Andy spent most of the lunch flipping through his smart phone, following the social media and all the hype accompanying the first race of the season. “There’s some great pictures of McAllister with his cousin,” he said at one point. “Fuckin’ shame what happened to the guy.”
“For sure,” Tyler answered, hoping the conversation would shift quickly. He certainly didn’t want to talk about Davey and Dillon. He was way too close to that situation and feared letting something slip.
Mickey added his own two cents to the conversation. “It’s a risk they all take, every race. Hell they risk having an accident just practicing.”
His words struck home, and even though Tyler had known that all along, hearing Mickey voice it in so many words made it seem a lot more real. Suddenly, Tyler feared for Davey’s safety on the track.
“You okay, Ty?” Andy asked. “You just suddenly went pale.”
“Uh, no, I’m fine. Just, excited about the race.”
He was relieved that Andy let it go and the conversation shifted to other riders and teams and their expectations for who would win. Tyler tried to keep up with the conversation, but the entire time, his thoughts kept circling back to Davey. He needed to talk to him. Needed to confront this fear. He would be working for a few more hours, though. He settled for a quick text. I miss U and luv U. Can’t wait 2 talk 2-night.
It wasn’t what he really wanted to say, but if he had said he was terrified Davey was going to get hurt, Davey would call him. Neither of them needed to break their silence. As it was, it took over an hour before he got a return text. His phone vibrated in his pocket, but he couldn’t answer it. By that time, he was greased up to his elbows. He figured he knew what it said, anyway. A few hours later, he finally washed up and checked it. I love U 2 - fiancé!
He loved it when Davey called him that. He had never been so happy. He just wished that they could be out in this world of dirt bikes and races that they both loved so much. He knew it would never happen, but maybe he could live with this.
That night he told Davey what Mickey had said and how scared he was. Davey smiled sweetly and reassured him. “I’ve never been seriously hurt, Ty. I know what I’m doing. Promise.”
Davey couldn’t control everything on the track and all it took was one mistake from him or even one of the other drivers and it could be over. “I know, but I just can’t deal with the thought of someone else taking you out.”
“Ty, baby,” Davey’s soothing voice purred over the phone. “I’ve never backed down from a race regardless of that possibility. I’ve learned not to focus on it. I can’t and still be able to race. You just have to have faith and trust me. I’m not going to take any risks. Okay.”
“Okay. I don’t know why it freaked me out so much.”
“Maybe because we’re in a different place now?” His voice was soft and understanding.
Tyler thought about it. That had to be it. Last season’s races were intense, and he knew he was in love with Davey then, but now everything was out on the table, their future intentions declared. Davey was more than a boyfriend. Soon, he’d be his husband. The thought of the word still sounded dreamlike even in his own mind. Spoken out loud still felt odd. Husband. Yet, that’s what they were going to be. “You’re right. I just love you so much.”
“I love you too, baby. Now, get some sleep.”
The next day was race day. “You too. I want to see you win tomorrow.”
“Then keep your eyes open, baby!”
Tyler loved it when Davey got all cocky. He was going to have to take a long shower before he crashed.
Race day started early. Tyler would be on the track in the mechanic’s area for Cole’s first heat. Davey wouldn’t be racing until the second heat, and Tyler would be back in the garage for that. After the first heat, he needed to tweak out the bike based on Cole’s feedback. That was normal. It’d take up the rest of the afternoon, until Cole’s next race. He would be in the Main Event for sure since he was one of the top racers. He didn’t expect Cole to have to race again in the semifinal round to win his spot. Tyler hoped he would come in first for his heat, but he had to root for Davey in the Main Event no matter what.
He watched with rapt attention, as Cole and the others lined up at the gate. The bright colors of the racers’ gear looked like a colossal confetti explosion. His heart raced with excitement. Watching Supercross never got old for him, especially since he knew so many of the drivers and mechanics, although he knew some more than others.
