What A Time // Max Verstappen

18

It was officially Christmas week and the atmosphere in Monaco was pretty magical for a country that was usually so warm. The streets were decorated with lights and a Christmas tree was located in the casino square.

Anna was wrapping presents when her phone started to buzz. She saw Max's name and out the phone on speaker leaving it on the floor as she continued to wrap presents.

"Hey Anna." Max's voice echoed through her living room.

"Hey. What's up?" Anna wondered as she held a piece of wrapping tape between her teeth.

"I was wondering if you had any plans for Christmas?" Max asked as he paced through his bedroom.

"No why?" Anna said feeling confused.

"You're not going home or anything?" The Red Bull driver wondered suddenly feeling very guilty.

"No I'm not. Why Max? What's wrong?" Anna asked as she stopped wrapping presents and held the phone up to her ear.

"Oh. I was just wondering." Max brushed it off although Anna knew there was something more here.

"Why? What are you doing?" Anna questioned.

"That's kind of the thing. Kelly just surprised me with tickets to Brazil for us to spend Christmas with her family." Max sighed as he sat down on the bed with a guilty feeling in his stomach.

"Oh. Well that's great." Anna faked a smile even though Max couldn't see her.

"Are you sure? I don't have to go if you'd rather not be alone." Max assured her.

"Max don't be silly. Go and spend Christmas with your girlfriend and her family. Listen, I'm wrapping presents and I wanna get them done. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye. Love-." Max was cut off by the sound of Anna hanging up.

He did feel extremely guilty when Kelly presented him with the tickets this morning. He wasn't expecting it. And know mowing Anna would be alone for Christmas made him feel awful.

This would be the first Christmas since they had been friends that they wouldn't be spending together. Even when he was with Dilara the three spent those Christmas's with Max's family but this year Anna would be all alone.

Max sighed as he ran a hand through his hair before laying back on the bed he was sitting on.

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After she finished wrapping presents, Anna decided to get dressed and go get a cup of coffee in a nearby cafe. Sitting in a corner was a familiar looking Russian alone driving coffee and reading a book.

Anna went to the counter and ordered her coffee before walking over towards Daniil. The shadow over his table caused the Alpine reserve driver to look up.

"Hey." Daniil spoke with a smile. He put a book mark in and closed it.

"Hi. What ya reading?" Anna wondered.

"Les Miserables." He replied tapping the cover of the book.

"Oh. What ya think?" The brown haired girl asked.

"Very." Daniil nodded in reply. "You ever read it?"

"No. I've seen the movie though." She told him.

"You watched movie before you read the book." Daniil said in surprise.

"Yeh. That way when you read the book you have the pictures of the characters in your head." Anna explained causing Daniil to shake his head.

"No. You read the book and then watch the movie. That way you know what parts they left out in the movie from the book." Daniil told her.

"Sorry to interrupt but your coffee is ready." The young waitress who has taken Anna's order at the counter said as she came over with her coffee.

"Oh thanks. I'll sit-."

"You can sit here if you want." Daniil cut her off from talking.

"You sure?" Anna asked and the Russian nodded in reply. "Okay, I'll sit here then."

The waitress placed the coffee down on the table as Anna sat down across from Daniil in the corner of the cafe.

"Okay, now back to this book and movie debate." Daniil spoke as he pushed his book aside and crossed his arms resting on the table.

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The pair had sat in the cafe for nearly two hours talking about not just Les Miserables but several5 other books and films.

Now they were walking back to Anna's apartment in a dark December night which just so happened to be on the way back to his own apartment building.

"So what's your plans for Christmas?" Daniil wondered as they walked through the streets of Monaco.

"Nothing. Max and Kelly are going to Brazil so I'll probably just be in my apartment." Anna replied as she tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

"Yeh Kelly told me when I picked up P the other day." Daniil nodded in reply as he listened to Anna talk.

"Oh yeh. Sorry." Anna said forgetting that the man next to her would already know.

She did feel bad for Daniil. As far as she knew he never had Penelope for Christmas or very often for that matter. Any time Kelly would leave Penelope with Max, Anna would wonder why she didn't just offer Daniil more time with his daughter.

"Don't worry about it." Daniil shook his head in reply.

"So what's your plans?" Anna wondered as she came towards the door of her apartment building.

"Not a thing." He replied causally.

"You wanna spend it with me?" Anna asked shocking herself as she didn't expect that to come out of her mouth.

"Are you sure? I don't wanna impose on your Christmas." The Russian assured her shaking his head.

"Of course I'm sure. No point both of us being alone on Christmas when we live only a few minutes away from each other." Anna explained as she held the door of her apartment building in her hand.

"Okay. Well I'll see you in a few days then." Daniil smiled in reply.

"See you then. I'll text you tomorrow and we can decide on dinner. Bye Daniil." Anna said as she opened her building door.

She smiled at Daniil once more which he replied before she disappeared around the corner towards the elevator.

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