Page 45 of Trading Paint
“I’m sorry...I was distracted by some asshole on the freeway and well...he ate them.” She shrugged indifferently.
I was silent for a moment staring at her. I wanted to kiss her badly. I wanted her. I wanted her against my car, against the side of the hauler. I wanted her. Having sex with Chelsea only amplified my hormones. I knew what sex felt like and now it was pretty much all I wanted.
My willpower was vacillating; I could go either way. My hormones ruled and I stepped closer to her, my hand curled under her chin and before she could pull away, I kissed her.
She responded, kissing me back, her lips moving in sync with mine, our tongues gliding together. I smiled against her lips as my body pushed her against the side of my car, trapping her.
We kissed for a moment before my need peaked and I knew she could feel the results of this. Turning away from her, I mumbled a “sorry” before bracing myself against the wall. She left me weak.
“Now I’m distracting you.” She said hanging her head, she looked confused, just as confused as I was. “I should get out there before Tommy gets himself in trouble.” She leaned into me again and kissed my cheek. I wrapped my arms around once again to feel her warm body against mine. “Good luck. I drove all the way down here...win for me tonight.”
I nodded arrogantly.
“I will honey.” I vowed with a wink.
I could feel the energy humming between us, building over time. I knew she was attracted to me and me; well it was beyond attraction now. I was pretty much obsessed with her to stalker levels.
It was hard to get the thoughts of Sway out of my mind that night but once again, when I slide inside the narrow cockpit of my car, I was vigilantly focused.
That’s not to say I didn’t imagine her throughout the race. I could still smell her perfume on me and taste her mint gum.
Damn it.
I groaned pushing the thoughts aside and focused on the race.
I was running a different shock package tonight that I hadn’t used before but my worries were eased when I easily slid past the top three cars in the second corner. I was leading on the first lap. The race stayed green for the entire 40 lap main and I never saw another car besides the few lapped cars I passed.
After collecting my trophy, I made it back to the pits to see Sway, Tommy and Spencer waiting. I let the car idle before revving the engine twice for Sway and then letting the fuel run out.
She smiled launching herself at me when I pulled myself from the car.
We sat there chatting when Bucky approached.
“Hey kid, you didgood.”
I smiled. “Thanks Bucky.”
Bucky motioned with his head for me to follow him, so I did.
When a guy like Bucky Miers wants to talk, you listen.
We walked through the raucous of the pits. Sprint cars were being loaded into haulers and trailers where others were being torn down for inspection. Drivers and crews mingled with fans that had made their way from the stands. The smells of the heated rubber of tires and sweet methanol mixed with beer and dirt. It was the smells of a dirt track on a warm summer night.
“I’ve had some conversations with Walter Gains about you. Will you drive a midget car for me on the USAC series next year?” He looked my direction. Dark lashes shadowed his almond shaped hazel eyes. “I have eight races scheduled and need a driver.”
“I thought Justin was going to drive for you.”
Last week Justin had told me he’d be driving for Bucky next year.
“He is...but in on the Northern Sprint Tour and half of the Outlaw races. I need my USAC car running too.”
I nodded but didn’t answer him right away.
USAC had three different divisions. I knew I would already be running the USAC Silver Crown and Sprint Car series with the help of Walter and Bowman Oil but that would only be for thirteen Silver Crown races and thirteen Sprint Car races and it wasn’t a full sponsorship. I had a lot to think about. I could be their puppet or I could go on my own.
Bucky and I talked more and I told him I needed to think about it. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and instead of making a snap decision, I decided to think it over.
Trudging back toward my pit, I glanced around the pits one last time as the haulers and trailers filed through the pit gates on their way home. The lingering smells from the cars were replaced with the thick pungent smells of the diesel from the trucks.
