𝟑𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏

Dressed in my favourite shimmering silver dress and a pair of sparkly Jimmy Choo heels, I felt like a superstar as I waited for the young valet driver to open the door of my black Lamborghini Urus. He smiled at me as he offered me his hand to help me out of the car which I accepted with a polite nod. I handed him the keys, stepped back and watched him drive away in my car. I let my eyes wander around, taking in all the overwhelming impressions of the massive estate. What a view... The sun was beginning to set, dyeing the ancient walls of the antique building a lovely shade of orange.

"Daydreaming again, Amy?" Just the sound of his pretty voice brought a smile to my face. I took my eyes off the panorama and turned my head towards him. "Lewis!", I squealed happily and threw my arms around his neck. He hugged me tightly and buried his face in the hollow of my neck. "I've missed you", he murmured. "It's been so long." I laughed at that statement of his and shook my head. He was exaggerating as usual, acting like we didn't spend a week on Koh Samui together in the beginning of December.

"Have you seen Marielle? She texted me half an hour ago that she had just arrived", I asked him as soon as we let go of one another. "No, but I'm pretty sure she's probably on her fifth glass of champagne by now", he chuckled. Yes, he was probably right, sounds a lot like our little Miss Party Girl.

I had always been fascinated by Marielle. She was the kind of person who seemed to have it all – beauty, intelligence, and a seemingly endless supply of money. Her biggest concerns: what to wear to the next party and which exotic vacation to take next. I had grown up in a modest household and had never been exposed to the kind of wealth that Marielle's family possessed. Of course, I have made a lot of money in my motorsport career over the years and most of my belongings are sponsored, so I have rarely had to pay for anything in the past few years. But I never forgot where I came from, where my journey began and, most importantly, I still thank my parents to this day for sacrificing it all and allowing me to pursue my dreams. I was beyond grateful for this lifestyle I had built for myself, but sometimes, especially on nights like these, I caught myself taking it for granted. And when I do, I feels like shit afterwards.

But in the end we had a lot of love for each other because even though Marielle seemed like a snobby bitch, she was the complete opposite. She's incredibly generous, she always donates food to the homeless whenever she's in Paris. She's extremely optimistic, sometimes it drives me crazy that she never thinks about the negative sides of life. She's also very compassionate, whenever I'm sad she'll listen to me whine for hours just to give me the best advice possible.

Lewis' elbow nudging me, shook me out of my thoughts. I saw him offering me his arm, I took it with a smile and we started walking down the red carpet towards the huge antique door.

"Good evening, Sir Hamilton. Good evening, Miss López." One of them spoke as two others began to open the massive front doors. "Thank you!" I smiled and entered the mansion with Lewis to my left. My eyes scanned every inch of the large room, red decorations everywhere, huge vases filled with thousands of red roses. On the right side of the hall were a couple of bars, on the left side of the hall was a dance floor with lots of people already swaying their bodies to the blasting music. The atmosphere was rather dark and mysterious, the lights dimmed to a very low setting, with the DJ's colourful lights appearing occasionally.

As we made our way over to one of the bars, I noticed a certain blonde working her way through the dancing crowd, dodging glasses of champagne, until she finally reached us. "Amiliaaa!", Marielle screamed, almost tripping as she tried to throw herself around my neck. "Ça va, ma douce souris?" She mumbled into my hair, asking me how I was doing. I pulled her away and grabbed her shoulders with both arms. "'Bro, I'm super pumped for tonight. Have you seen those fine men all over the place? It's going to be epic!", I told her excitedly, but Marielle kept staring at the man to my left and whispered with a seductive smirk, "I'm also seeing one fine man" She started giggling a little too hard, her glass of champagne almost made its way onto the beautiful black marble floor.

Lewis took the glass from her hand and placed it safely on the countertop. "Hello Marielle, lovely to see you again. How have you been?" He smiled at her politely, and I knew he'd never think of her as anything other than a good friend. But Marielle is a hell of a temptress under the effects of alcohol. "Oh Lewis, I've been wonderful. I had a great time in the Bahamas, we even extended our trip spontaneously and we went to the Dominican Republic for another three weeks. The weather has been amazing and the weed there is wooooah", she told him happily about her last few weeks. "Sorry about the Abu Dhabi finale by the way. You were fucking robbed by this enfoiré." She stroked his left upper arm slowly, probably trying to calm him about the situation.

Lewis gave her a crooked smile. " Yeah, it didn't exactly go the way I wanted it to, but that's in the past now and I'm focusing on next season. But let's not talk about work, shall we? Anyone fancy a drink?"

"Oh yes" Marielle returned the champagne glass to her hand, drained the remaining liquid and brought it back down. "I'd like a strawberry daiquiri" Lewis nodded and looked at me, expecting an answer. "A martini, no olives. Thanks." - "I could've guessed", he said with a smile.

