Rᴀᴄɪɴɢ Pᴜʙʟɪᴄɪᴛʏ | english

Chapter 12

Hippy-eyed, I walked through the entrance next to Lando. On the one hand, I was happy to see the others again, but I was also scared. Lando had taken me to Miami for a reason. The publicity would be really big here and we were right in the middle of it. I knew that some people wouldn't immediately label me as the Brit's girlfriend, but they would wonder why I of all people was at his side.

"There are the others up ahead," Oscar said when we arrived in front of the McLaren building. Let's see how long it takes them to recognise me at Lando's side.It was Wednesday, so there wasn't much going on yet, but the boys still had a meeting to go to. We'd see later what Lilly and I would do in that time, but knowing me, I wanted to see the track. I turned my back to the others so as not to be recognised immediately. Okay, I had possibly posted that I was on a plane, but I didn't say which one and where I was going.

Clari had already written to me but I left the message open. I wanted to tease her a bit. "Let's see how it turns out, but it's cool that the buildings are inside the stadium," I marvelled as I looked around. "Just wait and see when you see the track, it's really cool. You'll love it," Lilly laughed and I looked at her with a grin.

"Well, I'll be interested to see what the weekend brings," I smiled, but didn't notice that the others, who were standing a little to one side of us, were looking at us."I think I'm crazy!!! Ellie!!!," I suddenly heard and I turned round in a flash. Which was a mistake, because I lost my balance when someone jumped on top of me and I just about managed to hold on. Shocked, I looked at the person, but couldn't help laughing when I realised it was Clari. "Hello Schuhmacher," I greeted her as we broke away and the others came towards us.

"For fuck's sake! What are you doing here?," my best friend was still wondering as I looked at her with a grin. "I'd like to know that too," Mick said as he hugged me, George also took me in his arms. "Miss, I thought you had plans," the redhead complained, looking at Lilly with a grin. "Let's put it this way. I might have been persuaded a little to fly to the GP," I mumbled and Lando laughed.

"What, you were persuaded?," Mick asked me, confused, and I looked at Lando, who smiled mischievously at me. "Wait a minute! Miss Davies, are you cheating on Mercedes right now?," the Mercedes driver asked me in shock when he realised my allusion and now Lilly, the McLaren drivers and I could no longer contain ourselves. "Well George, your charm didn't quite win them over. The Papaya family is stronger," Lando grinned schematically and rested one hand on my shoulder.

Clari looked at me with different emotions. She no longer understood anything. I gave her a look to make her understand that I would explain everything to her later."Well, unfortunately you didn't turn up at my front door the day before departure and surprised me with a paddock pass, just like this Brit here, for which I still curse him," I said apologetically and looked at the Mercedes driver with a grin, while Lando couldn't get out of his grin.

"If I could tell my five-year-old self that I would be standing here on a track now, I don't think I would believe myself," I marvelled as Clari, Lilly and I decided to go over the track. Unfortunately, the boys all had a meeting that we weren't allowed to attend, so we decided to stretch our legs.

"The question is rather how did Norris persuade you to fly to Miami with 'him'? Because you don't really get down that quickly," came the question from the redhead and I laughed. She emphasised the 'him'. I knew this was coming. Lando and I had agreed what we would say if questions arose, otherwise no one would believe us.

"Apparently you whinged to the boys that I wasn't going to Miami either - that was the reason why he did it," I said, but Clari didn't let up. "More details please," she said and I looked at Lilly, who could only grin at me. That was Clari, she always wanted to know everything. "I don't know what made Lando do it, Clari. He wouldn't tell me either. I only know that when he suddenly stood outside my front door on Monday evening and held the passport under my nose," I started to tell him. "The only thing he said to me was that even if I said no, he'd drag me to the jet himself because he couldn't stand you any more and you should finally shut up," I lied and was able to give myself one for it.