❝are you seriously trying to flirt your way out of this?❜❜ 
❝partially. is it working?❜❜ 

CAMERA FLASHES LIT UP THE DIM CONFERENCE ROOM, CREATING A STROBE EFFECT THAT STRAINED THE MANY BEADY EYES OF REPORTERS. The air was filled with anticipation, faces of the most known veterans under popular media outlets were all gathered into one room, their minds racing with questions as they awaited for the very driver of the hour to take the hot seat.

“Ten minutes until the press conference starts!”

One of the many veterans was Katrina Lee, her very first press conference representing her media’s outlet, TALK THAT TALK. There she was, youthful eyes sparkled from the rapid flashes of cameras, fidgeting with her lanyard to cope with the nerves. This was like a foreign setting for the young journalist, who was used to working in an office space or following her superior around the paddock.

Talk That Talk's primary focus circled around the hot gossip and entertainment of Formula One, rather than the technical on-track critiques and debates that were more prominent. Katrina feared she stuck out from the crowd of journalists like a sore thumb and felt insecure about her role. In addition, especially the fact she was surrounded by mostly male veterans who have been doing this gig for most of their lives, much knowledgeable about the sport.

From the time she spent sitting in the conference room, she scanned around hoping to see if there were any other young female veterans like her. Her heart dropped in realization that she was basically the only one, only a very few other women who were much older that Katrina was too anxious to go up to. She hated every second of this, she wanted to get over it and get out of this place. 

Though, how did she end up here?

“THE COFFEE MACHINE BROKE? AGAIN?”

Katrina swore under her breath, angrily slamming the empty coffee cup back on the counter before making her way back to her office space.

It was a typical Tuesday morning for the girl working as a journalist. Like every other typical Tuesday, or really any other day of the week, she dreaded it. Running through the day with only five hours of sleep, she was getting as much work done as a sloth with her attention was easily directed back to her phone every few minutes. 

Coffee was the only thing that could get her through the day, her little power up, but of course, it happens to be broken.

As per usual. 

She really needed the boost to get the unbelievable amount of work done. She could just pop down to the convenience store down the street.

So what does she do? 

Text her best friend of course. 

wuyixing & kattylee

kattylee

Release me from this labyrinth of agony

I can feel the walls closing in

It's over Yixing I don't think I can do this anymore

wuyixing

kat

is the coffee machine broken again

kattylee

Yes

Yixing I literally cannot function without it

It's like my kryptonite

wuyixing

i don't think that's what the metaphor is used for… 

kattylee

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN (┰ω┰。)

It's the second time this week it's happened you know

And it's only Wednesday

wuyixing

babes i'd love to help

but you caught me at a bad time

i'm about to go into a meeting :(

kattylee

NO I'M SORRY it's okay !!

You listening to my struggles is enough

wuyixing

kat it's only a coffee machine 😭

besides you need to take a break from all the caffeine >:(

kattylee

WAIT

We're good, I found a Red Bull in the break room! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و

wuyixing

KATRINA

kattylee

WHATTT

Don't do this to me I'm basically a walking corpse without a bit of caffeine

wuyixing

you're about to become an actual corpse if you keep doing this

i'd be surprised if you reach thirty

kattylee

I’ll have a caffeine detox 

Just not today

wuyixing 

you’re lucky i have a meeting with the mclaren drivers now

kattylee

Ooooh

Good luck with Piastri

wuyixing

KATRINA PLEASE 😭

Katrina snorted as she watched Yixing go offline straight after. Yixing has landed a job as Maclaren’s PR manager around the same time Katrina got her job in Talk That Talk. It's been entertaining for the journalist listening to the Chinese girl tell tales managing McLaren’s image, especially when she interacts with the drivers. Oscar Piastri in particular.

Katrina never lets Yixing hear the end of it, unable to hold back urges to tease the girl once in a while between the PR manager and Australian driver. 

She popped open the can of Red Bull, taking a huge gulp of the sugary energy drink. The slight bitterness lingering on her tongue as she sighed, once again staring at her laptop screen with the reflection of the fluorescent lights buzzing in the office. The screen is completely blac

Her boss, KEVIN JONG, had a habit of walking around the office unannounced to check on the many other veterans, so she knew she had to at least look like she was preoccupied and focused on her work.

