Chapter Text
"Wait! Please don't close the door!"
Charles was running to get to the elevator. It was closing fast, almost like somebody inside was trying to avoid Charles entering the machine.
He managed to put his hand on a gap and he entered the place. Inside there was a man; tall, with tan skin; in his pajamas, and with an annoyed face. That didn't stop Charles from yapping.
"Thanks for stopping, it would've been so annoying to have to wait for the elevator again and…" He noticed the decorations on a bag on the floor "Are those New Year decorations? Weren't they up the hall this morning?"
``Yes, well, they´re not at the hall anymore, are they? ´´ The man´s voice had an accent, Charles was trying to guess what was it, maybe Spaniard?
``You should have more spirit, I mean it´s the end of the year, and we´re in New York! The absolute best place in the world to celebrate the New Year´´
``Nothing to celebrate, this year was shit, next year is going to be shit and it´s going to keep on being shit, so nothing to celebrate´´
The man was in a bad mood. Still, Charles couldn´t help being his cheerful self.
``C´mon, cheer up, it´s going to be a great…´´
Before he could finish his sentence the elevator made a few weird sounds and the lights went down before it stopped working completely.
``Maldita sea, edificio de mierda! ´´ The man was clearly upset and ranting in Spanish, so Charles was correct, he didn´t know what words he was saying but it sounded kind of hot hearing him speak like that ``Fuck, seems like we´ll be here for a while, so get comfortable´´
The man sat on the floor. Charles was kind of panicking, he couldn´t afford to be stuck in an elevator, not now, not today, not the day that was supposed to boost his career.
``This can´t be happening, no, no, I need to get out of here´´ He went for the door ``Help! We´re trapped here! Help! ´´
``No one´s going to hear you, this thing gets stuck a lot, so please stop being dramatic and sit down´´
Charles needed to calm down, but it was hard.
``I just need to get out. I´ve got things to do´´
``Don´t we all? Just sit down. I´m Carlos´´ The Man presented himself.
``Charles´´ He spoke shyly before picking a place on the ground.
The man nodded and they got into an awkward silence. If things kept on like that it was going to be a couple of long hours.
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``C´mon Dad, it´s just a group of friends going to see the ball drop, it´s going to be fun and it will be full of cops, so you won´t have to worry about my safety´´
Mark was looking at his son´s pleading eyes. Oscar always put on that puppy face when he wanted something, and usually, he would please his son´s needs, but not that day. He wanted New Year to be just the two of them, but instead, his son wanted to go see the ball drop with his friends.
``Osc, I´ve already told you´´
``Yes I know Dad, but I´m 15, I want to spend New Year´s Eve with my friends and maybe even…´´ The kid blushed.
``And maybe what? ´´
``Nothing, just please Dad? I really want to go´´
``I´ve said no already and I stand by it´´
He watched as his son defeated went in the direction of his friends. He knew that Oscar didn´t understand why he kept him on his side like that and was so protective of him, but since the divorce, his only comfort was spending time with his son.
There was a little bit of noise in Oscar´s group of friends and he saw how a curly-haired kid went his way.
``Hi Mr Webber´´
``Lando´´ He replied politely.
``I know you already say no, but we are going on our best behavior and Oscar is going to be taken care of, I can promise you I´ll protect him´´
``That´s a comforting thought´´ He was hoping the young boy caught on to his sarcasm, he had no such luck.
``Yes, we´ll be perfectly fine sir, I can assure you that´´
Mark was exhausted from just talking to the kid.
``Look kid, I´ve already told Oscar, a no is a no and I won´t change my mind, so go, shoo, shoo´´ He sent the boy back to the group.
``I´ve told you. He´s way too stubborn to let me go´´
His son´s voice was the last thing he heard before going to his phone. It was going to be a long day.
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The wedding was beautiful. Still, Fernando couldn´t understand why his friends would choose to marry on New Year´s Eve in a church in the middle of nowhere. They look so in love, something that the Spaniard could only dream about.
