Page 160 of The Champion
I thought for sure Sway would have freaked out looking athis black eye but no, she just smiled and looked down at him. “How’d that workout for you? Did it go as planned?”
Axel being the smartass he was responded with, “Actuallyyes. Thanks for asking.”
At some point in everyone’s career you ask yourself ifyou’re happy. Up until now, I hadn’t had to even question it. I was happy withmy career. I was doing what I loved and my family was still a part of that. Myboys were tearing it up in the USAC divisions and my sprint car team was aforce to be reckoned with.
The question came for me when the off-season rolledaround and our eleven-year anniversary came around. Last year for our ten year,we were in New York for the championship ceremonies and though it was nice, NewYork wasn’t us. Sway and I neededalonetime. With the way my schedulewas for the off-season, I wasn’t sure where that alone time could come in atbecause once again the championship week was the same week as our anniversary.Having come in fourth this season, I had certain obligations for the season.
It wasn’t even the day that we were trying to celebrate;we both didn’t mind celebrating another day it was just the fact that therejust wasn’tanyfree time. So this left us with the week afterChristmas. The only problem was I was once again scheduled to be in GrandRapids for my sprint car team. I was working on a few new sponsors and neededto tie up a few loose ends with them.
The morning I left, Sway encouraged me as she always did.
“Good luck.” She said enthusiastically for me. Her facewas hidden by the dark curtain of her mahogany hair as she tried to sew abutton back on one of Casten’s shirts. “I don’t know why I try. I can’t eventhread the goddamn needle.”
Chuckling I leaned down to kiss the side of her neck.“I’m sure my mom can help you. She used to do that sort of thing all the time.”
“Yeah, I’ll ask her. She’s coming over tonight anyway todrop off some new merchandise for you to approve.”
“Right. I forgot about that.”
“Make sure you update that twitter thing too.”
“What?”
“Twitter. Emma set you up with a twitter page.”
I must have had a complete “What the fuck” look becauseshe just continued to stare at me as I stared at her.
“I think it’s something like Facebook only not aspersonal or something similar. Ask Axel, he has one.” She looked up at me. “ButI closely monitor that. I don’t want any creepos following my baby around.”
“He just turned twelve. He’s hardly a baby anymore.” Isighed looking at my phone again. I didn’t like the sounds of this new stalkersite. “When did he get this twatter thing?”
“Twitter Jameson and he’s had it for a few years. He hasa huge following. It helps with his fans.”
I knew Axel had fans. His pit was constantly surroundedby little girls screaming his name like they were at a boy band concert and theyounger USAC drivers wanting to be friends with him. Whereas I was an assholeat his age, Axel was friendly to his fans and loved the attention he got.
“So what do I do with it?”
Sway took my phone and opened the twitter applicationEmma had apparently installed. “There.” She handed it back to me. Looking downat my phone, I looked at what she wrote.
@JamesonRileyHeadingto Grand Rapids with my team
“Why in the world would you write that? Now theseassholes are going to stalk me.”
“Like they don’t already...it’sa way for your fans to get a morepersonalexperience.”
“What about mypersonalexperience?”
This just seemed like some invasion of privacy and mywife had something to do with it. Traitor.
Clicking on the profile button, I noticed I had close toa hundred thousand followers. “How did all these people know I had this thing?”
“It was announced on your website. Do you pay attentionin any of the meetings we’ve had regarding the public relations side of SimplexRacing or JAR Racing?”
“I do. I just didn’t understand what twatter was. Ithought maybe...let’s say I wascompletely off base.”
Sway smirked and stood up to walk into the kitchen. “It’stwitter, not twatter. You’re going to be late.”
Right, I was supposed to leave. “I should be home in afew days.”