But even the Red Bull wasn’t helping her this time.

“Katrina?”

The girl was so lost in her thoughts, jumping at the deep voice of her name being called to her that she spilt a bit of the energy drink on her front, cursing under her breath.

“Shit!” She hissed, grabbing a piece of paper to try dab off the spill before it made any prominent stains, “what the hell do you oh.”

Panic struck the girl once she laid eyes on Kevin Jong standing by her office cubicle, looking startled and confused at once as he stared back at the younger with his arms crossed. The journalist noticed her superior’s glance switched between her and her laptop with nothing open—she didn’t know what to do but cracked a smile at her boss, trying to swerve around the awkward situation.

“Kevin! I-I’m so sorry, you just caught me at a bad time…” Katrina chuckled weakly, composing herself as she shifted on her seat to sit up properly, “do you, uh, need anything?”

Kevin sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to hold himself back from laughing. The elder had a bit of a soft spot for Katrina, finding her amusing from watching her being able to grow into this character of a journalist for the past year: she was independent, challenging, and really brought out good the best out of the company.

Though, Katrina had a lack of interest in the more human side of motorsport despite working under a gossip and entertainment media outlet of the sport, which Kevin found the most amusing thing of them all. He wasn’t one to play favourites amongst his co-workers, but Katrina reminded him a whole lot of his own son.

“Bad time you say?” Kevin finally says, putting the focus back on Katrina’s laptop, “fitting, regarding your laptop screen is off.”

The girl’s cheeks flush as she quickly wiggles her mouse over the laptop screen, going even more red in embarrassment when it opens to a document that wasn’t even close to being finished. Kevin yet tries to stop himself from laughing, pitying the girl’s embarrassed state.

“You’re lucky I’m not going to talk about that.” Kevin continues, chuckling lightly as the sharp tone in his voice softens. 

Katrina smiles shyly, giggling. “I'll get to work with it, promise! Why were you calling for me then?”

Kevin hums, “I want to ask you for a favour.”

Katrina raised a brow at the mention of a favour, immediately thinking of how this could benefit her. Pay rise? Promotion? A day off even?

“A favour? Like what?”

“There's a press conference McLaren is hosting for both of their drivers individually. I know we don't do them often, but I figured I'd send one of our journalists to attend one of them to get something out to write about…”

Katrina's stomach turned just at the mention of a press conference. There's no way she could go to one, it seemed like too much pressure surrounded by all these veterans who are older and old fashioned, whilst she was just a year in being a journalist. 

“... I've opted for someone else, but a family emergency occurred and they had to travel out of the country-” 

Katrina interrupted the elder as she whined out in frustration, slumping over her desk, knowing exactly what he was going to say next. Kevin raised a brow, knowing exactly why the girl had that reaction, ignoring it as he continued with his point. 

“-and since they're out of the country, I'm going to need somebody to fill in for them.” 

“Well, how unfortunate.” Katrina responded dryly, roaming her mouse around her desktop, “good luck with that though.”

“I could really use the extra help, you know?” Kevin pushed on, frowning. 

“Yeah I bet, good luck.”

“Katrina.”

Katrina flinched at the sudden stern tone in his voice, accentuated with his Australian accent. She shamefully spun on her seat to face her superior, recognizing that no-nonsense tone that he reserved for moments when he needed to make his point across strictly. 

“I'm being serious now, Lee. I don't think you're seeing this as a huge opportunity for you.”

“Opportunity?” Katrina repeated, as if he was completely absurd. “For what exactly? To embarrass myself? I haven't done a press conference before, Kevin. Last time I had to interview Charles Leclerc, I almost threw up!”

“Well, that's partially the reason really.”

“What, to throw up in front of Piastri and Norris?”

“No, to take this as a learning curve.” Kevin sighed, “if I don't push you know, you'd be attending a press conference eventually either way.”

“B-but…” Katrina's voice faltered, feeling uneasy. She didn't know how to articulate her thoughts and feelings, still processing it all through her nerves, “why me? What if I embarrass Talk That Talk?”

Kevin gives her a comforting smile, patting her shoulder, “I know what you're like Katrina. I've been mentoring you through your short career working as a journalist. I'm doing what's best for you. I know you won't be working under me forever, this chance will allow you to expand how much of a strong journalist you already are.”

