A Race for Love

by Jillian Dagg

  She knew they fell asleep because the next thing she heard was John's voice calling, "Anyone home?"

  Richard mumbled, "That's John."

  "Come on, I know you're home. Your car's outside."

  Richard propped himself up on his elbow. "We're just getting changed," he shouted. "'Won't be long."

  "Fine," John answered.

  Richard glanced at Tanya who was pulling on the terry wrap to cover herself. "I'm glad he didn't come home earlier."

  "Me too," she told him, wondering if John would realize what they had done. Surely it would show that she was bursting with love.

  He kissed her, got up and finished dressing. Then went out to see John.

  Tanya roused herself from the bed. She put on the green dress and sandals. The pendant Richard had given her nestled between her breasts and glimmered brightly when hit by a ray of light. She touched it gently. It must have cost quite a bit. The chain was gold. She put on a light eye makeup that flattered her tan. Then she tidied her hair.

  She felt pleased with her appearance when she stepped out of the bedroom to where the two men were having a drink.

  "Wow." John stood up. "You look absolutely great!"

  Richard also stood up. He didn't speak, but let her walk toward him. He reached out and fingered the emerald so that the back of his hand brushed her breast.

  His eyes raked over her, noting her cheeks still flushed from his lovemaking. Her eyes were a deep lustrous green.

  "Beautiful," he said softly.

  Tanya swallowed hard. Her appearance had affected him in some way. It had brought an emotion to the surface, even if it wasn't love.

  "Well do you think we should go?" John brought them back to reality.

  "I guess we should." Richard smiled ruefully.

  They took separate cars and met at a restaurant. Tanya felt quite pleased with herself as she was seated between Richard and John. Both men were dressed in dark suits and both looked handsome. Not that Richard could be outdone, she thought. With his gold hair and tan sparkling against the white of his shirt, he was easily the best looking man in the restaurant. Many of the women seated nearby were giving him covetous looks.

  Even if he won't be mine forever, he's mine right at this moment, she thought. I'll make the most of it.

  The meal lasted a long time. Tanya ate iced melon, followed by baked salmon. She turned down the dessert and just accepted coffee. John ordered a bottle of champagne.

  "To welcome Richard back into the land of the living," he said, holding up his glass of the bubbling liquid. "Let's hope he wins them all.

  Tanya raised her glass to John's. As she heard the tiny clink, she felt her heart constrict.

  When they drove up in front of Dianna's house, Tanya was surprised that Dianna lived in such a large place. She'd expected a bachelor apartment. She said as much to Richard.

  "Dianna's man was a very successful driver. He died when his car flipped in an accident. Also she runs a very successful boutique," Richard explained.

  So all Dianna's men were racing drivers. Had Dianna felt the same way as Tanya at one time? Tanya thought not.

  Dianna enjoyed the thrill of racing as much as the drivers. If one died then it was just the luck of the game. She moved on to the next.

  A maid led them into a large room where a party was in full swing. Dianna came through the crowds.

  "Dickie, I'm so glad you've arrived." She hung on to his arm. "There are so many people here just dying to see you again. Mind if I take him away for a while?" she asked Tanya.

  Tanya shook her head. What could she say?

  John was by her side. "She gets her claws in early," he said.

  "I'm afraid so," Tanya smiled halfheartedly.

  "Well then, let me get a drink. What do you want?"

  "Maybe some wine."

  "Wine coming up." John went off to get it. Tanya glanced around. Richard and Dianna were in the middle of a crowd of smartly dressed people. Richard glanced down at Dianna with laughter in his gray eyes. Dianna was dressed in a red silk dress that left nothing to the imagination.

  John arrived with Tanya's glass of wine, and handed it to her. He sipped his own drink.

  "I must say you look beautiful this evening," he told her.

  "When you walked out of that room—well," he shrugged.

  Tanya forced a smile. "You're good for me."

  "If I didn't have Heather, I think you'd be very good for me too," he said seriously.

  "Oh, John," she tried to dismiss his comment.

  "I mean it, Tanya."

  "You're just lonely."

  "I might be at that," he said, "but it still doesn't take away from the fact that you're a very lovely woman and if I had to choose between you and Dianna, I know who it would be."

  "John." She shook her head and smiled at him.

  "Still," he shrugged. "Richard's going through a pretty hard time right now. He was probably scared when he got into that car this week."

  "Richard scared?" Tanya was incredulous.

  "Of course. After an accident like he had? It takes courage.

