“Sorry I made you ill.”
“Oh, it wasn’t you…” She let her head fall back. “It was the noise, the smells, the vibration…”
“The G-forces? The speed?”
“All of the above. But don’t mention anymore. Right now, I’m visualizing a crystal blue Italian stream.”
“A calming influence?”
“Water always soothes me.”
“I’ll need to remember that.”
“What? Why?” What are you planning? A seduction?
“Because some of the oval tracks have restaurants beside rivers, or lakes. You’d like them.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Can I sit down?”
“Why?”
“Because these trailers weren’t designed for people over six feet tall.”
“Oh, okay. Sure.”
“So are you hating me now?”
“Hating you? Why would I?” Instead of answering, Tick indicated Suzie’s prone body. “Oh. I see. No, I don’t hate you. I’m annoyed at my own weakness.” She cringed, hating herself for admitting her feelings to an employee. How was she supposed to create respect when she talked that way?
Tick clasped his hands together and sighed. “I used to be pit crew. Not a very good one, but I had a place on Team Carlson.”
“I don’t think I heard of—”
“They fell apart a dozen years ago. But I had a few years with them. One day I made some smartass comment about how easy the drivers have it while we did all the work.”
“You said that?”
Tick nodded. “Next thing, I was being strapped into a Nascar, just as you were today.”
“They took you for a run around the block.”
“Ten blocks. They made me endure ten fucking laps. I was sick on the third time around. And again on the fifth. And the seventh…”
“They should have stopped.”
“Nope. It taught me a valuable life lesson.”
“Never shoot your mouth off in front of the boss?”
“Nope. I still do that today.”
“So what was the lesson?”
“Never eat a fried breakfast before a drive.”
Suzie nodded as she considered his words. “Good advice.”
“I didn’t set out to make you sick.”
“It was a bonus though, admit it.”
“Nope. I’m sorry, really. I only wanted you to taste real excitement.”
“I got a different taste in my mouth right now.”
“I should leave you to rest.” He stood up.
“How did the pit drills go?”
“You better ask the chief that. I only saw a blur. I’m sure they shaved a couple seconds off their first time.”
“I thought so.”
“The car was singing today, though.”
“That’s great,” she managed.
“Okay. Maybe see you later, then?”
“If I can heal myself.” She forced a weak smile onto her face as he squeezed her shoulder. A peculiar tingle warmed her chest as he moved toward the door. “Tick?”
“Yeah?”
“That was a great ride, by the way.”
He smiled. “That comment is loaded with innuendo.”
“I know. Now get out… please.”
****
The next race was a huge success - not least for the pit crew. Their routine went perfectly. They managed to forward-flip over the wall without mishap as they raced to service Tick’s car. Once complete, they helped each other back over the wall as if they were marines on an assault course, ending their show with a victory dance on the top of the wall. The crowd roared approval as they forward-flipped off the wall and back into the safety of the pit area. The chief was convinced the track officials would have something to say, but he was having too much fun to care. Team Neptune’s tire change had made the other teams look clumsy and disorganized.
“Someone’s gonna get hurt if your guys keep clowning around,” Alec McNamara complained. Suzie ignored him. Instead she cheered as Tick passed Team Dysart and kept climbing until he reached fourth place, finishing eighteen seconds behind the third-place driver. Given another thirty laps, Tick would have caught him. He’d simply run out of time.
“Maybe I should get myself an illegal cooling system,” McNamara muttered.
“It’s not illegal, Alec,” Suzie reminded him. They simply haven’t imagined the design to be possible.”
“Still shouldn’t be allowed. How’s it work, anyway?”
Ah-hah! Suzie struggled not to smile. He doesn’t know anything about the design. “It’s pretty standard, Alec. If it was radical, the scrutineers would have already investigated it.”
“So it’s hidden inside something legal, then?”
Oops. Suzie realized she’d already said too much. “It’s pretty standard, like I said.” As McNamara walked away, Suzie knew a potential leak had been eliminated. If the engineering company had told McNamara about the new cooler, they’d have also told him how it was put together. McNamara had heard a rumor, nothing more.
Tick walked into the garage, his arms thrown wide. Suzie stayed back as he was mobbed by the pit crew. Several man -hugs were exchanged. The chief offered a firm handshake, then stepped back.
Tick grinned at Suzie. “Do I get a hug from the boss?” He nodded at her lime greens, still emblazoned with ‘The Boss’ across the back.
“Not where the photographers can see us.” She offered her hand. But he threw his arms around her instead. The pit crew cheered and clapped as she tried to free herself.
“Get off!” she yelled. But Tick held on for another few seconds before releasing her. “You idiot!”
“What? I did good today, right guys?”
“You know what the press have been saying about us, about our so-called relationship!”
The chief cleared his throat. “Okay, boys. Let’s go clean up.” He ushered the pit crew out of the garage.
“I don’t care what the press says,” Tick said.
“But don’t you care that it bothers me? That the only reason I brought you into this team was to sleep with you?”
“And did you?”
Suzie stared in disbelief. “Why, you thick-headed, half-witted Neanderthal!”
