by KT Shears
He negotiated the first turn, getting his car right on the apex. He was feeling good, and he increased his speed as the track straightened.
‘Rain is picking up, box box box for inters after this lap.’
The drops were hitting off his visor, and Asher’s visibility wasn’t great. He knew this track like the back of his hand, though; could drive it blind. As he tore round another corner, he saw a car sitting off to the side of the track. Was that Jonasson?
‘Is Jonasson alright?’ he asked, over the radio.
‘Jonasson is fine, just a spin. Box after this lap.’
The rain was falling heavily now and Asher could feel his car losing grip. He would have to take it easy, at least until he got his new tyres. But as he eased off and starting turning into a corner, he felt his wheels lock and his car start to drift off the track. He tried to counter-steer the slide and get the car’s back end under control, but he felt the car leave the track and end up on the gravel. He was then jolted as the car struck the barrier.
‘Are you alright, Ash?’ His race engineer sounded worried.
‘Fine, Jim. I took it too fast and spun it.’
Asher felt like an idiot. He had pushed too hard. He climbed out of his car, surveying the damage. Thankfully it just looked like frontal nose damage and some gravelly tyres. That would be his session over, though. They’d need a crane to get it back to the pits. Shit.
***
Ava sat, horrified as she saw Asher’s car slide off the track, smacking into the barrier.
‘Oh God,’ she said, grabbing Elise’s hand.
‘Don’t worry,’ Elise said, squeezing. ‘Felipe says this kind of thing happens quite a lot.’
But Ava thought she was about to be sick. She sat glued to the screen, listening to the commentators debate what had caused the crash. To her immense relief, she saw Asher climb out of the car and stand looking at the wrecked front, shaking his head. She let out a breath.
‘See, he’s fine,’ Elise said, smiling.
Ava’s heart was pounding. When she had seen Asher’s car strike the barrier, she had thought he had to be hurt. How could he not be going at that speed? Elise glanced at her and saw the look on her face.
‘Felipe says the cars are incredibly safe,’ she said. ‘There hasn’t been a really bad accident for ages.’
Ava shook her head.
‘This is madness,’ she said, pointing at the screen, which now was showing multiple slow-motion replays of Asher sliding off the track. ‘What is wrong with these men?’
Elise laughed.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked, curiously, as Ava reached for her phone.
‘Telling him what an idiot he is,’ Ava said, curtly, tapping at the buttons.
***
‘Do you need to get checked out at the medical centre?’ Jim hovered anxiously as Asher walked into the garage. He had had to get a lift back from some dude on a scooter. Not cool.
‘I’m fine,’ he said, waving a hand. ‘I’m just pissed I slid off.’
Jim shrugged.
‘It happens,’ he said. ‘Even Jonasson ended up off the track.’
That made Asher feel a bit better. If the reigning world champion could end up off the track, then it wasn’t quite so embarrassing that he had.
‘How’s Felipe doing?’ he asked, taking a swig from a bottle of water. He saw the crane pitch up outside the garage, with his car dangling precariously from it.
‘Good, we think he’ll get 8th at this rate,’ Jim said, glancing at the bank of screens on the other side of the garage.
‘That’s awesome,’ Asher said, feeling slightly jealous. At least he would still be starting 10th. ‘Look, I’m off to have a shower. I’ll come find you for a debrief on the car.’
Jim nodded and Asher headed off through the back of the garage. He picked up his phone – he half expected his mom to have called when she saw that slide. Mind you, she was probably used to it with Devlin. He had heard from his brother the other day, just a text to say he was still in rehab, or the crazy farm, as Devlin had called it, and telling Ash not to beat his track time. Asher was surprised when he saw that it was a text from Ava. He scrolled to open it.
‘You’re an idiot,’ was all that it said.
What the hell? He shook his head and typed a message back.
‘What have I done now?’
‘You drive like a maniac.’
Asher grinned. So she was watching him race? It must be like 8am there, and she was sitting up watching him race.
‘You’re watching me?’
‘Elise is here, she made me. I thought you were dead.’
