Beautiful Stranger
01: Way To Fall
Driver! Lando Norris x OC (Lily Barton)
Summer love, strangers to friends to lovers, Greece and Greek mythology references
Words: 3.2k
Warnings: Lando being Lando, crash, injuries
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a/n: here you have the fist chapter of my new story! I hope everyone likes it and welcomes my new character Lily
kalimera: good morning
glykiá: sweety
efkharîsto: thank you
🎮
When the summer break arrives, everyone wants to know where the drivers will go. They ask where their vacations will be, if they'll spend time with their families, go to parties or stay at home to do the activities they couldn't do during the first half of the season.
"So? What are you going to do?" Carlos asked me, a glass of God knows what type of drink on his right hand, and his left arm on the back of the long couch. "You'll go with your family somewhere with that big boat?"
"I don't think so, mate" I sighed. "I just don't feel like that. My brother has to take care of two kids, my sister has summer competitions… I'm not in the mood, actually"
"And what are you going to do? Stay in your apartment and play videogames?" he laughed, making me roll my eyes and look away.
"I don't know, maybe I will do that" I groaned.
"Go somewhere alone" he said, placing the glass on the table and grabbing his phone. "Buy tickets to somewhere far enough of the spotlight and rent an apartment. I bet that would be exciting"
"Yeah, right. That only happens in movies" I scoffed while drinking a little of my beer.
"And you don't want it to happen to you? Come on, I know you are tired of the dating rumors, of being always on tabloids asking about your love life in summer. You should go somewhere alone, far from the media" he said, patting my back.
Maybe he's right. Maybe I should go to a place where no one knows who I am. Maybe I should grab a map and find a place where I can be on my own.
That's how I ended days after searching for a place where I should go.
Portofino? No, even if it's a beautiful place there are a lot of tourists and famous people there.
Somewhere in Spain? No… I was there last summer.
France? The Netherlands… no, they would recognize me.
Greece. That country has many islands. Maybe I can go somewhere and stay there all the break.
There are some islands where communication barely arrives, where you live in a mix of the past and the present and ignore the exterior. Right, that’s what I need.
I tried to find a good place, somewhere not too difficult to access. I shouldn’t rent a car, right? I have to look like a normal guy that casually has lots of money. No big luxury brands to be seen, no expensive watches or jewelry. I have to look like another tourist that wants to be in a village for a few weeks.
Now… How should I go there? Which place should I go? Not Mykonos, not Rhodes or Santorini. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
“Huh? Where are you going?” Max asked, walking behind me and watching the screen of my laptop. “Greece?”
“I want to go alone” I sighed, rubbing my forehead and looking at the screen, the list of all the islands of Greece were shown in front of me. “But I don’t know where to go”
I saw Max sitting next to me, looking at the screen and reading it. I searched in Wikipedia the list of islands just to know the name of them. But then the population was next to the names.
“Tell me a number between 1 and 144” he said, taking the laptop away from me.
“What?” I frowned looking at him. “Mate, it’s not a game, come on…”
“I’m helping you decide where you’ll go. So tell me a number” he frowned.
“God… Okay…” I sighed, closing my eyes and thinking of a number. “32?”
“Well, now you’ll go to Parga” he said.
I sighed. That was easy. It was too easy, and I didn't like it. I needed a place to get lost, my mind wanted to be in somewhere where neither my best friend knew where I was.
"But…" I sighed while brushing my hair with my hand.
"I won't tell anyone" he sighed. "Lando, mate… you need it. I understand. Now with those rumors about you saying things you never said and the girls they say you are dating, you need to be somewhere away from the problems"
I look at him and nod. He's right, of course he's right. Carlos and him know me, they know how bad the hate affects me and how it makes me feel.
"I'll go to that place" I sighed nodding. "But promise me you won't tell anyone"
🖌️
The started great. Everyone in the village started their routine as always, going to their boats, opening their restaurants and starting to cook. The streets smell of food, the women making their traditional dishes just to serve the tourists that came here, kids running and playing on the streets with their friends and the old people talking on the door of their houses.
"Kalimera, Nora" I smiled at the woman that was preparing some breakfast.
"Oh, Lily" she smiled, kissing my cheek. "Today we have a reservation. Someone will come to one of the apartments"
"Oh, really? At what time?" I asked, serving myself a cup of coffee.
"Don't worry about it, Dorien will take care of it" she smiled. "He works for me, glykiá. You can go do your work"
I smile and nod, taking a deep breath and looking at her.
Nora Makris, owner of some of the apartments here in Parga. The day I came she adopted me as one of her kids, taking care of me and helping me with everything I needed.
"What are you going to do today?" she asked, putting a plate of fruit in front of me.
"I think I'll work for a while at the cafeteria and then I'll go to the beach" I smiled at her.
Life here is easy: you wake up, get dressed always with a bikini under the clothes, work for a while and then go to the beach. Do you need more money? You can guide the tourists and help them with everything they need and translate things from the local people.
