Page 111 of Happy Hour

My pessimistic nature got the best of me as I glowered at her.

“All right,” I agreed with a good amount of hesitation. “I’ll meet you after the race.”

She smiled. “See you then.”

Wary of her intentions, I watched her walk away, making sure she didn’t go near Sway. The way she strutted made me choke back bile that I was ever involved with her.

Though my gut was telling me otherwise, I really hoped it wasn’t a ploy to get me alone. This had debauchedness written all over it but I needed that title transfer, and more importantly, I needed that without Sway’s knowledge of it. If she knew about the transfer then she’d know something was wrong with Charlie. For one, I promised him and two, I really didn’t want to be the one that told her.

When Chelsea was out of sight and I knew she hadn’t stopped at the pit box where Sway was, I looked away but quickly looked back when I saw a wide pair of emerald bemused eyes staring back at me.

What felt like a knife stabbing in my chest, was seeing tears streaming down her cheeks—even fifteen feet away. I was breathing heavy. I felt as though I was going to have a heart attack any second if I didn’t get out of this car right then and run to her.

Thankfully, Spencer stuck his head in the window and brought me back to reality. Wanting to comfort her, I’d already undone my belts to get out.

“You got this dude,” Spencer bumped my fist with his own. “Be smart out there.”

I didn’t say anything but motioned for him to raise the net with a flick of my wrist, the gnawing feeling deep inside began to ease.

Knowing what was on the line, Ihadto get focused. I couldn’t afford another mishap on the track after last week, let alone another DNF. As it was, I had already slipped to fourth in the standings with the dock in points.

“Jameson, it’s Aiden. Watch your temps today. Cole’s already saying his arm high. But I guess...well, just see how it goes...”

Here we go again. Aiden could never actually say what he needed to.

When I met Aiden Gomez, I had no idea he was borderline insane but what spotter isn’t? I also became aware very early on that he was physically incapable of deciding on anything. Simple tasks like what he might have for breakfast took him a good thirty minute some days. Drove me insane but it also provided me with entertainment when we traveled. I’d instigate it by adding fuel to his internal debates. When he’d ask what I thought, I’d answer him with a question, he hated that.

This was why he’s only twenty-three and already has an ulcer. He can’t make a decision to save his fucking life.

The bottom line was, when you’re on the road as much as we are...you need the entertainment where you can get it and we got it with Aiden.

In addition to my instigating, I convinced him to do things that would ordinarily piss most people off but he usually did it without question. This provided Spencer and I with ample amounts of entertainment. It’d usually start with Aiden saying something along the lines of, “I don’t want to piss anyone off.”

Then I’d say, “Let me worry about pissing people off.”

He’d smile and say. “You’re off to a great start.”

The thing with Aiden was even though he was borderline insane, had an ulcer, and couldn’t commit to so much as what kind of eggs he would like and didn’t want to piss anyone off; he was exactly what our team needed. If not because we did needed a spotter but for entertainment purposes. I wasn’t exactly thrilled he was dating my sister but regardless, they made it known that wasn’t up to me.

“All right bud, watch your shifts. You’re coming to the green this time by.” Kyle announced as I led the field down to the green.

I got such a rush of adrenaline behind the wheel; it really was an indescribable feeling. And it’s not a feeling I’ve felt anywhere other than in a race car. For me, there was just something about being behind the wheel of an eight hundred horsepower car that gave me power. A power I had nowhere else but behind the wheel. It was addicting to say the least.

About forty laps into the race, the track was changing fast. I had no front grip and was currently using Cole through the curves not to hit the wall or slide into the sand pits. His car was fast and I doubted he wanted to be in battling for third with me but Cole was the best teammate a driver could ask for.

“I’m slippin’ all over the place, I can’t keep it straight.” I told at Kyle. “We need to make a change.”

“Other than the slipping, do you feel anything else?” Kyle asked. “Any adjustments you want made?”

“I don’t know what’s going to help. It’s hot out here, the tires just slip. There’s no grip anywhere.” I was sweating like a motherfucker in the car and all I could think about was Sway and thewayshe looked at me when she saw Chelsea walking away from my car.

How many more times am I going to break that woman’s heart?

My distractions engulfed me as I went into turn two around the half way mark.

I tried to correct it but ended up fishtailing and slammed into the outside wall coming out of two.

“Goddamn it, son of a bitch! Let’s just add one more fucking thing to add to my alreadyfuckedupday!” I hollered.

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