[3] MARANELLO || C. LECLERC

THIRTY ONE

* important note at the end of this chapter regarding this story. please take the time to read it, thank you. enjoy! *

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CAMILLE

"I'm so excited for today," I clutched onto the pass which granted my access into the paddock, the pit lane and the grid as Charles and I approached the entrance to the paddock itself. Monaco. The most glamorous race weekend on the calendar, and Charles' home race. My khaki dress was short but it fit my body snugly, with the sleeves resting slightly off of my shoulders. I carried a small black bag and wore heels on my feet. I liked to dress up a little more for this race. My entire outfit had been released as part of my MONACO collection for Love, Camille, and I couldn't wait to show it off. My hair was natural, similarly to my makeup, although I ensured that my contour and bronzer was strong, making my cheekbones look a little more prominent. "I have such a good feeling about this race. I think you're going to win."

"Don't jinx it, please," Charles chuckled as he scanned his plastic pass against the screen beside the turnstile, pushing the metal bar which acted as a gate forward so that he could enter the paddock. I copied him, whilst Andrea entered through the gate beside us. "Max seemed quite strong in qualifying yesterday, plus both of the Mercedes. I'm nervous."

"You'll be amazing. Good things come to those who wait," I slipped my fingers back through Charles' and felt his hand grip tighter around mine. I loved being able to walk through the paddock alongside him, knowing that we were the happiest we'd ever been. Charles was leading the championship by a mile and I was so proud of him. The joy I felt was like nothing I'd experienced before. I was so overwhelmed. "I have everything crossed for you, as always."

"My lucky charm." Charles smiled to himself as he pulled me closer towards him, brushing his smooth lips across my temple. I felt the goosebumps rising on my arms as the warm sun hit my back. I felt so lucky to live this life, with Charles by my side. When my collection went live at midnight, I was still awake, scrolling through my Twitter timeline as Charles slept peacefully beside me. It was nice to have some time at home during a race weekend. I was lucky, because I had three home race weekends on this calendar, those being in the Netherlands, Monaco and Belgium. I was so pleased to see the initial reaction of my followers. Love, Camille was doing better than I ever expected. I was so overwhelmed with all of the support and knowing that people loved my designs and the range as a whole was an amazing feeling.

"Hi, you two," a familiar Australian accent filled my ears and I couldn't help but smile when I saw Daniel approaching us, with Michael on his left side. Since Spain, it had been revealed that Daniel would join Lando at McLaren for twenty twenty-one. I couldn't wait; Daniel and I created a close friendship during his time at Red Bull alongside Max and I knew that he would be another perfect teammate for Lando. "It's nice to see you."

"And you, Dan," I smiled, my hand swinging back and forth as it moved with Charles'. "Congratulations on the McLaren seat."

"Thank you," Daniel's smile was wide, as always, but right now, he seemed somewhat happier than I'd seen him in a long time. I knew very little about Renault and the environment within the team, but it was clear that Daniel was yet to achieve consistent results. McLaren were on the up, improving after every race, so his move there was barely a bad idea. "You two look so happy, you're so loved up. You're not the shy, timid girl who walked into the Red Bull garage with Max, in Spain, four years ago. You're so much happier now. You're literally glowing. Are you pregnant, or something? That's the type of glow you have."