Three years ago I came with the idea of escape from my life, needing a place to disconnect and forget about my past. And thanks to Nora now I have a place to call home. Working in the cafeteria is always fun. The villagers come and teach me some of their traditions, they teach me their language and how to live like them.
After I finished my breakfast I started to help Nora, making coffee or baking things. I know everyone in this place, so I greet them with their name and make their favorite things the way they like.
"Kalimera, Lily" they smile when I arrive at their table, complimenting my coffee or my outfit.
Everybody wants to know about me. Why would a young woman come here alone for a trip and stay longer than expected? They say I'm mysterious, that I'm a gift from the gods. Maybe that's why they treat me like I was born there, not asking about my origins or about my life, only accepting that I'm one of them.
The morning went quick, the same routine as always. The upstairs neighbor wanted a coffee with a plate of mixed fruit, the old lady that lives two doors away wanted her morning tea with one of the pastries of the day, the mother that lives with her two kids wanted her usual morning coffee and a toast with avocado and cream cheese. Everyone has their story here, and that's what I love about this place.
"Lily, you can leave now" Nora said walking towards me. "I'll for a while for the lunch time and them I'll start preparing some dishes for whoever wants to come"
I nodded and smiled, grabbing my bag and taking off my apron, leaving it on the hanger that is next to the backdoor.
I went to my apartment, going upstairs and opening the door. I have to get changed and make something for lunch, something quick and easy so I can go to the beach soon.
Everything was going great. I was listening to music while cooking, singing on top of it and moving around. Cutting tomatoes, making some bread and making chicken to make a gyro.
I heard noises in the apartment next to mine, like someone talking in English and opening and closing doors, even someone talking dirty English. Walls here are thin, but I won't complain. I prefer having thin walls rather than not having anything.
When I finished making my lunch I grabbed my laptop and went to the balcony, eating everything while watching a show.
"That's Peaky Blinders?" I heard a voice from the other balcony.
I stopped the episode and frowned, looking at the tall wall that separated both balconies. I can't see the face of the person that talks to me, I only can hear him.
"Eh… yeah" I nod, blushing. "How do you know?"
"The accent and that they are always saying Thomas Shelby" he chuckled. "It's a great show"
"Yeah it is" I nodded, smiling. "It's the second time I watch it"
"That's nice" he said, and then silence again.
I continued watching the show, but it was awkward. Nora should have told me that the tourist was going to be my neighbor, that we were going to share walls.
The rest of the lunch time was relaxed. After I finished the lunch I laid on the couch to watch a little more of the show while packing my beach bag and getting changed to go there.
The beach here is some streets away, and on the way to it there are many stores to get the attention of the tourists: souvenirs, ice cream shops, things for the beach, even swimwear and sandals shops.
I grabbed my earphones and started playing some soft music after getting out of the apartment, locking the door and putting the keys on the bag.
I started my way to the beach, smiling at some people that recognized me and even stopping to talk with some of them. The old women always have something to talk about, even some of them try to make me date their grandsons.
"They would settle down with someone like you" they use to say. "You are so responsible and down on Earth!"
It always makes me laugh. I'm mysterious to them, no one knows why I came, only Nora.
I kept walking down the street, hearing music that now wasn't as soft as before. It was some type of rock, making me not hear my surroundings.
Making me not hear the scooter that was driving straight towards me.
"Stop!" the guy screamed, but it was too late for him to break and for me to jump back. "Shit!"
I fell to the floor. It was so fast, making me fall hard. I could feel blood in the plan of my hands and my knees, even a sharp pain on my ankle.
"Shit, are you okay?" he gasped, leaving the scooter on the floor and kneeling in front of me.
"What the hell?" I groaned, but I immediately moaned in pain. "Just pay attention to the road!"
"I did! You were the one that wasn't paying attention!" he exclaimed and it made me gasp, looking at him.
"It's you" I frown, recognizing the voice.
"Me?" he frowned, nervous. "What? You know who I am?"
He looked around, searching for someone or something. I could feel how anxious he was feeling right now.
"Shit, do you know who I am" he groaned.
"Yeah, my neighbor" I said, looking at him.
"What?" he mumbled, frowning. "Oh, you are the one that is watching Peaky Blinders… yeah, sorry"
I frown and look around. Was he searching for someone? No one was around, at this time people are already on the beach or working on their shops.
"Shit, you can walk, right?" he sighed, helping me to get up.
"Yeah… no" I groaned when I stood on my feet. "No, I think I hurt my ankle"
"Ah shit" he sighed. "Is there somewhere I can take you? Like… a medical center?"
"Yeah" I sigh, leaning on him since he was holding me to not stand on my ankle.
"Get on the scooter" he said, holding it and sitting on it, looking at me.
"What? No! You just crashed on me with it! I won't get on it!" I exclaimed, but the pain was worse than my own pride.
"I'll help you, okay? And I'll go slow and pay attention to every corner. Now, please, get on the scooter" he sighed.
I look at him and then at the back of his seat, where I'm supposed to sit. I have to get close to him to fit, wrap my arms on his waist and hold him. God, it will be really awkward.
"Come on" he hurried me.
