Crystals

by Theresa L. Henry

  “Even though it’s clearly stated in the rules, I have to say I feel for Tierney. That motor generator unit had to be replaced. But because his team has already used up all their engine changes, he’s just going to have to suck it up.”

  “Yes, he does. But back to the business of the race. The last car has just lined up on the grid and we’re nearly ready for the start of this year’s Russian Grand Prix.”

  ~~~

  Shane knew it would be a tall order to win this race, but he was going to give it a good try. He loved this track because the circuit had enough corners which were ideal for overtaking.

  The ones that would take the most skill were turns two and thirteen. He knew his strategy had risks, but it was exactly at these bends that he intended to make his move on anyone in front of him. However, it wouldn’t be an easy task. Every driver in the race knew the track just as well as him. And they too would be thinking exactly as him.

  For Shane, if winning wasn’t possible then a place on the podium was his next target. Although they were coming up to the back end of the season, he wasn’t particularly worried. Should things go against him today, there were still enough races in hand for him to win the championship.

  With a nod to his team mechanics, Shane flipped down his visor and the car roared out of the pit to take up his position on the starting grid. The engine idled as he gripped the steering wheel while his thumb hovered over the accelerator button. The tension grew, and for him, this wait was always the most intense part of a race. But once he and the car were in motion—that was when he came into his own.

  The countdown began. He was poised and ready. The fifth green light blinked on and Shane was in motion. All thoughts left his mind. He relied only on his skill, instincts and the feel of the thousand horsepower engine pushing him forward.

  He flew past two vehicles before he’d even completed the first bend. Coming into turn two he had his sights set on the German driver before him. Try as he might he was unable to get around him. Shane didn’t dwell on it. This was a fifty-three lap race, his time would come.

  By lap twenty, he was in fourth position. Already having served his stop-and-go, his race plan was working exactly as he and his team had strategized.

  “Shane, you need to come in for a fuel stop. If you do it now, you should retake the race in third place. It will be touch and go, but you should just about be able to pull it off.” Came the mechanical voice through his earphones.

  “I hear you. One more lap and I’ll come in.”

  “How are your tires?”

  “Good. They’re holding up fine. That’s one of the things I like about this track.”

  “Roger that!”

  Shane held the car steady as he let out the throttle and honed in his concentration. He could see the tail of the car in front of him. It was Ollie. They were both approaching turn thirteen. Knowing he could overtake him, he pulled ever closer.

  He had him. About to execute his overtaking maneuver, Ollie drastically slowed down. Shane jerked the steering sharply to the right to avoid running into the back of Ollie’s car. Swearing a blue streak, he ignored the angry comments coming from his receiver. The bastard knew exactly what he had done.

  “Shane, you need to pull back. You’ve got this championship tied up, just maybe not in this race.”

  What they were saying was the truth, but he hated when other drivers employed this type of tactic. Why not let their driving be the cause of whether they won or lost?

  Sweat trickled from his brow, past the corner of his eyes, along his cheekbone before finally coming to rest in his thick black beard.

  The gray metal fencing that surrounded the track flew by in a blur of steel. The throng of people in the crowd mere flashes of color that merged into facelessness. Without conscious thought, he knew what he was going to do.

  His concentration sharpened. His vision tunneled. He emptied his mind and determination hardened his jaw. He was going to win the race.

  His car roared forward and Shane entered a perfect moment. That tiny fraction of a second where everything rearranged itself with seamless clarity.

  He edged closer to Ollie’s green and white car. They were side by side. Ollie recognized the threat and veered to the inside of the track in an attempt to stop his momentum. Turning the wheel sharply to the left, Shane accelerated and passed him in a blaze of speed.

  “Shane, you need to conserve your fuel. I say again, save your fuel.”

  He heard all they said but didn’t respond. He probably understood his car better than all of them put together. He knew he had to make a stop, but he was going to do better than resuming in third position. When he rejoined the race, he would be in the lead.

  With no time to waste he engaged the throttle. The G-force slammed him backward and jarred every bone in his body as he shot towards the race leader, Felipe Santiago.

  For Shane, Santiago was a complete driver. Not only was he smart, he was skillful. Knowing the tactic he’d employed with Ollie didn’t stand a chance of working against Santiago, Shane pulled alongside the red car. With their wheels in alignment, they hurtled down the track, neither of them prepared to give ground. In the end, it would come down to the classic game of who could hold their nerve the longest before they conceded.

  Racing along, side by side at close to two-hundred and thirty miles per hour, neither of them was prepared to back off. A second later, Shane saw the approach of the corner rushing towards them. He saw his chance and took it. Santiago countered but it was too late, he’d executed the maneuver to perfection. That was when he felt it.

  The downward sloping nose of the other car hooked beneath his rear end and raised him off the track. That shunt of touching fiberglass was all it took to send the powerful machine into a spin. He fought to regain control but deep down he knew it was already too late. He mounted the striped curb and the revolving momentum flipped him over. His world was out of control. He could do nothing. Closing his eyes, Shane awaited his fate. As he considered his mortality for the second time in his life, his thoughts turned to Crystal.

