Destiny's Plan*A Lando Norris Story

Part 4

Amelia's POV

"Come on!" Indi says, standing at our hotel door and tapping her foot. "We are going to get there and there's going to be people everywhere and none of the sexy drivers are going to be able to see our sexy faces and fall in love with us!" I look over at her from where I'm standing in the room trying to find my shoes to give her a weird look. "HURRY UP!" I jump back into action, finally finding my Converse and slipping them on before walking out of the room. "Don't forget your jacket!" I pause, spinning back around and walking over to the chair in the corner that I had previously thrown my Mclaren jacket onto. I pick it up, throwing it over my shoulder before finally once again turning back around and walking out of the door. 

"I got it I got it," I say, jogging to catch up to Indi who had already begun walking over to the elevator. The hotel we were staying at was pretty shit, but it was the closest we could get to the track on such short notice. Indi worked as a minor influencer on Instagram, so she was able to squeeze us into this one by promising to tag them for her 4,000 followers to see. I dont think the hotel cared that much, but when she offered to pay a bit more, they were all ears. 

"Thank god for that." We caught an Uber to the track, getting out, and presenting our tickets before walking into the big crowds of people. I smile, feeling the familiarity of the track settle into me, as I hug the jacket closer to my chest. I miss you, Dad. "Come on, this way." Indi grabs my arm, dragging me towards some building she saw. 

"Ah, Mclaren," I say as we pause in front of the orange-themed motorhome. She smiles, handing me her phone. 

"Here get some pictures." She is wearing an orange Mclaren shirt, so the background is fitting. I smile. 

"Ok, pose for me girl." She pulls a few weird ones out, before standing and smiling. I snap dozens of photos before she walks back to me. 

"Ok, your turn." I nod my head, heading over to where she was standing before, and throwing the jacket on finally. I'm wearing some plain blue flare jeans and a white tank top, so that the jacket really stands out. I pose as well, getting a few photos before people begin to scream. I quickly turn around, squinting my eyes to see a few people exiting the McLaren motor home. 

"Oh, that must be the drive-" I am cut off by Indi barreling through me, almost knocking me over as she runs closer to the barricades. I laugh, chasing her to them as well. She takes my hand before aggressively pushing through lots of other people, somehow managing to get us right up against the fence. 

"LANDO! OSCAR! HII!" She screams, waving her arms. Miraculously, Lando turns his head at the sound of her voice. 

To be honest, the last time I properly watched F1 was probably more than a year ago, so I'm not really on top of everything that is happening in this 2023 season. So to see Lando again feels like a weird daydream. He is tan, very tan,  and his chest fills out his orange Mclaren shirt like it's a few sizes too small for him. His black jeans and white sneakers compliment him in a way that's hard to describe, and his backward hat always looks good. But the thing that my eyes are really drawn to, is his jacket. 

His jacket looks exactly like mine. 

Same patches, same placements, same coloring, same everything. My eyes widen in surprise for a moment, before dismissing it to good merchandising. I look back at his face and am surprised when we make direct eye contact. Of course, it was only for a moment, but that moment was all it took for my cheeks to heat up bright red and beads of sweat to form on my forehead. I swear I see his eyes flick down to my jacket, a moment of confusion in his features, but he looks away about as quickly as he looked in the first place, his eyes leave a lingering feeling on my body.

Celebrity crushes sure are strange.

"DID YOU SEE THE WAY HE LOOKED AT ME!" Indi says, collapsing into me with a dramatic sigh. 

"I did. Can confirm, I think he is in love with you." I say, pushing her back up onto her feet. She nods enthusiastically. 

"I agree completely." The crowd moves, so we do too. We ended up exploring a bit and finding a seat along the track that had a decent amount of space. 

The rest of the race was uneventful, but emotional at the same time. The day reminded me of Dad, but also gave me new memories to associate F1 with, which I was grateful for. And to be honest, I had missed it. I loved the cars, the tracks, and all the physics behind them. I loved the sport as a whole and was truly grateful to Indi for taking me. 

I kept noticing small flashes, however. I'd turn my head, but nothing would be there. The flashes were like cameras, but it was weird because only other fans were surrounding me, so why would anyone be taking photos? I just brushed it off and continued to focus on the day. 

____

The rest of the trip went well, and the next few days flowed smoothly. More photos were taken, with or without my knowledge, and the race was awesome. 

There was something bittersweet about flying home on the Sunday afternoon. The race had been a reminder of my love for Formula 1, and I was sad that it was already coming to an end, but I was happy I had got to go in the first place. Alas, it was now back to the never-ending struggle of trying to find a job. But, I was helping plan a big event for the hospital where I volunteer, so at least that was something. 

As I watched the clouds fade away out of the window of the airplane, I settled further into my seat. But, something was nudging at me. Something deep in the back of my brain told me that something was wrong. Maybe I was forgetting something, but it felt different. 

I just shrugged it off.