The Bull Prince | Max Verstappen

Chapter 55

So, note at the end of the chapter. Enjoy reading!

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Dressing casually, they tried to look like any other normal person walking about in the city. They didn't want to draw attention to themselves, especially since they were together in the most romantic city in the world. 

Joanna wore a beanie hat, which matched her scarf and gloves in color while Max preferred to go out without a cap for once. Making them look different from usual. Although Joanna insisted on wearing her favorite olive green parker, which didn't go that well with the thought of going out incognito because everyone, who suspected her to be herself would instantly recognize her in her favorite jacket. 

Leaving the city apartment, Max took a deep breath and inhaled the freezing cold air of the city. It was cold but it was dry and since they were both dressed in warm clothes, both of them were eager to explore. Being nearly next door to the Arc de Triomphe, they decided to start there. But first thing first- the food. Joanna had promised him that he would love it. 

Entering the first café they came to, they quickly found a seat in a quiet corner. Hidden away from the majority of the other guests. Joanna watched Max with an affectionate smile as he looked at the menus, his brows furrowed. 

The Dutchman knew a little French from school, enough to be able to make an educated guess at what each thing was on the menu. So, he tried his best to help Joanna decided what she would prefer to eat. Listening to Max talk, Joanna couldn't stop herself to smile fondly. 

"You know, I'm fluent in French, right?" She asked him smiling after the waiter brought them their food. They both decided on the soup that Max had translated as tomato and bread to go with it.

"Then why did you let me make a fool out of myself?" He questioned, the spoon stopped mid-air, while the Dutchman was staring at his girlfriend, before leaning back to glare at her.

"You looked out for me, I may have thought it charming." Joanna shrugged her shoulders before the Austrian looked down at the soup again, secretly smirking at Max's exclamation.

"You're the worst," Max told her affectionately, reaching out to take her hand before he continued eating his soup.

After lunch was finished, the two looked at Joanna's phone to gain ideas of where to go. They had their starting point- the Arc De Triomphe, and from there it only seemed logical to walk up the Champs- Elysees towards the Louvre museum. With a plan in mind, Max paid the bill and the two of them left the cozy little café.

Joanna like that nobody was paining them any attention, which made her a little bit bolder. She reached out for Max's hand and intertwined her fingers with his. They smiled briefly at each other, before walking down the street in comfortable silence, still holding hands. Everything here was so busy, lots of people shopping and of course thousands of tourists. But because of this, no one looked twice at the two drivers.

It all felt so natural to Max, walking and talking about small things they noticed in the vibrant city, the characters they saw, or the places they wanted to go next. It was comforting to both of them to know they could be themselves and no one was really paying them much attention for once.

After a long walk, mainly because Joanna was such a tourist and needed to stop at every shop to look at all the souvenirs despite having an apartment in Paris and Max eventually buying her a 'Paris' neckless as a joke, the two came to a beautiful grassy part of the city, the Louvre museum just visible beyond.

They decided to find a bench and have a rest, double-checking the direction they wanted to go in once they were at their next checkpoint.

"Do you want me to?" Max asked as he saw Joanna fiddling with the small present she just had revised from Max. Nodding shortly, she gave Max the box, before collecting all strains of her golden hair together and holding it up, so Max had better access to her neck.