The Elevator || Lando Norris

16 ~ P1 BABY!!

After watching Lando walk away and turn the corner, I also headed out of the hospitality, still smiling from ear to ear. My heart was filled with joy, and I spotted my friends looking around. I called out to them and waved my hand. As they came closer, Valentina couldn't help but ask, "Why so happy?".

Maya suddenly spoke up, "Oh my god, you already met him, didn't you?" I nodded, and they all looked at me curiously, knowing from my expression that it went well.

Bubbling with excitement, I jumped up and down a bit. After everything, it finally sunk in for me. "Okay, we talked, and apparently he is Lando Norris. He was sorry that he lied, but he liked how I treated him as a person and not as a famous F1 driver," I quickly recounted. "Also, he told me to watch him from the garages later," I added, watching my friends' faces light up with genuine happiness for me.

"That is literally so sweet!" Maddison exclaimed. "I know, right? Do you think he'd let me in the garage too?" Maya added playfully, getting an elbow from Valentina. "Ow! I'm joking! Maybe not..." Maya said with a grin, and I just laughed.

But then, something crossed my mind. "But, what about you guys?" I asked, not wanting to leave my friends behind. Hannah reassured me, "Girl, don't worry about us. Go support your man." I blushed a bit and playfully rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't say he's my man," I reacted. They all exchanged looks and playfully rolled their eyes. "Whatever you say Alex."

~★★★~

A few hours later, qualifying was about to start. My friends had shown me where the pitlane was, but they couldn't take me any further. As I approached the garage entrance, a staff member stopped me in my tracks. "Sorry, qualifying is about to start. Unauthorized personnel and fans aren't allowed in," he informed me.

I tried to explain, "Oh, uhm... Lando said it was fine." My nerves were getting the better of me, I was really bad at stuff like this and the guy looked confused. I took a deep breath, mustering the courage to clarify the situation. "I'm Lando's girlfriend. He said I could watch from here," I asserted.

The staff member chuckled dismissively. "Nice try, but you have to go back," he said. My heart sank a little, and I insisted, "No, I swear—"

Before I could say more, he interrupted, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but the team is really busy right now for qualifying."

This felt like one of those cliché, cringe, Disney movie moments. "My name is Alexandra Martínez. He told me to just tell whoever was supposed to let me in," I pleaded, hoping to convince him. His expression softened, realizing I was serious. "Oh, Ms. Martínez, I'm sorry. You don't know how many fangirls try to say they're Lando's girlfriend," he joked, and I managed a smile.

With that, I walked past him and caught a glimpse of Lando in the garage. We had a few minutes to spare before he had to actually get in the car, so I quickly made my way to him. Right as he saw me, his face lit up with a smile. "Hey, you made it!" he exclaimed as he pulled me into a hug. "I wanted to support you and let you know that I really do care." I said as my arms wrapped around his body. We both pulled away. "I'll do my best for you." He said, winking as he walked away.

I was very nervous watching him during the whole qualifying session. I watched as he made his way from Q1 all the way to Q3. He almost got pole, but he was just slightly slower than Max Verstappen. The whole garage erupted in disappointed boos. After the sessions ended, he came back and got out of his car. He talked with a few of his team members before making his way to me. Instead of giving me a big hug, he just dropped his head onto my shoulder, and we stayed like that.