He smiled to himself thinking of Davey. The day would be fun even though he missed his lover. He knew once all the hype of the day ended, he’d be wrapped in those rock hard biceps. Davey had been so happy for him and his promotion. Regardless of the race results, they were celebrating!
Andy didn’t watch the race with him, since Shannon would be in Davey’s heat, so he still had to mess with the bike back in the pits. They had a lot of pressure on them, especially since this was the guy’s first 450 race. He was about to find out just how much difference there was between the two races, and Tyler did not envy him. He’d ridden with Davey a lot during the offseason at The Ranch, and he couldn’t keep up. Davey was a freakin’ monster on the track. He just kept going and going like an evil Energizer Bunny. It took a lot of stamina and strength. Davey’s thighs, abs, back, and shoulders were lean and strong. He licked at his lips just thinking about running his hands over all that hard flesh.
He bit his lip and forced himself to pay attention. The track girl, dressed in a black leather mini-skirt, held up the thirty second board in front of the racers. Cole stretched out his arms and fiddled with his goggles before pulling the strap over his helmet with the Gypsum and KTM logos covering it. Cody stood behind him with a headset on, making sure everything was good.
Fire from the pyrotechnics flamed behind the line of riders, and the track girl moved out of the way. The racers gunned their engines, making the arena echo with their buzzing power. Cole leaned forward on his bike, gripping the bars. The gates dropped with another flare of fire and Cole leapt to the front, getting the holeshot. Chad Regal rode right behind him with Tate Jordan battling for second.
The pack behind them popped over the jumps like colorful jumping beans. The race got Tyler worked up and his adrenaline flowing. Regal won last season’s championship, but he wouldn’t have if that rookie hadn’t wrecked Davey. Tate had been right behind them in points, so he would continue to be fierce competition.
The racers flew over the jumps and whoops of the track, dirt flying, tires cutting deeper into the ruts. The fans spurred the excitement, rooting for their favorite racers. Tyler jumped up and down as the racers flew past. Regal and Cole switched positions with almost every turn. Just when it looked like Regal would finally pull ahead, putting some distance between them, Cole leapt over the jumps, pulling a triple, and taking the next turn sharp on the inside. His bike cut so fast, Tyler thought he was going to wreck, but he kept it in the ruts and passed Regal as they pulled up the straight way. He cut his time on the whoops, leaving Regal behind and taking a second and half lead. By the last few laps, Cole had increased his lead to over two seconds.
Tyler cheered and jumped up and down holding up the plate with the lap number on it. Other team mechanics jostled him from behind. It didn’t get any better than this. His bike was going to be first. The bike he had worked on! Tyler was the team lead and Cole was riding it into the winner’s circle. Tyler thought he was going to piss his pants.
He pulled out his phone and sent off a quick text to Davey as Cole won the race. MY bike just took first!
Davey’s response was quick. Congrats! So proud of U! But, Cole’s not winning the M.E.
Tyler laughed. The M.E. was the Main Event, the race that counted. Winning the heat merely got you to the Main Event without having to race in the semifinals. Davey was determined he’d win that, and Tyler was sure he was right. He loved the friendly competition, but ultimately Tyler was pulling for Davey to win, too.
Cole and Tyler had a long talk about the bike. It was in good shape, and obviously Cole was happy. The tweaks they were making were very minor. He mostly cleaned it up and put on new tires, rather than change anything. He liked it that way. Stay on top of things, keep it all running smoothly, and then there wouldn’t be any problems. Tyler puffed his chest out proudly. He loved working with his team, they did great work.
He finished up the bike and gave it a quick wipe down. The black and red monster sort of looked like a locust to Tyler. The fat body coming to a point in the back over the rear tire. The black thirteen on the front plate denoted just who the bike belonged to. The KTM, Gypsum, and Camptop Oil logos marked up what little place the bike had available for such things. Tyler had been put in charge of making sure the logo decals were all aligned as well. The bike looked great, but the performance mattered most.
