Keep the rain [CL16]

Chapter 26 - Athena's P.O.V.

Charles' hands were wrapped around my waist. I took a deep breath, his cologne engulfing me. My head rested on his chest, while our bodies swayed slowly from side to side.
Alicia Keys' ‚If I Ain't Got You' played through his phone speaker. We just finished eating when he asked me to dance and pulled out his phone.

I closed my eyes as he kissed the top of my head.
With every second that our hearts were aligned, I felt calmness wash through me. All my worries disappeared when his arms were around me. I could spend the rest of the week exactly like this, close to Charles.

„The last question today for Athena."
The flashing cameras pulled my thoughts back to reality.
I wasn't in my apartment anymore. I wasn't even in England.

It was the Monday after the Monaco Grand Prix, a race Max won, and I was sitting in a media conference behind a table. Lando, Daniel and Oscar were sitting through this with me.

I was already annoyed when I woke up this morning. I didn't get a win yesterday, just because I didn't have the balls to overtake Max when I had the chance. Then I had to sit through a two-hour long meeting with Hank, Ace and Immanuel, the team principal, about ways to optimise my racing. I have barely eaten a thing and so far this conference has been absolutely pointless.

Yes, I am very happy to be the first female driver to ever dominate a F1 season.

No, I don't think we could've done anything different to win the Monaco GP.

Those were the only two questions I have been asked in this hour. The guys got loaded with questions, talking about the cars and their strategies. It's a sad thing to say, but by now I got used to it. I would never get the same questions as the male drivers. I was just happy that no-one has asked me about my diet yet.
Yet the worst thing was, that this thing was broadcasted live. I had to keep up my happy little face for the thousands of people watching it at home.

I thanked God that this was gonna be over any second now. Just one more question. I could do that.

I tried my best to focus on the reporter asking the question. He was a guy, well in his thirties, glasses on his face and an accent I couldn't really place. He looked exactly like the 20 other dudes in this room.

„Now that were in Charles Leclerc's home country,", I sat up straighter at the mention of his name. „And you both will be attending the gala tonight, can we expect some more hot content like what we did get in Spain?"

It took everything in me to not just stand up and leave right then. My blood was boiling.

I took a deep breath. I knew if I just answered right away, I would have to sit through another meeting with my media trainer and that wasn't really something that I liked to do in my free time.

„I will not give you an answer to that question. I think it is very bold of you to ask me that question in the first place." It seemed like the camera clicking got louder just that second.

„I am here as a driver. What I do in my free time and who I am dating has nothing to do with my racing performance, which should be the thing you are interested in, considering you were here in this room with us for the past hour." I tried to keep my voice calm. Completely different from the emotions inside of me.

„My male colleges, who are also dating, don't get asked questions like this. So, I have to assume you took the audacity to ask this question simply because I am a woman. Which is so disappointing to me. I have proven, especially this season, that I deserve my spot in Formula 1. Yet, you find that it is more important to ask me about my dating life rather than about the reason we are here for, my racing." It seemed like the reporter shrinked with every sentence I said.