VIPER || Oscar Piastri

Chapter 46

[POV: Narrator]

The second they stepped inside, Oscar and Andi were hit with the thick, unmistakable heat of too many people crammed into one small space. The music could be heard from down the hall, shaking the walls, and the air smelled like a combination of spilled drinks, sweat, and someone's disgustingly strong cologne.

Probably Lando's.

Oscar brought his hand to his nose and held it there as he walked in while Andi looked at him strangely. It didn't faze her— she was used to this.

"AND-AAAAAA-AY!"

"Oh, Christ—"

Before the girl could fully register what was happening, a pair of arms wrapped around her in a crushing hug.

Daniel.

"Hey, Danny, what—"

"Is that Andi? IS THAT ANDI?!" Another voice yelled from deep within the crowd of people blocking the hallway. She barely had time to brace herself before Lando appeared— shoving past people, slightly out of breath, sweat dotting his forehead, a wild look on his face.

He gripped her shoulders, pushing Daniel away. "You. Are LATE. People are in MY bathroom. I need them OUT."

Andi sighed, exchanging a glance with Oscar, and just raised a brow, like she'd seen this coming. "Here we go," she muttered, already being dragged away by Lando as he continued his rant: "Seriously, a man can't DJ on a full bladder. People don't think!"

Andi just tuned him out as they weaved through the crowd, already mentally preparing herself for whatever ridiculous mess she was about to deal with.

*

Meanwhile, Oscar lingered back. He wasn't exactly the life-of-the-party type. He did drink, just not before work. He didn't do the whole dancing on tables thing, and he definitely didn't care for these kinds of overcrowded fuctions.

So, instead, he found himself in the kitchen, leaning against the counter while people filtered in and out, occasionally offering him a drink—which he politely refused every time.

Then, suddenly—

Andi stormed in.

It'd been a while since she'd been dragged away by the host, and Oscar hadn't expected to see her so—

Out of breath?

She didn't say anything at first, just grabbed a shot from the counter and threw it back in one swift motion.

Oscar blinked. "Woah—you said you weren't drinking?!"

She exhaled sharply, slamming the empty glass down.

"Change of plan." She wiped her mouth, then met his eyes, her expression set with determination. "Operation investigate is a-go."

And before he could even ask what the hell that meant, she grabbed another shot and downed it just as fast.

"What?? Andi, you can't just say—"

But she was already gone, disappearing back into the crowd without another word.

After a while of contemplating, he peered out from the kitchen and saw it the moment he stepped into the main room—Andi, on the sofa with Charles, drinks in their hands, talking.

Guess he did come after all, then.

At first, it looked fine. Normal, even. Charles leaned back, talking smoothly while Andi gestured animatedly, laughing at something he said.