A loud commotion interrupted Tyler’s thoughts. He stood up and stared over at the trailer, listening to Cole, Cody, and Mickey arguing. Tyler felt his brows tuck in toward his nose, his forehead tightened. Something was going on. He sauntered over. “What’s up, guys?”
“Fuck you!” Cole screamed at him, stepping around Mickey. The junior mechanic tried to pull Cole back, but the furious and determined man yanked away from his grasp and pushed right into Tyler’s personal space.
“What the hell?” Tyler asked.
“Goddamn faggot.” He stuck a phone under Tyler’s nose.
Tyler practically choked, looking down at a picture of him and Davey in that dark alley outside that club in Atlanta. His pants were down, Davey obviously kissing and groping him. He only saw a glimpse of it, but he knew when it had been taken. He could clearly see himself wearing Cole Lindt’s jersey and Davey’s own had a big 27 on it in the picture, removing any doubt that it was them. Fury washed up from his gut and burned into his chest.
“What the hell?” Cole yelled again, getting in his face.
“Back the fuck off, Cole,” Tyler hissed. His fists clenched at his sides. Anger roared like the ocean in his ears, blocking out everyone and everything except Cole’s angry red face, two inches from his own. They were almost the same height. Cole’s brown hair was messed up, like he’d just woke up from a nap.
“Nah, I’m not backing up, Ty. You’re fucking fired, fag-boy.” Cole waived his hands in the air. “Go on, go suck McAllister’s cock and get out of my pit.” He stepped in closer, invading Tyler’s space.
“Fuck you, Cole. Get out of my face. Now.” Tyler’s words were hard and controlled, but he felt on the verge of exploding any second, as rage burned down from his chest to his gut. He wouldn’t let Cole bully him. He would not back down.
Both men stood face to face, unmoving. For a moment the air in the garage felt like it had been sucked out. Everyone held their breaths, frozen in place. Tyler wanted to punch the homophobic dick. His body vibrated with unreleased violence.
“Break it up, boys.” Cody’s rough, time-hardened voice cleared the room. He pulled Cole back away from Tyler and shoved him. “I’ll take care of this, Cole. Get out of here.”
Tyler didn’t know if Cole simply respected Cody that much or he realized that nothing good would come out of a fight since he wouldn’t be able to be at his best for the race if Tyler kicked his ass, but he backed off. As much as Tyler wanted to scream obscenities at him, he kept his mouth shut. He glared at Cole as he left.
“Tyler. You’re a good man. A good mechanic. But, you’re off this team. I can’t have this issue with Cole.”
“So, what he says goes because he’s the rider? Or is it you don’t want a homo on your team?”
“That’s not it.” He shook his head.
“Then, just switch me and Andy. I don’t have to work with Cole.”
“Nah. Not going to happen. Shannon doesn’t want you on his bike either.”
Tyler kicked out at something metal on the ground that clanged against the concrete in a high-pitched echo of his mood. “This is bullshit.”
“Sorry, Tyler. I’ll give you a recommendation, but I’m betting you’re not going to get picked up on another team once this gets out.”
“It’s already fucking out.”
“Yeah. It is.” Cody turned and left.
Andy and Mickey passed him, coming back in. Andy had his nose in his smart phone. “Fuck. I wish I’d have seen this before Cole. I could’ve at least warned ya.”
“Wouldn’t have mattered.” Tyler drug his fingers through his sweaty hair. He could still feel the adrenaline pumping through his system. He wanted to punch something.
“Damn, that’s hot, though,” Mickey said.
Andy’s and Tyler’s heads both snapped in his direction.
“What?” Tyler asked.
Andy made a strange face. “Are you gay, too?”
Mickey shook his head. “No, but look at that. They’re obviously in love. Fuck, look at their faces.”
Andy flipped his phone up again, and then handed it to Tyler with fear and caution fading behind his eyes. Tyler took the phone and got a decent look at the picture. His eyes were half-closed, his mouth half-open, the tip of his tongue out. He looked like he was in ecstasy. Davey’s face almost mirrored his own, except he had a sexy little half-smile on it. His hand was definitely in Tyler’s crotch. “If your boyfriend was feeling you up in an alley, you’d look like that, too,” he muttered.