While he was ordering, I tried to see if I could make out any faces in the large amount of people that kept pouring into the villa. That's a lot of guests for a private party... But unfortunately, it was a little too dark to make out faces in the distance, so I returned to where my martini was already waiting for me. I picked up the glass and raised it with a smile, thrilled to be spending New Year's Eve with my best friends. "To us", I said proudly. Lewis and Marielle followed my lead, picking up their glasses and Lewis announced "To an amazing new year and a great 2022 season!"

We toasted and I took a sip of my favourite drink. I let the alcohol flow over my tongue, enjoying the tingling sensation that came with it. Just as I raised the glass for a second sip, I felt a presence behind me.

"So that's what retired champions are up to, drinking and partying, I suppose?", someone spoke with a thick French accent. I turned around in the cushioned seat and as soon as I saw the man's face, I regretted turning around. "Pierre Gasly, the man, the myth", I said, unimpressed. "You forgot the legend" He winked. "No, I haven't.", I corrected him bluntly. Marielle let out a small laugh beside me. Then her and Lewis stood up silently and she whispered "We're gonna go out for a quick smoke, we'll leave you to it"

"Amilia, it's amazing to finally meet you, my dear. Your reputation precedes you, you know." Pierre took a seat on the bar stool where Marielle had just been sitting and rested his arm on the counter behind me.

"Oh, I've heard a lot about you too, Pierre"

"Only good things, I hope"

"I'd say it's in the eye of the beholder."

Just as Pierre leaned in, probably to whisper some stupid line in my ear, I stood up and said "I need a cigarette too, you coming?" He rose up from his seat without a word and slung my arm around his, to escort me outside onto the patio. I don't normally smoke, but I was desperate to get out of this awkward situation, the tension was making my stomach turn.

As we stepped through the enormous glass doors into the garden, we joined Lewis and Marielle on some expensive looking garden furniture. We took a seat in front of them on a nice cushioned sofa. "Mari, can I borrow a cig?" She looked at me confused, but handed me one almost immediately. "Lighter?" She threw her pink glittery lighter at me and I caught it, my fast reflexes making this an easy one. I lit the cigarette and inhaled the toxic substances through the fumes. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the way the nicotine made me feel, the December temperatures suddenly no longer bothering me.

A waiter came over to our small group, carrying a tray filled with a variety of drinks. "Good evening, may I offer you something from the selection of our drinks?" He asked in a bland manner. "Just leave the tray, we'll be fine" Marielle waved him off and he placed it onto our small table. She turned around and grinned. "Four for everyone" I nodded silently, letting my eyes wander off into the distance.

The city of Monaco was abuzz with excitement. Several girls rushing around, probably trying to find the best party to steal a midnight kiss from. Luxurious yachts adorned the marina and high-end sports cars lined the streets. Since I bought myself another apartment here a few months ago, right after my F3 scandal, I have never flown back to London. This city made me feel alive, no worries. The fact that Marielle lives here, too, might also be an important factor in making me feel at home.

I spoke to my parents on the phone every other day and I'd love to see them, but I haven't had the strength to go back to London yet. I still have my lovely loft there, but I needed some time away.

From my peripheral vision I could see Pierre scooting towards me as he threw his expensive jacket around my shoulders. "You're shivering", he whispered. "Oh, I didn't notice", I breathed, and again I felt his arm resting against my back. I shot a quick glance over to my friends, but they were deep in conversation and drinking.

That's when I remembered the drinks, took a martini and held it out to Pierre to toast him. He smiled a charming smile and took a drink that appeared to be whisky. His stunning aquamarine eyes pierced through my brown ones as we lost ourselves in each other's gazes. "Cheers" I whispered, enchanted by the beautiful shade of blue.

His hand began to caress my upper back as we each took a sip of our drink, never taking our eyes off each other, locked in a silent battle of wills. His arm flexed as he raised the glass to his lips, I could almost make out every single muscle through his tight, white long-sleeved shirt. The air crackled with electricity and every few seconds a spark passed between us. It was clear that the sexual tension was building to a breaking point. And we both knew, that we were used to always getting what we wanted, so it was only a matter of time before one of us made a move.

I finished my martini and placed it on the table, picking up a tasty-looking mojito. Pierre did the same and picked up another drink. We emptied them pretty quickly as well, our gazes still glued to each other. Time stood still and I started to feel the alcohol reaching my brain and numbing my thoughts. I sensed him coming closer, his scent intoxicating me.

I looked at him with doe eyes, reaching for the lime in my glass and putting it to my lips, sucking on the bitter juices mixed with the brown sugar. His eyes went wide at the sight and his arm stopped caressing my back and moved down my side, landing on my thigh. I dropped the lime back to where it belonged and took the straw between my lips, slurping the remaining liquids. As I lowered my glass, he reached for my face and used his rough thumb to wipe something from the corner of my mouth. I looked at him in confusion until I saw the small sugar grains.

He brought his thumb to his mouth and began to lick the sugar away, his other hand slowly making his way to my inner thigh. It made me want to go feral, thinking of all the other things those hands were capable of doing.

𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈'𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞... 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐬 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲! <𝟑 𝐈'𝐦 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡, 𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐬... 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞... 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 ;)

- 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