by Sara Noble
Connor shut off the water and toweled his face. He ran the hot water in the sink and lathered on thick shaving cream around his cheeks. A heavy pounding penetrated the hotel suite door, causing him to drop his razor and nearly cut his chin. “Yeah?” he hollered, figuring it was probably someone from his crew coming with a wake up call.
“Son, you up and moving around? We gotta get a move on!” shouted Jim from the other side.
“I’ll be down in ten minutes!” Connor shouted back.
Connor finished dressing himself and headed downstairs to meet with his family. They all stood around the beautiful fountain in the center of the massive lobby. His eyes stopped on Maddie, of course, who stood beside Patty in the atrium. Maddie appeared a little more done up that day. She had on a touch of makeup, her hair was slightly curled and pinned in place, and she had a deep purple top on over her skin-tight jeans. Connor smiled broadly as he approached, gaining more confidence and losing the stress with each step. He loved seeing how Maddie had that effect on him. Her beautiful smile and sparkling eyes made every moment worthwhile. A victorious feeling flowed through him; his intuition about the race was strong.
“Hey, everyone,” Connor greeted. Even though it was race day, all he wanted was to go back to bed, and to drag Maddie along with him, even if only for a few minutes. The anticipation of brushing up against her warm skin caused a tiny explosion within and he sighed deeply.
“Morning, son. Did you sleep well?” Patty asked. She noticed the slight droop in his dark, tired eyes.
“Not really,” he replied without volunteering anymore about his night. “Let’s go. We can eat at the track.”
The small group climbed into a van big enough to hold an army and drove off to the outskirts of town. Connor had chosen to sit next to Maddie, despite their attempts at being subtle. He inhaled the scent of her perfume that permeated into the surrounding air. It was different that day, with hints of cherry and spice. The essence made her that much more irresistible.
“Are you excited to sit with the crew today?” Connor asked Maddie.
She turned her gaze toward him and grinned. “Of course. That’s why I came out here, right?” Maddie winked and Connor couldn’t help but think of the real reasons she flew out to see him. “Don’t worry; I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Connor chuckled. “It’s not you I’m worried about, trust me.”
Patty smiled and looked back at the two conversing in the back seat. She winked at Connor, which made him blush. He knew his mother could tell he was smitten with Maddie. It was so obvious how they felt about each other; but it was like the elephant in the room, nobody wanted to talk about it.
The van drove through a private entrance at the far end of the speedway. Connor climbed out first and led them all to his hauler that was parked near the edge of the garage area. Reporters with flashing bulbs and fans desperate for autographs crowded around them so they picked up their pace. Connor made sure to always be a few steps ahead of Maddie, in case someone snapped a photo of him. He still wasn’t sure of his future, but he knew at that point it was important to be discreet.
The crew busily worked on the car in the garage, with Connor making appearances here and there to check something out. He mostly showed up for the fans and acted like he was doing something important. He flashed his pearly white teeth for photos and turned up his charm to full blast. Soon he was so busy working the crowd that he had forgotten all about Maddie who was stashed away in the hauler with his parents.
When the call was made, Connor stepped back inside his quarters to pull on his fire suit and get ready to be escorted to the driver introduction platform. Maddie sat on a leather bench attached to the inside of the hauler, waiting for her chance to say goodbye and good luck to her friend. She beamed from ear to ear, clearly thrilled with what was about to come. Connor sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
“Thanks for being here today,” he whispered into her ear.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Maddie squeezed him back and again, getting a whiff of her sweet, intoxicating scent. The thrill was beginning to build deep in his core and it had become apparent at that moment that the day was his. He would take the race and that night he would celebrate with Maddie on his arm.
“Have fun and cheer for me. I’ll see you when it’s all over.”
“I’ll be waiting for you at the finish line.” Maddie leaned over close; her soft lips brushed his ear as she breathed. She then delicately kissed him on the cheek and whispered goodbye. He released his hold on her, and before anyone knew it he was whisked away and it was show time in Indianapolis.
