by Ava Catori
“You’d think, but with racing, the more friction and contact to the ground you keep, the easier it is to keep control at high speeds. I knew if I added a little nitromethane mix, and gave it an extra push, we could take it. On top of which, I instructed him which tires I wanted him to swap into for the race. Only on those conditions would I drive for him. My reputation was at stake, and I wasn’t giving it up over poor choices. On top, if you spin in some water, heating the tires, you can get more stick. I wanted a hook-up, where we’d hit perfect traction out of the gate. There’s all sorts of tricks to get a tiny boost, but that’s all it is, a tiny one when you’re running at the speeds we get going at. Knowing when to shift, working the gears, it’s all relevant. People don’t realize how many details go into a winning race.”
“It’s like another language. I didn’t realize so much went into one of these things. I just thought you see someone at a light and go, like in the movies.”
“Street racing is another deal. This is a drag strip and these guys take these things seriously. It’s their hobby, just like some people garden or whatever. They’re into winning races by a spare second. It’s an adrenaline rush like nothing else.”
“So did you do it? Did you race the car for him?” I asked.
“Yeah, we took the race, won it, and I added another peg to my reputation. Guys know where to go when they want an extra boost.” He wasn’t gloating, not boastful, just simply stating facts. “And to be honest, these guys are looking to blow steam, show their friends they’re still tough guys. They’re over the bar scene; the younger women are no longer looking their way as they lose their hair and get a pouch belly, so they beat their chests with their friends and get to feel like men. That’s all it’s about, really. It’s a fun hobby. Some people golf, these guys are into cars.”
“An expensive hobby,” I added. “At least it sounds that way. Imagine being able to afford to toss a car in there and being okay if you lost it.”
“Most of these guys have plenty of cars they’ve collected, and their garages are bigger than a lot of houses. Big money, big power, and collecting cars – it’s their thing.” He changed the topic. “What do you do for fun?”
I felt lame and dug for something interesting, but all I had was my truth. “I read, shop, sometimes sketch designs.”
“Sounds like you’re a crazy, fun girl When does the excitement stop?” he teased. “Nah, we all have our thing.”
The receptionist waved Nick over. The car was done, the bill was paid, and we were back on the road to Birmingham, Alabama, our next stop.
Chapter 12 – Nick
I was glad to be back on the road. We were heading for Alabama. I laughed remembering the race. Good times. She’s more down low than I am, more of a homebody it sounds. Nothing wrong with that. It’s not like she needs to impress anybody, and certainly not me.
I’ve always pushed and gone for an adrenaline rush. Cars, boats, motorcycles, fast shit. I feel alive when my heart is beating in my throat and it’s hard to swallow. It’s the kind of high you can’t explain; you just have to feel it.
Though, not all of that stuff gets me going. Like, who the hell Bungee jumps for fun? There’s nothing that says I want to live like going face first to the ground and hoping your cord holds out. Yeah right. Splat. That’s like jumping out of planes – death wish, much? No thanks. I like things I have more control over.
Panda should take a risk, try something new. She might like it. She’s not so bad, and is kind of cute. Nice to look at, but a little too uptight. She’s buttoned up, needs a push to lighten up or something. I wonder if she was always like that. Was she tense as a kid too? Did something happen that made her overly cautious?
I thought about her more than I wanted to. I’m not sure what was happening, but my mind circled back to my driving companion, more times than I’d care to admit.
Chapter 13 - Amanda
The drive started to drag. The first hour or two went quickly, but as the day wore on, so did the time in the car. We opted to stop for a bite to eat. It was good to get out and stretch my legs, as well as take a break from endless miles of highway that looked exactly the same.
“So, what are your thoughts on Bigfoot and aliens,” Nick started. “Do you believe?”
He caught me off guard. I guffawed. It was hardly lady-like, and sounded more like a pig snorting than anything else. Embarrassed, I shot my hand up over my mouth.
“What was that? It sounded like a wild boar let lose,” he mocked playfully. Nick winked at me. “Brody never warned me you made noises like that.”
I shook it off and teased. “Wait until the hyena sounds come out. I honk like a goose sometimes, too. It’s like I have a zoo full of animals inside. They’re my party tricks. I’ll be you thought I was all first class, huh?”
He looked away, taunting me. “First class? Eh, maybe second or third.”
“You’re mean,” I said, trying to make light of the noises that came out when I laughed. “Brody finds me charming. You know, we should check in with him. This is kind of scary stuff, Nick.”
He reached across the table, not even thinking about it, and placed his hand over mine. “It’s going to be okay. I know he means a lot to you, but he means a lot to me, too. I’m not going to let anything happen to him.”
I was touched by his comment and concern. I liked his hand on top of mine, and found myself confused and bummed when he pulled it back. After the waitress came over and took our drink order, we studied the menu and ordered our food on her return.
