8

                                    

                                          
Olivia was at Timothee's having drinks. The plan was to start with some pre-drinks at his place and then head to Sass Cafe. Olivia wasn't particularly excited for the night. She had broken up with Jack a few days ago and hadn't talked to Lando either. It felt like something inside her was missing, but which boy was it?
She took a deep breath and checked her phone, but no notifications showed up on the screen. She scrolled through her Instagram. There were no posts from Lando since he returned from Italy. Next week was the Monaco Grand Prix, and for some unknown reason, Olivia had tickets to go.
"Ollie, truth or dare?" a girl from the group asked.
"Dare," Olivia replied without thinking too much about it.
"Have two shots of tequila so you can be on the same drunk level as me," Amelia said, giving her a warm smile. Besides Millie, Amelia was one of her closest friends. She knew what Olivia was going through at the moment.
A few hours later, after a few more drinks, Olivia was much happier than when the party started. They were now inside the club, and most of their friend group was dancing on the dance floor.
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"Why is she here? I don't understand; I haven't seen the girl in 10 years and now she seems to be everywhere I go," Lando complained to Martin and Magui.
Magui, as usual, was all over Lando in their private area of the club. Lando was relieved that their interactions were shielded from the rest of the club, preventing their pictures from being leaked. However, Magui's social media posts had already sparked curiosity among Lando's fans about their relationship.
"I'm going for drinks," Magui announced to the group. "Do you guys want anything?"
The guys declined her offer.
"Alright, I'm going by myself then," she said, hopping off the small VIP area stage.
Magui headed towards the bar but changed direction when she spotted Olivia dancing. Lando hadn't spoken much about Olivia, but Magui had overheard conversations with Martin the other night. She was up to no good, wanting to make Olivia leave so she could have Lando to herself. Magui was the type to do whatever it took to succeed, regardless of who got hurt in the process—something Lando knew but didn't care about when they were together.
"Are you Olivia?" Magui asked in her best English accent.
"And who are you?" Olivia responded, studying the beautiful girl before her, realizing she had never seen her before.
"I'm Magui, Lando's friend," Magui said with a confident smile, immediately changing Olivia's mood.
"Oh, well, congratulations," Olivia replied dryly.
"He's here and not very happy to see you. I think you need to leave," Magui said casually.
"Excuse me?" Olivia chuckled in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"You heard me. He wants you out of the club," Magui reiterated.
"Where is he?" Olivia asked. Magui didn't reveal Lando's location directly but subtly gestured towards the VIP area.
Without a word, Olivia walked towards the exclusive section of the club. She didn't want to make a scene, but Lando had no right to ask her to leave. If he was upset by her presence, he could be the one to leave the club.
"Lando!" Olivia shouted.
A large security guard appeared from the side.
"Miss, this is a private area," the guard informed her.
"I don't care. I need to talk to someone who's inside," Olivia insisted.
"I understand, but do you have your name on the list?" the guard asked.
"No," Olivia admitted, shaking her head.
"Then I cannot let you in. I'm sorry," the guard replied firmly.
"Look, it will only be for 5 seconds. Nobody will ever know, I promise," Olivia pleaded, trying her hardest to persuade the guard, but her efforts were in vain.
Suddenly, Lando appeared from the other side of the area.
"What are you doing here? I said I'm done with you, Coleman," Lando stated coldly.
"I don't care what you say. Who do you think you are to ask me to leave the club?" Olivia fired back, her frustration evident.
"What? I didn't say anything," Lando protested.
"Your new girlfriend just came to me and asked me to leave," Olivia explained furiously. Lando looked at her, dressed in a buttoned black shirt with a few buttons undone, appearing tanned and handsome.
"If you have a problem, then you should be the one leaving," Olivia asserted.
"I don't have a problem. You're in that area, and I'm in this one," Lando laughed, his ego getting in the way.
"You see? VIP area and regular area—it's not real," Olivia said sadly, realizing how everything had gone downhill.
"Olivia," Lando said, resisting the urge to turn away from her, "just to be clear, she's not my girlfriend, okay? And I didn't say anything, especially about you."
Olivia fixed her gaze on Lando, noticing the shadows in his usually bright eyes. "What does 'especially about you' even mean?" she teased the McLaren driver.
"Come here," Lando said firmly, taking Olivia's hand and leading her towards the back of the VIP area where a small locker room awaited.
Lando's hands were sweaty, a sign that he was nervous. But why would he be nervous? He was the one who started the argument the other night.
"I don't have time for your games, Lando," Olivia said, her frustration evident after the tough weeks she'd been through.
"I'm not playing," Lando replied earnestly. The room was cramped, filled with boxes of exclusive beverages. Olivia spotted wine bottles priced like cars. The light flickered in from the dance floor, casting shifting patterns through the glass windows above.
"Look, it's been a rough couple of weeks. I can't deal with this. Let your girlfriend know I'm not going anywhere," Olivia asserted, attempting to leave, but Lando blocked her path.
"Livie, please," Lando whispered, his eyes sincere. "I swear I didn't say anything." Olivia looked at him, seeing the sparkle return to his eyes. Somehow, she believed him.
"I don't like her," Olivia confessed, speaking her mind about the Portuguese model. "She's stunning, sure, but trouble."
"I know, but the girl I really care about made it clear weeks ago that she's done with me," Lando admitted with a soft chuckle, still stung by their last conversation.
"Lando," Olivia began, at a loss for words.
"I want to kiss you," he admitted, his large hands gently framing her face. Olivia's eyes sparkled with desire as he pleaded, "Please."
Olivia was unsure of what to say. She knew kissing Lando would be a mistake, but the mix of alcohol and her long-held desire left her speechless. She simply nodded.
A sweet smile spread across Lando's face. Finally, he would be kissing Olivia, something he had wished and dreamed of for the past two months since they reunited after ten years. Neither of them could wait any longer.