Heart Racer
A Billionaire Love Story
By Starla Harris
Copyright © 2017 by Starla Harris
All Right Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
ASIN: B071D79WWQ
This book was published by Starla Harris
acornauthors.com
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
About the Author
Alter Ego (preview)
The auction (preview)
Chapter One
Olivia
“Come on, Olivia. Hurry up!” My best friend Katie called out to me from down the hall. Seconds later, she was standing in the doorway, peering into the bathroom, watching me put my makeup on.
She rolled her eyes. “C’mon, we’re gonna be late!”
“Hang on,” I said. I squinted at my reflection in the mirror and took my time, leaning in closer to get a better look.
“At this rate, we’re never going to get out of here!”
“I can’t get my winged liner right,” I tugged at the delicate fold of my eye. “See? This one is always crooked! I can never ever get it even.”
Katie let out an exaggerated sigh. “I’ll have grey hair by the time we leave.”
“Well, aren’t you the drama queen?”
“It’ll be all your fault if I never know love and die an old maid—just because you couldn’t get it together to leave the house on time.”
I looked at her through the mirror and raised an eyebrow. She looked super cute and sporty in her cut-off shorts and tank top. “You? An old maid? I think not. You’re way too cute for that to happen.”
She groaned and stamped her feet.
“And you think you’ll actually meet your Mr. Right at the racetrack? That’s so unlike you!”
“You never know. You have to be open to the possibility that anything can happen at any time and anywhere.”
“Right.” I rolled my eyes at her. “Seriously, aren’t there something like, fifty races?”
“Oh my God! Didn’t you read anything about Daytona?”
“Nope.” I shook my head. “I really don’t see what the big deal is.”
I wiped the makeup from my lids to start over again and tossed the soiled wipe behind me but missed the trash. It made a wet squelchy sound when it made contact with the floor. I glanced over my shoulder to see where it landed on the tile and shrugged before turning back to face the mirror.
“Duh! Because we’re going to the races today,” Katie perched herself on top of the vanity next to the sink. “Come on, Liv. This is going to be a ton of fun and you know it.”
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Katie. She’s my girl, but why did she have to make these plans when she knew I was broke? I turned to face her while I shook the mascara tube to get the last bit out.
“Why couldn’t we just go to the beach?” I asked as I leaned over the sink and gently swept the brush over the tips of my lashes. “After all, the beach doesn’t cost anything.” I grumbled under my breath.
“Oh Liv, I’m sorry.” Katie apologized. I glanced over at her and immediately felt a twinge of guilt in my stomach when I saw the crestfallen expression on her face. Oh crap. I totally shouldn’t have said that.
“You don’t have to worry about today, babe. I’ve got you covered for beer.”
Goddamit. This sucked. I hated being poor. Katie was the sweetest, most awesome friend in the world. I was pretty sure I didn’t deserve her.
“No, you don’t have to.” I told her. “I’ve still got some cash in savings. And I’ve got a hundred bucks in my wallet.”
“But I want to,” said Katie.
Again, did I tell you how much I <3 her? Even though the crisp tens and fives felt like a wad of money in my wallet, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I thought about the sad state of my bank account.
I’d just been laid off from yet another crappy receptionist job. It wasn’t exactly a surprise as they’d been cutting my hours steadily for weeks now. Still, even though I hated the job, I couldn’t help but feel cheated by it.
Most twenty-five year olds, at least the ones I knew were getting their shit together. They were serious about their careers and had serious relationships. Some were even starting to settle down with husbands, children and starter homes.
It’s not as if I envied them their big diamond engagement rings, crying babies, or mortgages… but truth be told, I did sometimes wish I’d been more serious about school.
“Olivia, you’ll be fine.” Katie smiled at me reassuringly. “Hey, you know Karen told me that her job is hiring. You want me to text her and ask about it?”
“She works nights,” I said. “I can’t do that.”
“Really?” Katie looked up at me. “Can’t or don’t want to?”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not that desperate yet.” I was, but I didn’t want to admit right now and to Katie nonetheless that I might have to lower my standards if I wanted to make rent this month.
“Well, just remember beggars can’t always be choosers,” Katie said as she inspected her nails. She swung her legs impatiently. “God, Liv. Hurry up, please! We’re gonna miss all the races!”
I wiped my eyes free of makeup again and touched up my brows with a pencil. Normally, I would have spent a lot more time on my appearance, but I could tell Katie’s patience was wearing thin. I wasn’t exactly vain, but I didn’t like leaving the house unless I thought I looked somewhat put together. But since we were just going to a bunch of local races at the Daytona racetrack, I figured it wouldn’t matter. After all, in an hour, I’d be sweating in sunglasses and a sun hat. Who’d care if I had eyeliner on or not?