“Gross,” Andy said, taking his phone back, but he smiled brightly. “Dude. You really off the team?”
“Yep, Cole fired me.”
“I’ll miss the hell out of you. This kind of sucks. Can you like sue him or something? Talk to the sponsors? Talk to KTM?”
Tyler shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m pissed. I don’t know. Guess I need to go find Davey.” He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He knew that when he finally relaxed after this adrenaline high, he might crash pretty hard. His chest burned and his throat felt raw. He picked up what personal things he had, which wasn’t much, and headed off to find Davey.
He walked up to the garage area for Davey’s team. He figured that would be the best place to check. He would be getting ready for the race. He figured Davey’s heat was over since Andy and Shannon had been in the garage, but that didn’t tell him where Davey might be.
His head mechanic, Shorty, walked over to him. “Whitmore? What’s up? What can I do for you?”
“Looking for Davey. He around?”
“He’s busy.” Davey’s head mechanic rubbed his hands on a greasy rag. “I can tell him you came by.” Tyler knew it was a dismissal, but Shorty didn’t know what Davey was to him and he obviously didn’t know about the social media blow up of their photo. To Shorty, he was just a rival mechanic.
“Okay. How about Stewart? Or Brad?” He knew he could talk to either of them.
“What’s this about?”
Tyler pursed his lips. He didn’t want to tell Shorty anything. “I just—”
“Tyler?” Angel stepped in from around the side of the massive trailer.
“Hey. I need to talk to Stewart.” He felt he’d better skip right to the main man. Angel would know where he could be found at least.
“Sure, come on,” she said, taking his hand and leading him away from the pits. “What’s going on, Ty? You look like death.”
“Have you been checking the media? Check your phone?” Useless energy pumped through his veins again, just thinking about it.
Angel glared at him and pulled her phone out, flipping through it.
He snagged it from her hands and typed in a few key words, finding the picture way too quickly for his tastes. “Here,” he said, handing her the phone back.
“Oh my God.”
“You didn’t take this picture, did you? Tell me you didn’t do this!”
“Fuck! Tyler, no way. I didn’t. If this is from when I think it is, though, you two were being so obvious.” She shook her head and put the phone back in her pocket. Her black hair was pulled back in
a ponytail that was sticking out the back of a ball cap. She wore tight jeans and a Princeton jersey with 27 emblazoned on the front. Was she actually on their team? “Come on.”
“Where we going? Where’s Davey?”
“You can’t tell him yet. The Main Event is starting soon.” He knew she was right. The 250 race ran first, but that wouldn’t take nearly long enough. Tyler had no idea how long it had been since Cole had fired him; time seemed to be warping around him.
Official people combed the track and the teams bustled about around them as they walked, Tyler following Angel into the stands and up to the Princeton tower where Stewart and others from the team would be watching the race.
“Angel,” Tyler said before they stepped into the room. She turned around to look at him, her eyes full of concern, but he didn’t know who or what she was concerned about in this situation. “I got fired.”
“Fuck!” He had never heard her curse so much and not like that. “I’m sorry. Okay. We’ll, uh, we’ll figure it out. It’s going to be okay.” She sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
“Part of your job was keeping this kind of shit from hitting, wasn’t it? You’re going to be in trouble, too?”
“Probably. But, that doesn’t matter. Okay? What matters is that you and Davey are okay. Okay?”
Part of him wanted to say “okay,” just because she’d been nervously repeating that mantra. The bigger part of him didn’t want to say anything else to her or anyone. His heart still pounded ceaselessly in his chest. With no outlet for his energy, he knew the inevitable crash would be coming soon.
He followed her into the Princeton suite. Stewart was there along with some suits, probably representatives from Princeton. He saw Brad and Tim standing by the back wall and went over to them while Angel pulled Stewart away from the executives, supposedly to tell him what was going on.
The Holeshot Page 18