Asher laughed at that. It had only been a small slide – he had been in far worse.
‘I’m fine. Thanks for the concern.’
He waited for a few minutes, but no reply came. He then typed out another message, his finger hovering over the send button. Ah, fuck it.
‘I miss you.’
He shoved his phone back into his bag and went to hit the shower.
When he came out, Felipe was standing there, his cell phone in his hand.
‘Hey, man,’ he said, when he saw Asher. ‘You ok? That was some sick shit out there.’
‘Yeah I’m fine,’ Asher said, feeling a bit better now he had showered. ‘Did you get 8th?’
Felipe nodded, looking proud.
‘I sure did,’ he said. ‘I just call Elise to tell her.’
Wow, he was really giving this married thing all he had, Asher thought. Maybe it wouldn’t end in disaster after all.
‘Congrats, man,’ he said, clapping Felipe on the back.
‘Thanks,’ his friend said, beaming. ‘We go get food after I shower, yes?’
‘Yeah, I’ve got to go see Jim about the car,’ Asher said glumly. He had hoped his initial assessment had been correct and there was no damage which could see him missing out on the race tomorrow.
He suddenly remembered his text to Ava and he took his phone out. He broke into a huge grin when he read the text.
‘I miss you too.’
Chapter fourteen
Ava and Elise were sitting in the sofa in their PJs again. Elise hadn’t planned to stay over again, but they’d cracked open a bottle of wine the night before and it had made sense for her to stay. And now the race was about to start, and Elise had persuaded Ava to put it on TV. Not that Ava had needed much persuading. She and Asher had texted a little yesterday. The text he had sent, telling her he missed her, had put such a smile on her face that Elise had demanded to know what was going on.
‘That is the cutest thing,’ she had gushed. ‘Please tell me you’re going to text him back.’
‘And say what?’ Ava had had to admit, it was pretty cute, but she wasn’t sure she should encourage him.
‘Well, do you miss him?’ Elise had said, looking at Ava intently.
Ava had shrugged, trying to be blasé about it; but she did miss him – she had since she had last seen him at his apartment the morning after the whole Devlin debacle. She thought back to him skidding off the track, and how her heart had pounded. Would it really be so mad to admit she missed him, when he was off on the other side of the world risking life and limb?
She typed back the message and had sent it, Elise trying to get a good look over her shoulder. She hadn’t heard back, but what with time zones etc. she hadn’t expected to. And now it was race day, and to her amazement, she found herself sitting waiting for the race to begin on TV.
‘Els, how on earth are you now married?’ Ava shook her head in wonder as Felipe appeared on the screen.
Elise laughed and threw up her hands.
‘I have no clue how it all happened,’ she said, shrugging but beaming. ‘Do you believe in love at first sight?’
Ava spat out a mouthful of coffee.
‘Are you serious? Me?’
Elise laughed too, but then stopped and looking at her earnestly.
‘Seriously, Ava. I think Asher really, reall
y likes you. And I think you like him too.’
Ava didn’t know what to say. Her first instinct was to brush it off and deny it; but Elise was her best friend and the only person she had to talk to about this kind of stuff.
‘Oh Els, I don’t know. I’m so confused. Sometimes I think if he wasn’t a Formula One driver, we’d have been off to Vegas like you and Felipe.’
She saw the look on Elise’s face and laughed.
‘Okay, maybe not quite as I’m not a total lunatic. But I think we would at least be properly seeing each other and not doing this stupid dance.’
Elise looked at her intently.
‘Avs, you’re the reason it’s like this. If you didn’t keep putting those walls up, Asher would be with you every night. Felipe says he’s nuts about you.’
Ava felt teary. She didn’t know what to do. Every time she allowed herself to think of her and Asher, as a couple, Shay’s face loomed up in her mind. She was glad when Elise’s attention was taken by the TV.
‘They’re about to start!’ she said, sounding excited.
Ava watched as the cars all lined up.
‘What are they waiting for?’ she asked. She couldn’t see anyone with a flag waving them off.
