and finish as high as she could without causing any undue issues. Her shoulders relaxed as she settled into the rhythm, and she began to enjoy just being on the bike. She finished the first race in fifteenth place. Not quite last.
She rolled into pit area. Looking up her chest tightened as she remembered Mick couldn’t be with her today. She removed her helmet and sat on the bike, staring into the part rack, seeing nothing. Mick’s absence hit home as she fought back a swelling of tears.
“Let’s go,” she said to nobody in particular, stepped off the bike, removed her gloves, and grabbed a bottled of water. Taking a large mouthful, Penny paused to reflect on what she needed to do before the second race of the day. Mick would usually replace the spark plugs and adjust the chain. Adjusting the chain took two people, so there was no way she could accomplish the job. The bike ran beautifully so Penny decided not to replace the spark plugs. They were new this morning and should be able to handle two races at least.
Penny lined up on the starting grid for the second race of the day. Her low finish position from race one meant she was starting this time from the last row of the grid. Her shoulders slumped as she sat, almost defeated, waiting for the starter’s orders.
The lights at the start finish line lit up, signalling everybody to start their engines. She punched the start button, her bike purred to life, and she selected first gear. The light flashed yellow, and then green. Penny accelerated from the line, passing several bikes. Everyone jostled for position going into the first corner. Her heart rate increased as she raced out of the first corner and throttled hard up the short straight. Bikes jockeyed around her as they fought for position. Sweat stung her eyes, blinding her momentarily so she didn’t see Jack pull in beside her, their handlebars almost touching. Penny fought to keep her blood pressure down as Jack toyed with her, blocking her every attempt to get clear of him.
Her heart raced as they came out of the bend side by side, Jack sitting beneath her, pushing her wide. Penny cracked open the throttle, and her bike leaped forward. Suddenly it heaved as if somebody had reached out, grabbed the back wheel, and pulled her back. She kicked down into a lower gear, still no response.
“Damn!” The engine didn’t respond as she played with the throttle. The smooth vibration of the engine shook so violently she thought it would leap from the bike. Penny’s head dropped as she realised the problem. Earlier she chose not to replace the spark plugs and now paid the price—one of the spark plugs had fouled or broken down completely. Either way, the engine misfired and signalled the end of her racing for the day.
The ride around the perimeter of the track seemed to take forever as bikes roared past her. Penny held her head high as she rode through pit lane and back into her pit area. She sat on her bike, unmoving. Frustration boiled over, and she punched the tank, removed her helmet, and flung it away in disgust. She did the best she could by herself, and she had been found wanting.
* * * *
The shop doorbell tinkled. Penny looked up from the internet orders she had been packaging to see a large bunch of long stemmed white and orange roses offered over the counter. A sheepish looking Justin peeked out from behind them. "Truce?" He smiled his biggest charming smile.
Penny softened a little. His smile would melt any girl’s heart. Her blood pressure rose as she straightened her back, and her resolve hardened with the events of the other day still raw. How dare he?
“What makes you think you have anything to say worth listening to?" Penny responded, her voice icy even as her heart pounded so hard she thought it would leap from her chest. "I think you can take those," she gestured angrily toward the roses, "and get out of here." Her chest tightened as she recalled the sight of Justin and the unknown beauty
She rolled into pit area. Looking up her chest tightened as she remembered Mick couldn’t be with her today. She removed her helmet and sat on the bike, staring into the part rack, seeing nothing. Mick’s absence hit home as she fought back a swelling of tears.
“Let’s go,” she said to nobody in particular, stepped off the bike, removed her gloves, and grabbed a bottled of water. Taking a large mouthful, Penny paused to reflect on what she needed to do before the second race of the day. Mick would usually replace the spark plugs and adjust the chain. Adjusting the chain took two people, so there was no way she could accomplish the job. The bike ran beautifully so Penny decided not to replace the spark plugs. They were new this morning and should be able to handle two races at least.
Penny lined up on the starting grid for the second race of the day. Her low finish position from race one meant she was starting this time from the last row of the grid. Her shoulders slumped as she sat, almost defeated, waiting for the starter’s orders.
The lights at the start finish line lit up, signalling everybody to start their engines. She punched the start button, her bike purred to life, and she selected first gear. The light flashed yellow, and then green. Penny accelerated from the line, passing several bikes. Everyone jostled for position going into the first corner. Her heart rate increased as she raced out of the first corner and throttled hard up the short straight. Bikes jockeyed around her as they fought for position. Sweat stung her eyes, blinding her momentarily so she didn’t see Jack pull in beside her, their handlebars almost touching. Penny fought to keep her blood pressure down as Jack toyed with her, blocking her every attempt to get clear of him.
Her heart raced as they came out of the bend side by side, Jack sitting beneath her, pushing her wide. Penny cracked open the throttle, and her bike leaped forward. Suddenly it heaved as if somebody had reached out, grabbed the back wheel, and pulled her back. She kicked down into a lower gear, still no response.
“Damn!” The engine didn’t respond as she played with the throttle. The smooth vibration of the engine shook so violently she thought it would leap from the bike. Penny’s head dropped as she realised the problem. Earlier she chose not to replace the spark plugs and now paid the price—one of the spark plugs had fouled or broken down completely. Either way, the engine misfired and signalled the end of her racing for the day.
The ride around the perimeter of the track seemed to take forever as bikes roared past her. Penny held her head high as she rode through pit lane and back into her pit area. She sat on her bike, unmoving. Frustration boiled over, and she punched the tank, removed her helmet, and flung it away in disgust. She did the best she could by herself, and she had been found wanting.
* * * *
The shop doorbell tinkled. Penny looked up from the internet orders she had been packaging to see a large bunch of long stemmed white and orange roses offered over the counter. A sheepish looking Justin peeked out from behind them. "Truce?" He smiled his biggest charming smile.
Penny softened a little. His smile would melt any girl’s heart. Her blood pressure rose as she straightened her back, and her resolve hardened with the events of the other day still raw. How dare he?
“What makes you think you have anything to say worth listening to?" Penny responded, her voice icy even as her heart pounded so hard she thought it would leap from her chest. "I think you can take those," she gestured angrily toward the roses, "and get out of here." Her chest tightened as she recalled the sight of Justin and the unknown beauty
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