GIMME!GIMME! | Lando Norris

SIX ✨

London was the one place in the world—at least in the part of the world Isabela had seen—that felt like home. It didn't matter if she was short on money, time, or company; London always felt like somewhere she could find her way. Tonight, maybe it was the two extra cocktails she'd had with Pietra, or maybe it was just the moment, but looking at Lando's face illuminated by the city lights, she knew she didn't want the night to end here.

That's how she found herself pulling him along by the hand, winding through the quieter backstreets in the city center, her steps purposeful. Despite the alcohol's warmth, she wasn't careless—she was very aware she was roaming around with someone so recognizable.

"So, you're taking me to a 24/7 grocery store?" he asked, bemused as she stopped in front of a small, nondescript storefront.

She turned to face him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Will you just trust me? I promise you're going to love this place."

Holding his hand, she led him further into the shop, up to a door with an electronic lock. She keyed in a pin, and, as if by magic, the door swung open, revealing a narrow staircase leading up.

"Are you sure you're not bringing me here to kill me?" Lando's tone was playful, but his expression was one of mock suspicion.

Isabela laughed, looking back at him as she took the first steps up. "Positive. Although, if that was my plan, I wouldn't exactly tell you straight up, would I?"

"Very funny, Izzy." He followed her, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

At the top, she gestured toward a cozy table tucked by a window overlooking Trafalgar Square, the city lights flickering in the distance. Lando sat down as she slipped over to the bar and returned with two drinks.

He took the orange-colored drink she handed him and looked around, his gaze taking in the cityscape. "I see I need to stop judging books by their covers. This place is really cool."

Isabela grinned, her eyes shining as she settled across from him. "Best view in town, best cocktails that don't break the bank, and every once in a while, they throw in a killer karaoke night. What's not to love?"

Lando took a sip, his eyes fixed on her. "How did you even find this place?"

"The grocery shop downstairs is real—it has regular customers and everything. Ema and I used to come by for snacks, and we became friends with Mrs. Puentes, one of the 'Abuelas.' She liked us enough that she eventually made her grandson give us the code."

Lando chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Not quite the backstory I was expecting, but I like it."

Isabela put on a mock-offended look, narrowing her eyes playfully. "What, you think hanging out with a grandma isn't cool?"

"Never said that!" He held up his hands in surrender, a grin spreading across his face. "I take back anything bad I might've implied about grandmas."

She laughed, and he joined in, the sound of their voices filling the warm space between them. After a moment, he tilted his head, a look of quiet curiosity in his gaze. "Did you come here a lot?"

Isabela looked down at her drink, swirling it thoughtfully. "Yeah. When Ema started dating, I was on my own a lot, so this was kind of my safe space. I used to know everyone who worked here, even down to my usual drink order. It's... it's an important place to me."

Lando nodded, his expression softening with understanding. "I get that. It's nice to have a place that makes you feel safe—like you're really seen."

She smiled, her heart warmed by the sincerity in his voice. "You're actually the first person, besides my best friend, that I've brought here."

For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, the sounds of the city muted around them. Then, almost instinctively, Lando reached across the table and took her hand, giving it a small, reassuring squeeze.

💨🏎️💨

As they strolled back through the quiet streets, Isabela felt herself relax completely. Something about being with Lando, seeing him outside of his public persona, was refreshing. They wandered without a destination, passing by street vendors closing shop and neon lights flickering off for the night.

''What do you think you would be doing if you weren't an F1 pilot?'' she asked, looking up at him with a hint of mischief.

''Either horse riding'' He glanced at her, suppressing a grin as she stifled a snort. '' or working with my father. What's so funny about horse riding miss?''

''It's just that I never pegged you as being a horse girlie you know?'' She giggled, shaking her head. ''Your father is a nice person by the way''

''I know, he and my mom have been there from the start —- from karting to F1 they have been there from the start'' his face sporting a small smile ''But What about you if you weren't doing Marketing for McLaren what would you be doing?''

''Quite frankly I don't know'' She shrugged, a touch of wistfulness in her eyes. ''Since I was old enough to understand what being a grown-up entails, I've always wanted to work with motorsport — I guess I could have been a mechanical engineer like my father but I never felt the calling''

''Your father is a mechanical engineer? How come he isn't already working with us? I could talk at the garage, see if we could get him a spot''

''Easy there tiger, that's all very cool but unless you know how to bring people from the dead I don't think it would work'' She smiled gently, the look softening her features. ''He died when I was fifteen or else trust, we would be working together for sure''

''I'm so sorry to hear that, I feel like an idiot'' A look of regret flashed across Lando's face. ''I bet he is proud of you, whatever he is I'm sure''

''It's ok, it's not like you knew and it's not a sensitive topic for me anymore'' She sent him a reassuring smile and gave his hand a small squeeze, with the easy conversion, she didn't even notice they were already at the front door to his building ''I like to think that, every time I get something I worked really hard for, it's my father that helped me get it — like he whispered my name in Zack's hear and that's why he gave me the PR position, it makes it so I feel him closer to me''

''That's a nice way of seeing things but I hope you know that you deserve every opportunity you've got so far'' he gave her one last look before turning to open the door to his apartment ''And we are home''

''Home for the weekend that is'' she smile at him, like a fool ''Thank you for tonight and for listening''

"If anyone should be thanking someone, it's me." He smiled, his gaze steady on her. "I don't often get to feel like myself. But tonight, wandering around with you, I felt... free."

They stood in silence, neither quite ready to let go of the night. Before she could lose her nerve, Isabela rose on her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Good night, Lando."

He returned her smile, a warmth in his eyes she hadn't seen before. "Good night, Izzy."

And as she lay in bed that night, her heart fluttering, she couldn't shake the feeling that this year—this chance meeting, this blossoming connection—was about to change everything.