Page 136 of The Champion
“Monkey, you need to keep this on. I don’t want you...” I didn’t finish the words before I feltthe little trickle of pee down my bare calf.
“I’m not a fire hydrant kid!” I told him picking up mylaughing little monkey. He’d be two in January so I knew potty training wasnowhere close to the light, but I still hoped since he wouldn’t keep his damndiaper on. Axel was nearly three before he was completely potty trained andArie was two. So far, every child was different but with Casten, he was in norush. He just liked to have fun and taking off his diaper and peeing on peoplewas funny to him.
Right before I put the kids to bed, there was a knock onthe door. I smiled and looked over at Axel who was pulling his blankets up overhis chest. Lily crawled into bed beside. “Hey, where did you come from?” Ididn’t remember Lily coming into our room.
“My mommy said I could sleep here.”
“Oh did she...?”
What a traitor. She knew I already had three in thissuite with me and now she’s adding to the madness. Ami thought it was funnywatching me parent. A lot of people did. I couldn’t understand what they foundso entertaining about it, probably because I had no idea what I was doing.
The person at the door knocked again, I figured it wasJameson so I looked over at Axel. “Why don’t you go get the door buddy?”
He didn’t hesitate before he bolted out of bed with Lily behindhim.
“Who are you?” Axel asked when the door opened.
Who are you?Surely, that wasn’t Jameson. Nervouswho was knocking on our door, I walked toward the door.
Before I could make it around the corner, the mananswered. “I’m Gab, is your mommy in here?”
“Gab who?” Axel asked, I giggled when I came around thecorner to see Axel with one hand securely around Lily and the other holding thedoor from opening any further. My strong little boy.
“Gab Kinney,”
“We don’t know a Gab Kinney.”
The man sighed and looked in our room. “Is your mommyhere or not?”
I didn’t like his tone, not at all. It was demanding andno one was demanding to my kids unless I said so. I did not say so to thisGab,who I’d never met before. I quickly dialed Van and then hung up when heanswered. This was our silent way of letting him know we needed him. Like Isaid, Van was never far from me and the kids—he had the room next to us.
“I’m his mommy...whoare you?” I saw Van appear behind him in the doorway.
This Gab fellow looked relieved to see an adult buthadn’t noticed Van watching behind him. He looked around the same age as me,maybe a few years older. Dark hair, tan, brown eyes, almost appeared to beMexican or at least someone in his family was Mexican.
Gab smiled. “I’m Gab Kinney—a representative with A-Tech.I’d like to speak with you about maybe sponsoring your son here.”
Axel smiled and looked back at Gab. “Well then come in.”
I stopped him before this. “I’m sorry...I’d rather you speak with my husband aboutanything to do with his sponsorship. JAR Racing is the primary sponsor but I’msure they would be willing to explore others.”
Van came into the room behind Gab. “Oh,” Gab lookedbetween Van and me. “Is this your husband?”
“No,” I told him. “My husband is Jameson Riley, I’m sureyou’ve heard of him.”
Gab looked confused. “No, actually I haven’t.”
He’s either lying about knowing Jameson or lying aboutbeing a representative with A-Tech, a company that designed titanium engineparts. Surely, being in racing, or at least representing a company that was soheavily involved in USAC, he should know who Jameson Riley was.
Van seemed to sense the same confusion I felt and steppedcloser to Axel and Lily standing by the door. Axel had been in enough of these situationswith us in the past and he knew to stay next to Van.
“What’s going on in here?” Jameson asked peeking his headinside the door. His eyes scanned the room cautiously.
“Daddy!” Axel yelled and ran toward him. Jameson caughthim in his arms with a smile, his brow furrowed as he looked over at this Gabguy standing next to me. “Who are you?”
Gab looked nervous and reached out to offer his hand toJameson. “I’muh...Gab with...A...Tech.”
They shook hands, Jameson held on to Axel moving closerto me.
