Race to His Heart

by Sara Noble

  After a disappointing twentieth-place finish, he drove his car back to the garage and angrily climbed out. He threw his helmet to the ground as his team muttered apologies around him. He ignored them and headed back to his hauler to change out of the sweaty fire suit.

  Makaela was already waiting for him inside. She sat in the corner of the leather couch, completely oblivious to his sour mood. She had her legs crossed, which seemed impossible with her skintight jeans and thigh high charcoal boots. Her eyes pointed up at Connor as he climbed back to the changing area.

  “What happened, baby? You had that race!”

  Connor glowered at her. He was in no mood to put up with her immature rhetoric. “No, I didn’t. Never had it once. Did you not watch it?”

  “Oh, I watched it. I heard it all over the scanner. Your idiot spotter almost caused you to wreck. In my opinion, he cost us the race.”

  “What does that have to do--oh, forget it! You have no clue.” He was so annoyed with her that he couldn’t bear to even look her in the eye.

  Connor changed and wiped his face down with a cool, wet cloth. At that moment all he wanted was an ice-cold beer and a chance to put his feet up. He slid down onto the couch next to Makaela, since there was nowhere else to sit. She barely noticed him as she typed away on her cell phone. Connor thought she was the fastest texter he had ever seen. He sighed loudly and she looked up from her messaging.

  “Don’t worry, baby. Tomorrow is your day. That quarter mill is all ours.”

  Ours, Connor repeated in his head. Of course, all she cares about is the money. Figures.

  Connor glanced over at her as she went back to punching buttons on her fancy bedazzled cell phone. “Who you texting? Your buddy Casey?” he asked sarcastically.

  Makaela smirked. “No, just a bunch of your fans wanting to know if you won.” She was referring to all her hotshot friends, who only cared that Makaela was with someone famous, and weren’t true fans.

  “If they cared so much then why didn’t they watch it on TV? Real fans watch every race, or at least keep up with it on the live feed from our website.”

  Makaela flew up off the couch in a huff. “Well, I’m hungry. Are we going to dinner soon? There’s has to be somewhere around here that serves sushi. Or at least something gourmet. I’m not eating that stadium food. I don’t know how your body can handle digesting that crap.”

  “Where are my parents?” Connor asked, ignoring her question about dinner, along with the rest of her rant. He stretched his arms up and then back; his muscles were stiff from sitting in the car for so many hours. He thought about having a quiet dinner with his folks and then settle in for the night.

  “I think they’re with Lucas,” Makaela answered and then, once again, went back to texting someone anonymous.

  Connor dialed his mom on his cell phone and asked if she and his dad wanted to join them for dinner. Patty graciously accepted, even though Makaela would be there. She had been making a valiant effort to get along with her since the decision had been made that her and Connor were staying together. It hurt Connor to watch Patty try to be polite and make small talk with her, but he put up with it. It was, after all, his mother’s relentless requests to try to work things out for the good of the team. If he occupied his mind with other thoughts to distract him, then sitting through a dinner here or a luncheon there wasn’t all that awful.

  An hour or so later, the four of them sat down to dinner. Connor had chosen a steakhouse, much to Makaela’s dislike. It amused him that she was perturbed over his choice and laughed to himself as she made a hideous face of disgust while she studied the menu. She ordered a salad with no dressing and a plain, grilled chicken breast on the side. He watched, almost nauseated, as she poked and prodded at her meal like it was radioactive. He was embarrassed to be seen at the dinner table with her and by the looks of it, so were his parents. If their eyebrows had stretched any further up their foreheads, they would have popped blood vessels.

  Finally, they returned to the hotel and Connor felt it was time for him to hit the sack. It had been a long, dismal day and he wanted nothing more than to forget about it. He retreated to the shower and locked the door behind him. Makaela didn’t even try to follow him; in fact, she was gone out of the room when he was finished.