‘The lights.’ Elise pointed at the screen. ‘See? When they all light up and then go out, that’s the signal.’
Ava peered at the screen.
‘Where’s Felipe?’ she asked. She didn’t really care – she wanted to know where Asher was, but didn’t want to give Elise any more ammunition.
‘He’s eighth, in that black and yellow car,’ Elise said. ‘And Asher is a couple of cars behind, also in the black and yellow. Look, the lights are going on!’
Ava watched as the five lights flicked on and then all went out. There was a massive roar as the cars pulled away. She watched as Asher’s car weaved its way through the mass of vehicles.
‘Jesus Christ,’ she said, horrified as the cars hit the first corner. ‘They’re all so close together.’
Elise nodded, glued to the screen.
Ava tried to pick out Asher’s car in the tangle. She saw a car go skidding off to the side, leaving the track. Not Asher’s, thankfully.
‘Look, Els! Asher is up to sixth.’ Elise pointed at the screen, which was showing a list of drivers and their current positions.
Ava squinted.
‘Hey that’s pretty good,’ she said, noting with a slightly bit of smugness that he had obviously overtaken Felipe. Hey, a bit of healthy competition was normal, right?
She drew the blanket over her and settled down to watch.
***
Asher felt like he had lost about half his body weight in sweat. It had poured off him, and despite the specially-formulated drinks he had downed during the race, he was desperate for a bottle of water when he got out of the car. He had finished 11th, which he thought was pretty respectable, for his first time out. Felipe had finished 15th, after contact with another driver had led to a puncture. He entered the garage and headed straight for the fridge in the corner, taking out an ice-cold bottle of water.
As he took a long draught, Felipe came in.
‘Fuck man, that bastard ruin my race.’ He gesticulated madly.
Asher privately thought that it had probably been the other way round – Felipe could be a bit of liability out there – but he patted his friend on the shoulder.
‘Unlucky, man,’ he said. ‘Next time, eh?’
‘Eh,’ Felipe said, shrugging. ‘You did good though, man.’
Asher grinned. He was proud of himself. And he hoped Ava had seen him.
After he showered, he checked his phone and smiled when he saw he had a message from her.
‘At least you didn’t crash this time.’
He laughed as he read it, shaking his head. He texted back, quickly.
‘I didn’t crash last time! Are you now a fan?’
He didn’t have to wait long for a reply.
‘Of you or racing?’
He grinned.
‘Me, of course.’
***
Ava felt at a bit of a loose end after Elise had gone home. Her apartment seemed quiet, and she sat on the sofa, wondering what to do. She thought back to the conversation she’d had with Asher a few hours earlier. After a bout of texting back and forward, she’d been surprised when her phone rang; and even more surprised when she saw his name flash up on the screen. She’d wondered for a split-second whether or not she should answer, but then gave herself a shake and pressed accept.
‘Hey there champ,’ she had said.
Asher had laughed down the phone, and she had smiled. She missed hearing his voice.
‘Hey there, beautiful. Did you enjoy the race?’
‘Sort of. I didn’t know what was going on a lot of the time, and it seemed a bit dangerous. I like the colour of your car, though.’
‘That is such a girl thing to say.’
Ava laughed.
‘Sorry, but I am a girl. Anyway I’ve given it a name for you.’
‘A name?’ Asher sounded puzzled.
‘Yes, every car needs a name. Yours is Bumblebee. Bee for short.’
There was a pause, and then peals of laughter echoed down the line.
‘That is so original, babe. Good job.’
‘Glad to have helped.’
There was a pause and Ava wondered what to say. It was Asher who broke the silence.
‘So, can I see you when I get back?’
Ava was torn between wanting to scream ‘yes’ down the phone, and panic.
‘Are you still there, babe?’ Asher sounded concerned.
‘I’m here.’
‘So, can I? I meant what I said yesterday. I miss seeing you.’
Ava felt tears pricking her eyes.
‘I miss seeing you too,’ she said, quietly.
‘Well I’ll come round after I drop my stuff at home, yeah? I should be back on Tuesday.’