  Richard may have nerves of steel but he's still human."

  "How bad was it, John?" she asked.

  "Luckily he wasn't burned, but he broke just about everything there was to break. The worst part was the spine injury. Amazingly he's recovered. I must say at times I thought it was good-bye either to Richard himself or his racing."

  Tanya glanced across to where Richard was chatting with a man. He was standing easily with no trace of discomfort. He looked tanned and healthy, as though he'd never been ill.

  "Loving you gave him something to live for." John intercepted her glance. "I'm glad to see him so well again."

  "You're a good friend, John," Tanya said, as Richard approached them.

  "What are you doing with my wife?" Richard asked goodnaturedly.

  John turned toward him. "Making sure she has a drink and telling her that I've fallen in love with her."

  Richard's expression changed and his lips thinned, "Oh you are, are you?"

  "She's most desirable," John said. "Anyhow I must circulate. See you both later."

  Richard's hand caught at Tanya's elbow almost making her drop the glass of wine.

  "John's getting very friendly with you?"

  "He's just joking. I like him very much."

  "Has he told you about Heather?"

  "Yes he has." She jerked away from his grasp. Was he jealous? Surely not!

  "Did he tell you he's going to stop racing because of her?"

  "No." She glanced up at him. His expression was hard.

  "That's her one stipulation on marriage."

  "He said they'd compromised," Tanya said.

  "Compromised! Given up his life more like it."

  "If they love each other though, Richard?"

  "If she loved him, she'd want his happiness."

  She couldn't answer him. She'd only argue. She took a sip of the wine and moved around with him for a while, meeting people.

  After a while, she only wanted to escape the party. The crowd was stifling her. And Richard? She didn't know where Richard was. He'd disappeared while she'd been talking to an Englishman who was over in Canada on holiday. She couldn't even see Dianna's red dress through the mass of people.

  She wandered out into the hallway and up the stairs to the room that had been designated as the women's powder room.

  She checked her makeup in the mirror, smoothed her hair and went outside to the landing. The room downstairs was loud with music, talk and laughter. She really didn't want to face it.

  Then she heard voices. They were coming from one of the rooms along the hall. One was unmistakably Richard's. She walked up to the door that was slightly ajar.

  Dianna was saying, "That night we met in the restaurant. I knew—" Dianna sighed. "I never should have left you, Dick.

  Please believe me."

  "I went crazy, Dianna," Richard said. Then there was si
lence.

  Tanya didn't want to glance inside. She was scared of what she might see. Although she had a pretty good idea. Her imagination had the couple entwined in one another's arms.

  Somehow she managed to get down the stairs and back into the party. Her legs felt as though they wouldn't support her much longer and she leaned against the wall. Noone seemed to be noticing her discomfort, however, engrossed as they were in having fun. They probably thought she'd had too much to drink.

  "Tanya?" It was John and he sounded worried, "Are you feeling okay?"

  "Fine," she told him.

  "I'll get you something. Hang on."

  He came back with a glass of brandy. "Here, have some of this."

  The liquid burned fire down her throat, but it brought life back to her body.

  "Thanks," she smiled weakly, "I just felt a little faint."

  "Too many people. Would you like to go outside for a while where it's cool?"

  "Please." She let John take hold of her hand as they walked out into the garden.

  It was a big house and the garden matched it for size. It was a maze of rosebushes and flowers. Their scent drifted toward them in the summer air.

  Tanya took a deep breath of the fresh air.

  "Better?" John asked.

  She smiled shakily. Her world had smashed. For all that had happened to her in her life, she'd never felt this bad.

  "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

  "I don't think so—"

  "It sometimes helps," John prodded.

  Maybe it would. She said quite calmly, "Richard and Dianna were upstairs in one of the bedrooms."

  "Oh, no." John put his arms around her. He held her close against his chest. "It's just a phase," he soothed. "It'll pass, believe me. Don't take it seriously."

  "How I wish it was that easy," she murmured, close to tears from John's comfort

  "It's Dianna's game," he said, "believe me."

  "But Richard's playing it," she choked.

  "He's crazy." John looked down at her, his arms tightening.

  Then with a sigh he released her. "Let's go back inside."

  They went back into the house. The party was still in full swing. It would probably go on to the early hours of the morning. There was still no sign of Richard and Dianna. Were they making love? Tanya touched the emerald pendant between her breasts. She tugged at it, but it only hurt the back of her neck. It wouldn't break. Richard had bought her off with it, as though giving a child a toy to keep it happy.

