Crash

Showcase

"You sure you've got everything?" Penelope fretted, squinting in the sunlight as they stood on the tarmac of LAX, watching the last of Charles's bags being loaded onto the plane. 

"Pretty sure."

"What about that black jacket you wear? It was in the bathroom I can't remember if I saw it there this morning."

Charles gave her a patient smile. "I picked it up yesterday."

"Oh! What about the charger by the bed? That seems important."

"It's in my carry-on."

"Good, good. Wait, what about-"

"Penelope!" Charles interrupted, his hands resting on her waist as she looked up at him. "I've got this. I may be stupid, but I've done this a thousand times. You don't need to worry."

Over his shoulder, Penelope could see the last bag being loaded onto the plane. A few more minutes, and it would be time to say goodbye. She sighed, leaning her head against his chest as he held her tightly. "Just be careful."

"I will."

"Don't drive into any walls."

The idea seemed to amuse him as he chuckled softly into her hair. "I'll try my best. Good luck for tomorrow. I'm sorry I can't be there, but I'll be watching."

"Don't worry about it, I don't mind," she told him, only twisting the truth a little bit. Showcase was tomorrow, but the first race of the season was in a week, and they were out of time. Charles had to fly out today, on strict instructions from Mattia, which meant he couldn't attend her performance. It made her sad, in a way, knowing he wasn't going to be there. She was always less nervous when he was around. 

"You'll be amazing," he promised. "You'll hear me cheering all the way from Bahrain."

A call rang out from further down the tarmac. Penelope's heart sank - it was time for him to go. 

"I'll miss you," she said, trying to keep her voice light. "But I'll see you for qualifying."

Charles kissed her, his lips lingering on hers. When he pulled away, his eyes were sad. "I'll meet you at the airport. I'll see you soon, amore mio."

They kissed again before he gave her one last goodbye and made the descent towards the plane. Penelope stood by the car, watching him go until he was just a spot in the distance. 

********************

Penelope stared around at the stadium, watching the flocks of people walk past. Most of them were competitors or spectators, come to watch their friends and family perform. At the back of her mind, it nagged at her that one of these people was probably the Olympic scout. They had the power to change the entire course of her career, and if she played her cards right, she could have everything she'd ever wanted by the end of the night. 

So why did she feel so uneasy? Maybe it was the nerves, the crushing pressure of knowing that one wrong move could screw everything up, but she wasn't convinced that was the sole reason. Every face she saw in the crowd made her heart perk up, like she was clinging on to some weird hope that Charles had decided to stay. It was pathetic, she knew, but it didn't change the fact that she was desperate to see him. In so little time, a matter of months, she'd grown to depend on him so much. He'd become her emotional anchor, something to hold on to in order to feel calm. Now she was sat here, facing the toughest dance of her life, and she was alone. 

"Penelope? Hello? You listening?"

Penelope's head shot up, her eyes wide. Jasper was waving his hand in front of her face, his voice almost lost amongst the general chatter of the crowd. He was watching her expectantly, like he was waiting for an answer to an important question, but her mind was drawing a blank.