Chapter 9: Maddie
It was midday when Maddie and the Grays headed over to the pit box to sit with the crew during the race. She admired the cotton ball puffs that floated through the sky, which would sporadically cover the sun for moments at a time. It’s the perfect day for a race, she thought. It may have been a bit hot and muggy, but sunny nonetheless. It seemed even better once she had fallen in love with the star of the show.
“So, are you having a good time out here with Connor?” Mason, his crew chief, asked Maddie. He had just climbed up the ladder into the pit box and sat down in his spot in front of the laptops. He placed his headphones over his ears and plugged them into the switchboard.
Maddie smiled at him and nodded. “Yes, I’m having fun. Thanks,” she replied, nonchalantly. She had met Mason back in Daytona that day Connor had taken her out on the track. They had only spoken briefly; Mason seemed completely uninterested in their budding relationship. He was a bit older than the rest of the crew and usually didn’t spend any time with Connor outside of work, unlike Jackson and Casey. There were times, Maddie had heard, that some of the other mechanics would go out for a beer or watch a college basketball game with Connor. Knowing that Connor had a separate, normal life outside of all the glitz was somewhat of a relief for Maddie. It gave her hope that he could do the same with her in their spare time together.
That had been the last of Mason paying any kind of attention to her. He focused his efforts on directing business and hollering at the crew to do this and that. Maddie watched enthusiastically while the men worked and bustled about the pit box. Underneath where she sat were countless drawers of tools and more computers. Connor had told her the day before that the crew needed all of those computers for a complete diagnostic analysis while his car was running.
The noise of the air wrenches rang in Maddie’s ears, which only added to the boisterous crowd in the stadium. Her eyes scanned the dotted mass of people, all wearing t-shirts with a picture of their favorite driver. Many carried armfuls of large sodas, nachos, popcorn, corn on the cob; anything you could possibly imagine to find at a concession stand. There were men, women, and children wearing brightly colored scanners upon their heads, patiently waiting to tune into their team’s radio frequency. It was some sight and Maddie marveled at it all.
Soon it was time for everyone to line up and prepare for the main event festivities. The sun shined brightly in the sky and the thick, wet air suffocated the crowd as the invocation was delivered and National Anthem performed. Everyone cheered loudly and then the command was given to start the engines.
The cars roared to life and circled the track to warm up their tires. Maddie kept her eyes glued to Connor’s turquoise car whenever he was in her sight. She eyed the computer screen in front of Mason, which was connected to cameras in the speedway, when Connor disappeared along the backstretch of the track. Excitement filled her from within as the cars picked up speed around turn four.
“Here comes the green flag!” yelled Patty from next to her. She rose from her seat and stared at the long pack of cars that approached the start line. Maddie did the same when she noticed the pace car drive onto pit road.
The fans screamed as the cars fired past them. The rumble from the high-powered engines was so loud that it shook the earth when the group flew by. The energy in the
speedway was intense; all the fans were on their feet while the boys raced around the track at almost two hundred miles per hour.
It didn’t take long for Maddie to grow tired from standing and cheering during the midday heat. She sat back down in her seat and sipped on a spiked lemonade drink that Jim had brought her from the concession area. The cool liquid felt good going down her throat and she enjoyed it, even though the alcohol content was a little strong for her taste. A few more of these and I will be all set, she joked to herself as she watched the cars whiz in front of her face. It might ease the anxiety and help me relax. What she really wanted was an ice-cold beer, but she could wait until later to enjoy that with Connor after the race.
After about fifty laps, another caution came out when two cars at the end of the pack grazed each other’s sides and lost control. Maddie didn’t see the collision, but she heard it and could smell the burnt rubber penetrating the air. The crowd jumped inquisitively from their seats in the stands to check out the wreck. Her heart thumped with fear as she searched for any sign of Connor in the mess. Mason gave the thumbs up signal to let them all know he was okay and clear from the wreck. She exhaled as the harrowing feeling left her system. It surprised her how much more worried she was of Connor wrecking since she was watching the race from his box.
