Merry McLaren Christmas | Lando Norris

The Manor

The venue of this year's party was a huge manor just outside of Woking. The front was brightly lit with colored lights and draped with Christmas decorations. It looked like a house straight from Home Alone set, but roughly ten times its size. There was an long driveway that ended in a loop in front of the entrance. I made sure to go slow on the gravel. Not that picking up the pace was in any way necessary or possible. We joined the long line of very expensive-looking cars that was slowly making its way up to the building. Immediately, we were swarmed with photographers, and in this slow moving train there was no way to escape them. Luckily, I immediately recognized them as professionals hired specifically for the event. In contrast to paparazzi, they stayed quiet and kept their distance while their cameras flashed around us. Lando noticed me tense up and took hold of my hand. Over the years, he had gradually gotten used to the attention, but anyone who knew him well, knew that it had taken him some effort. He talked to me to keep me distracted and I began to feel at ease. Then, we heard a horn behind us. The two of us swung around to see a large cabrio pull up. The sparkling black vehicle was stuffed to the brim with a group of men we knew all too well - Lando's mechanics. The car, which was clearly designed for five passengers, now held nine grown men in suits. It was a sight to behold. We burst out laughing and Lando waved. A few of the guys jumped out and made their way over to us, their neat shoes crunching in the gravel. "Well, well, well, Lando, being driven around by the lady, I see?" one said and the others whistled in response. They nudged Lando teasingly. He just smiled at his lap. These guys were not only his colleges, they were his friends. There was never a dull moment with these guys around and I had liked them from the very first time I had met them in the paddock. I could tell they liked me too, they joked with me and made sure I was included in conversation whenever I was around. "Pfew, you clean up nice, don't you!" another one of the guys said as he made his way around the car to my side. "Oh, this old thing," I responded, ruffling my skirt, "it's nothing, really." I smiled at him as he rested his elbow on my door. He brought his face down towards my ear and whispered, loud enough so Lando could still hear him, "he's a really lucky lad, him. Make sure you tell him enough. Sometimes us men tend to be quite blind to those kinds of things." I playfully raised my eyebrows at Lando and he laughed, "oh don't you worry about that, I can see perfectly fine," he said as he took hold of my hand and winked. I winked back and mouthed "I love you." He squeezed my hand in response.

When we finally pulled up at the entrance of the manor, Lando handed me my heels. "You ready?" he asked. I blew out some air and then nodded, fastening the straps around my ankles. I took one last glance at myself in the rearview mirror, tucking some strands of hair behind my ears, and opened my door. Lando was already there to help me out of the car. The moment I stood up straight, a young man approached us. He didn't say a word or make eye-contact with either of us. I had no idea what was expected of me, but luckily Lando caught on. "He needs the keys," he whispered. "Oh! Right! Sorry," I stuttered as I handed the keys over to the man. He took them, nodded and waited for us to move away from the car before getting in and starting the engine. I hummed in its tune. Lando snickered and slipped his arm around my waist, hugging me close to his side. We took the steps up to the front door. The bouncer waiting at the door recognized Lando immediately and gestured for us to pass.

I had to squint as we entered the lobby. The entire hall was decorated with lights and ornaments. The lights reflected agressively in the marble walls and floor, making the room too bright for comfort. "Jeez," Lando grunted, as he lifted his hand to cover his eyes "I could use a pair of sunglasses in here. Come on." He nudged my back and we dribbled across the room towards a tall doorway, the clicking of my heels echoing around us. The sound of violins and a piano caught my attention when we reached the double doors. We came to a halt and inspected the adjacent room. It was a huge space, filled with tables and decorated to look like a winter wonderland. I looked down at my feet and saw that the floor was covered in white confetti, making it look like it was covered in snow. "Pfff," I let out a sigh in amazement, "they did NOT hold back on this place." I scanned the dimly lit room and took in all the tiny little details; from the snowflakes dangling from the ceiling, to the snow globes placed dead centre on every table. "When will you ever learn?" Lando said under his breath as he pushed a stubborn strand of hair behind my ear, "they never do." I turned towards him, locking my hands behind his back, "well, then we must make sure to enjoy every little piece of it, don't we?" I raised my eyebrows at him, playfully. He caught on, "oh sure. You know, I was just wondering, do you think the bathrooms are as elaborately decorated as this space?" He mimicked my facial expression, resulting in us exaggeratingly smirking at each other. I was the first to break. I laughed and squeezed his waist between my forearms. He let out a chuckle and leaned in, nudging his nose against mine. I was about to embrace him when someone approached us "Hola, my favorite couple," Carlos greeted us. "Hola, Carlos" I replied, trying my best at a Spanish accent, making sure to roll the R in his name. He nodded at me, as he moved towards Lando, "Nice. Getting better, getting better." I smiled and shrugged at him, but he didn't see. He had put both his hands on Lando's shoulders, staring deep into his eyes. The two of them had formed an incredibly close bond from their very first season together. Their intimacy was as endearing as it was unique. Yes, sometimes great friendships developed between coupled drivers, but theirs was something different. It was as if they had known each other for years, as if they had grown up together. With Carlos being a couple years older than Lando, their relationship looked more like that of brothers than that of two drivers. "Hello, Carlos," Lando laughed, visibly a little intimidated by the gesture, "you ok?" Carlos' answer came slowly, immediately making it clear to us that he had already had something to drink, "sí sí sí. I'm ok, I'm ok. I was just looking for the bathroom, and then I found you!" He now turned to me and hugged me. I locked eyes with Lando over his shoulders and we exchanged some funny faces. I patted Carlos on the shoulder when the hug started to drag out. Lando caught on, chuckling under his breath, "Carlos, I believe the bathroom is down the hall to your left," he said as he cleared his throat, "I think there's a sign that'll show you the way." Carlos composed himself “si, baño. Yes, good.” Without saying another word, he walked away. Lando and I stared after him, bursting out in laughter. “I have never seen him that drunk,” Lando said before he doubled over again. I shook my head, trying to regain control over my breathing. “Amazing,” I finally sighed, “this is going to be some night.”