Faking it || Lando Norris LN

6

Olivia Reyes

"That's P7, Liv. P7" Matt spoke through the team radio, a loud garage could be heard on the background.

"Yeah, sorry guys." I muttered, closing my eyes for a second as I made my way down the straight.

"Order is: Norris, Leclerc, Ricciardo, Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz, and yourself."

"Congrats to Charles, I'm glad at least one of us is up there today." I said, the faintest ghost of a smile creeping up on my face, a weird mix paired with the sinking feeling on my chest.

It was probably stupid of me to think I could make it to the podium after having started P7 with so many wonderful drivers in front of me, but I was still hopeful. Last season I'd started P9 and finished P5, a wonderful debut that had placed me just on top of Charles, so I knew it was possible, it made it a lot more crushing.

I drove to the pit lane and let out a big sigh and removed the steering wheel so I could get out of the car. Once my feet touched the ground, I looked up and saw Lando had just finished hugging his team. The drivers in front of me had already gotten out of their cars and were walking towards him to congratulate him, the scene full of pats on his back and on the helmet he still had on.

Hug him once the race is over and make sure the cameras see it. — Gianna had texted me this morning, also telling me to drive to the circuit with her and not take my car with me since I'd have to go back to the hotel with Lando.

I took the steering wheel from the top of the car and placed it back where it belonged. My mind was clouded just by the thought of hugging him on camera, it had to look real. 'Don't worry, nothing too intense, just make sure it looks thoughtful.' Gianna had said before the race.

Explaining my relationship with physical contact isn't the easiest of jobs. The hugs I usually gave to the team after a race were congratulating hugs where I felt a genuine desire to congratulate them —those were a step above polite hugs, the ones you give for the sole purpose of not being rude or because they "fit" the situation. I can deal with both of those.

The hugs I gave to Gianna, Santiago, Charles and my family were a different kind of hugs, the kind I can't have with anyone else without feeling like I'm setting myself up to misery. Those hugs had the intention of communicating something: affection, comfort, or being held by someone because you feel safe enough to do so and feel protected when they hold you.

I couldn't give Lando a quick hug, but I was reluctant to give him the kind of hug it took me so long to be okay with giving to very few people outside of my family. I had never given him a hug before, not even a quick one.

I looked over at him. He was looking my way.

He was walking towards me.

I forced my feet to move towards him. This was it: the first step towards making our fake relationship public. The first lie we had to cross off the list from the many lies we'd be telling for the entire season and to the whole world.

I saw him getting closer and closer as we walked towards each other in what felt like slow motion. Our helmets were on and our visors were down, our eyes completely hidden from the rest of the world but, only a step away from me, I was able to look at his.

Cold. Emotionless. His impassive expression made my eyes roll.

He opened his arms and wrapped them around me, my arms reaching out to tangle around his neck as our helmets grazed lightly against each other with the hug.

Had we not been wearing our visors down, we would have been blinded by the amount of camera flashes that flooded the scene, white light pouring over us from every possible angle.