“Okay, let’s get out of here. Let me just find my shoes.”
Katie followed me through my apartment as I searched for my favorite pair of sandals, which I eventually found at the bottom of a huge pile of shoes.
“It looks like you just moved in,” Katie said as she surveyed the mess in my apartment. “You ever gonna make up your mind if you’re gonna stay here or not?”
I wrinkled my nose at her. “It kind of all depends on if I can find another job,” I said, grabbing my purse and keys while opening the door. “I mean, I love the beach. I like Florida a lot. But I’ve been here for a while
. Maybe life would be better somewhere else.”
“Girl, you have the worst commitment issues ever!” Katie said as we walked out into the bright sunshine.
“I’m not that bad.” I tugged at the straps of my white cotton mini sundress. I was going for a boho-chic, innocent flower child kind of look today.
Katie peered at me over the rims of her designer sunglasses and frowned. “No, I guess not. I just wish you’d stop running away from your problems all of the time.”
“Holy crap! I totally don’t run away from my problems.”
“I’m just saying you get totally worked up over things and then you bail when they don’t go how you wanted them to. It’s like you don’t know how to deal.”
Katie unlocked the doors of her Honda Civic and we climbed inside, settling into the hot plush interior.
“Whatever,” I said as I rolled down the window. It was a sunny spring day in Florida, which meant summery weather and enough humidity in the air to keep my hair in a perpetual curl.
“Aww… It’s okay, Hun. Don’t worry so much.” Katie said as she craned her neck around to look over her shoulder before she put the car in gear. “I still love you,” she said as we pulled away from the curb.
I bit my lip. On a certain level, I knew Katie was more than just a little bit right. After all, I had moved around a lot since I’d turned eighteen. I’d grown up in Odessa, Delaware, a small town in the middle of nowhere with a population of next to nothing, zero culture, and even less chance for adventure.
It’s one of those towns where everyone knows everyone else…and their deepest secrets. I’d been dying to get out. After high school, most kids I graduated with never left. They stayed and worked in their family businesses. I knew my parents expected the same of me, but I high-tailed it out of there as fast as I could, moving some two thousand miles across the country for college.
But being on my own for the first time was so exhilarating that I had trouble remembering to go to class. I wound up having to drop out after my sophomore year. Rather than return home, I moved around, taking receptionist and administrative assistant jobs for small offices in the biggest towns I could find.
I eventually landed in Florida and liked it well enough. I loved the beach, all of the tourists, and the carefree energy. But as time passed, I realized that in the back of my mind, I’d already started itching for my next adventure.
“Hey,” I said suddenly as Katie pulled into a parking space and shoved the car into park. “You know what?”
“Mmn?” Katie didn’t look up as she gathered her stuff. “What, Liv?”
I reached into my purse and dug around until I found the threadbare denim wallet I’d been carrying ever since I was a teenager.
“About that hundred bucks,” I said, pulling the cash out and fanning it in the air. “I think I’m gonna place a bet.”
Katie’s jaw dropped. She tilted her face down until her sunglasses slid down the bridge of her perky nose. “Liv, you can’t be serious. You know that’s not a good idea!”
Her reaction somehow made the idea even more appealing.
“Well, I was totally kidding,” I said, grinning at her. “At least, until you started acting like my mom and now I think I definitely want to do it!”
“Liv,” Katie said, dragging out the middle of my name much longer than necessary. “Come on. You know this isn’t smart.”
“Who knows, it could be my lucky day!” I smirked. “And as you said, anything can happen. I just have to be open to the possibility.”
“That wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”
I shoved the wallet back inside of my bag and climbed out of the car. In the parking lot, I stretched my arms high above my head. The day already seemed fifteen degrees hotter than it had been when we left my apartment. Sweat broke out along the back of my neck and my upper lip as Katie and I trotted across the parking lot.
After we got our tickets and passed through the entrance gate, Katie called our friends Lauren and Jackie from her cell.
“They’re in the stands,” Katie said. She shielded her eyes from the unforgiving Florida sun and pointed at the stadium. “You wanna go find them?”
I licked my lips. “Nah, I’m going to walk around and place a bet,” I announced. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Katie grabbed my arm. “Olivia,” she said seriously. “Please, think about what you’re doing. This is such a bad idea! You don’t know the first thing about gambling!”
I rolled my eyes. “So? Isn’t that what the bookie is for?”
“Olivia, the bookie makes illegal bets!” Katie hissed. She looked truly alarmed and I couldn’t help giggling.
I shrugged. “Oh well. I’ll figure it out. I always do. See you in a bit!” Leaning in, I air-kissed both of Katie’s cheeks before I took off into the depths of the speedway.