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”
“I’m not! Don’t you see how much it hurts me?” She narrowed her eyes. “And don’t you see what it says about you?”
Her words touched a nerve. “What does it say about me?”
“That you’re only here because you have a dick. Not because you’re any good at driving!”
“I have balls. You said so yourself.”
She pressed a hand to her head. “Fucking hell, Tick. Don’t you get it?”
“Not really.”
She sighed. “Because sleeping with the lady-boss is okay for the guy. But it makes me look cheap and manipulative.”
“Really?” He frowned.
“Yes, really.”
“I’m… sorry. I didn’t look at it from your point of view.”
“Of course you didn’t. You’re just a guy. A…a—”
“A thick-headed, half-witted Neanderthal?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
He considered her for a moment. “It’s a good thing I’m too stupid to understand an insult like that.”
“I know you’re not stupid,” Suzie said. “But you have no idea how awful the rumors make me feel. Even the CEO made a comment…” Her throat tightened, strangling her speech. She drew her hands down her face. Tick opened his arms and beckoned her into his embrace. After a moment’s hesitation, she gave in and let him hold her.
“There, now. Is it really so bad?”
“No,” she admitted. I feel safe here, even though I shouldn’t have given in to him.
“I’ll keep the nasty rumor-mongers at bay.”
“How, exactly?”
“I’ll tell the world I’m gay.”
She stared up at him. “Yo
u seriously expect them to swallow that? After all the women you’ve had?”
Tick sighed. “Can I let you in on a secret?”
“Sure. Of course.”
“I didn’t sleep with ninety percent of the women I’m reported to.”
“As if I believe you. You have a great reputation as a womanizer.”
“And where did you read about this ‘great reputation,’ might I ask?”
“In the papers?” The statement, started with confidence, emerged as a question once she realized her error.
“The same papers that have you down as cheap and manipulative?”
“I see your point.”
“The media is easy to fool. Give them a juicy rumor and they run with it.”
“I bet you enjoy your fake reputation,” Suzie murmured into his chest. “Hey, you said ninety percent! What about the other ten?”
Tick shrugged. “I was young and foolish.”
“So you haven’t had another woman since… when, exactly?”
He frowned as he searched his memory. “Seven months, I think. Maybe eight.”
“But they must be throwing themselves at you!”
“They’re throwing themselves at a fantasy. Sure, I have needs, but most days I’m too damn tired to bother. You’ve seen how hard I drive.”
“It was intense,” she admitted.
“Imagine how it sounds with forty cars around you, all pushing and shoving with their engines screaming.”
“I feel sick thinking about it.” She grabbed a handful of his t-shirt and pressed her face against the material. His skin was hot against her cheek.
“You’ve seen pictures of me with lots of different women, but the truth is…” he glanced around, then lowered his voice. “Most of them go home disappointed.”
“Only most of them?”
“Yeah. The others get autographs, or a peck on the cheek.”
“I’m curious. Where do you put these autographs?”
“I could show you, but you’d need to undress first.”
She lifted her head from his chest and stared into his soft brown eyes. A snarky comment formed on her lips, but she held it back. She couldn’t blame him for having some fun. Who the hell was she to judge him anyway? She didn’t own him; he was a grown man, free to sleep with whomever he chose. So what if he signed a few boobs or butts? As long as he turned up sober in the morning and raced as hard as he could for the team, his private life was none of her concern.
But the thought of him drawing his pen across bare breasts sent a warm tingle through her body. A crazy impulse seized her, and she tried to remember if she had a Sharpie in her purse. Wouldn’t it be refreshing, just for once, to let go of her dignity and get him to sign her body? She started to pull back, ready to expose her chest to him, when the reality of her daydream hit home.
What if the chief, or one of the crew walked in? What if a sharp-eyed camera caught a glimpse of their activities? No, she decided. It was a stupid idea. But the crazy notion set her heart hammering with excitement; her ears were hot and her breaths erratic.
“Okay, okay, calm down,” she murmured.
“What was that?” Tick asked.
“Nothing. Just a crazy thought.”
“Really? As crazy as ‘Okay, Tick. If you finish third in the next race, I’ll let you sign my boobs too’ sort of crazy.”
She stared at him for a long moment before speaking. “Third?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You really think you can grab third?”
“I could if my mind was being driven crazy by the thought of you saying yes to my proposal.”
“You really think I’d stoop to something like that?”
“You might. Imagine how good you’d look in the boardroom.”
“With your scribbles all over my chest?”
“I keep my signatures low. Usually just above the nipple.”
Oh my God!
“Tick, this is massively inappropriate.”
“It’s only a little fun. It won’t mean we’re married, or anything.”
Suzie sighed heavily. “For third place?”
“Third place, next race.”
“I’ll do you a deal. You finish third—or above—in the next race, and I’ll let you sign my chest.”
“Your boobs. Not just your chest.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, one of my boobs.”
“Deal.”
“But you have to do the pit crew first.”
“What?”
“Yep. Deal, or not?”
“The whole pit crew?”
“All six. And the chief.”
Tick groaned, then smiled tightly. “Okay, you win. The whole pit crew, then you.”