“Now you know how I feel,” Patty said loudly. Maddie nodded as to answer her then went right back to keeping a close eye on Connor.
Cars had already started to come on to pit road for tire changes and fuel. Connor pulled up in his box and his crew quickly pulled off the tires and replaced them in a blink of an eye. Maddie was in complete amazement; it never seemed so fierce while she watched it on TV. She was a bit disappointed that she couldn’t see Connor’s lovely face under the enormous helmet he wore. She wanted to make eye contact with him; she wanted him to notice her sitting in Makaela’s spot. The stop only lasted for thirteen seconds before Connor squealed his tires and drove out of the box, navigating his car precisely so he wouldn’t collide with the others coming out.
Maddie’s attention shifted to Mason as he hollered down to the crew. “We got out first!” The team cheered at his announcement and beamed with pride. Their celebration only lasted half a minute and then it was back to work, straightening up and getting ready for the next pit stop.
The afternoon was filled with chaos and suspense as Connor took and lost the lead many times. Maddie chewed at her already bitten fingernails while she watched him barely escape three different wrecks. Sweat leaked down the back of her neck and soaked her clothes. Her stomach churned as the heat and alcohol collided inside her body. She must have had a look of uneasiness written on her face because Patty had taken her hand and squeezed it into hers. She began to feel better knowing that the race was almost over. Her eyes wandered for a bit, looking around the area for Jim. He was down below, leaning up against the box and as frozen as a statue. He’s probably just as freaked out as we are, Maddie thought.
Maddie and Patty sat rigidly in the box during the last laps of the race. Connor was back in the lead and pushing himself two seconds ahead of the second place car. His whole crew stood and watched as he flew past the finish line during the final lap. Maddie and Patty screamed with delight and hugged each other to celebrate the win. A camera crew had been stationed beside the box and caught the entire moment on film. Maddie didn’t mind, though; she was too busy being blown away from all the excitement of Connor’s latest victory.
It was clear that Connor was enjoying his moment, as well. He drove his exhausted car around to grab the checkered flag that hung from the start finish line. Then, he did a victory burnout and the crowd chanted with praise. Smoke from the tires and the exhaust filled the air and rattled the crowd even more.
Mason led the crew and Connor’s guests to a special area in the garage where all the winners of each race get interviewed on television. Maddie anxiously waited with Patty and Jim behind Connor’s well-deserving teammates. He pulled up in his rumbling race car, put on the brakes, and then climbed out of the window opening. Jackson, Casey, Mason and a bunch of others doused him with shaken up energy drinks and champagne handed out by the sponsors.
Maddie beamed at her man; he stood there in all his glory, lapping up the praise and satisfaction that came with winning the race. Connor’s glowing smile stretched across his face while he continued to be sprayed by his friends. After a moment, he noticed Maddie and his parents standing near the edge of the crowd. He jumped off the platform that his car rested on and pushed his way through the mob of people. A cameraman followed close behind him. First, he swallowed his parents up into a huge embrace and kissed his mom on the cheek. Maddie stood by, patiently waiting for him to acknowledge her. Their eyes met and his smile grew even wider. He released himself, wiggled over to her, and took her into his arms. She wanted so badly to kiss him, to show how proud she was of him. They gazed at each other adoringly, their faces only a few inches apart.
Connor must have felt the connection and sensed she was about to make a move. “We can’t. Not now,” he whispered, but she only read his lips. She nodded her head and backed up a bit from his face.