‘Tuesday?’ Ava couldn’t hide the dismay in her voice. She heard Asher chuckle again.
‘I’m in Australia, babe. It’s quite a long way away. I’d be there now if I could.’
‘Okay,’ Ava said, smiling at his last sentence. ‘Tuesday it is then.’
‘Cool. See you then. Love ya.’
The phone went dead and Ava stood staring at it her hand. What had he just said?
***
Jesus Christ, Asher, what the hell were you thinking? He couldn’t believe what he had just said on the phone. He had said it without even thinking. He didn’t mean it, of course. Did he? That wasn’t the point anyway – Ava had been scared enough before, now she would probably be running for the hills. Should he send her a text saying it had been a mistake? Yeah, that would make things together, he thought bitterly. ‘Sorry I said I loved you, I don’t.’ Straight outta charm school that one.
He sat in his hotel room, turning his phone over and over in his hands. Had he meant it? Fuck, he didn’t even know anymore. He felt like his head was totally messed up.
There was a knock on his door, and Asher put the phone down on the bedside table and walked across the room. He peered through the spyhole on the door and saw Felipe standing there. He opened the door, and his teammate waltzed into the room.
‘Hey, man! You wanna go get a beer?’
‘I dunno, man.’ Asher shrugged and Felipe eyed him suspiciously.
‘What’s wrong with you? You should be celebrating first race, yes?’
‘I guess.’ Asher sighed heavily.
‘Fuck man,’ Felipe said, heading over to the minibar and taking out a small bottle of champagne. ‘You look like you got your dick trapped in your zipper or something. What’s bugging you?’
Asher debated telling Felipe the truth or not, but figured he had to tell someone, and Felipe was the best friend he had at the moment.
‘It’s Ava, man,’ he said, miserably. ‘I don’t know what the fuck is going on.’
Felipe nodded, sitting down on a chai
r and popping the cork off the bottle.
‘Yeah man, she’s complicated, huh? I ask Elise about her but she doesn’t tell me much.’
Asher thought for a moment.
‘Does she tell you anything?’ he asked, curiously.
Felipe shrugged.
‘Some stuff,’ he said, taking a swig from the bottle. ‘I don’t know if I should tell you though, man. She’ll kick my ass.’
‘Please, Felipe.’ Asher looked at him desperately. ‘I won’t tell her you said anything. It’s just…I’m going out of my fucking mind here.’
Felipe looked at him appraisingly and then seemed to come to a decision.
‘Well,’ he said, downing the rest of the bottle of champagne. ‘Elise says Ava used to date some ice hockey player in New York. Shay Donnelly or something? Never heard of him – sounds like bastard, huh?’
Asher was listening intently.
‘Go on.’
‘I don’t know the details, man, but it ended badly. I think he cheated on Ava – Elise says the bastard broke her heart.’
Asher felt his blood run cold. Who the hell could ever cheat on a woman as beautiful and smart as Ava? He’d never heard of Shay Donnelly, but the guy sounded like a total dick already. He sat for a moment, digesting the information. Then it struck him.
‘Fucking hell, Felipe. Do you think that’s why she’s so fucking down on racing drivers?’
Felipe shrugged.
‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘I give up trying to tell what women think. I tell Elise just to tell me when she is pissed otherwise I won’t notice.’
Asher sat, thinking hard.
‘She said sporting stars were all the same. Fuck, does she really think I’m like that prick? What was his name?’
‘Shay Donnelly.’ Felipe stood up, and went to rummage in the minibar again.
‘Fuck him,’ Asher said, and went over to his laptop, booting it up.
‘What you doing?’ Felipe asked, opening another mini bottle of champagne.
‘Finding out more about this fucker,’ Asher said, grimly. He opened up the search page and typed in Shay Donnelly. Immediately, his screen was filled with pictures of Shay Donnelly with beautiful girls on his arm. He scrolled down and froze when he saw the heading.
Caught: Shay Donnelly snapped kissing blonde bombshell – but where is his girlfriend?
