Your lips, my lips
Apocalypse
- Cigarettes After Sex
13
Charles Leclerc
He opens the car door and leaves quickly. I watch him go around the Mercedes until he comes to my door.
He's not actually doing this, is he?
But he opens my door for me like he would probably do it for a date. I raise my eyebrows but let him do it.
When I get out of the car, he gives me his arm.
I look around, worried that someone's watching us.
"Charles, no one cares about us."
Said the Dutchman calmly.
I look at the people around us, and it is only when I see that they are not paying any attention to us that I accept the Dutchman's arm.
He smiles at me softly and we move towards the entrance of the manor.
My heart is pounding in my chest. The journey on the gravel to the entrance seems endless and I can't help but look at those around us. I recognize some faces with surprise. All are smiling and look relaxed.
I refocus on the man next to me as we finally arrive at the entrance.
I firmly serve the Dutchman's arm as he stops in front of two men in suits, wearing earpieces and with an imposing frame.
"What' your name?
- Don't you recognize me?
- Mr Verstappen! I wasn't expecting you tonight. It's been a long time since you came.
- I just didn't have someone to go with before."
I frown, surprised by the interaction taking place in front of my eyes. Clearly, the Dutchman is not at all in unfamiliar territory, quite the contrary.
"Who is your guest, Mr. Verstappen?
- Mr Leclerc."
He answers in my place with a polite tone, gazing at the men in front of us.
"It's perfect, please follow me Mr. Lelcerc, before you can join the party, we must first settle some formalities with you, as it is your first time. "
I nodded a little worried and tried to meet verstappen's gaze to make him understand it. I don't want to be alone in this.
His blue gaze plunges into mine for a moment and without leaving my eyes he smiles.
"I'll go with you."
I don't let go of my rival's arm as the man signals us to follow him into the building, into an office near the entrance.
He sits in front of a computer and begins to wiggle his fingers on the keyboard before finally raising his head and crossing my gaze.
"Your full name?
I swallow hard, I don't like to give too much information in a place like this.
- Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc."
He nods his head and writes my name before printing out a document.
"What is it?
- A confidentiality agreement. You have to sign it to get into the party. If you sign it once, you won't have to do it again if you want to come back.
- What happens if we don't respect it?
- If any name, any photo, any information about what's going on here comes out, the price will be well, really high.
- What do you mean?
- You'll need to give a lot of money, like half of your economic capital , and we'll give info to the media that you do not want to see in front of the eyes of everyone.
- That seems clear to me.
He hands me a pen and I quickly read the document to make sure there is nothing else I should know before signing.
I finally sign under the gaze of Verstappen who didn't say a word.
I hand out the contract to the man who nods.
"Welcome to the party, I hope everything will be as you wish, have a nice night.
- Thank you."
The Dutchman offers me his arm again and I take it without really thinking.
He's dragging me across the huge mansion. I wouldn't be able to go back to where we came from without his help. Luckily he seems to know where he's going.
We cross a wide corridor before suddenly entering a large hall decorated in a way that reminds me of the Opera Garnier in Paris.
I'm not an expert in architecture, but I can tell it's an old ballroom.
Many guests talk in small groups, glasses of champagne in hand.
The Dutchman drags me to a table before stepping away from me to get us drinks.
He hands me one with a smile.
I catch it without daring to say a word.
"What do you think of it?"
The Dutchman asks me gently without letting go of my eyes. I'm embarrassed by the intensity with which he stares at me since we entered, but I try not to let anything appear on my face.
"I don't really know what to think right now.
- Ummm... you're hard to convince... but don't worry, I haven't shown you everything yet.
- Getting me to sign confidentiality agreements is not the way to regain my trust.
He laughs at my remark.
- Of course not."
An uncomfortable silence ensues between us. I'm staring at the champagne in my glass without knowing what to say. I can feel the pilot's burning gaze on me.
I cast a quick glance in his direction but his eyes are already on me and my gaze strays for a moment into the blue irises in front of me.
Verstappen opens his mouth slightly, hesitant to speak. I'm not sure I want to know what he wants to tell me.
"You're beautiful, Charles."
My heart misses a beat and a strange heat runs through my body without me being able to understand what is happening. I feel my cheeks warm, but before I have time to react, a woman's voice is restrained.
"Max Emilian Verstappen!"
The Dutchman turns around slowly and my gaze follows his movement before stumbling upon an elderly woman with a wide smile and makeup with color. She opens her arms before briefly greeting the Dutchman against her in a hug.
I'm looking at the scene trying to figure out what's going on.
"You haven't been here for so long!
- I've been very busy since I became world champion.
- That's not a valid excuse boy! I missed you!
- I missed you too.
- Introduce me to the handsome boy you came with tonight.
The woman turns to me and smiles at me.
I answer her with a slight polite smile. Verstappen turns to me.
- Charles, I'd like you to meet Lady Tina Green, the owner of this place and organizer of this party. Tina, this is Charles... an F1 driver for Ferrari.
- My pleasure young man, I don't think I've ever seen you here, I would remember such a charm. I may be old, but my memory is faithful.
- Indeed, I have never come before. I answer timidly.
- Welcome to our paradise then, and I hope the evening is to your liking.
- Yes, that's very stunning.
She smiles before turning to Verstappen who hasn't picked up a word.
- Max, my boy, you know you can come whenever you want, the room on the top floor is still yours, just know that.
- Thank you, I don't think I need it though.
The Lady's gaze slips slightly towards me before refocusing on Verstappen.
