Page 72 of Happy Hour

“Did you just call my girlie bits parts?” I asked amused.

“Shut up, I have a three-year old at home.” She chided. “I had to think of something to say after Spencer tried to call his penis his junk while we were potty training him.”

“I feel bad for you sometimes.” I told her patting her back.

“Youshouldfeel bad for me.”

“Now, for the most famous words in racing...gentleman, start your engines!”

Hot damn.I loved that sound.

My bones vibrated while my heart thudded loudly in anticipation.

I was already sitting on the pit box with Emma, Kyle, and Mason listening to the in-car audio.

“Fire it up, bud.” Kyle announced to Jameson when Spencer put up his window net.

“Got it,” Jameson fired the car. “Keep me calm today, Kyle.”

“I’ll do my best.” Kyle answered.

They went on to talk about the car for a few moments and then Jameson talked to Bobby about drafting. Bobby, his teammate, had qualified second which put Jameson right behind him at the start of the race.

While the cars made their warm up laps, Aiden got on the radio. “All right Jameson, you got two laps until the green.”

“Aiden’s right.” Kyle said. “Two laps to go. Remember watch your shift—don’t spin the tires.”

Jameson was quietly focused, he said little throughout the warm up laps other than asking where his pit was and who he had to go around.

“Coming to the green here,” Aiden announced. “Keep coming, keep coming...green flag, green flag.”

The cars roared past down the front stretch.

The downside to watching from the pit box was that you could only see what was in front of you and to the sides but on the backstretch; you couldn’t see anything unless the broadcasting station was following them at that moment. Most pit stands were equipped with televisions for this purpose allowing them to see what they couldn’t ordinarily.

“Inside two...inside one...clear high...ten cars at your door, middle two...middle one...clear low...ten car high.” Aiden guided him through the heavy traffic.

Everyone bunched up in the front fighting for position.

Jameson managed to stay in the top five when the caution came out for a wreck in turn three. “Cautions out, cautions out—clear high,” Aiden told him. “You’re gonna have a few cars coming around on the inside, watch low.”

“Who’s it for?” Jameson asked the radio crackling.

“A shit load of cars. Watch low in four...there’s an...engine lying out there on the front stretch,”

“No shit?” Jameson chuckled.

“Yep,”

“Aiden, can you see my right rear? It feels flat or maybe dragging. I’m not sure. I think I got into Tate a little on a restart.”

“Uh...where are you?” Aiden asked with slight panic.

“What?” Jameson sounded confused. “Are you serious?”

“Where are you?” Aiden’s tone continued down the path of panic. “Are you on the backstretch?”

“Well yeah...”

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