Nights in the Fast Lane: A Contemporary Romantic Comedy

by Grace Risata

  I let her spazz out for another second while I maintained enough control to finish the race. Rafael sped past me after he took care of the Russian, leading the way for me to take second place. Not the result I was looking for, but at this point, I was lucky to be alive. That was intense!

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  That was intense. I got out of the car and managed to not throw up all over my shoes. I sat down next to Dane’s car and literally kissed the pavement. I never wanted to ride anywhere in a car ever again. It was a damn good thing I was in a coma, because I would not be able to process any of this otherwise. I took a few deep breaths and looked around. This sure didn’t feel like a coma. I mean the sky wasn’t a weird color and there was only one moon. I would have convinced myself that it wasn’t really a coma, had I not just seen a man get shot. Yeah. I’m totally comatose right now. I hope they’re putting good food in my IV drip. I hoped Winter and Monica were visiting me in my hospital room and bringing me flowers.

  “Izzy, are you okay?” My two best friends ran over to see how I was doing.

  “Speak of the devil,” I told Monica. “I was just wondering if you and Winter were visiting me in the hospital, and now here you are. Thanks!”

  “She’s in a little bit of shock,” a manly voice from behind me explained. It belonged to the strong guy whose arm was wrapped around my waist to help me stand up. So thoughtful.

  “Dane! You’re still here,” I said. “I’m just waiting to wake up, but I’m really going to miss you. You were the best part of this whole experience.” I waved my arms around to indicate the whole crowd of spectators that were converging upon us.

  “Give them some space. Back the fuck up!” Spider yelled.

  “Izzy might be under the impression that she’s in a coma because she can’t process all the violence,” Dane told them.

  Dane sighed and kissed me. This was no ordinary kiss. It was a Dane kiss. Extra tongue, hot, wet, and passionate.

  “You’re not in a coma, Izzy. I’m here and I’m real. I can’t believe half the stuff we just saw either. Usually none of that happens. Just take some deep breaths and try not to lose your shit, ok? Can you do that?”

  “Sure. I feel really bad though. I always liked those action scenes in movies. It’s a lot different when you experience it in real life.”

  Monica and Winter elbowed Dane out of the way and stood on either side of me like secret service bodyguards protecting the president.

  Winter snapped her fingers in front of my face and said, “Earth to Izzy. Come in! You’ve seen worse than that. Remember the time that Monica tried to give herself a perm and she turned into the Bride of Frankenstein? That was much, much worse.”

  “Or,” Monica added, “the time Winter got drunk at a party and made out with the grossest guy in the whole class who liked to eat his own earwax? Remind me, Winter, how many hickeys did he give you? Five? Or was it more?”

  “What did his mouth taste like?” Spider asked Winter. “I’m betting it was a hell of a lot worse than mint and regret?”

  Before they could start going at it again, a group of Italians surrounded us and patted Dane on the back.

  “That was one hell of a race. Holy shit, man!” Gino exclaimed.

  “Yeah, you should have been on the course with us,” Rafael chimed in.

  “Where WERE you the whole time?” Dane asked in confusion.

  “Ah, I was behind you. I just wasn’t dumb enough to get caught up in all the drama. Don’t tell me you didn’t expect that to happen? Don’t you know who Ivan and Yuri work for? They’re part of the Russian mob in New York City. Every two bit criminal from here to Timbuktu wanted to get in on the race to get the fifty grand in prize money. Why do you think it got so lethal out there?”

  Dane shook his head in stunned disbelief. He turned to me and held me tighter.

  “If I had known any of this, any of it at all, I never would have raced and I certainly would NOT have brought you with me. I am so sorry, Izzy.”

  I shrugged, still not fully coherent yet.

  “So, the way I see it,” Gino started, “You came in second place, Dane, so that means you owe us some money.”

  “I thought I had to come in first OR second. Without my help, that Russian fuck might have blown out Rafael’s tire instead of mine!” Dane argued.

  “That is a very valid point. However Sergio is not pleased about the three grand he lost by sponsoring your car. Lucky for you, he bet fifty grand on Rafael to win. Why don’t we do this…you give Sergio his three grand back…plus two more for interest on the money you borrowed from him. If Sergio is fine with that deal, then we’ll call it even and you don’t owe us anything,” Gino offered.

  Sergio, hearing his name, joined the conversation.

  “I guess I can live with that. It’s not as much as I would have liked to make, but I’m always happy when anyone beats those Russian assholes. I have to deal with Russians on a daily basis and they aggravate the piss out of me. Anytime I can stick it to them….let’s just say it’s a good day.”

  Dane sadly handed over the five grand that he got from Ivan and Yuri.

  “Any chance you still want to drive for us, Dane?” Gino asked. “I know the last job went bad, but they all don’t turn out like that. You had some good moves out there.”

  “No way!” Dane replied. “That was my last race. Effective immediately, I’m retired.”

  “Let’s get the hell out of here,” Spider said as he started to walk away. That sounded like the best idea I ever heard, but we weren’t done yet.

  Barrett and Carson stopped us before we could leave. To my surprise, Barrett stuck out his hand to Dane.