“Deal.” She offered him her hand. She thought he’d squeeze hard, just to exact some revenge, but his grip was warm and soft. She shivered. A small, mischievous part of her already pictured how it would feel to expose her chest to him.
*****
Tick did it.
Damn him, he actually did it! Suzie thought. The garage exploded with roars of delight. Everyone hugged everyone else. Even the crew chief let down his defenses for a moment and wrapped her in his arms.
“Nep-toon!” they all yelled as the lime green car roared past. Tick’s arm was thrust out of the window, three fingers held high.
“He did it, he did it!” Suzie cried. The entwined pair danced around in a circle, bouncing on the soles of their feet. As she celebrated, part of her remembered the price she’d have to pay for his victory. But it wasn’t as if she’d sold her soul, was it? She’d only agreed to let him draw on one of her boobs. It was a small concession. She wondered what she’d have to do to encourage him into a second place finish—let him sign her butt? Maybe she’d get away with a scribble on her other breast instead. But first, she’d have to get drunk. There was no way she’d be able to lift her shirt without some Dutch courage.
She half-expected him to hurry over to her immediately after the presentation was over, but Tick remained cool, only looking at her when he’d man-hugged the pit crew. She squealed as she was lifted off the ground and spun around, held tightly in his arms. He was hot against her body, a mixture of oil and masculine musk. A happy warmth infused her, unearthing the best memories of her days at the track, both as a child and as an adult. Her arms slid around his neck and she pulled herself against him, pressing her cheek against his.
“Well done, you crazy Neanderthal!”
“I’m too dumb to stay out back,” he replied. “I had to see what was going on up front.”
“You did it! You fucking did it!”
“What can I say? I was inspired.” His eyebrow lifted, and she knew he was going to demand compensation for his efforts.
“Later, big guy, later.” She patted his chest and he lowered her to the floor.
“As long as you don’t run out on me.”
“I won’t. I promise.” I hope I can do this, she thought. If I can’t, I’ll be in a lot of trouble.
****
The party was chaotic. Pit lane girls, scantily-clad in hot pants and tight t-shirts, were everywhere. Pit crew mingled with owners and drivers as if everyone was equal. For tonight, Suzie thought, they were. She mingled with the crew for a while, avoided McNamara as much as possible, and introduced herself to the other owners. Most were considerate about Tick’s victory, with only a few looking sore. McNamara was grouchy. She bought him a drink in the hope he wouldn’t start blabbing about Neptune’s cooling system.
The party lasted three hours. Suzie spotted several drivers with Sharpies, writing on various parts of female anatomy. She caught glimpses of soft, pale flesh, and her cheeks burned. Sooner or later, Tick would expect her to do the same. It was her own fault, she knew. She’d promised him, enticing him with the promise of her body—or a glimpse of it, at least. Did that make her a slut? Or was she simply utilizing an advantage none of the other owners could match?
She swallowed another slug
of whiskey, wondering if it even mattered. The result was what counted, nothing else. And it was only a harmless bit of fun, wasn’t it? Simply some high jinx at a party, that everyone would forget by morning.
She hoped.
Tick didn’t track her down until ten o’clock. He was grinning the happy grin of a drunk, although he was still steady on his feet. He held a half-empty bottle of whiskey in one hand, and a Sharpie in the other.
Suzie sagged. Here it comes, she thought. The moment I’ve been dreading. But Tick didn’t issue any demands. Instead, he seemed content to chat amiably about the race. He described, using the bottle and the Sharpie as cars, to demonstrate how he’d fought his way up to third place, wrecking his tires and almost running out of gas in the process.
But as eleven o’clock approached, Neptune’s pit crew gravitated toward her. They flanked their chief, forming a tight semi-circle around Tick and Suzie.
“What’s going on?” she asked warily? Were they going to hold her arms while Tick exacted his promise from her body? She edged backward, watching for any signs that they were preparing to pounce. Drunk or not, they wouldn’t dare touch her—would they? With her back to the wall, she began to feel trapped.
“I think…” Tick began, waving the Sharpie. “The time has come, Lady-boss.” He nodded to Bob, who was on the end of the line. Bob reached down, then pulled up his t-shirt. Tick’s name was scrawled across his chest, stretching from navel to neck.
“Holy shit…” Suzie muttered. She hadn’t expected his signature to be so damn big. One by one, shirts were lifted, revealing Tick’s handiwork. Tick watched her closely as the masculine chests were exposed. She realized then, the guys had formed a screen, ensuring no-one would be able to see her when Tick moved in to write on her skin.
They must have planned this together. The last shirt, the crew chief’s, was lifted. Tick had signed every chest, exactly as she’d insisted. Only hers remained unmarked.
“Ready?” he asked. The Sharpie was uncapped, ready to deliver looping lines to her chest. Eight pairs of hungry, drunken eyes studied her chest, already undressing her. Suzie wrung her hands together. A cold sweat sprang up on her skin.
No way, she thought. No way can I do this and still be their boss tomorrow.
“I…” she began.
Alien Romance: Interview with an Alien (Football Paranormal Invasion Abduction Alpha Sci-fi Romance) (Fantasy First New Adult Contact Science Fiction Mystery Sports Alien Short Stories) Page 34