I sighed, grabbing my bag from the ground and hanging it on my shoulder, standing on my good leg while I watched how he was offering me his hand to hold it. I looked at the palm of my hand, gow scratched and bloody it was, then at my knee. I’m surely going to get his shirt dirty with my blood.
“But the blood…” I sighed looking at his hand.
“I really don’t care, come on” he sighed, moving his hand to hold mine helping me get on the scooter. “It’s just blood, I can wash it away. And if you don’t look that ankle it will get worse”
I sigh and nod, getting on the scooter in a really uncomfortable way. He doesn’t have a spare helmet, so he took his helmet off and put it on my head. He didn’t start the engine, making me believe the vehicle was broken.
“Wrap your arms around me” he said looking back at me.
“What? No!” I exclaimed, raising up my hands, trying to not touch him.
“You’ll fall if you don’t do that!” he sighed, and grabbed both of my hands wrapping my arms around his waist making me blush hard.
This guy has really a strong rizz, he didn’t even flinch when I placed my hands on his abdomen, the dry blood getting on his shirt and my fingers feeling the line of his abs.
I tried to not blush, looking away and making sure he couldn’t see me through the mirrors. He smells good too, I wonder what type of perfume he’s using. And his curls are so good made, just on top of his head and on his sides is kinda shorty.
“It’s on this way, right?” he asked me, pointing to a signal that had a cross on it. “It’s in greek”
“Yeah, it's that way” I said nodding.
He parked the scooter in front of the door of the medical center, getting off of it after holding it with the stand. He took off the helmet from my head and then hung it on the handlebar.
“Do you need help?” he asked, looking at me.
Now I can see his eyes, his face. Well, he's cute.
“I think so, yeah” I sighed after trying to get out of the seat, but it was impossible.
He helped me, holding my arm and then he turned around. He wanted to carry me on his back? Can this be more awkward than it already is and looks? I sighed, sitting with both my legs hanging on the side of the scooter and looking at his back.
I hope no one is around. Because it’ll be the talk of the town.
🎮
I felt bad. Really, really bad. The moment she recognized me I panicked, thinking that she recognized me because of who I was, not because of my voice. She’s the girl next door that when I walked inside the apartment Max rented for me was playing music while cooking. I heard her voice and then I heard the dialogues of the show I watched not long ago.
Her voice was soft, like velvet, and when she talked to me after I crashed into her, her mad voice made me remember Yuki. She was panicking and in pain, andI could feel how nervous she was while we had the ride on the scooter.
When we arrived at the medical center and I carried her inside of it she started talking in greek, making me impressed. She speaks perfect english and a perfect greek, where is she from?
“I have a sprained ankle” she sighed looking at me.
The moment the nurse saw her when we walked inside the local she guided us to a room, so I placed her on the hospital bed and sat next to her on a chair. I’m not an idiot, I know that it’s my fault and I should take care of what happened.
“Oh…” I frowned, looking at how the nurse was rolling a bandage around her right foot. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault”
She sighed and looked away. I still can feel how uncomfortable she is.
“I’ll pay for the medicines you have to take” I said, and she turned her head quickly at me, surprised.
“No, don’t worry about it! I can pay for them” she frowned, like if she was offended that I was offering to pay for the medicines.
She sighed and looked away again, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking out through the window. I bet she wanted to be on the beach, she was wearing a bikini under her summer dress, and on her bag there was a towel and a book too.
“It’s the least I can do, I ruined your day” I sighed, shrugging my shoulders.
The nurse looked at us and said something that made her blush. I wonder what she said.
“Okay” the girl sighed. “Yeah, okay”
I smiled weakly and nodded at the nurse, watching how she got up to grab something. I grabbed my phone and sighed, searching the dictionary I downloaded.
“How do you say thank you in greek?” I asked the girl, frowning, then I heard her chuckle.
“Efkharîsto” she said chuckling softly. “You came to Greece with no idea of how to say the basic things to survive here?”
“I survive thanks to a dictionary” I said sighing.
“Well, let me tell you that it’s useless” she laughed. “You should learn the basic words, just to not waste time searching them”
“What’s your name?” I asked her suddenly, looking at her and how her face changed. “I crashed into you, at least let me know the name of my first victim”
“Your first victim? I feel honored” she laughed, making me laugh. Good, the tension is now less present here. “Lily”
“That doesn’t sound Greek at all” I frowned, looking at her surprised.
“That’s because I’m not from here” she said shrugging her shoulders. “And what’s your name? In case I have to demand you, you know”
“Oh…” I laugh, but my mind immediately started to panic. Should I tell her my name? What if she discovers who I am? “Logan” lie.
“Well… nice to meet you in a bad way, Logan” she nodded.
Well done, Lando.
taglist
@lestappenloverr @racinggirl @roni-midnights @livster @kakorrhaphiphobia @starkeyellow @celestialpierre @ophcelia @msliz @lorarri @ironmaiden1313 @imsorare @mycenterfold
“And what’s your name? In case I have to demand you, you know”.
GIRL-
Lily is a queen ✨️
