Page 188 of Trading Paint
Unexpectedly, he answered.Anything for you.
Roundy Round – Jameson
I hated not being there and the words I love you were on the tip of my fingers when we were texting. I called Tommy after that wanting to make sure he gave her my gift, he told me what those girls said to her.
They were right, I didn’t belong to her but Iwantedto, that was the difference they didn’t understand. I wanted to give myself to her in every way, body and soul.
I was willing to offer up every imperfection and flaw I had and let her decide if she was mine but now wasn’t the time, at least I told myself that.
Pushing those thoughts aside, I got ready for the Winston Open. Having won in Rockingham, I was in the Winston but I still had to fight for a good position. Usually for a point race, I listened to mellow music before the race, nothing that would leave me rowdy. Today, I needed it.
Placing my ear buds in, I lostmyselfin Metallica.
Roundy Round – Sway
I don’t know why I hated this graduation so much. Maybe the worst part was that no one was here with me, aside from Mallory, who worked at the track with my dad. Charlie wasn’t feeling good so he sent her. Jameson was racing, as was the rest of his family and Tommy had to leave be in Attica Ohio later today.
I left graduation as soon as I got my diploma and headed to the bar to watch the race with Mallory. After my run-in with Amanda and Erica, I couldn’t wait to leave.
We ordered appetizers, drank beer and had a good time while the pre-race activities started on television.
It was nice to see Mallory again. Mallory Thompson, Mark Kelly’s daughter, was currently acting as the Office Manager for the track and took care of things like insurance policies, ticket sales, payroll for the employees...pretty much everything we wouldn’t allow Charlie to do. I’d been assisting her with all this since I was six so I knew the logistics of it all.
“How’s Charlie doing with everything?” I asked Mallory chewing my nachos slowly. I spoke to him often but he always talked about school.
She nodded chewing her own food, placing her napkin over her mouth as she spoke.
“He seems good. He and Ryan got into it the other day but all’s good.”
“Ryan?”
“He drives the water truck for us. You’ll meet him. Which reminds me, when do you come home?”
“My lease is up next week so I’m going to move all my stuff during the week and then I’ll be out.”
“Do you need help?”
“No, Tommy said he’d help. He comes back from Attica on Monday.” I reached across the table to dip my shrimp in the cocktail sauce next to Mallory. “The last time Tommy helped me move though, he drank beer while I moved boxes.”
“How’s that firecracker doing?”
I laughed. “It’s fire crotch Mal, notfirecracker.”
“Right—forgot,” she giggled.
Mallory was about as green as grass when it came to sex. Mentally, you would swear she was a virgin but her and Bryce had been married for the last three years so I hoped she wasn’t still a virgin. You never know though.
“How’s Jameson these days?”
“He seems okay but you know Jameson...he gets so diligently focused on racing he never bothers to take care of himself.”
“I don’t know him all thatwellbut I definitely saw that side of him.” Her soft caramel eyes looked over at me. “So are you two...” her voice trailed off insinuatingly.
“Oh no,” I waved my arms around, knocked my beer on her and then started giggling when beer came out my nose. Coughing, I answered with a choked out, “Friends.”
Mallory laughed as she placed a handful of napkins in her lap to soak up the beer.
“Sweetie you and him have never beenjustfriends.”