Ten minutes later, I was feeling much less confident about the whole thing. The counter where people were placing bets was loud and rushed, with lots of men shouting at each other and waving tickets in the air. I suddenly felt very small and very out of my element.
“Excuse me,” I said when it was finally my turn. I flashed a big smile at the fat greasy guy with big bushy eyebrows working behind the counter. “I was hoping to place a bet.”
“What kind?”
“Um, I don’t know,” I said brightly, pulling out my wallet and handing over my cash. “I’ve never done this before. Can you help?”
The man smelled like stale cigars and cheap cologne. I could smell him from the other side of the counter where I was standing. I had to fight the urge to reach across the counter and smooth his unruly eyebrows. What he really needed was to get those things groomed.
“Hey, Missy. I ain’t got all day.” He rolled his eyes at me. “Who you wanna bet on?” He spoke with a thick Florida twang.
I glanced up, mesmerized by the board with all of the races and names of the drivers listed on it. I’d never heard of any of them before—after all, I’d only agreed to come with Katie as an excuse to get out of the house.
One name though stood out to me: Jacob Teller. The guy in the picture next to the name had golden blonde hair, playful blue eyes, and a killer smile. He even had a cleft in his chin.
“Who do you think will win in that race?” I pointed up to where Jacob’s name was displayed.
The guy shrugged. “DeMarco’s the favorite,” he said. “You wanna bet on him?”
I looked up and frowned. “No.” I didn’t like the looks of DeMarco. He had a pinched face and looked like he could have a temper if you weren’t careful. “How about Jacob Teller?” I asked.
The guy burst out laughing. “That clown? Seriously?”
Suddenly, I knew I had to bet on Jacob—it was an instinct, a feeling that grabbed my gut and made me dizzy.
“Yes, him.” I said, pushing my cash across the counter.
The guy stared at me. “Whoa, lady, this is a lot of dough for a first timer on a bet like that,” he said, taking the tens and twenties. “You sure about that? That Teller kid doesn’t have a chance.” He looked at me for a second and asked, “You sure you wanna be out of a hundred bucks?”
I nodded. “Totally sure,” I said, smiling widely. “After all, what’s the worst that could happen?”
The guy rolled his eyes and took my cash. He scribbled something on a ticket, then handed it to me.
“Watch out for number seventy-two.” The guy added sarcastically, “That’s your lucky guy right there.”
Before I could ask about what to do if I won, another customer pushed past me. The crowd was foaming and pulsing around me like a live thing, like a river or a stream teeming with fish.
I pushed my way through the herd back out into the bright sunshine. The air smelled toxic. Clouds of oil-scented smoke wafted up from the track. My ears were filled with the whine of cars as they screeched around in an infinite loop of blurry colors and burning rubber.
When I finally found my friend
s in the stands, they were sipping tall ice-cold beers and taking turns peering through the binoculars. After greeting Lauren and Jackie, Katie gave me a dark look.
“Liv placed a bet, didn’t you, Olivia?” Katie asked.
“Yup,” I said, proudly showing off the ticket I’d received at the betting counter. “Number Seventy-Two. Keep an eye for him─Jacob Teller. That’s my guy!”
“Oh my god, Olivia, he’s like, supposed to come in last place!” Lauren, one of Katie’s friends from community college, shoved a program in front of me. She was a petite blonde with big blue eyes. “Did the guy at the counter trick you or something?”
“No,” I blushed. “I just looked up and picked the cutest guy.”
Lauren burst out laughing. “Great strategy. I’m sure they’re all rednecks anyway,” she said dismissively. “I personally don’t find white trash guys all that cute.”
“Whatever,” I shook my head, then grabbed the binoculars and focused until the tiny blurs below actually looked like cars. “He looked like, normal-cute,” I said, not taking my eyes away from the track.
“But I don’t know, maybe it was an old picture. How many times are they driving around that thing anyway?”
Katie and Lauren laughed. “Oh, Liv,” Katie said. She reached over and hugged me. “You’re so funny. That’s why I love you.”
I rolled my eyes at her, then passed the binoculars back. “So, you wanna make good on that promise and buy me a beer?”
A couple of hours and several beers later, I was seriously regretting having bet all of my money. From what I could tell, Jacob Teller wasn’t actually doing all that badly. When I last checked, he was in third place. All I knew for sure was that I was tired of sitting on the hard plastic seat and baking in the sun.
“I wish we were at the beach,” I moaned, drinking the last of the warm suds at the bottom of my cup. “It would be such a good day for swimming.”
“We can go later,” Katie said. “I think Jackie wants food after this. You guys want Chinese?”
Heart Racer: A Billionaire Love Story Page 1