Page 77 of Happy Hour

The door to the hauler was ajar so I glanced inside. Jameson was leaned against the counter with his head bowed, his arms crossed over his chest.

“We’re going to dinner.” Alley said and continued talking to what I assumed was someone with Simplex.

“Yes, he will be there...okay...the one on Pocono Blvd...yes...” After glaring, she hung up tossing her phone inside her bag. “Come on,”

“I’ll wait for—” I began but Alley yanked me along with them.

“No you won’t. He’ll meet us there and believe me...you don’t want to be aroundthat,” she pointed toward the hauler. “right now,”

Unwillingly, I followed and got in the Expedition with them.

“Where are we going?” Emma eventually asked as we pulled through the driver’s compound and towards the infield.

“Jameson has a meeting with Simplex atBurke’s Tavern & Restaurantin Pocono. I’m going there to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid and you guys are coming with me.” Alley sighed and shook her head. “I’ll be damned if I’m putting up with his moody ass all night by myself.”

“Where’s Spencer?” Aiden asked getting in the backseat with Emma.

“With Jameson. He’s supposed to make sure he gets thereon time.” Alley shook her head once again. “Oh damn it—I should have had you do that, Aiden.”

She was right.

Leaving Spencer in charge was averyby idea. “See Alley, you should have let me stay. Now they are never going to make it. They’re probably drinking beer right now.” I pointed out.

Alley gave me a pointed glare in the rearview mirror. “No,” she spat. “If I left you in charge you two would be going at it in up against a wall somewhere.”

Both Aiden and Emma turned to look at me with amused expressions.

“She has a point there.” I mumbled pretending to play with my cell phone.

When we arrived at the bar, Melissa was sitting at a large booth with another taller man with dark hair, dressed in a suit.

Alley walked up to them, shook hands, and then introduced us. “Melissa...you remember Emma, Aiden, and Sway, right?”

Melissa smiled politely and shook our hands again.

Alley pointed to the man, “This is Marcus Harding. He’s the President of Simplex Shocks and Springs.”

Marcus reminded me of an actor you would see on thoseMatrixmovies with his jet-black hair and matching Armani suit.

We all shook hands and then took a seat around the table in the far corner of the bar.

Marcus cleared his throat, his voice stern like our high school principal Mr. Lars. “Where’s Jameson?”

Yep, he sounded just like our principal and asked that same questions frequently.

“Jameson’s on his way. He had a press conference to finish up.” Alley answered typing away on her Blackberry. “Jimi can’t make it. He’s racing in Knoxville and then catching a flight to Charlotte in the morning.”

The waitress made her way over to take our drink orders.

When she looked to me, I answered before she had a chance to ask. “Shot of Tequila, please.”

Both Aiden and Emma looked at me once again. “If I’m going to sit here all night withthesepeople,” I motioned with a shift of my eyes to the Matrix Armani dude. “I’mgettingdrunk.”

Another hour later and twelve, yes count them, twelve shots of Tequila, Jameson and Spencer showed up.

Jameson didn’t appear to be in any better of a mood then the last time I saw him with the defiant stare he sported as he approached the table.

He looked cleaner, having showered I assumed, and looked like a walking billboard for Simplex, wearing his black and red Simplex hat, along with a black hooded Simplex sweatshirt and stone washed jeans.

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