The girl let's out a heavy sigh, biting her lip in thought. Kevin's words were sinking in as she thought about it. She knew it was best to step out of her comfort zone, though a dark cloud of her nerves and anxiety haunted and lingered behind her.

“Fine… I'll do it. Besides, I know you wouldn't let me go if I turned it down.” 

Kevin's face lit up, laughing, “that's the spirit, Katrina! I’ll have you know that the press conference is tomorrow.”

The girl's eyes widened. Tomorrow? That's not nearly enough time to even mentally prepare herself. She could feel herself tense up in anxiousness, bad scenarios of the press conference rushing through her mind. 

“T-tomorrow?” Katrina echoes in a hoarse whisper, quickly taking a sip of Red Bull. She wishes there was a shot of vodka in that. 

“It'll be during the late afternoon, so you'll have time to think and prepare yourself for it. Besides, you'll only be attending one of the two press conferences.”

“One? Why only one?” Katrina frowns, confused. 

A smirk appeared on Kevin's face, a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. Katrina hated it, and she knew it would be bad news for her case. “I want you to dig deep into Lando Norris, his personal life especially. Fans eat that sort of content, especially if it's him. We'd get more attention as well.”

Katrina raised a brow, studying the elder's face with a concerned look. “Kevin, are you clout chasing?”

Kevin gives the girl a look before letting out a hearty laugh, earning turned heads with confused and slightly annoyed looks on their faces from neighboring cubicles. 

“I do admire your honesty, Katrina. I’m simply giving what the fans want. Besides, that's how we strive.”

“Yeah, and apparently fans just eat up anything.” Katrina grumbled, “from break ups to drivers having an affair with a royalty chick? Yeah.” 

“At least we're not stretching that far with the articles we publish.” Kevin shook his head, ignoring the small giggles coming out of the girl. “It's not as ambitious as those stories, but with Lando Norris? There's been a fire all over F1 media about his love life especially, use that to your advantage. Trust me, It'll make people click.”

Katrina sighed, her mind racing as she thought of the possibilities once again. “I'm going to be eaten up alive in that room, Kevin. I'll stand out, and not in a good way either.”

Being in a room full of seasoned journalists pouncing and buzzing with big questions? It was intimidating to just think about, she feared how they'd all look down on her. 

“You'll be fine, dear. Just trust me.” Kevin assured the girl, patting her shoulder, “I picked you for a reason, I know what you're capable of. You go in and bring something fresh, literally blow them away.”

Katrina gives the elder an annoyed look, though with no intent or malice behind it, “I'll do it, but if I get crucified, I'm cursing your name.”

“Deal.” Kevin agreed with a grin, “now get to work, I expect a whole lot from you, Lee.”

“Take my life force, God. Take it now.”

Katrina grumbled miserably to herself and she shifted lower on her seat slightly. She felt like she could see kaleidoscopes of colours all around the press conference room as the camera flashes were really beginning to strain her eyes. It’ll only be a couple more minutes before Lando Norris enters the room. 

Katrina wished she could message Yixing right now for the last minute reassurance, or really to panic to the girl in a series of broken messages, but the Chinese girl was currently in a different press conference room for Oscar Piastri. Their last messages were telling each other good luck and messages of reassurance.

wuyixing 

good luck kat! 

i know you got this 💗

just look out for that driver’s mouth 

he’s definitely

well

something 

Something, huh? Katrina frowned, shaking her head. She knew what she was going into once she stepped foot into the room. It was Lando Norris, a man who had huge amounts of fame, wealth and an infamous ego. Katrina usually watches interviews of F1 drivers, mostly post race interviews, and she found it insufferable watching his especially.

She looked up to see one of the PR managers suddenly handing out a press packet to the veterans around the room, taking one for herself. Katrina made a face as she opened the leaflet to see an image of Lando Norris posing beside a McLaren car, his trademark smirk on his face, and those glasses.

Judging from the lighting of the photo, she could tell it was taken during the night, yet, he wore the Cartier sunglasses on his head. It’s as if they were a significance to his status and insufferable pride; he wore them in every single one of his appearances. Katrina rolled her eyes, flicking through the press packet to read the neatly curated facts of the driver from his career highlights to statistics to let time go by.

