GIMME!GIMME! | Lando Norris

Four ✨

One thing Isabela always craved in life was normalcy. It sounded almost silly, considering most people spent their lives running from it. But for her, maybe it was because she was the child of divorced parents, had no siblings to share traditions with, or felt like she didn't quite belong—whether in her homeland or the country, she'd called home for the past five years. The irony? She chose a career that promised anything but normalcy. It felt like living the mantra, "Born to be ordinary, forced to live on the edge."

This longing for normalcy was what Isabela used to justify the flutter in her chest whenever she thought about her late-night dinner with Lando three weeks ago. She almost laughed at the irony. Lando Norris was as far from "ordinary" as you could get. Yet that night, with its simple laughter and shared stories, felt grounding. It had been easier to avoid thinking about it since he'd gone back to Monaco. She'd been busy, and he wasn't due back until later next week.

Today, sunlight poured into her office, illuminating her cup of tea. Tea, not coffee—because if there was one thing Isabela disliked, it was the taste of coffee. Sipping carefully, she allowed the warm silence to fill her thoughts, grateful for her overloaded schedule that left little room for confusing feelings. Blame crushing easily on men a Libra type of thing.

Her morning started with a meeting in the main conference room. Steve stood at the front, discussing PR strategies for the upcoming season. The emphasis was on humanizing the drivers, making the audience feel a deeper connection. This meant more behind-the-scenes footage and more candid moments. Isabela's heart skipped a beat when Steve mentioned that she would be leading part of this new project, which meant more face time with both Lando and Oscar.

By mid-afternoon, Isabela was sitting in a cafe, cursing Ema in her mind for being late to their lunch meeting. Ema and Isabela met when the later moved to London to get her master's in PR and communication, the two girls were paired in the dorms and quickly became inseparable. And they used to do everything together - they even worked at a low-paying customer service job together at some point.

Then Ema met Petter and they fell in love Isabela moved closer to Woking to work for McLaren and now they only saw each other a few times a month when, by some miracle, both their schedules aligned. So, when her best friend called on Monday to tell her she needed to talk with her and asked if they could have lunch at Tiki's - a small café/bar close to MTC - Isabela could not refuse.

"Don't kill me—I got stuck in traffic!" Ema's voice burst through Isabela's thoughts, pulling a smile to her face. She stood to hug her friend tightly.

"You're lucky I missed you," Isabela said, settling back down as the waiter brought out their food. "I can't believe we only have an hour for this."

"I know, but it'll be worth it," Ema said with a sly grin.

Isabela's eyes narrowed. "You're being cryptic. Spill."

''So, remember how Peter and I were supposed to go to Italy last week but it got canceled because he had a work thing?''

''Yes, I do remember and I remember how upset you were about it and honestly, I love Peter but he needs to get his priorities in check. You are more important than any work things'' - she indeed loved Peter but he had a habit of not knowing when to put what first and it killed her every time the victim of his poor judgment was her best friend.

''Well, he took me out to dinner on Sunday to make up for it, and'' she held her hand out for Isabela to see showing a big diamond ring on her ring finger '' We are engaged!''

Isabela gasped and leaped up, accidentally knocking her glass over and soaking herself. But who cared? "OH MY GOD, YOU'RE ENGAGED!"

The café buzzed with laughter and curious glances as Isabela hugged Ema so tightly they both wobbled in their seats.

''I knew you would be happy and I wanted you to be the first person I told so that's why I came all the way here''

''I'm really happy for you and Peter, I can't wait to see the celebration of your love'' and she was making a huge effort not to cry ''Mom and Dad are finally getting married''

"And it won't be until October, so you have plenty of time to find a date—oh wait, you already have Lando Norris wrapped around your finger."

Isabela rolled her eyes, smiling. "We had dinner once, Ema. And it was payment for driving me home. I haven't even seen him since."

"If you say so." Ema's smirk suggested she wasn't convinced. "But on the topic of weddings, have you thought about your mother's?"

The shift in conversation was like a cold splash of water. Isabela's jaw tightened. Ema knew how fraught the topic was; her relationship with her mother was complex, to say the least. It was her father who had taught her to organize her life, mark calendars, and stick to routines. She wasn't ready to talk about her mother's remarriage.

"I thought we were here to celebrate you, not to hash out old arguments. Change the topic, or I'm leaving."

Ema held up her hands in surrender. "Fine. Let me tell you all about the proposal."

They spent the rest of their time lost in details about the engagement until it was time for Ema to head back to work and Isabela to return to her responsibilities.

💨🏎️💨

Back at her office, the evening dragged on with back-to-back Zoom calls and sponsor meetings. Isabela found herself finalizing a PowerPoint presentation for Steve, who had all the creative flair of a potato. She smiled at the thought, feeling like she was making a school project for a clueless parent.

A knock at her door snapped her back to the present.

"Come in," she called, expecting a janitor about to kick her out for working past hours.

Instead, Lando stood in the doorway, leaning casually with that trademark smirk.

"Isn't it a little late to still be here?" he teased.

Isabela's heart thudded. "You're one to talk. I thought you weren't back until next week."

"Car issues brought me back early," he said, stepping in. "But I saw your office light on and figured I'd see if it was really you still at it."

"Guilty as charged. I'm paying the price for taking an extended lunch today," she sighed.

He chuckled, eyes twinkling. "Consequences for your actions, huh? You're always so diligent."

"Yeah, yeah. So, what's up?" she asked, glancing at the clock.

"I wanted to ask if you had any plans this weekend," he said, his tone shifting to something more serious. "I could use some consulting help for my team, Quadrant. I saw on LinkedIn that you have experience in digital marketing, and... well, it'd be great to have your expertise."

She raised an eyebrow. "Did you just admit to stalking me on LinkedIn?"

"It's called being resourceful," Lando joked, though a slight blush betrayed him.

"Fine, but my rates are high," she said, feigning seriousness.

"I'd expect nothing less," he replied, laughter breaking the tension.

They ironed out the details, the conversation flowing easily, punctuated by laughter and glances that lingered a bit too long. And as Lando left, Isabela felt a smile tug at her lips, thinking that maybe she didn't mind living life a little outside the ordinary.