  “That was some impressive driving out there. I owe you an apology. You’re not as much of a piece of shit as I thought you were. Thanks for taking care of Izzy. Our family is very appreciative. Take this,” Barrett offered, holding out a wad of cash. What the hell? Where did he get that from? Did everyone at this race just carry hundred dollar bills like they were sticks of gum?

  “I don’t want your money, Barrett. Why were you guys in the race anyway? It’s not like you need the cash for anything,” Dane said.

  “Just because you think we’re boring snobby little pricks, doesn’t mean we don’t like to have a little fun every once in a while.” He paused and then added, “But I don’t think I’ll be doing THAT again anytime soon. How about you, Izzy?”

  “Absolutely not. That was enough excitement to last me a lifetime.”

  “Wow. You managed to talk to me without swearing even once. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “You sacrificed your car to save my ass,” I admitted, “I guess a small temporary truce is in order. Just today though. Just this once.”

  “If grandma could only see us now. She’d be so proud!”

  “She’d be horrified that you’re sullying the family name by participating in such a dirty commoner sport. Egads!”

  “You may think you have it rough as the black sheep of the family,” Barrett said, “Try living under her iron fist your whole life. It’s no walk in the park.”

  “I can imagine. Why do you think I refused that life?” I said, defending my choices. I never really looked at it from Barrett’s point of view. Maybe he wasn’t such a giant dick after all. Maybe I was just cutting him some slack because I was still in shock. Probably.

  We finally made our way back to Ant’s Chevelle and piled in for the ride home. I think everyone was relieved that our ordeal was over.

  “What’s going to happen to the cheating Russians?” I asked.

  “They’ll be dealt with by their bosses. I can’t imagine the mafia will want to be associated with a defeat as bad as that one,” Spider explained. “And the one who got shot... that’s punishment enough.”

  “I’m sorry you didn’t win, Dane,” I said, trying to console him.

  “It’s okay
, Izzy, it doesn’t matter anymore. Sometimes in life you’re a winner just by making it through the day in one piece.

  He was right. That sure was a LONG day though.

  Sunday, January 31

  This was it. It was finally time to go back to Oak Valley. I was never so homesick in my entire life. I missed my dog. I missed my bed. I missed a life where my biggest decision was what to wear to work or what to watch on TV. Safety. Sanity. It wasn’t just calling my name, it was screaming it.

  We spent the morning packing up Dane’s boxes and bags of clothes. He also had a giant red tool chest full of all his mechanic tools. I guess those are pretty expensive and he didn’t want to leave it behind.

  “But you don’t work here anymore,” I rationalized. “Can’t you just sell it to Ant?”

  “I have a surprise for you,” Dane replied. “I was going to tell you on the way back to Oak Valley, but I’m not good at keeping secrets.”

  I wanted to disagree. If you asked me, he was damn good at keeping them.

  “Do you know Grizzly’s Garage?” Dane asked.

  “Yeah,” Winter replied. “He’s the guy that fixes all of our cars. My mom says he’s the only honest mechanic in town.”

  “Guess who he just hired as his newest technician?”

  “No way!” I screamed. “You got a job already? That’s amazing!”

  “I need to find some way to contribute to the household. I broke even with the race yesterday, so I’m pretty much back to square one again. I called Grizzly last week and told him my story. It turns out that he’s an ex-convict and he knows how hard it is to find someone willing to give an outsider a chance. He asked me some car questions on the spot, I answered correctly without hesitation, and he told me I could start on Monday.”

  I jumped into Dane’s arms and hugged him for all I was worth. This day could NOT get any better. My fantasy man was coming home with me. He had a new job all lined up. Spider had a touring contract so there was no way he would guilt Dane into staying. Polly Positive was here to stay and Nancy Negative got kicked to the curb.

  “Are we all loaded up?” I asked Dane.

  As one last favor, Spider hooked us up with a U-haul and car hauler so we could get Dane’s stuff and the Toyota safely back to Oak Valley. I was shocked he could find somewhere that was open on a Sunday, but Spider knew someone who knew someone. No shock there.

  All that remained was to say goodbye. Winter, Monica, and I hugged Ant and made him promise to visit us. In return, he begged Winter to put in a good word for him with Stacey. She said she’d do her best.

  That left Spider. He looked extremely uncomfortable about the possibility of being forced into hugging us. I held out my hand for a quick shake instead. Spider ignored my outstretched hand, choosing to lean in and whisper in my ear.

  “If you hurt him, I will come and hunt you down,” Spider promised. “Take care of him, Izzy. He’s all I have in the world. If I thought for one second that he wasn’t making the right decision, I wouldn’t let him go. Give him the home that he’s always wanted. Give him what he deserves, ok?”

  I quietly replied so that only he could hear, “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll make sure he eats his vegetables and says his bedtime prayers, ok? He’ll be fine.”

  Spider shocked the shit out of me by giving me a quick hug. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  He shook Monica’s hand and told her to call him if she needed any help with Trent. That left Winter. She paid close attention to him all day, but now looked as though she couldn’t care less what he did. Spider stepped forward, inches from Winter’s face. He grabbed her in a steamy embrace. I’m not sure what happened next because we all looked away to give them some privacy. Let’s just say it was a bit more than a peck on the lips. After a long stretch of hearing slurping sounds and moaning, Dane coughed pretty loudly and cleared his throat. I think he was ready to go.