  She danced with John, giving an impression of enjoying herself. She wasn't going to let Dianna, Richard, or any of his friends see that she was upset. They'd just finished a dance when Richard came to find her.

  "Care to dance?" Richard asked, his features tense. It was as though he were performing a disagreeable duty.

  She hesitated, but John pushed her forward. "Go on," he whispered.

  Richard put his arms around her and held her close. Her cheek rested against the crisp white shirt. She could hear the steady beat of his heart. Her fingers screwed up into a fist within his. She wanted to pound him! She wanted to cry! But when he released her, she was calm.

  "Shall we leave?" he said, and she nodded agreement.

  Tanya rested her head against the back of her seat in the car.

  "Enjoy yourself?" Richard asked.

  "It was fine," she told him.

  "But not your scene?"

  "I didn't know anyone."

  "You knew John."

  "John was just being kind because you left me alone." She glanced out of the window at the passing neon lights of the city.

  "There were a lot of friends there I hadn't seen for a long time. I'm sorry if it seemed as though I ignored you."

  "I understand."

  "I doubt it," he muttered.

  John was already home when they arrived at his apartment. He bid them good-night and went to his room.

  Tanya followed Richard into the room they'd used earlier.

  Richard undressed, went to the bathroom and got into bed.

  He lay down on his side not looking at Tanya as she took off the green dress. She had no night clothes as she hadn't expected to stay away a night. She left on her underwear.

  After using the bathroom, she slipped into bed beside Richard. She turned away from him.

  She was still wide awake when she heard his even breathing in sleep. Gone were the nightmares. The time when he'd needed her. Instead, she had her own nightmare. An image of Richard and Dianna making love.

  Richard was up and dressed when Tanya woke the next morning. She could hear him talking to John. She took a shower and dressed in her slacks and blouse from the day before. She stuffed the green dress in its box. It hadn't done her much good spending all that money! Inconsistent with her thoughts at the party, she slipped the emerald pendant around her neck. At least she had something of Richard.

  Something that Dianna Watson didn't have.

  It had rained heavily in the night leaving the surrounding countryside of the racetrack fresh and green. John and Richard went to get ready while Tanya leaned on the fence.

  Her eyes scanned the crowd that was gathering. She watched other drivers, mechanics, and all assortment of attractive girls.

  Richard and John came out. There seemed to be a lot to discuss about the cars. Finally the two men each climbed into a vehicle, strapped in and roared off to the track.

  Tanya watched them start. Jeff, the man she'd met the other day, accompanied by another man, was using a stopwatch.

  As the cars completed their first lap, she wasn't quite sure who was who. Well at least Dianna Watson wasn't here today.

  She could stand and watch the driving alone with her own fear. Not that Richard cared one way or the other that she was fearful for him. He'd hardly spoken to her this morning.

  Even John had been tense today. His strained attempts to keep a conversation flowing at breakfast had eventually ended in silence.

  She felt she could get used to the silent tension before Richard raced. She realized that it took a great amount of control. What she couldn't get used to, was the fact that last night at the party, he'd been in a bedroom with another woman.

  The sound of screeching tires out on the track, made Tanya's heart almost stop beating. Jeff Denver began to run toward the sound.

  One of the cars was spinning sideways, hurling dust and debris around. It hit the guard railing, bounced off and then turned full circle in the center of the track. The other car stopped further up and John got out. She could tell the two men apart by their height even though she couldn't tell the difference in dress.

  It was Richard's car. He was still inside. She began to run.

  Her throat constricted. It was very hot and humid.

  Perspiration soaked her clothing.

  Richard got out and moved swiftly away from the car as she arrived.

  "Richard!" She went to him, but he pushed her away as he took off his helmet and protective mask. Perspiration streaked his face and hair.

  "Get away," he said. "Don't you know that thing could catch fire?"

  John joined them and ripped off his own helmet.

  "Tanya, go back," he told her gently. "It's okay."

  "I thought maybe—" She stood in front of the two men, her breath uneven. Fear and hurt made her eyes luminous.

  "Just get off!" Richard dismissed her. "I'll need a tow," he yelled at one of the men who was standing around. Then he began to walk toward the pits while John went back to his car.

  Tanya followed Richard, not daring to talk to him. She noticed his limp was quite prominent as it hadn't been for some time. She followed him into the building.

  "Richard?" she inquired tentatively.

  He turned around.

  "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine," he said. "Now do as I say and go and wait for me."