Faking it || Lando Norris LN

59

Tuesday. France Grand Prix

Formula 1's new generation of drivers arrived at the GQ France headquarters frenzied with excitement.

The sport had been reaching new heights and having magazines all around the world throwing out check after check for the opportunity to write issues about them. No corporation had been bold enough to request more than half of the grid's drivers, but GQ did, and they had met their price.

Charles, Max, Ocon, Mick, Olivia, Daniel, Carlos, George, Lando, Pierre, Lance, and Alex. All twelve had been invited to head to the GQ France headquarters. The latest issue they were brewing revolved around Formula 1's new generation of drivers and was bound to be the first issue starring so many drivers at once. Dolled up and driving the fancy cars their teams always made available for them, the drivers arrived in France and headed straight to the photoshoot with smiles on their faces as they entered the building.

Four of them, though, arrived together in a black SUV.

Charles, Max, and Daniel had all been coaching Olivia the past few days. Upon receiving the news of their upcoming task, the joyous celebrations quickly turned into preparing Olivia for her newest challenge. It hadn't been easy on her. Olivia's face had gone white as a blank sheet of paper as she quickly realized it would mean seeing Lando face to face after a month.

What would she do? What would she say? What would happen if he wanted to talk to her? How would she react if he didn't?

After an entire day of unsuccessful strategizing, the four of them had agreed on an infallible strategy.

Nothing.

Olivia couldn't risk bursting into tears, yelling at him, or even throwing a punch. Even if she wanted to, there was nowhere more dangerous to throw a fit than at a magazine's headquarters. Charles wasn't even sure that GQ had actually wanted an issue with all of the younger drivers. A part of him was sure it had been their way of putting Olivia and Lando in a room together, hoping something would go wrong to dedicate an entire page to whatever drama ensued. He could already see the thousands of tweets people would make analyzing the body language of the two in the group pictures GQ had planned on doing.

"Oh, so just because they want all of us you assume this article has some ulterior Lando-N-Liv motives?" Daniel cackled as Charles shared his suspicions. "Thank you a lot, Moni."

"Shut up! You know what I'm talking about. It wouldn't be strange of them," Charles rolled his eyes with a smile.

"It's only strange because you're used to being the face of articles each month by yourself, beautiful son of a bitch." Max joined the joke and gave Charles a little shove. "Let us relish our cover, will you?"

"Heavy is the crown that holds the third spot on People's Magazine: World's Hottest Men Class of 2022," Daniel joked.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Charles mumbled as he braced himself for the next ten minutes of banter exclusively dedicated to him.

Still, as much as the boys tried to lighten the mood with their jokes, they all knew that Charles' suspicions could very well be true. There was no point denying how many headlines would be written simply about this being Olivia and Lando's first time seen together after all the drama before the summer break. Especially after the recent pictures of Lando. Olivia's head still got dizzy whenever those pictures crossed her mind.

And so, the boys had coached her into indifference. What would she do when he arrived? Nothing. What would she do when he left? Nothing. What would she say if they asked about him? Nothing. What would she say if he talked to her? Nothing —and wait for either three of them to rescue her on the spot.