The double doors of the room soon swung open, the murmurs of the room falling silent before erupting as all eyes laid on Lando Norris himself.

Katrina winced as the flashes of cameras became more rapid as the driver strolled into the room. She couldn’t even see the driver as the other veterans around her stood up, waving out their hands and pens to gain Norris’ attention. She felt claustrophobic in that moment, the bodies almost squashing her, clutching her things as if she was going to lose a part of herself.

The room was buzzing with excitement and hums of anticipation, but it felt like an inescapable roundabout for Katrina, feeling as if he was going to throw up at any moment. She tried to compose herself, the anticipation dying down as the McLaren staff calmed down the crowd, finally giving the girl a moment to breathe.

“Quite an eager lot, huh? Don’t worry, you’ll all get a chance!”

A wave of laughs came from the crowd once everyone had settled down, Katrina finally getting a glimpse of the driver. He had a charming smile planted on his face, grinning with a Monster energy drink in his hand.

He appeared to be more tanned compared to images on the internet, his tousled curls bouncing on his head. The journalist realised she’s never seen the boy, even just passing by whenever she was in the paddock. This was the first time she’s ever seen him in person.

He doesn’t look half bad. Katrina thought, internally slapping herself at the unconscious thought.

“Right!” The McLaren driver clapped his hands, rubbing them with a grin on his face as he adjusted his sunglasses, “Who’s going first?”

“Nah, I do it for the fans!”

“Priorities mate, sometimes you gotta put yourself first.”

“Legend, huh? I’m still alive, I don’t know what that really means!”

“They can say whatever they want, I’m just here to drive.”

Katrina could really feel the pressure weighing on her, watching other veterans take their chances throughout the press conference and question Lando with pure confidence and integrity.

It was like she was trying to defuse a time bomb, trying to bid the right time to take her opportunity before it was too late. It’s been almost an hour into the press conference, she didn’t want to let Kevin down.

With almost an hour in, other veterans have also realised this, trying to sneak in another chance to ask the driver more questions. It caused another havoc of shouts and aggressive arms stretching out and waving to catch Lando’s attention, the staff trying to calm down the crowd.

“Alright! Please, settle down!” Lando laughs through the mic, gesturing them all to simmer down once more, “I’m free for the rest of the day, and like I said, you’ll all get a chance. Just be patient.”

There was a bit of a sharper tone in his voice, which was surely doing the trick as the veterans looked a bit hesitant as they all shifted on their seats a bit awkwardly, a smug grin appearing on Lando’s face. “Now, let’s do this in an orderly fashion. Who’s next?”

“M-Mr Norris!”

Katrina froze up, panicking, cursing internally.

What the fuck- What are you doing!?

She realised she had suddenly stood up on her feet, proclaiming quite loudly, making it easier for all eyes to go on her. Faint whispers jumped through the crowd, the girl trembling at how much of a vulnerable position she was in. She rushed, she was getting too eager to get her question over with. She felt like throwing up right then and there.

“Hm? I don’t think I’ve seen you before, mind introducing yourself?”

Katrina snapped out of her panicked train of thought, looking right at the boy across the room from her. She didn’t realise she was hesitating, not realising the fact Lando had saved the girl from suffering the awkwardness from her shock stricken state.

“Right- Katrina Lee, journalist for Talk That Talk.” 

Lando raised a brow, taking a brief sip from his energy drink. “You don’t get a lot of gossip outlets here, huh? I guess you’re going to bring me some juicy questions, hm?” He says, his voice suddenly growing soft with a playful tone around it.

A few disapproving hums and murmurs came from the crowd, not liking the fact a representative of a gossip outlet was attending a press conference. Lando ignored them as he didn’t keep his eyes peeled off from Katrina, who was struggling to find her words

“Uh- yes, yes.” Katrina swallowed hard, the adrenaline making her heart hammer in her chest as she clicked the pen in her hand. “My question to you goes off track, well literally, from the usual… regarding your personal life and affairs with how it impacts your performance through emotional—“

“Ugh, this is Formula One, lady! Not gossip hour!”

The murmur of the crowd grew louder once more, a mix of laughs and quiet reprimands rippling through. Katrina almost felt like crying, completely embarrassed and ashamed. A small sorry squeaked out of her, slowly lowering herself to sit back down.

