Secrets || Lando Norris

006

Elianna

"Are you lost or something?"

I have officially lost it. A huff left my lips as I crossed my arms on my chest, "Yes, unfortunately. Do you know where the Ferrari garages are?"

"Of course I do," he said, slight irritation laced in his tone. I actually should've considered phrasing that question differently, since he's a literal driver. "Let me take you there."

"No, I won't bother you. Just tell me the way, I'll be okay," I countered and stepped forward so we were closer now.

"Why do you want to go to the Ferrari garage anyway?" he asked, taking another step towards me. He definitely wasn't the tallest guy I've ever met but he was still slightly towering over me, which almost made me step back.

"None of your business," I said in a monotone tone and gripped the chain of my camera a little, at which he playfully smirked, "No offence though."

Then he suddenly widened his eyes a little and furrowed his brows after, his eyes focused on the chain and my camera, "You're the girl Charles has talked about."

It was my turn to frown. I cocked my head to the side a little and asked, "I mean..I don't know who Charles has told you about, but yes, he is my friend. And whilst we're talking about him, I'd like to find him again."

"Okay then, let's go, let me just tell my manager," he turned around and talked to a woman with long blond hair dressed in a papaya-orange shirt and long black skirt. I kept standing in my place, awkwardly looking around and silently regretting I stepped a foot away from Charles. But at the same time I get to know new people. Right?

The fact that I stumbled across the same guy that is the one I met yesterday on the balcony was truly comical to me. Yesterday I was sure I knew him from somewhere, yet I didn't know where. But what I wasn't really expecting him to be is an F1 driver. However when I think about it, I shouldn't be that surprised, the hotel was probably stacked with all of them and my room just happened to be next to one of them.

The driver - or my hotel room neighbour - finally finished his conversation with his manager and motioned his hand for me to follow him, which I did.

We were walking in silence. An awkward one. That was until I noticed his eyes were glued on me, slowly scanning from the bottom of my shoes to the top of my head. I arched my brow at him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Like you're judging me," I deadpanned and looked forward, being met with more people that were carrying a bunch of different equipment and to my bad luck; people with cameras pointing at me and the driver.

"I'm not judging you. I already know some things about you, so the judging part is over, don't worry," he walked alongside me with confidence, his suit that was tied around his waist slightly rustling as he brushed his hands on his sides.

"How do you know things about me?" my brows furrowed and I looked up at him again in confusion, yet his lips tugged upwards.

"I often hear Charles stupidly boasting about you but he never dared to show you to the world. It's strange to actually see you," his eyes met mine for a second before looking back. I hummed silently. Something that I noticed in his eyes was that the slight light in them appeared even more than last night. I wanted to say something in my and Charles's defence, but he was faster, "You're staring."

I scoffed and turned my head away, "Yeah I was trying to find if you got your beauty sleep as you said last night."

"And?" His head turned only slightly.

"The only thing I think of when I look at you is that you're infuriating," I rolled my eyes. And out of nowhere, he leaned to my side a little with a smirk on his lips. I quickly scanned our surroundings for cameras but luckily all of them were focused on other things around us.

"I get that often, if you think that it somehow affected me, you're mistaken, " His sly smile and the way he spoke started to get on my nerves, "However, I'm starting to get the feeling that you might be more fiery than your friend claims."

"I might be, you're forgetting we don't know each other," I countered, "In fact, even when I'm familiar with you being a driver now, I still don't know your name."

"I thought you were a fan of mine, what a shame," he frowned and leaned back, giving me more space. He might look good and he offered to help me but his attitude is exasperating.

"I apologise for the disappointment."

"Elianna!" I suddenly heard my name being called and in another second I was turned around by someone putting a hand on my shoulder, making me face them. "Where were you? You were away for so long, idiot," Charles said with a frown.

I sighed in happiness that I finally found him again and wouldn't have to bother the other driver - whose name was still unknown to me - and could be at peace for the time being. "Sorry, I got...a bit lost. But this dude helped a little," I motioned my hand toward my hotel room neighbour/driver.

Charles shook his head before looking at the guy next to me, "Thanks Lando for helping her, I'm gonna steal her back now."

So his name was Lando. I looked at him as he promptly copied my actions by looking me in my eyes, immediately getting me lost in his once again. I know both Charles and Amanda have talked about a guy called Lando Norris who is the one that has been holding the World Champion title for three years in a row now.

So I might have been speaking to a Formula 1 World Champion without even knowing it.

Great.

"Yeah, no problem," he said, his eyes not leaving mine, "It was nice meeting you, Elianna."

The way he said my name was as if he'd never said that name before. As if he were testing how it sounds in his voice. I shook that thought away, "Likewise, Lando."

And without any further adding, he left. I turned to Charles who was looking at me with a questioning look and arms crossed on his chest, now dressed in his race attire. "Look, I got lost a little bit so I asked him for help, nothing else."

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Zandvoort 2023 was surely...chaos? I don't really know how to describe it. But anyways!

A little shorter chapter today - which is going to be more frequent from now on, I think, because I want to make updates more regular whilst making the writing not so time consuming as well. Hope you don't mind :)

adiós, c