Maddie noticed the camera had caught their brief moment as she began to step away. A dreadful feeling swarmed her and she suddenly felt light-headed. She was sure the world had just seen the way her and Connor looked at each other. Only a fool wouldn’t realize the bond that they shared. His fiancée must have watched the race and witnessed the whole thing. The cat’s out of the bag now, she thought as Connor made his way back to the car for his interview with a sports commentator. Maybe this is a good thing? She hated keeping their relationship bottled up inside. Hopefully, Connor would know how to appropriately deal with the fall out after their moment was just aired on national TV.
The evening went on in one huge blur. Connor was bombarded with all sorts of people who wanted to speak with him about the race; everyone from track officials to fans with special garage passes. Maddie hung back and submissively observed him mingling with everyone. She admired his charm and the confident way he interacted with them. She remembered the camera in her small purse that hung from her shoulder and decided to snap a few pictures of him in action. I can’t wait to show these to Mom and Dad, she thought, as she took a couple more of the garage scene. She handed the camera to Jackson and he snapped a few of her and Connor standing next to his first place car.
Dusk approached and the crowd wound down. Connor escaped to the hauler to change out of his drenched fire suit and into normal clothes. Maddie couldn’t fathom the idea of wearing one of those for hours in the heat. She had nearly passed out just sitting in the shade wearing her skinny jeans and light top.
As the commotion of the day wore off, Maddie’s thoughts turned back to her whirlwind romance with Connor. It had been almost two days since they had been alone together, since they had kissed. She pined over the thought of making love to him again that night. She could imagine his firm hands running gently down her bare skin and his sweet lips kissing every inch of her body. She grew warm in her core and blushed when she realized it was the wrong place and the wrong time to get herself worked up. In due time she would have her way, and that night she decided she would give Connor the ride of his life.
“You gonna come celebrate with us tonight?” asked a familiar voice. Casey stepped in front of Maddie as she leaned up against the side of the giant hauler. They were all still waiting for Connor to get cleaned up and ready to leave.
Maddie half-smiled and thought about her plans. She wanted to go wherever Connor was, even if that meant their alone time had to be put off until later.
“Maybe. Where you all going? Just to dinner?”
“Yeah and maybe out to a bar for some drinks. We do it up big whenever we get a win. Connor likes to go ape shit with the celebrating.”
Sweat continued to trickle down Maddie’s brow and into her eyes. “Can we go back and change first?” She fanned herself while Casey deliberated.
> “Well, I guess. You got someone to take you back to the hotel?”
Just at that moment, Connor stepped out from the mirrored doors at the back of the hauler. The cool air pumping inside filtered out and blew past Maddie. She briefly entertained the idea of whisking Connor back inside to strip her down to cool off. And of course, Connor could have his way with her as he pleased. She could be his trophy.
“I can take her back. Don’t you guys want to get showered, too? Y’all stink!” Connor joked.
Casey mumbled something to himself, his hand on his hip and the top portion of his fire suit hung around his waist. His plain white tee was soaked and had faint yellow stains in the pits.
“I meant to see if she needed a ride cause we’re all headed back that way soon. Didn’t know what you had planned, Mr. Big Shot.”
Maddie’s eyes danced back and forth between the boys. She knew they were being sarcastic with each other, but she kept out of their bantering. She was actually praying for someone to make up their mind so she could get out of the heat and into some clean, dry clothes.
“Well, all right then. Come on, Maddie,” Connor said as he tugged at her elbow and led her around the side of the hauler. “Let’s go get cleaned up before Casey shits himself.”
“I heard that, Connor!” Casey shouted as they gained some distance away from the truck.
An unknown man popped out in front of them, startling Maddie. She jerked back and scrambled behind Connor.
“Connor Gray, how are ya?” asked the stranger. He was freakishly tall and thin, wearing faded blue jeans and a black #27 t-shirt. He looked like a typical fan.
“Fine, and you?” Connor answered apprehensively. His eyebrows arched, as he looked the guy over, trying to decide if he was someone important. He wore a lanyard around his neck, indicating that he had garage access.