  ~~~

  Watching Shane’s car continuously roll over was her worst nightmare realized. Shards of fiberglass exploded into the air and fragmented each time they touched the ground. Crystal wanted to scream, but the sound remained locked in her throat while it echoed through her mind in an endless cry of horror.

  Rushing into her bedroom, she opened a drawer and flung aside important documents until her fingers touched what she was looking for—her passport. She grabbed her purse, opened her front door and ran outside. Her mindless rush came to an end the moment she slammed her front door. The sound brought her back to her senses and with it the recollection that she was no longer a part of Shane’s life.

  Going back into her apartment, she turned on the TV and allowed the media to take over every minute of her free time.

  Of course, she called Krasnaya Polyana Hospital in Sochi. When she finally overcame the language barrier, and told a number of lies, the staff hung up on her when they realized she was unrelated to Shane.

  Crystal brought a daily newspaper, which she read in the office. Driving to work she tuned her radio to a predominantly sports station. When at home, her computer never left her side because it was there she could find the most up-to-date information on Shane’s condition.

  Shane’s release date was her first sight of him since his accident. As he limped out of the hospital, he waved and smiled at the gathered reporters and fans. A feeling of reassurance enveloped her, he was finally on the mend—he was going to be okay.

  Crystal sat down and cried as she had never cried before. Her tears were of joy because she couldn’t begin to imagine a world without him in it.

  Chapter 10

  “So you’re going?”

  “I don’t have much choice.”

  “There’s always a choice, Crystal. I know Aunt Gwen still feels guilty about–”

  “That all happened a long time ago, Fer
n, and I don’t want to talk about it.” Crystal said as she abruptly changed the subject and was relieved when Fern respected her wishes.

  “What time’s your date?”

  “It’s in an hour. I have to leave now or I’ll be late.”

  “Make sure you tell me all about it. This married mother of two only lives vicariously through yours and Dara’s love life now!”

  “Whatever, we both know Dizzy adores you,” Crystal laughed in an attempt to dispel the seriousness that nearly insinuated itself into the atmosphere.

  “Yes, he does,” Fern agreed with a smug smile. “I hope this date works out for you.”

  “You’re joking right. Did you forget this is a Gwendolyn set up.”

  “Stranger things have happened.”

  That conversation had taken place one hundred and sixty minutes ago. They had just ordered coffee and Crystal couldn’t wait to get away. It was obvious that Geoffrey Patterson had as much interest in her as she did in him. In fact, his attention seemed fixated on their waiter.

  Running scenarios of how she could leave without being overly rude, Crystal never noticed the lull that fell over the other diners nor the following loud whispers.

  A feeling akin to the brush of gentle fingertips passing along her back caused her to glance up. The flash of cameras sparked in the dimly lit restaurant. Following the stares of the other diners, she was just in time to see Shane disappear around a corner into the VIP area.

  Her heartbeat spiked and she held her breath. Had he seen her? As the moments passed, she realized that he hadn’t.

  Feeling flustered and confused at the mere sight of him, Crystal cited an early start as a means to end the date. She needed to put as much distance between her and Shane as she could. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t seen her, just being in the same space as him pulled up too many unwanted memories.

  Waiting for a taxi outside the restaurant, Crystal couldn’t help but notice that Geoffrey repeatedly looked over his shoulder. She rolled her eyes aware that as soon as she left, he would be heading back inside to get their waiters number.

  On one level, his intention didn’t bother her. On another, it annoyed her that she had wasted a whole evening of her precious time. Her uncertainty was whether to voice her feelings or remain quiet.

  Until recently, keeping her true thoughts to herself had been to her detriment so Crystal made her decision. She was going to speak her truth.

  “On paper, you’re every woman’s dream. But what you’re doing isn’t fair”

  “What?”

  Aware she wasn’t his primary focus, Crystal just shook her head. She didn’t care about Geoffrey because she didn’t know him. And after today, she wouldn’t see him again, which was fine with her. She just wanted him to understand what he was doing wasn’t fair. Everybody had a right to live their lives as they saw fit, but misleading others shouldn’t be a part of the process.

  “You like guys—your life, your choice. If you’re not ready to come out, that’s okay too. But Please give a thought to the women you agree to date. They’re probably looking for love and from what I’ve observed, you can’t reciprocate that feeling.”

  For the first time that evening, Crystal had Geoffrey’s complete attention.

  “It sounds as though you’re not one of those women”

  “Then you’ve misunderstood me. I’m more than ready to date and to find someone special to share my life.”

  “I see. Let me ask you a question. Do you honestly think that as an openly gay black man, I could reach the highest position in my chosen career?”

  “Frankly, I never thought about it. But I’m pretty sure you’re not the first gay black Queens Council and you won’t be the last. For God’s sake this is the twenty-first century. For what it’s worth, and you can take or leave this piece of advice, people are far less interested in your sexuality than you may think. I say, take your happiness while you can.”