``So Nando, when it´s going to be your turn? ´´
He didn´t answer Sebastian´s question immediately.
``Someday I guess´´
``And what about that man from the last New Year´s Eve? ´´ Kimi joined the conversation.
The now-married couple was looking at him expectantly, he sighed before saying something.
``I don´t know, it was just a conversation. I don´t think I´m going to see him ever again´´
``You never know if you don´t try. Maybe if you go to the same place where you two meet he´s going to be there waiting for you´´
He laughed at Sebastian´s words.
``This isn´t a movie Seb, besides, I still have the gala to attend. So I better leave you alone, enjoy your honeymoon! ´´
He said goodbye to his friends and went to his car. The road was waiting for him.
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People were coming and going to the kitchen. It was crowded and loud, just like Nico liked it.
``I need the chocolate to put on the strawberries now, and Jense please stop eating the marshmallows, they´re part of the dessert´´
``I don´t know what you´re talking about´´ Replied his friend with his mouth full of marshmallows.
``Sure Jense´´
He went back to chopping onions when he heard his friend coming to him.
``Did you hear who´s gonna play here in the gala? ´´
Nico wasn´t interested to know which person was going to play at the gala, but he replied to humor his friend.
``Who´s playing? ´´
``Lewis Hamilton´´
Nico stopped his work. Lewis Hamilton. He hadn´t seen the man in years, which was a good thing.
``Good for him´´
``Seriously Nico? You´re not going to say anything? ´´
``What do you want me to say? He´s doing fine, I´m doing fine. I couldn´t care less about him or where he´s going to play´´
``Ouch´´
A third voice joined the conversation. A voice he could recognize even after 3 years. Lewis's voice.
``That hurt, you know? ´´ His British accent was stronger than ever.
``I don´t care, and could you step out of my kitchen´´ He started to move graving dishes and put them in different places ``There are people actually working here´´
Lewis laughed and Nico´s face was red with anger. How did that bastard dare to laugh at his face and his efforts?
``You haven´t changed a bit, have you? ´´ The British said.
``Why would I change? ´´
Lewis laughed again before going to the door.
``It was good to see you, Nico´´
He left and Nico could feel his blood boiling.
``Was good to see you my ass´´ He murmured.
Nico grabbed the knife closest to him and he threw it to the door. That was a nice way to release his contend rage.
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``Max, I´m going to need you to stay here doing the new accounts, and there´s some paperwork I´ll need you to do for the Stroll contract´´
``But sir today is…´´
``Yes? ´´
``Nothing sir´´
Max was tired. It was New Year´s Eve, he was supposed to be out, enjoying life, trying to do at least one of his New Year´s resolutions. Instead, he was there, locked in a tiny office space with loads of work that shouldn´t have gone to him in the first place.
``Wow mate, that seems like a lot´´
Max looked in the direction where the voice came from. It was a man, probably in his 30´s, he was carrying a couple of pizza boxes. He went in Max´s direction and he started to register his things.
``Hey, that´s not yours´´
``No way, are these actually tickets for the Alonso Gala? I´ve been dying to get some but they´re impossible to get´´ The man was holding two passes for the gala, they were a gift from a client, but seeing his situation Max doubted that he could enjoy the passes.
``Give me that´´
The man gave him the passes back but he started to snoop around again and he found his New Year´s Resolutions list.
``Quit my job, get a massage, go around the city in one day, kiss someone at midnight? Mate, your resolutions suck´´
``What would you know? Also, do you always snoop around on strangers' things? ´´
The man dropped his shoulders.
``What can I say? It´s a special skill´´
Max snorted.
``Anyway, you should at least do number one, it´s the easiest´´
``It´s not. I can just quit my job like that´´
``Definitelytily can see you later mate´´
The man dropped his list on his desk and he went to the elevator. Max started to think, he had wanted to quit for a long time, but he never had gathered the courage to do it. Maybe this is what he needed, a stranger's support and the New Year on the corner. So, he went to his boss's office.