“Alright, alright! Calm down now guys.” Lando’s voice cuts through the noise of the crowd, instantly silencing them at the sound of the authority in his tone. Katrina hesitated, choosing to still stand as she looked right at the British driver. The smug smile he held throughout the press conference has been replaced with a more serious expression, surprising Katrina as much as everyone else.

“If you’re going to shout over someone, at least make sure it’s something worth saying.”

The room was uncomfortably silent, Lando raising a brow at the veteran that suddenly shouted out before looking back at Katrina. She could just barely make out a small smile on the driver's face. “Go on ahead Lee, I’m listening.”

“I… Thank you.” Katrina took a deep breath and sighed, clicking her pen once more. “My question lies on how your… love life in particular interferes with your F1 career, regarding recent events with your former partner, Daisy Yang.”

Lando doesn't respond right away, freezing up slightly at the mention of the name. He stared at Katrina for a moment as she raised a brow. Lando seemed a bit stricken by the question, as if he didn't expect it to circle around such a topic. As the silence wavered the room, Katrina could hear the same disapproving murmurs and feeling the disapproving looks eyeing her, trying to stand strong and ignore them. 

Lando eventually sighed heavily, into the mic, tapping the desk. Katrina watched him attentively, expecting an answer with her pen read to scribble down on her notepad. The driver soon took his Monster can and gulped it down to the last drop, taking a bit longer than Katrina liked, becoming impatient. 

Is he… stalling? 

“My apologies, Lee.” The boy finally spoke, the girl snapping her attention on, “Unfortunately, I happened to have a fan event to attend to in a few minutes, so I have no choice but to cut this short.”

… 

What. 

Who does he think he is!? 

“Mr Norris!? Just one last question!”

Katrina couldn't believe it, snapping out of it once there was another uproar of the sea of veterans crying out for Lando to spare just one more minute. She just barely managed to catch one last glimpse of the British driver walking off towards the exit as the staff chased after him, a look of disbelief left on her face. 

No fucking way. Katrina thought angrily to herself. What a fucking pussy! 

wuyixing & kattylee

wuyixing

my pr team is practically attacking him kat

he didn't even have a fan event to go to! 

don't worry, i went off on him on your behalf 😘

kattylee

This is why I love you

He thinks he's soooo entitled to just walk off like that

Great, what do I do when I walk into work tomorrow and give Kevin nothing? 

wuyixing

kevin isn't mean i'm sure he'll understand :(

why don't you come by, i'm leaving the garage soon

we'll go hang out! 

kattylee

Are you asking me out on a date 🥺

Wow, cheating on Piastri I see? 

wuyixing

istg katrina

kattylee

JOKING JOKING

I'm on my way :3

wuyixing

hurry up before i change my mind 🙄

Katrina sighed, crushing her Red Bull can before throwing it into the nearest trash can she could see. It's been a few hours since the press conference, but she was still annoyed by the fact Lando Norris had walked out and left her question hanging in the air. Not only was she unable to get any information, but the McLaren driver had managed to get under her skin on a personal level. 

She was already walking through the paddock on her way to meet Yixing, holding her paddock pass in hand that Kevin had given her during the start of her career. It was pretty late, so the F1 pit wasn't busy as it would be during the day as she walked past workers and team members checking out. 

Katrina thought it would be fine to walk and text Yixing simultaneously as she made her way, seeing that it wasn't busy. She giggled at the banter bouncing between her and the Chinese girl, not paying too much attention to her steps as she rounded a corner, her shoulder bumping into someone's chest, wincing at the contact. 

“Woah now, easy there!”

The voice was undeniably familiar, the girl snapping her head back to confirm who she assumed it was. 

Lando fucking Norris. 

She froze, not expecting to run into the driver at a time like this. What were the odds?! 

It seemed that the British driver had realised who she was, looking surprised for a moment before a glint appeared in his eyes, a smirk curling on his lips representing the lack of shame. Did he forget what he put the girl through hours earlier? 

“Ah, Katrina Lee!” Lando grinned, tilting his head as he folded his arms. The journalist eyed the boy up and down: he was wearing his fireproofs but with the arms of the suit wrapped around his waist, a McLaren cap worn backwards on his head with his trademark Cartier glasses being the cherry on top. 

