Fast Life // Charles Leclerc

18

Charles finished adjusting the top button of his white shirt as he walked to the door to let Pierre and his girlfriend, Cate, into the hotel room.

"Hello." Charles greeted the couple as he stepped aside to let them in.

"Hey man." Pierre replied giving Charles a hug after the Ferrari driver closed the door to his hotel room.

"Hi Charles." Cate spoke while giving him a small hug before the three walked further into the room. "So, where's the famous Camille?"

"She should be here soon." Charles told them as he began to fix his hair in the floor length mirror next to the bathroom door.

"Look at him, he's all nervous." Pierre teased his friend as he watched him check his appearance after fixing his hair.

"I'm not nervous. What's there to be nervous about? I've known her for ages now." Charles replied as he removed the clothes from his bed and dumped them on top of his suitcase with the intention of folding them when he came back later.

"And yet you still haven't asked her out." Pierre added on as he leant against the wall behind him.

"Leave him alone." Cate told her boyfriend before slapping his arm. "If he doesn't wanna ask her out he doesn't have to."

"Woah, woah. Who said I like Cami in that way?" Charles wondered as he turned to look at the couple standing a few feet away from him.

"Oh please. I've known you since we were 10 and I've never, ever, seen you so in love." Pierre replied with a smile on his face causing Charles' jaw to drop.

"Love? Mate, you're crazy. I don't love her." Charles tried to convince both Pierre and himself but there was something inside him telling him that maybe he did.

"Okay. If you say so. But let me ask you something, in Canada, after the podium. Who was the first person you called?" Pierre asked with a knowing look on his face.

"Camille." Charles admitted with a sigh of defeat escaping him lips.

"Yeh. And in Monaco, did you or did you not have dinner with your family and her?"

"Yes." The Ferrari driver nodded his head.

"And last one. When you see yourself winning a world championship or winning your first race, who do you see there with you?" The Frenchman questioned knowing exactly what his best friend was going to say.

"Shit." Charles spoke as he took a seat on the edge of his bed as realisation hit him like a train. Something inside him always knew he had feelings for Camille but Pierre had just proved that he did in fact love the Sinclair girl.

A knock came to the door do Charles's hotel room causing him to jump up as he realised who it was on the other side. He brushed the shocked look from his face before turning to look at the couple.

"You two don't tell anyone, okay?" He asked quietly so Camille could hear him.

They both agreed with smiles on their faces before Charles made his way across the room to the door that Charles opened to reveal the brown haired girl on the other side.

"Hey." Charles greeted the girl with a smile on his face. The only thought that was now running through his head was how he felt about the girl standing in front of him.

—————

"I have to tell you, I love your dress." Elena commented as the waiter disappeared after taking their desert orders.

The groups of eight had been in the restaurant for about an hour and a half and it was safe to say that Camille was enjoying herself. The girls were all lovely and had been nothing but nice to her.

"Thank you." Camille replied with a smile on her face before taking a sip of the glass of water in front of her.

"So, you and Charles?" Cate wondered in a quiet tone as Charles was currently sat next to the brown haired girl but was tied up in a conversation of his own with the three other boys.

"What about us?" The Sinclair girl asked in reply to her question.

"Are you two together?" Cate added on causing Camille to hesitate as she placed her glass back down on the table in front of her.

"No, we're not together. Just friends." Camille explained with a soft smile on her face. She was very aware of how she felt about the Ferrari driver that was sat next to her but she didn't need to be telling his friends' girlfriends that she had feelings for him if he didn't feel the same.

"Well, for what it's worth, you two would make a very cute couple." Julie informed the brown haired girl with a smile on her face.

Although Cate was the only one who was aware of Charles's feelings about the British girl, the rest of the girls were just as sure that the pair should be together as she was.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks." Camille assured her, not sure what else she was supposed to say to a comment like that.

The conversation began a lot more general as Cate made a joking comment about Pierre which resulted in the two groups joining together to talk.

As the conversation flowed, Camille felt a hand rest against her thigh. She looked down and followed the arm to Charles who was smiling and talking as if nothing had happened.

Camille took his hand in her own and rested them in her lap. She rejoined the conversation before taking a glance towards the Ferrari driver next to her and noticed that his smile had grown a slight bit wider.