GIMME!GIMME! | Lando Norris

Five ✨

To say Isabela was a mixture of excited and anxious was an understatement. On the one hand, she was more than happy to go back to London, even if just for a few days; she loved that city with her whole heart and soul. On the other hand, she was anxious about meeting Lando and his friends.

In hindsight, saying yes to this trip was probably a terrible idea—it was never wise to cross the thin lines between work and personal life. But it was a nice change of pace to have plans for the weekend that she actually looked forward to. Plus, they weren't even friends yet. Was it wrong to give it a try?

Her phone vibrated on the counter, and she knew exactly who it was. Lando. She grabbed her bag and, taking one last look in the mirror, got out of the house to meet him. And there he was, leaning against his car—something Isabela would take time getting used to. The type of cars he drove, their luxury and sleek design, stood in stark contrast to the quiet street where she lived.

"Need a hand with the bag?"

"I think I can manage," she laughed as she approached him. "Where should it go?"

Without a word, he took the bag from her, placed it in the trunk, then came around to open the door for her. "Are you being this nice in hopes I'll give you a discount?"

"Of course not! I'm just being the gentleman you deserve," he said, feigning offense. "Do you think so little of me?"

"Not you—just men in general."

"Point taken," he laughed, starting the car and handing her the aux cord. "Here, I'm promoting you to passenger princess duties."

"I'm flattered," she smiled, plugging her phone in and pressing play on one of her more chilled playlists. "But I gotta say, if I'm going to be a passenger princess for an F1 driver, I hope you make this worth my while."

💨🏎️💨

As they pulled up at their destination, Isabella was stunned. Lando's London apartment, which she'd learned during the drive was also where they'd meet the rest of Quadrant and where she'd be staying, was gorgeous. He lived on the sixth floor of a tall building, and the view from his floor-to-ceiling windows was breathtaking. The open-concept kitchen, complete with marble countertops, was more sophisticated than anything she'd seen, and she couldn't help but marvel at it.

"This place is gorgeous, my god."

"My mom helped with the finishing touches," Lando admitted, smiling a little. "But in all honesty, this place never really felt like home."

The softness in his tone made her want to ask more, but before she could, the doorbell rang, and Lando stepped away to answer it. He returned a few seconds later with a grinning, easygoing guy she recognized as Max Fewtrell.

"Isabela, this is Max," Lando introduced them, and she extended her hand to shake his.

"Nice to meet you," she said, smiling.

"Ah, so this is the infamous Isabela!" Max teased, giving Lando a sly grin. "You're even prettier than he said—oh, don't look so embarrassed, mate!"

Lando groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Ignore him," he muttered, shooting Max a half-hearted glare. "You've just met him, and he's already doing this."

"Oh, I don't mind at all," Isabela replied, flashing a playful smile. "Lando's apparently been very generous with his words."

Max laughed, clearly enjoying Lando's discomfort, and motioned for them to head over to the living room. "Anyway, glad you're here! We're all looking forward to getting some help with our digital strategy. Lord knows we've needed a new perspective around here for a while."

The three of them settled in, laptops and notebooks spread across the coffee table, and quickly fell into a lively discussion. Isabela dove straight into ideas on audience engagement and content strategies, suggesting ways they could better connect with their fans on various platforms. Lando, at first, listened quietly, but soon he was contributing ideas of his own, sparking a creative back-and-forth between them.

Max watched, occasionally chiming in with ideas of his own, though mostly he seemed more interested in teasing Lando whenever he could. "See, this is why you should have brought her in sooner," he joked at one point, nudging Lando's shoulder. "We've had all these stale ideas, and now you're actually contributing, mate!"

Lando shot him a half-serious look. "Maybe I just needed the right company."

Isabela glanced over, catching his gaze for a second longer than she intended. She quickly looked down, smiling to herself.

As the conversation continued, Isabela could feel herself relaxing. There was something refreshing about being part of this dynamic group, where creativity and lightheartedness seemed to flow effortlessly. She made a note to suggest some of her other ideas in their next session, feeling a surge of motivation to help Quadrant grow its presence.

After about an hour, Max's phone buzzed, and he glanced at it with a grin. "All right, I don't mean to cut off this brainstorming session, but I have an idea."

"Oh boy, here we go," Lando muttered, rolling his eyes.

"No, listen!" Max protested, raising his hands in mock innocence. "I'm just saying, it's a Saturday night, and my lovely girlfriend has been waiting for me to confirm if we're all going out for dinner. What do you two think?"

Lando looked at Isabela, gauging her reaction, and she felt a small jolt of surprise. He looked like he was genuinely interested in what she thought. "I mean... I could use some food, for sure," she said with a grin.

"Perfect!" Max clapped his hands together, his grin widening. "Lando, you've done well. Bring her along, and we'll make a night of it. My girlfriend loves meeting new people—she's already prepared for girl-talk."

They wrapped up their work and soon headed out, Max leading the way as they walked through the streets of London. They arrived at a cozy Italian restaurant, its warm lights spilling onto the street, and were greeted by Max's girlfriend, Pietra, who seemed genuinely thrilled to meet Isabela.

"Oh, I've heard so much about you already!" she exclaimed, enveloping Isabela in a hug that took her by surprise. "I can't even imagine how exhausted how must be from spending so much time with these two"

They spent the evening sharing stories, Pietra - or P like she asked to be called - filling Isabela in on the more chaotic adventures of the Quadrant team and, of course, the duo Lando and Max. The dynamic around the table was relaxed and filled with laughter, and Isabela found herself genuinely enjoying every minute of it. Lando, seated beside her, was more attentive than she'd expected, making sure she had everything she needed and occasionally leaning in to make little jokes or comments that were just for her ears.

After they all said their goodbyes and parted ways, Isabela and Lando walked slowly back through the glowing streets of London. The city was alive, streetlights casting golden hues over the wet pavement, while distant laughter and music floated through the night air. The quiet between them felt peaceful, and Isabela suddenly felt a spark of spontaneity, a pull to show Lando what London felt like to her.

"Hey," she said, nudging his shoulder as they reached his building. "Feel like taking a detour?"

Lando raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Where to?"

"Let me show you London through my eyes." She gave him a playful smile, waiting for him to agree.

They shared a smile, and in that moment, she felt like maybe this trip to London was exactly what she'd been needing all along.