“Great to see you so soon already. Are you following me? Or is this destiny?” The driver teased, grinning as much to the contrary to Katrina’s frown on her face. 

“Hilarious.” She said bluntly, pushing up her glasses, “can't believe you have the audacity to act like that after ditching me back there.”

Lando raised a brow, a cocky grin widening even more on his face. “You know how to hold a grudge, don't you? This is about the press conference, huh?”

“Obviously.” Katrina snapped, as if that was not obvious. “You walked out like a spoiled kid on me after I asked you a question, and you expect me to let it go? I'm trying to do my job!”

“Ouch.” Lando gasps out, pressing a hand over his chest as he feigns a hurt expression, irritating the girl even more. “Spoiled kid? You wound me, Lee.”

He chuckles at himself, pursing his lips seeing the stoic expression on Katrina unmoved and unimpressed. He cleared his throught, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“Alright… harsh, but fair enough.” He admits with a sigh, biting the inside of his cheek in thought. “Okay, okay, look. I didn't mean to just flat out ignore you, but I just wasn't ready for a question about that.”

Katrina raised a brow, not expecting the sudden shift in his tone of voice. It went a bit softer and seemed more serious, intriguing her. 

“But hey,” Lando shrugged, “at least I'm still cute, right?”

Katrina blinked, not expecting such a random remark as a cheeky smile was slowly making a way back on his face. 

“Are you seriously trying to flirt your way out of this?”

“Partially. Is it working?” He shoots back with a playful wink. 

Katrina bit the inside of her cheek. It's like the boy couldn't go a second being serious for once. 

“Not even close, Norris.” She rolled her eyes, her annoyance flaring back up. 

Lando chuckled, running a hand through his curls, “Okay okay. I apologize for that, I shouldn't have done that to you either way, it was sort of a jerk move.”

“Sort of?” Katrina repeated, the British driver rolling his eyes. 

“Alright! I was a complete jerk, happy?” He sighs dramatically, a small satisfied smile appearing on the girl's face. 

“Tell you what, I guess I do owe you one.” Lando continues, the girl perking up at his words. “How about this: one-on-one interview, just you and me, and I'm all yours for asking.”

Katrina's eyes lit up, a shine of hope shining down on her. This was it, and he couldn't stall and ditch his way out of this one. He's the one suggesting it after all. 

On the outside, the girl remained stoic and firm on her feet, an expression making out an unimpressed look. “Really, huh? No walking out halfway on me this time, Norris?’

“Faithful to my word, Lee.” He said, gesturing a small salute, “I won't chicken out, you have me all to yourself.”

The girl cringed at his words, making a face. “Alright, no need to word it like that. We have a deal.”

The boy chuckles, a grin plastered on his face once more. “Mint! Just send me a DM, and I'll let my PR manager know about it.”

Katrina pursed her lips, keeping a mental note to inform Yixing about this, though chose not to mention the fact his PR manager was close friends with her. 

Well, why should he know anyways? 

“Well, great! I'll let you know later tonight.” Katrina nodded, holding out her hand for the boy to shake. Lando just merely tilted his head, taking the girl's hand to gently pull the girl closer, their faces just merely inches apart. Katrina’s eyes widened, not expecting it at all, tilting her head back slightly as the boy spoke. 

“This is your one chance with me, Lee. Don't screw it up and make it worth your while.”

The girl stared at the boy, trying to process what he'd just said. The way he worded them felt so unnecessary, with the playful tone contrasting with the gaze in his eyes that he gave her. It was as if he felt entitled to act in such a way, a frown forced on the girl's face despite her cheeks going flushed. 

“I'm a busy man after all.” Lando finished with a smirk, pulling the girl off before walking off without another thought, ending their conversation right there. 

Katrina stood there, stunned. She didn't realise it, but her heart rate went up just slightly, trying to shake it off as she ran her hand through her hair. 

“Whatever.” she muttered to herself, the sudden buzz in her pocket from her phone snapped her back into focus, reminding her who she was supposed to meet. 

“S-shit, Yixing!”

꙳ . 🌺 യ 🥥 ✹ ₊ ˚ ˏˏ CHRIS SPEAKS ⨟ took me like..... two months to get a chapter out......