  She probably went to see her secret lover. It was gratifying how little it bothered him that she was up to no good. In fact, he could feel the pressure that lay on his shoulders for so long begin to dissipate. Makaela’s infidelity, if it turned out to be legit, would be the key to his future happiness. He wondered about the negative effects when the public found out about her cheating on him and then, of course, the aftermath of the canceled wedding. He would be rid of her, free and clear, without the guilt of ruining everyone’s expectations and dreams of their mega-careers. Sure, he expected a little fall out, but it would nothing compared to what would have happened if he were to have been the one who misled everybody.

  Connor slid into bed and turned on the TV. He soon forgot about his troubles as he watched a hilarious sitcom about a disgruntled office staff. Makaela slipped in the room just as the show ended and Connor had switched off the TV.

  “Where’ve you been?” Connor asked in a very accusing way. He glared at her in the dim light that was peeking in from the doorway.

  “Down to the lobby gift shop to look around.”

  Connor knew Makaela was lying. She stood frozen and appeared to be waiting for his next inquiry. Her long, wavy blond hair hung messily in front of her shoulders and her black eyeliner was smudged underneath her guilt-ridden eyes. She definitely looks guilty of something this time. Her washed up appearance and poor excuse for a poker face says it all.

  “Liar,” Connor said blankly. “It’s closed this late at night.”

  “Well, it was closed. So I just walked around outside instead. I needed to think.”

  “About what?” Connor wanted her to admit she was messing around. He didn’t care if it was the night before a big race; he just wanted to get everything out and in the open. It would clear his conscience if he knew he could get out of spending the rest of his life with her. He knew it would only boost his desires to be a better person, and a winning teammate, when he could kick his baggage to the curb.

  Makaela initially avoided a reply to his question. She clicked on the bathroom light to allow it to shine into the main part of the room. She dropped her purse on the glossy walnut table and kicked off her pumps.

  “Well? What were you thinking about? What was so important for you to be out by yourself so late at night?”

  “Hmm…” she hummed, mildly distracted, or at least acted that way. She began to wiggle her way out of her skinny jeans as she finally answered him. “Oh, yeah, uh…wedding stuff.”

  “Having second thoughts?” he hoped.

  “No,” she replied, long and drawn out. “Why would you ask that?” Even though she pretended to be puzzled by his interrogation, her eyes never met his; in fact she avoided eye contact as much as she could.

  “Just wondering.”

  “Are you?”

  “No,” Connor lied. The truth was that he had been having second thoughts since the day he proposed. But he wanted her to be the first to admit it. Suddenly, he wondered if her plan all along was to marry him no matter what, since he was, after all, a superstar in motorsports. With his talent, he would be around for a while and who wouldn’t want to snag an opportunity to be permanently attached to someone of that kind of status? She probably figured that with him being so busy with his career that he wouldn’t notice if she slipped up every once in awhile and messed around on him. As long as she had her giant diamond ring and a mansion in the countryside then she would be satisfied, right?

  “Aren't you tired?” Makaela asked, changing the subject. Obviously, Connor had hit a button. She threw her jeans on top of her suitcase and sauntered over to the bathroom wearing only her thong panties and a skimpy tank top. Her bare body didn’t even trigger a sexual
impulse in him anymore.

  “Yep. Very.” Connor yawned so she would catch his drift.

  “Okay. I’m going to take a shower. I hate being all sticky and sweaty. The south is disgusting. I wish we could go back to home.”

  Connor rolled over and forced his eyes closed. Hopefully she’ll shut up so I can get some shut-eye. He wondered if Makaela was going to try to sneak out again. His theory was proven wrong, as she slid into the warm sheets next to him about twenty minutes later. She didn’t bother snuggling, which was fine with him since he was in no mood. He probably would have pushed her away if she had snuggled up to him; at this point he despised her touch more than anything. Soon he heard the soft sounds of her snores that whistled from her nose.

