are you planning on doing to me?”
“As part of your official initiation into our group…”—when he paused, he made a gesture toward the line of guys. The line parted, revealing the car—“you get to take a ride in the car.”
“No. I don’t think so.” Dawn tried to protest, but they weren’t listening. The crew gave her a fire suit, and when she balked, someone handed her a helmet while someone else started hooking all kinds of straps and safety devices to her. Dawn was really freaking out. “Enough, guys. Joke’s over. Ha-ha, you really got me good. I agreed to sit in the car while you pushed it, but I never agreed to this.” But they still weren’t listening. Most of the crew started to push the car out of the garage, toward the track. Ted got her by the elbow to pull her along with them. Dawn had had enough. “Stop it!” That finally got everybody’s attention. They all stopped what they were doing and turned toward her. “I don’t know if this is y’alls’ version of a practical joke or something, but it ain’t funny. If y’all think you’re gonna get me in that car, then you’re gonna hafta physically drag me out to the track and force me into that car. I may be small, but I promise that I’ll put up one heck of a fight.” With that, she turned and headed back to the garage. On top of everything, Dawn hated how her thick southern accent came out when she was upset.
Bryan ran after her and caught her. When he touched her arm, she shrugged him away. “Please don’t touch me.”
“Stop and talk to me.” When she turned around, he saw that she had tears in her eyes. “Are you really that afraid to ride in a race car?” he asked gently.
“No.” She had to pause, take a deep breath, and collect herself a little. “No, not really. But I am scared, and you guys are springing this on me all of a sudden and forcing me into it. I usually do better if I have time to think about things first and plan them out. I didn’t get to do that. That made me really uncomfortable.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “We thought it would be funnier this way, to get you into the car and on the track before you had a chance to chicken out. We’ve been planning this for a couple of days. But we never meant to scare you, and we won’t force you to do anything that you don’t want to do. I promise.”
“Thank you.” By this time, all the team had gathered around them. “I promise that I will take a ride in the car sooner or later, but you have to let me think about it and work my way up to it. Okay?”
“Okay,” they all said.
“Now, let’s get all this nastiness behind us and get back to work,” Bryan told them.
“All right, y’all,” Ted said.
The problem was that there wasn’t anything to do that day. Qualifying was done. There was no practice today. The car was running great and didn’t need any work. There was no media or public appearances for Bryan. So, Dawn and the crew spent most of the morning playing Texas Hold’Em. Dawn wasn’t very good and didn’t have much money to lose so she was out pretty quick. She cleaned up around the garage area and ordered Chinese food for everybody. Then she cleaned up again after everyone had finished eating. Then she found a comfortable spot in a corner and read a book. Boredom finally overtook her about an hour later, so she decided to take a walk.
As she approached the pit area, she noticed a lot of people were gathered there along with a couple of race cars. As she got closer, she saw that Jeremiah was standing next to one of the cars. As she walked toward him, she thought about last night. Had he called her sweetie and darling and sweetheart? He had, and she had let him. Their relationship had changed last night. He kissed her. Is that what she wanted? Was she ready? “Oh, Lord,” she silently prayed, “I want to be in your will, and I want to please you, but I’m not sure about this. My heart hasn’t healed from the last time. If
“As part of your official initiation into our group…”—when he paused, he made a gesture toward the line of guys. The line parted, revealing the car—“you get to take a ride in the car.”
“No. I don’t think so.” Dawn tried to protest, but they weren’t listening. The crew gave her a fire suit, and when she balked, someone handed her a helmet while someone else started hooking all kinds of straps and safety devices to her. Dawn was really freaking out. “Enough, guys. Joke’s over. Ha-ha, you really got me good. I agreed to sit in the car while you pushed it, but I never agreed to this.” But they still weren’t listening. Most of the crew started to push the car out of the garage, toward the track. Ted got her by the elbow to pull her along with them. Dawn had had enough. “Stop it!” That finally got everybody’s attention. They all stopped what they were doing and turned toward her. “I don’t know if this is y’alls’ version of a practical joke or something, but it ain’t funny. If y’all think you’re gonna get me in that car, then you’re gonna hafta physically drag me out to the track and force me into that car. I may be small, but I promise that I’ll put up one heck of a fight.” With that, she turned and headed back to the garage. On top of everything, Dawn hated how her thick southern accent came out when she was upset.
Bryan ran after her and caught her. When he touched her arm, she shrugged him away. “Please don’t touch me.”
“Stop and talk to me.” When she turned around, he saw that she had tears in her eyes. “Are you really that afraid to ride in a race car?” he asked gently.
“No.” She had to pause, take a deep breath, and collect herself a little. “No, not really. But I am scared, and you guys are springing this on me all of a sudden and forcing me into it. I usually do better if I have time to think about things first and plan them out. I didn’t get to do that. That made me really uncomfortable.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “We thought it would be funnier this way, to get you into the car and on the track before you had a chance to chicken out. We’ve been planning this for a couple of days. But we never meant to scare you, and we won’t force you to do anything that you don’t want to do. I promise.”
“Thank you.” By this time, all the team had gathered around them. “I promise that I will take a ride in the car sooner or later, but you have to let me think about it and work my way up to it. Okay?”
“Okay,” they all said.
“Now, let’s get all this nastiness behind us and get back to work,” Bryan told them.
“All right, y’all,” Ted said.
The problem was that there wasn’t anything to do that day. Qualifying was done. There was no practice today. The car was running great and didn’t need any work. There was no media or public appearances for Bryan. So, Dawn and the crew spent most of the morning playing Texas Hold’Em. Dawn wasn’t very good and didn’t have much money to lose so she was out pretty quick. She cleaned up around the garage area and ordered Chinese food for everybody. Then she cleaned up again after everyone had finished eating. Then she found a comfortable spot in a corner and read a book. Boredom finally overtook her about an hour later, so she decided to take a walk.
As she approached the pit area, she noticed a lot of people were gathered there along with a couple of race cars. As she got closer, she saw that Jeremiah was standing next to one of the cars. As she walked toward him, she thought about last night. Had he called her sweetie and darling and sweetheart? He had, and she had let him. Their relationship had changed last night. He kissed her. Is that what she wanted? Was she ready? “Oh, Lord,” she silently prayed, “I want to be in your will, and I want to please you, but I’m not sure about this. My heart hasn’t healed from the last time. If
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