- Oh you never know, I prefer to remind you, it can always be useful. "
I don't know if she's trying to make allusions or if I'm the one who misinterprets, but the Dutchman's pink cheeks prove to me that I'm not the only one who thought that.
"All right, boys! I still have a lot to do, so I'll leave you alone! Enjoy the evening and especially have fun! Max, I want you to come and see me more often, and Charles, I hope we can count you among us again!"
She gives us one last smile before she slips away.
I turn to the Dutchman.
"I didn't know you were close to eachother.
- I met her the first time I came here and let's just say... we understand each other well, she and I... How about we drink to your new freedom?"
I don't notify the change of subject and nodded my head gently, holding my glass of champagne towards the Dutchman's.
I drink my whole cup at once. I needed a little alcohol in my blood to feel a little more courageous and relaxed.
My eyes glide at the people around us. The faces are familiar to me. I never would have guessed for them to be well part of the community. I never would have guessed for Verstappen either, until I caught him with his boyfriend in his driver's room.
He seems to have read my thoughts because he approaches me following my gaze.
"With experience we can become extremely talented at hiding certain things. You have no idea how many people you know have come here.
- Why did you choose to bring me here?
- Because I want you to know the sense of freedom I feel every time I'm here. I want you to be able to be who you are without being ashamed. And I want you to be able to go back to parties without being afraid because of what I did to you, because of me. "
I drink an other glass of champagne while Verstappen watches me it in silence. Once I finish it he stares at me insistently, again.
"I'd like to dance with you."
Once again, a heat wave runs through my body. I close my eyes for a second to try to chase away the feeling.
"I don't know how to dance.
- Yet I remember you were dancing with that girl when I asked you all to come and party at the end of the season.
Flashbacks of the party come back to me. I wanted to seduce this girl but she put something in my drink and the Dutchman got in the way.
- I don't remember anything.
- I took you back to your hotel. You were in a mess.
- Did I...?
- Did weird things? The pilot's smile widens at the same time as my cheeks become red.
- Yes...
- Nothing different from the usual. You insulted me the whole way...
I sigh with relief.
- Okay...
- Now that I remember, you also tried to kiss me several times.
The color of my skin changes abruptly, turning red.
- What?
- You were drugged, not surprising, but it was fun. It was better if you stayed in good hands. Anyone could have taken advantage of you.
- You shouldn't have carry me to my hotel, I wanted to sleep with that girl.
- Maybe you wanted to, but she drugged you and she could have done absolutely anything: filming you without your knowledge, going through your things in your hotel room...
- Thank you... for bringing me back to safety.
- You're welcome."
He puts down his glass of champagne, finally finished before he comes near me.
"Shall we dance together then? I'll take you to another part of the mansion that you should like. "
I nod my head without resisting. If someone had told me a few weeks earlier that I would have a civilized conversation with him and that I even liked his presence, I would have laughed and called him crazy.
We leave the ballroom and cross several corridors before taking stairs.
He drags me down a long hallway to a room that looks like a nightclub. On stage, there is a band that performs well-known music.
I open my eyes when I see the couples dancing and singing, kissing without embarrassment despite their notoriety.
Verstappen coaches me inside, in the middle of the crowd and starts to move to the rhythm of the music while giving me a big, mocking smile.
I begin to enjoy the music despite my anxiety. The light is dim so you don't see much, I'm trying to reassure myself.
The music ends and a man grabs the microphone.
"What a pleasure to see you again tonight my dear friends... I ask you to give a big salve of applause for the next singer that you know very well... Sam Smith!!!"
I know him, but I don't listen to his songs. I turn my face towards the Dutchman who keeps his eyes fixed on the stage as the artist enters.
The music is beginning.
( Fire on Fire, Sam Smith )
The room's atmosphere changes completely and I feel Max slowly approaching me. He gently puts his hands on my hips and approaches me looking into my eyes. I squeeze a little on the contact before I feel his warm body against mine.
I know he does it because it's a slow dance but my body reaction to this new proximity is insane.
After a while I finally find the courage to put my arms around his neck.
He starts singing the lyrics, he knows them by heart to my surprise.
He squeezes his hands on my hips and I caught the emotion in his eyes as he gently sings the lyrics while looking at me. I'm glad we don't see to much because my cheeks are so red now.
"They say that we're out of control and some say we're sinners
But don't let them ruin our beautiful rhythms..."
My eyes are fixed on his lips in spite of myself as a shiver runs through my body.
"Cause when you unfold me and tell me you love me and look in my eyes, you are perfection..."
I watch his lips shake at the same time as Sam Smith repeating the words without letting go away his eyes of me for a second.
I feel my body let go because of the strong emotion that runs through me but he puts one of his hands in the hollow of my back to hold me against him and I lean on his body not to fall.
Suddenly his look changes. His eyes are fixed on my trembling lips. I feel my hands desperately clinging to his neck, looking for support.
Max's face gently comes closer to mine without ever touching mine.
I feel his warm breath as he gently whispers the words at me.
"When we fight, we fight like lions
But then we love and feel the truth
We lose our minds in a city of roses
We won't abide by any rules..."
His lips are so close to mine now but we don't dare to move.
"What about your girlfriend? He asks me in a whisper.
- She's not really my girlfriend... what about your boyfriend?
- He's not really my boyfriend."
I feel my heart explode when his warm lips finally meet mine gently.
He pulls his hand from my hip to gently stroke my cheek with his thumb while continuing to kiss me deeply.
I've never felt such a strong emotion kissing someone before.
We continue to slowly swing our bodies to the rhythm of the music while prolonging our kiss.
A kiss that carries a lot of emotions.