Roses & Racecars || Charles Leclerc

Chapter 1

The bell on the door jingled quietly as I ushered my son into the small salon. It hadn't changed a bit since the last time I'd been here ten years ago.

The smell of bleach and drying hair took me back to the countless times we would get yelled at for running around while Pascale and the other women tried to work on their clients.

"Hello," a young woman approached us. "How can I help you?,"

"Hi, I was wondering if there was anyway I could talk to Pascale for just a moment?," I smiled at her.

"Do you have an appointment?,"

"No, ma'am. I'm visiting for the first time in a while and I was hoping I could see her. I want her to meet my son for the first time," I gestured to the young boy who was wrapped around my leg.

"I'm sorry, but we are an appointment based salon. If you'd like, I can look at her openings to find a time when you can come in and have a service done," she said. She left a small smile on her face, but I had a feeling this was something she was used to. I can't imagine the number of young women who came in to ask Pascale about Charles.

"No, you don't understand," I chuckled to try and ease the tension that was building in the waiting area. "I grew up right down the street from them but I moved away when I was 15. This is my first time back in Monaco in ten years, and I was hoping I could surprise her here."

"Again, ma'am. This is an appointment based salon, we don't do walk-ins and Pascale doesn't take visitors while she's working," The smile left her face.

"Would you mind just asking her? I know this is not very convenient for the business but I really would love to see her now that I'm back home. My name is Crystal. Marino-Razo, if she asks," I ducked down to pick up my son who had begun fidgeting on the floor in front of me. She sighed.

"I will ask. But if she says no, I am going to have to ask you to leave," she told me.

"I understand," I smiled at her again before she shook her head and walked to the farthest corner of the salon.

"This is harder than I thought, bubba," I said to the boy in my arms who blew bubbles at me and giggled when I made a face of mock disgust at him.

"Crystal?," I heard from a few feet in front of me. I looked up and saw the woman who I had spent most of my childhood around. "Crystal!," she said again as she began rushing toward me. I put my son down and extended my arms toward her before she almost tackled me to the ground with the force of her hug. We laughed as we held each other for a while. To make up for lost time.

"Oh my God, it's been so long!," she exclaimed. "Ten years and you are still the most beautiful girl in all of Monaco," I laughed.

"Thank you," I said to her. "I wish I would've come home earlier, but I didn't know how to live here without her," she gave me a sad smile.

"I know your mother would be so proud of the woman you have become," She said to me before pulling me into another hug. "And who this handsome young man?," she said peeking around my shoulder at my toddler who was hiding behind my legs.

"This is Keinan," I picked him up off the floor. "My son," She beamed at me.

"He is beautiful, Crystal," she said. "He has a very American name, but he is beautiful," she took him from me.

"Thank you. His father was very American," I explained as I watched him begin fiddling with the necklace she had on.

"Where is he now?," she asked, turning her attention from my son to me again.

"Bradley passed away three months ago in a car accident," I said to her. Her expression changed.

"Oh, Crystal, I am so sorry," She gave me her hand to hold.

"It's alright it wasn't his fault. The man who hit him was drunk, and now he will spend years in prison with the knowledge of what he did. I only hope now he will be able to inspire other people to be better," I told her. "He was on his way home," my voice cracked, and my eyes began to water. She put Keinan on the floor and held me again as I cried for my late husband.

"I'm glad you came back home, Crystal," she said quietly to me. "I hope you stay for awhile,"

"Oh, I will," I said as I pulled away from her. "We always talked about bringing Keinan, and raising him here. I guess now is a better time than ever," I smiled softly. She wiped my tears.

"I can't wait to watch him grow," she said. We watched him waddle around the waiting area for a while, before she smacked her lips at turned to me. "I wish the two of you had come here earlier, Charles was here not even an hour ago,"

"Was he really?," I asked her. "I had planned on being here earlier, but somebody took the longest nap he's had in a while. I couldn't wake him up," I chuckled.

"Well I am inviting the two of you to dinner, and I will be expecting you at 7:30," she said.

"We'll be there," I told her.

"I will try to have Charles come as well, but I know he needs to relax and focus before the race tomorrow. You're going right?," She asked me.

"I couldn't get tickets fast enough," I told her.

"Well I'll talk to Charles and we'll get you in there with the rest of us," She smiled at me. "It was so good to see you, Crystal," she grabbed me for another hug.

"I'm so excited to be home, you have no idea," I told her. "I will see all of you tonight,"

"Yes, we will see you tonight,"she said, and helped me gather my things before Keinan and I were out the door, and back in the city I had missed with all of my heart. 

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! I know it's short, but I am excited to get this story going and more excited to hear your feedback! I'm already having so much fun with this, and there are so many ideas bouncing around in my head for this story. I hope you'll love it as much as I do!

Love, Ace <3