Tangled in Trophies- Lando Norris

7. Unexpcted suggestions

Clara perched in her office, leaning over her laptop as she scrolled through the engagement numbers on the latest magazine release. The photoshoot with Evangeline and Lando had taken off far better than she'd expected, with fans of both sports reacting positively to the unlikely pairing. People had enjoyed the carefree genuine interaction the two athletes had had, with fans even commenting requesting that they wanted more content of the two. As she reviewed the metrics, her phone buzzed with a new email: another inquiry about a possible follow-up feature. Smiling at the screen, she dialed Lando's number first. It would take some convincing, but Clara knew her pitch was good.

Lando had just got home after his flight back to Monaco, slouched on his couch with a coffee in one hand, scrolling through his phone bored and unsure of what to do for the rest of the day. Notifications from his Instagram had gone wild after the magazine feature with Evangeline—thousands of fans had left comments about the shoot, dissecting every moment and expression. He would've ignored it, but Clara had insisted he engage a bit more on social media to cultivate a "friendlier persona," so he made the effort to leave a few short replies.

When Clara's name flashed on his screen, he let out a sigh before answering. "Hey, Clara."

"Lando!" Clara's voice was bright, professional but tinged with a warmth she reserved for her closest clients. "How's the travel? Are home already?"

"Yeah, i got home an hour ago. Thought I could get some peace and quiet before a busy week but now here you are," he replied, his tone teasing as he smirked slightly.

Clara laughed. "I promise this is a good call. Have you been keeping up to speed with the response to the shoot with Evangeline?"

Lando shrugged. "Yeah, it's been all over my socials. Fans are crazy about it. But...you didn't call to talk about Instagram comments, did you?" He questioned really hoping there was a better reason for the interruption to his well.... peace.

"You know me too well." She grinned, then got down to business. "Given how popular the feature was, the magazine wants to do a follow-up. Something a bit more dynamic—more interaction between you two. They think it'll have a bigger impact."

"A follow-up?" Lando repeated, feeling an instinctive resistance. "I don't know, Clara. It was fun and all, but..." He trailed off, unsure how to articulate his reluctance without sounding rude. He enjoyed the short interaction with Evangeline but he wasn't sure it could be replicated, after all now both of them knew who each other was, with fans even noticing they now followed each other on social media.

Clara could sense his hesitation. "Look, I get it. It's not exactly your usual scene. But this could be big for both of you—especially with both the tennis season and F1 season picking up. The fans want to see more, and it wouldn't be anything overly staged. Just some friendly moments, you know? You guys share a really similar audience due to the nature of the sports, it would benefit the both of you."

"Friendly moments?" He repeated with a skeptical chuckle. "That's exactly it. I don't want it to come off as fake. Evangeline was cool, but I don't think either of us want to have to pretend to chemistry for a camera."

"That's fair, and honestly, that's why the shoot went so well. The natural vibe you two had was different from the usual staged stuff. I don't want to push you into anything uncomfortable, Lando. But maybe think about it? We wouldn't have to create a narrative, just—show a little more of the real you. Show the fans a bit of that connection."

Lando mulled it over, a part of him curious despite his reluctance. The previous shoot had been surprisingly relaxed, mostly because Evangeline hadn't treated him like a spectacle. That sense of normalcy had been rare and oddly refreshing. But would another round be the same, or would it feel more forced?