  ***

  The next morning was a hectic one. There was so much going on that Connor felt very robotic as he moved from booth to booth, doing radio interviews and autograph signings. Makaela sat at his side the entire time and followed him around like a lost puppy dog. She was dressed to the nine’s that day, in an expensive outfit and sparkling jewelry. Her face makeup was overly done, but only Connor seemed to be bothered by it. He wished that she wouldn’t try to outdo herself every time she made a public appearance with him. He thought she had started looking like a high-class hooker. Yet, many fans (mostly men) wagged their tongues at her and begged for her to pose in photos. Gag me, he thought, and went about his business. The day’s events unfolded and soon the whole team was lined up, with every other team in the circuit, for the prayer and National Anthem.

  “Go get ‘em, baby. Win this race for me!” Makaela said into his ear as they faked a loving embrace for the camera that was stationed in front of them. He rolled his eyes at her remark.

  Connor watched her slowly climb the ladder up to the top of the pit box. He noticed that Casey had helped her up, spotting her so she wouldn’t slip on one of the rungs. She smiled wide and he tipped his hat to her.

  Connor’s cheeks grew hot with anger. Do they think I’m stupid enough not to notice? They’re practically flaunting their deceit in front of America! With his blood rapidly boiling under his skin, he eagerly climbed into his car and got ready for the start of the race. After a few pep talks from Mason and other crewmembers, he pulled on his helmet and tried hard to shake the image of Makaela and Casey out of his brain. The thought of them sleeping together made him want to yack right there on the steering column. Why did she have to do it with my best friend? He asked himself as he strapped his body into the seat.

  “Gentlemen, start…your…engines!” The command was given and Connor fired up. The adrenalin pumped wickedly through his bloodstream and an exhilarating high began to take over. He was thrilled to be in his car, and he was determined to take home that trophy.

  It was a roller coaster of a race, with cautions coming out every twenty laps or so. Connor managed to stay clear of most of the wrecks and debris, which was hard to do on a track like the one he was racing on that day. The car was running smooth, much better than yesterday. It was also one of the fastest on the track. He bounced back and forth between leading the pack and falling behind to pace himself. He didn’t want to jump the gun too soon. After all, everyone knew the best action always happened in the last few laps of the race.

  “The 71 is trying something,” Connor’s spotter said through the radio. Austin Smuthers drove the 71 car. “Watch your left.”

  “He wouldn’t dare,” Connor muttered as he gripped the steering wheel.

  Connor did what he did best, concentrated on his driving and kept an eye out for jerks like Smuthers. The guy didn’t try anything crazy, of course, not until the very end of it all.

  It was the last lap on the notoriously cursed track. Connor was in second position and close to taking over the lead. He relied on Chuck Walsh to tandem draft and push him up to the front. The finish line was in view and then the craziness happened.

  Austin Smuthers darted out ahead of him and cut in too close, too soon. Connor’s car spun out of control as it clipped the 71’s rear end. The knock was so strong that both cars launched into the air and into several three-sixty turns. The seconds that ticked by felt like an eternity as Connor watched the world spin in circles. The sound of the metal crushing together screeched in his ears and the car landed with a thud.

  Connor couldn’t see anything through the cloud of smoke that filled his cab. He choked and coughed while he struggled to unhook himself from the seat. He could smell gasoline mixed with the smoke, as well as burnt rubber from the tires. His arms were like boulders and he just couldn’t find the strength to pull himself out. He thought of his family and his life. He thought he saw Maddie through the cloud of smoke in front of him. The visions gave him a glimmer of hope and enough adrenalin to try one more time to get out of the car, which had caught on fire. The last buckle unsnapped and he heaved his body with all his might. And then everything went black.

  Chapter 16: Maddie

  “Who ordered the Hefeweisen?”

  “I did!” Maddie shouted across the table to the waitress holding a tray full of beers.

  The bar was packed that evening with every walk of life. The usual crowd of fraternity brothers hovered in the corners near the pool tables and behaved as rowdy as ever. Many other bar goers were sprawled out everywhere, some jammed into to each other as they stood with their group. Luckily for Maddie and her friends, they were well-known, loyal customers and a table had been reserved especially for them.

