DEEP BREATHS | lando norris

CHAPTER 27

LANDO

I close my eyes and tilt my head back, the music being louder then the garage's sounds. It's the last race of the year. The game is all in right now and I have a kind of existential crisis for now. I don't know what to do. I already have one title of World Champion next to my name but two would look better. Because one championship? It's nothing.

On the other hand I would put the title on stake for Ilma because now, that we talk every day and it became our routine to call each other two hours before we go to sleep, I know more or less what's in her head. I know her history more. What she had to do to be where she is today. I have never thought of it before though. It always has been that Ilma was somewhere around, annoying me before I fell for her. She just always was in the same society as I was but we never talked much. I never cared enough to ask her or find out by myself how she got here. Into Formula One.

But now, I always want to know more about her. I want to know her through and out even though she doesn't let me to. Not now. Not so early. And I totally get that, I don't push her to tell me everything. I'm happy with what I get everyday and I give her pieces of my history in return, but actually I would rip my chest and gave her my heart instead.

I see the doors to my driver's room open and Oscar stopping in them, leaning on the doorhandle as standing all by himself was too much for him. I raise my brow and give him a confused look but he points at my headphones and shows me to take them off. So I do. I am immidiately faced with people shouting all around and the mechanics working on our bolids.

"Muppet, you look like you would die any second." I smirk sarcasticly and I gain an annoyed and loud gasp from Oscar.

"Zak woke me up from my nap. He told me he's looking for you. Before you ask, yes he texted you and called you but you didn't respond and he was to lazy to come here." he says, fixing his hair and yawning. He really looks like he has been just woken up.

"Go back to sleep, I'll go." I stand up from my couch and take my phone before I leave. "Thanks, though."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell Zak not to wake me up, not even if the paddoc was burning down. I don't care. I want to sleep." Oscar pats me on my arm and leaves to his driver's room, which is next door.

I sigh and check up my notifications spoting Zak's messages under some others. But I scroll down to see the one message that makes me smile at the screen.

Lando ( private cook ): I love you <3

Ilma ( passenger's princess ): I'm gonna beat your ass on track today ;)

I make my way to Zak's office, greeting every McLaren crew member on the way. I actually wonder why Zak would want to see me today because I have done nothing wrong. And I usually meet him when I did something wrong.

I knock on the doors with his name on it and he calls me to get in. As I push the doors I already see him hiding his face in his hands like something really bad happened and I don't know if I don't want to turn on my heel, never come back. Zak doesn't day a thing, just waits for me to sit in front of him, what I do a second later.

"How bad is it?" I ask him, feeling like a child that mother is going to scolt at because I did something bad. I hear him fighting a cruse when he mutters something under his nose before raising his head up and looking at me.

"Lando, listen... You are our driver. Actually the one that makes all of our points for now. You are the star of the season." Zak stands up from his chair and starts walking around his desk. He hides his hands into the pockets and looks at me, now being with his face on a level above mine. I look up, waiting for him to continue whatever he wanted to tell me. I guess I'm ready for the hit.