  Crystal had said more than she had intended. Maybe it was because she had just seen Shane and memories had come rushing back. All she knew was that happiness was often transitory. One moment it could be within one’s reach and the next it was gone.

  Geoffrey tipped his head to the side and stared at her. “Until this moment, I only saw you as your mother’s desperate spinster daughter she wanted to marry off.”

  Crystal couldn’t believe his lack of tact. She also couldn’t figure out if his words were deliberate or if he had spoken without thought for her feelings. “God help you if that’s the best you can come up with! I think I may actually feel sorry for any client unfortunate enough to get you as their barrister.”

  “I’m sorry, did I say the wrong thing?”

  “Are you joking?” Crystal blinked at him in disbelief. “You’re a bachelor at the latter end of your thirties and I’m a desperate spinster having just begun it. It’s still an unequal world don’t you agree?”

  “Only if you don’t grab it by the scruff of the neck.”

  “Is that what you’re doing?” Crystal threw back.

  “Touché,” Geoffrey smiled and inclined his head in respect to a point well made. “Of course I’ve considered coming out, but it’s a big step, and one I haven’t finished thinking through.”

  “Fair enough, but maybe you should give serious thought to curtailing your dating of females. It might help to make the water less cloudy. Either way I wish you well.”

  “And I you.”

  Crystal saw his attention was no longer on their conversation and had probably returned to the young waiter. She knew everyone’s journey was different. But it was also true that sometimes the way best way forward remained elusive.

  As the taxi pulled away, Crystal looked over her shoulder. All she had time to see was his stout frame heading back inside the restaurant. Maybe this was going to be his lucky night.

  ~~~

  Crystal spent the morning reviewing her notes. She had yet to see the property she was required to make over, however, she had seen photos and had asked pertinent questions. She also had a strong pitch and high hopes of landing the contract. The job required the interior design of a large country house. It was a big job and one she intended to add to her company’s growing portfolio.

  Crystal arrived exactly at the appointed time. A tall, slim brunette showed her in and introduced herself as Emmie Carothers.

  A short while after her arrival, Ms. Carothers delivered a trolley of tea and sandwiches and promptly excused herself. That was almost an hour ago and Crystal couldn’t believe her host’s rudeness. If the woman didn’t make an appearance in the next ten minutes, she was going to leave. With her decision made, she finally felt much more at ease.

  Looking out the window at the gray sky and pouring rain had her worried. It had been difficult enough traversing the narrow country lanes of the Surrey Hills to get to the house when it was dry. Doing so while it was pouring with rain and pitch black wasn’t something she looked forward to. Crystal was just glad it was Friday and if needs be, she could book into the little hotel she had passed on her way to the house.

  A door opened and closed.

  “Sorry to have kept you waiting, I was unavoidably delayed. That of course…”

  Crystal stiffened as she immediately recognized the voice. For the first time in five years, Shane and Crystal looked into each other’s eyes. Run, her mind roared. Run as hard and fast as you can, and don’t look back. Never look back.

  “Crystal…” Shane said a look of shock emanating from his golden eyes. “What are you doing here?”

  “I… I have a meeting for the interior design of this house.”

  “Emmie,” came the soft response.

  “What did you say?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Shane dismissed her question while visibly pulling himself together. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

  He was standing between her and her escape route, and she needed to get away. There was no way she was going to work for him. “
There’s been a mistake. I’m sorry. I have to go,” Crystal muttered as she snatched up her belongings.

  “Are you sure this is a mistake, Crys?”

  “Don’t call me that!”

  “Why not? That’s who you’ve always been to me.”

  There was so much meaning behind his words Crystal panicked even more. For the last five years all he represented to her was heartbreak. They had gone their separate ways. She didn’t want to see him or look back.

  “You look good, the same.”

  “I have to go. I’m sorry, I can’t stay here,” Crystal moaned, without realizing how much her distress showed.

  “It’s okay, Crys–”

  “I told you not to call me that!”

  “I know you did. But you need to take a deep breath and try to calm down. I’m as surprised as you at this meeting, but shouting isn’t going to make it any easier.”

  Bastard, Crystal thought. Who the hell did he think he was? Just because he had made a name for himself, didn’t mean she would allow him to patronize her.

  “I don’t give a shit what you think I should do!”

  “You look as beautiful as I remember.”

  She didn’t know how to respond. For her, it would be so easy to allow herself to fall for what appeared to be sincerity shining from his unusual eyes.

  Crystal attempted to convince herself that the Shane she had known was gone. He sounded different, and more importantly, he looked different. She didn’t recognize this tall bearded man. This wasn’t the Shane she had once loved. This was a stranger and she wasn’t interested in his flattery.

  “Please tell your, Ms. Carothers, I had to leave.” Pulling on her coat, Crystal glanced in his direction. “I wish I could say it’s been a pleasure seeing you again, but honestly, it’s been anything but.”

  “Bloody hell, you must really hate the sight of me. What did I ever do to you that was so wrong?”