  It was race time and everyone had turned out to watch the big one on the wide screen TV’s plastered against the bar walls. It had taken Maddie every ounce of courage she had to tune into the show that night. She hadn’t watched a race since her and Connor had broken up. It hurt too bad to see him parade around with his blonde fiancée, Makaela. The sight of all the action on TV also reminded her of the roller coaster weekend she had spent in Indianapolis. It was the last time she felt Connor’s touch and kissed his lips. She remembered the night they made love for the first time and lay in each other’s arms, stroking each other’s dewed skin as they basked in the glow of the moment. It made her heart flutter and her eyes brim with tears.

  “Honey, just down some beers and it will all be okay,” said Melissa when she sensed Maddie’s anxiety.

  Maddie sniffed and straightened herself up. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not gonna let him ruin my night.” She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

  Melissa rested both of her palms on Maddie’s petite shoulders and stared her straight in the eyes. “Don’t let him control your life! Forget about him!” she commanded, giving Maddie’s shoulders a little jolt. “There are so many guys here tonight that I’m sure you’ll go home with one of them.”

  Maddie slapped her friend on the thigh. “Shut up! I’m not like that. Since when does anyone meet a decent guy in a bar, anyway?” The two looked at each other and laughed, remembering that Maddie had met her ex-boyfriend, Billy, in same bar that they were in that night. It didn’t bother her though; her and Billy were long over with and they both had moved on.

  Even after all of the turmoil with Connor, Maddie still hadn’t thought much of her ex-boyfriend in the previous months. She didn’t need to worry about two assholes at the same time. Her nerves were already shot to hell since being put through the relationship meat grinder by Connor. She tried hard not to think about him and what they had together, but it was difficult to do that when the camera had started flashing the race car driver all over the TV. Connor showed his pearly whites and looked about as charming as ever. Maddie’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach. He might have been an asshole, but she loved him. She quickly picked up her beer stein and gulped down a huge sip of beer, hoping it would make her magically forget the pain that he had put her through last summer. She was wrong. She knew that no matter how intoxicated she got, the torture would still be there, jabbing her in the heart.

  Melissa patted her on the back. “Look at that douche bag. You’d think he’d shave for this r
ace. He looks like a bum.”

  Maddie frowned. “It doesn’t help with you bad-mouthing him like that.” She found herself liking Connor’s new ‘gruff and manly’ look. She imagined his facial hair barely grazing the sensitive skin on her cheek if he were to ever kiss her again.

  No! I can’t think about that stuff anymore! She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to flush the memory from her mind.

  “What’s the matter?” Melissa asked when she noticed her friend looking quite uncomfortable on her barstool.

  “Just had a thought.”

  Melissa rolled her eyes. “Oh, no. A sexual one?”

  “Kind of. But I stopped myself.”

  “Oh, Lord. Hurry up and chug your beer. I can’t deal with Weepy Maddie tonight.” Melissa lifted the mug to Maddie’s lips and urged her gulp down the carbonated liquid.

  “Yeah!” Maddie shouted as she got into the spirit of things. The rest of their group hooted and hollered as she slammed the mug down on the table.

  “That’s my girl.” Melissa turned to wave over the waitress for their section. “Sonya! We need some more, please!” The pretty girl acknowledged the request with a nod and then went back to bussing tables.

  Maddie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The sudden decision to swallow that beer down whole had made her light-headed. She swayed for a second and then sat back down on the barstool. This is going to be a long night.

  The race began and Maddie watched with intensity as things got heated up almost immediately. She gasped whenever there was a collision and crossed her fingers that Connor hadn’t gotten mixed up in the mess. Even though he had ripped her heart to pieces and threw her into a world of melancholy, she secretly wanted him to win the race. She still had hope for the two of them, even if it took him years to realize it.