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[Sunday - race day - weekend of the Monaco Grand Prix]

Violet Morales

We get the party into full swing once everyone finally arrives. Riley pulls me onto the dance floor and I soon almost forget that Lando is in the same room as us. Besides what's he gonna try if anything with all his friends around. Carmen introduces us to Lily, Alex Albon's girlfriend as well as Kelly who I know to be going out with Max Verstappen. We're all dancing together and ordering yet more champagne and cocktails. This is the Monaco life these guys live all the time and I'm just a temporary piece in their world for the evening. The dance floor is filled with F1 drivers, their significant others and a multitude of people I definitely don't know. Disco lights giving off all sorts of colours float around the room and a giant sparkling disco ball illuminates in the centre. A DJ is situated in one corner of the club, making the most of the space and giving as much moving room as possible. I occasionally see people wander up to request songs. The classic club tracks and mixes book out of the speakers as the club fills with singing as well as the sounds of glasses, chatter and stomping feet.

I dance my way in a rather tipsy state back over to the table we had been sitting at at the start of the night. Charles sits there with Carlos and a number of beers are dotted on the table in front of them. "Hey boys!" I smile wide as I flop down next to Carlos on the sofa seat. "Hi Violet" He chuckles at me and turns to Charles. "I think she's getting to the point of maybe needed to go home" he smirks at him. Charles just nods with a laugh. I pout in Carlos' direction and glare slightly. "Nuh uh Sainz!" I shake a finger in his face and he laughs. "Come on C let's dance!" I stood up, stuck my chin in the air and pulled Charles up and onto the dance floor.
He laughs along with me as he pulls me to him with his hands on my waist and my arms on his shoulders. We've danced like this countless of times before but not in front of half of the Formula 1 grid. However, I have enough alcohol in my blood to warrant me not giving a toss about that. Me and Charles dance to the music and are soon joined by Riley who seems to have got Carlos up off his arse to dance too.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a white shape moving to my left. I lean up to rest my chin on Charles' shoulder as we continue to move in the centre of the dance floor. Lando is the owner of wearing a linen white shirt and what I make out to be black trousers. His necklaces dangle down between the few top buttons he has undone to show off the top of his chest. As if he senses me looking at him whilst chatting away with a man I don't recognise, he looks out to survey the dancefloor. I divert my eyes as he looks round and focus on Kelly trying to draw Max away from the bar. I giggle into Charles' shoulder watching the pair. Charles pulls back so he can look at me. "What's so funny Vi?" He turns, still holding me to look at my eye line. When he sees what I'm giggling at, he too chuckles. Charles pulls me to the edge of the dance floor and into a corner.

"We should probably get you home soon, you've had quite a bit to drink" he babbles in my ear. The thing about Charles is, is that he can drink and dance and still have the need to be protective and seem sober. I pull away from Charles and back to the dance floor. "I'll go home when I'm ready!" I give him a smile. Charles rolls his eyes but returns my smile. He knows he has not a lot of control over the situation or me and I'm all for continuing to party. I sway my hips and twirl as I clasp Riley's hands and we continue to throw moves. There's some amazing songs that I haven't heard in years and I'm hear to make the most of the time I have in this F1 royalty bubble.

Riley and I continue to dance into the night. After downing another 3 glasses of champagne, I once again forget Lando is in the room with us. After 2am, Charles takes us drunken girls by the arms as he's done many a times before and steers us out of the club. The dimly lit streets of Monaco and the dark hazy sky greet us as we make our way home. Cold air hits me like I've taken an ice bath I know the drivers do after a hot race and I take some deep breaths, enjoying the feeling. Charles drops Riley off first, given she lives closest to the club we were at. He then leads me over my apartment block along the sea front where the yachts glisten under the moon. After helping me into the elevator and pressing the correct button to send me on my way. Charles gives me a humorous farewell. He knows I'll make it home.

I lean against my apartment door, fumbling around in my bag for my keys. "Alright love?" My head lifts up and I turn. Despite how drunk I am, I make out Lando's form coming towards me. He's supporting himself with one hand as he wobbles his away along the corridor. He's completely smashed and seems to not notice who I am.
Lando appears next to me and gives me a sluggish yet uncharacteristically sweet smile as he leans his weight on the wall outside my apartment door. "Come here often darling?" He slurs at me as I finally find my keys and shove them in the lock.
I turn to him. "Lando you should really go to your own flat now" I shove his shoulder gently. He slides slightly back and just looks at me. For the first time since meeting Lando, I see something else in him. I know it's the drink. I see vulnerability. I see a kind man, not a man who is rude to basically everyone it seems, except those who are close to him. He's staring at me with hooded eyes, almost like a puppy who's just been told off yet you can't help feeling immediately bad for them.

I don't know whether it was the alcohol. It probably, almost definitely was. I don't know whether it was because there is something so strangely intriguing about this man and his behaviour. But something inside me must've driven me insane. I had a vague idea of what I was doing, despite the alcohol and prayed he would be too out of it to remember this.
I stood on my tip toes and looped my arms around his neck.

I kiss Lando.

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Authors notes: 📝

Hello

Well well well...was that expected?

I love Carlos!

Side note: I can't wait to see what happens with the British GP this weekend! It's so exciting!

Don't forget to vote and leave a comment.

Hannah X