Book 1: Leap of Faith -Charles Leclerc

Chapter 12

Chapter 12: June 30th, 2023

CL: Alright, I need a favor.

What can I do for you, Charles Marc? :Caroline

CL: Stop calling me that!

CL: So IF I was to fly you out, would you come to Spielburg? We need some red in the audience, plus you might be my good luck charm.

Caroline smiled at her phone, not even attempting to fight the feelings she had about him anymore. After her half-drunk moves at his afterparty, she knew she was fucked. And not in the way that she liked. She was grateful that his friends stopped them, because in the back of her mind, she knew it would've been really easy to get caught. She couldn't trust herself around him after that and left the party before she could do anything even more stupid. Caroline laughed at the memory, trying to avoid the embarrassment that came from it. It was around 5pm, and Caroline was just finishing up her work for the week. She had already said goodbye to JJ and Jack, who were off on a week's vacation to Ibiza. She stood in the middle of the clinic, looking up at herself in the mirrors.

"The girl who would've never done anything on a moment's notice is about to fly to Austria tomorrow," she thought to herself.

Only for the sake of the Ferrari team, sure why not. I think I have some red in my closet?:Caroline

CL: I'll take care of that too. I booked you a flight and a hotel, as well as a car service for the airport. Here's the details.

Caroline practically swooned at the last sentence, appreciating how well he knew her love of details and planning. He had it all ready, the car to the airport, the car to the hotel, everything. It was a love language for Caroline, and she was practically skipping home to pack.
**

Caroline walked into her hotel room in Austria with her jaw on the floor. It was a stunning room, just a few floors down from Charles, she presumed.

"He really went all out with this one, wow," she thought to herself as she wandered around the room. It came with a separate kitchenette, living room, and bedroom. She walked into the bedroom to see a bright red pile sitting on the bed.

"All from my personal collection, can't wait to see you there -CML"

Caroline read the note he left and held it close to her heart, trying to memorize this moment. She snapped a picture before sorting through the pile of Ferrari hats, shirts, zip ups, coats, and every other type of garment possible. Caroline settled on a shirt with a jacket, paired with some black leather shorts. She left the pile there and went to get changed before she had the driver take her over to the track.

"This is all so surreal, it feels like I'm dreaming right now," she thought as she admired the outfit in a full length mirror. "I'm wearing Charles' clothes, to his race, where I get to sit VIP and watch him do his thing. I get to hug him afterwards and congratulate him."

Caroline started to get emotional, thinking of how lucky she felt to get spoiled by this man for a weekend. She was never big into grand gestures or material things, but somehow a pile of red clothes was the best gift she had ever received. She felt like he had somehow started chipping away at the walls she had built up, one gorgeous smile at a time. She finished getting ready and shot Nicole a text, letting her know she was there, explaining that she got some last minute tickets through work and hopped on a flight. Caroline tried to let go of the slight pang of guilt lying to her friend as she watched the Austrian landscape fly by her in the car. Nicole agreed to meet her in the Grand Stand for quali, excited to spend the race weekend with her new girl friend. Caroline had fully prepared her lie on the way to the track in case of any questions, which didn't help with her guilt problem. She stepped out of the car, taking in the sights and sounds of the racetrack in front of her. God, she loved F1.