swallowing against the bitter taste in the back of her throat.
She tugged at the fastening of her inflammable suit. Surely her old suit wasn’t this tight?
“Isn’t it a beauty?” Ben Mason, her team manager of several years, grinned. With an impressive mustache, white hair, and slate gray eyes, he was ruggedly handsome, but mainly the one Evie trusted implicitly when it came to her racing career. “The paint job is nothing short of amazing. What do you think, Evie?” His face fell when she didn’t respond immediately. “Evie?”
“Gorgeous.” Her mouth dry, she found it hard to wrap her tongue around words. “She’s amazing.”
“You okay, kiddo?” His eyes darkened as he stepped closer and gently held her elbow. “Your time slot begins as soon as O’Brien’s off the track.”
“I’m fine.” Ignoring the chilling drops of sweat that slid down her spine, she slapped her gloves repeatedly against her thigh.
“There’s the photographer. Damn, you sure that’s a good idea?” Ben rubbed his neck, glaring at Blythe approaching with her equipment.
“What do you mean?”
“As if you’re not reminded enough of the crash.” He clearly wasn’t pleased.
“Having Blythe around won’t make it worse.” In fact, Evie was relieved to see her and walked over to her. “You made it.”
“It was a bitch to get out of New York, but yes. I did. Glad I planned for an extra hour, or you would’ve been finished.”
“That long on the road, huh?” Evie winced. “You going back to New York tonight?”
“No, just to New Haven. I’m staying there this week.” Blythe smiled, in a faint but so very charming way. “Just go about what you’re here to do. I’ll work around you. You won’t even notice I’m here.”
“Actually. Um. I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got last-minute jitters.”
Blythe stopped unpacking her gear and looked closely at her. “You’re pale. I can understand that you’re apprehensive. I felt the tension just now, entering the racetrack, and I’m not the one driving.” Blythe took her hand briefly. “You’ve done this so many times. Just remember why you love driving and go make love to that stunning car.” Blythe’s cheekbones turned pink. “Hmm. You know what I mean.”
“Make love to the car?” She looked at Blythe and couldn’t believe what she’d just said. “You come up with the most unlikely comments sometimes.”
“Uh. Sorry?”
“No, no. I liked it.” Evie grinned. “Make love to the car,” she said to herself as she walked back to Ben. “That’s a first.”
“Well, now. Whatever she said, clearly she got through to you.”
“Yeah.” Shaking her hair back, she put it in a tight, low bun before donning her balaclava and her helmet. She made sure she could hear Ben through the intercom and put on her gloves. Without any hesitation she slid through the window opening, feet first.
Inside, some of the fear she’d battled for days returned. Reattaching the wheel, she looked around the sparse environment. A technical work of art, her new Viper was a monster under the hood. 650-plus horsepower thundered to life when she pressed the ignition button. How she’d missed it. How she’d feared it.
Shifting gears, she checked the gauges. The team had everything hooked up to a computer, checking everything for her, but she still needed to verify the car’s condition.
Ben’s calm voice came over the intercom. “You’re next. Take a few laps to get a feel for it.”
“All right.” Evie pulled out from the pit and began her first lap around the large oval. Her heart thundered and the iron taste in her mouth alerted her that she was clenching her teeth too hard. Her jaws hurt, but she didn’t know how to relax them just yet. Squinting, she pressed her foot against the accelerator, focusing on hitting the same spot during the curves. She took control of the car this way, by having it perform to perfection. There was something soothing in the
She tugged at the fastening of her inflammable suit. Surely her old suit wasn’t this tight?
“Isn’t it a beauty?” Ben Mason, her team manager of several years, grinned. With an impressive mustache, white hair, and slate gray eyes, he was ruggedly handsome, but mainly the one Evie trusted implicitly when it came to her racing career. “The paint job is nothing short of amazing. What do you think, Evie?” His face fell when she didn’t respond immediately. “Evie?”
“Gorgeous.” Her mouth dry, she found it hard to wrap her tongue around words. “She’s amazing.”
“You okay, kiddo?” His eyes darkened as he stepped closer and gently held her elbow. “Your time slot begins as soon as O’Brien’s off the track.”
“I’m fine.” Ignoring the chilling drops of sweat that slid down her spine, she slapped her gloves repeatedly against her thigh.
“There’s the photographer. Damn, you sure that’s a good idea?” Ben rubbed his neck, glaring at Blythe approaching with her equipment.
“What do you mean?”
“As if you’re not reminded enough of the crash.” He clearly wasn’t pleased.
“Having Blythe around won’t make it worse.” In fact, Evie was relieved to see her and walked over to her. “You made it.”
“It was a bitch to get out of New York, but yes. I did. Glad I planned for an extra hour, or you would’ve been finished.”
“That long on the road, huh?” Evie winced. “You going back to New York tonight?”
“No, just to New Haven. I’m staying there this week.” Blythe smiled, in a faint but so very charming way. “Just go about what you’re here to do. I’ll work around you. You won’t even notice I’m here.”
“Actually. Um. I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got last-minute jitters.”
Blythe stopped unpacking her gear and looked closely at her. “You’re pale. I can understand that you’re apprehensive. I felt the tension just now, entering the racetrack, and I’m not the one driving.” Blythe took her hand briefly. “You’ve done this so many times. Just remember why you love driving and go make love to that stunning car.” Blythe’s cheekbones turned pink. “Hmm. You know what I mean.”
“Make love to the car?” She looked at Blythe and couldn’t believe what she’d just said. “You come up with the most unlikely comments sometimes.”
“Uh. Sorry?”
“No, no. I liked it.” Evie grinned. “Make love to the car,” she said to herself as she walked back to Ben. “That’s a first.”
“Well, now. Whatever she said, clearly she got through to you.”
“Yeah.” Shaking her hair back, she put it in a tight, low bun before donning her balaclava and her helmet. She made sure she could hear Ben through the intercom and put on her gloves. Without any hesitation she slid through the window opening, feet first.
Inside, some of the fear she’d battled for days returned. Reattaching the wheel, she looked around the sparse environment. A technical work of art, her new Viper was a monster under the hood. 650-plus horsepower thundered to life when she pressed the ignition button. How she’d missed it. How she’d feared it.
Shifting gears, she checked the gauges. The team had everything hooked up to a computer, checking everything for her, but she still needed to verify the car’s condition.
Ben’s calm voice came over the intercom. “You’re next. Take a few laps to get a feel for it.”
“All right.” Evie pulled out from the pit and began her first lap around the large oval. Her heart thundered and the iron taste in her mouth alerted her that she was clenching her teeth too hard. Her jaws hurt, but she didn’t know how to relax them just yet. Squinting, she pressed her foot against the accelerator, focusing on hitting the same spot during the curves. She took control of the car this way, by having it perform to perfection. There was something soothing in the
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