all in. How about we get the chef's special?" Daniel asked, completely missing the way Rose was barely looking at the menu.

"Sure, sounds good," Rose mumbled, distracted.

Daniel glanced at her, his grin fading a little as he caught onto her mood. He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Still stuck on Lando, huh?"

Rose blinked, caught off guard by how easily Daniel could read her. "No, I'm not... I mean—" She let out a sigh, shaking her head. "It's just been a long day."

Daniel hummed in understanding, though his expression was knowing. He didn't push the subject, at least not yet. Instead, he shifted the conversation in a different direction. "Alright, then let's talk about Franco," he said casually, picking up a piece of sashimi with his chopsticks. "So, what's the deal with you two?"

Rose groaned inwardly, feeling her stomach tighten at the mention of Franco. She set her chopsticks down, leaning back in her seat. "Honestly, I don't even know anymore. That whole thing was... I guess it was a mistake."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, still chewing as he leaned in. "A mistake? Or just bad timing?"

Rose frowned, biting her lip. "Maybe both. I don't know what I was thinking. It wasn't supposed to be anything serious... just having some fun, that's all." She sighed, her thoughts swirling. "Franco was never on my radar like that—he's always just been a rival on the track, nothing more."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Franco? Casual? Come on, that guy doesn't do 'just fun.' From what I've seen yesterday, he's way more into you than that." He leaned back, studying her carefully. "But, seriously, how do you feel about it?"

Rose blushed, remembering the way Franco's eyes had locked onto hers that night, the wild energy between them. "It was... I mean, it felt like we were on the same page. It was fun, exciting even. But the morning after, it just felt... wrong. Like I'd crossed a line."

Daniel's teasing faded as his expression softened. He put his chopsticks down. "So what now? Are you going to talk to him, or are you avoiding him for the rest of the season?"

Rose sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know. He's already called me, but I didn't answer. I just... I think it's better if we don't make it more complicated."

Daniel leaned back in his seat, looking thoughtful. "Complicated? Rosie, you're in F1. Everything is complicated—relationships, media, all of it. You're not getting anything simple in this world."

Rose smiled weakly. "Yeah, I know. I just... I don't want more drama. I've got enough on my plate already."

Daniel gave her a small, sympathetic nod before taking another bite of sushi. "Fair enough. But don't be too hard on yourself. You're allowed to have fun, and you're allowed to make mistakes. Just make sure it doesn't throw you off your game."

He paused for a moment, something flickering in his eyes as he seemed to remember something. "Actually, Lando said something when you guys were going at it on the plane. Mentioned you dated Arthur Leclerc back in F2?" He raised an eyebrow, a grin tugging at his lips. "How come I didn't know about that?"

Rose shot him a wry look, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Probably because you were too busy winning races."

Daniel cracked up, shaking his head in disbelief. "Yeah, alright, I'll give you that. But come on, Arthur Leclerc? How did I miss that?"