  Winter straightened out her wrinkled shirt and said, “Um. Well. Bye!”

  Spider winked and said, “I didn’t taste regret that time.”

  He turned to Dane and said, “I’ll miss you most of all, scarecrow.”

  They had an awkward man hug and I reminded them both that we were only FOUR hours away by car and not on another planet. I invited Spider to come to my house whenever he wanted. They hugged one last time and we hit the road.

  I’d like to say that we drove off into the sunset, but it was only three in the afternoon.

  “Ready to start this next chapter in our lives?” Dane asked me.

  “Hell, yeah. Let’s go home!”

  Epilogue

  In case you were wondering…

  Kitty was so happy to see Dane again that she brought him every single toy she owned, including her favorite pink stuffed pig. I think that was his favorite too.

  Ant and Stacey are still a work-in-progress. He sends her flowers and she texts him naked photos.

  Libby and I haven’t killed each other yet.

  Barrett only contacted us once since the race. He sent Dane an advertisement for a go-kart race and wrote, “This is more your speed” in big letters right on top of the page.

  Herman Henderson, the big tax accountant, was caught embezzling from his firm and sentenced to five to ten with possible early parole for good behavior.

  Harriett Henderson’s house became too much for her to handle in her old age, so she moved into an apartment. Monica bought the place because she was looking to downsize anyway. Best neighbor EVER! I was obviously thrilled.

  Monica ended up emailing Trent’s video to the entire company. Trent got fired and Geneva got severely reprimanded. They ended up selling the video online and it launched his new career as a porn star. Wow. I did not see that one coming.

  Dane loved his new job working at Grizzly’s garage. He promised Murray free oil changes for life in appreciation for the free clothes that he was given when down on his luck.

  Spider stayed busy getting ready for his concert tour and writing new songs full of tragedy and despair.

  Winter hasn’t really dated anyone since we got back from Chicago. I think she has someone else on her mind…

  Grace Risata Bio and Author Contact Info….

  I would first and foremost like to thank everyone for taking the time to give my stories a chance. My goal is to take you out of your world, and all the stresses that go along with everyday life, and bring you in to my world of romance and fantasy. I have a special weakness for hot alpha males and the feisty heroines who love them. Above all else, I hope you got a laugh out of my book. I aim to incorporate as much comedy into my romance as is humanly possible.

  My professional biography is as follows (I’m not sure why it’s in the third person, evidently that’s the rule): Grace is happiest when reading, eating Portillos hot dogs, and patiently waiting for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

  Please check out my website for all the latest news, info, and crazy blog posts: https://gracerisata.wordpress.com/

  Or connect with me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14888691.Grace_Risata

  Or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Grace-Risata-1692337781051007/

  Other books by Grace Risata:

  My Dirty Detour: https://www.amazon.com/My-Dirty-Detour-Comedy-Romance-ebook/dp/B01AU6674G

  Book Synopsis:

  A dominant leader flees the mafia, looking for a fresh start in a small town. He put all his effort into starting a business and resigned himself to a life without love.

  A neurotic germaphobe lives vicariously through the books she reads, preferring to play it safe in real life and hide behind her sarcastic remarks.

  “I am NOT that neurotic! I just have germ issues and I tend to over-analyze things. Sure, I second guess myself all the time and have a tendency to freak out over the small stuff. I’ll admit that I do ask a lot of “what if…?” questions. Fine. I’m neurotic.”

  One fateful day, the simple a
ct of taking a wrong turn leads Violet right into Rocky’s life and completely turns it upside down. Accustomed to his orders being obeyed immediately and without question, Rocky doesn’t appreciate Violet challenging his authority at every opportunity.

  “I don’t like being told what to do. Especially when some arrogant tough guy thinks he can boss me around. I might have argued with him just to keep him close. He smelled like heaven. Although with a body like his, I knew he was no angel.

  Violet charmed her way into his heart with her quick wit and stubbornness, causing Rocky to fail at his many attempts to resist her.

  “He’d never met anyone like me before. I trash talk, curse like a sailor, and pretty much say whatever’s on my mind. Life is too short to pretend to be something that you’re not.”

  Rocky tries to keep his violent past hidden from Violet, but it suddenly catches up to him and he can no longer deny who he really is. Will Rocky turn his back on the life he built or stay and fight for what’s his? When Violet is faced with situations that rival anything she’s merely read about, will she be able to face her fears and work together with Rocky or will the truth tear them apart?

  “It’s one hell of a wild ride! Take a look inside the first few pages and I’ll tell you all about it.”

  This is a full length, stand-alone novel with no cliffhangers. No cheating, no love triangles, no insta-love. It does have a HEA.

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  If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment and submit a review on Amazon or Goodreads. It would be much appreciated. Sometimes writing can be a very solitary pursuit and it warms my heart to get a review and be able to know that someone enjoyed something I took the time to create.