“Something as simple as stopping for lunch makes me feel like we’re taking this too lightly. Should we get it to go?” I felt guilty we’d stopped to relax.
“It’s important to take breaks along the way. It doesn’t mean we care any less,” he reminded.
Who was this nice guy, this person I was having conflicting thoughts about? He was normal, sweet, and warm. I liked this guy. He was Nick – only without the dick. Nice Nick. I liked him.
“So, where were we on Bigfoot? Aliens? What’s real and what’s fake?” He steered us back to the original conversation.
It’s like he pulled it out of a hat and always had something different or interesting to talk about. He was fun, likeable, and before I started to fall too hard, I reminded myself that he was also trouble, a bad boy, and if I asked the right questions, I’d see all those things I disliked about him.
I’d never noticed his jawline before. I hated how I kept noticing new things, like how I could get lost in his eyes when he laughed. Or how I could pick up the slight scent of soap on him when he leaned toward me and how much I liked it. Or that his arms barely fit comfortably in the sleeves of his shirt – it was like they were busting to get out. I shook my head, trying to clear it.
Then there was the matter of Brody. We’d been close for so long, and I knew he had strong feelings for me. Confusion twisted through my brain. Why couldn’t it be Brody that I was tangled up in, wanting to feel his arms around me or wanting to taste his kiss? I pushed away my thoughts, and dropped my gaze from Nick’s lips. What was wrong with me? Was it that we were going through something, forced time together, a temporary bond? Either way, I needed the new thoughts to back the fuck off, and now.
Nick jumped into the conversation. “I think I want to believe sometimes, but the evidence is sketchy… you know? It’s all hearsay, but when everybody says the same thing, it’s hard to ignore. Where’s the DNA, bones, or even samples of fur? And aliens, do you think the government could keep everybody quiet? I mean, there’s always that one guy who won’t shut up, right? What about him? There’s one in every crowd. I was watching this show, and whether it was clever editing or something else, it really got me thinking about it all. And people assume they’ll be friendly, but what if they’re hostile, and we’re trying to drag their asses here? Not exactly a smart move. I’m sure the technology would be cool and stuff, but sometimes when you really pull it apart, it can be a little intimidating. We thin
k we’re so smart, the intelligent race, but what if we’re a bunch of dumb asses? And Bigfoot, has he stayed hidden all this time because he doesn’t want to be found? Yet, all the deer that have been on the side of the road after a mishap, and there’s not one Bigfoot car crash when the dude was hopping and skipping over the road? And seriously, maybe the US government can shut people up, but what about people in other countries reporting the same thing? What do you think?”
“Bigfoot is real. I dated him in college. Tall, hairy dude, had massive feet, but was a jerk when he got what he wanted. Some people call him Sasquatch, I just called him Tom,” I said, then burst out laughing.
Nick shook his head and did an eye roll.
I scrunched my nose in mock disgust. “Did you just eye roll me?”
“This is serious shit, Panda. I saw a UFO once and the experience never left me. It’s one of those things where if you admit it, people think you’re crazy. And yet, you have to tell people, because it’s so life changing.” He seemed almost embarrassed.
“Really, you saw one? You’re serious? What happened?” I was on the edge of my seat. I wasn’t sure what I thought about Bigfoot or aliens honestly, but Nick was so engaged, it was fascinating to listen. Why hadn’t Brody told me about it?
“The way it moved, it made no sense. When I first spotted it, I played mind games with myself. It’s a weather balloon, a military vehicle, but no matter what I told myself, I knew what I was seeing was something I’d probably never see again. It zigged and zagged, and then moved in ways that didn’t compute. It would be in one spot, then another, but I wouldn’t see the path of movement. It only lasted for a minute or two at most, but I knew it was something profound.”
I nodded, noting that I understood what he meant about the movement. It’d obviously left an impact on him.
Excited, he continued his story. “Anyway, my father was with me that night. We were out for a walk, talking, on one of those rare moments where he was acting like a human being, and there it was. He was freaked, but pretended like it never happened, and if I talked about it he’d shut me down and tell me I was making shit up.”
“Did your father ever validate you? Did he…”
Nick grew agitated. “He’s a selfish prick. I don’t want to discuss him.”
“I’m sorry, right.” I tried to save the moment, but it might have been lost. I changed the topic as quickly as I could. “If there was such a thing as Bigfoot, why are pictures always blurry? And why aren’t there consistent footprints? People find one print, not a path of prints. Why couldn’t you track it back to its home? I mean, trackers and hunters are pretty good at that stuff. Why don’t people put those hunting cameras out and monitor the areas they are suspected to be in?”
He shrugged. “You’d think people would be smarter, but they’re discovering new species every day. Why haven’t we seen those things before either? It’s not like they didn’t exist. We just never saw them. I was just reading about a new ‘daddy long legs’ variety they found in Oregon. I mean, really? All these years they simply hid, so we didn’t even know they existed. And there was a type of albino lizard that lived in the ocean in a lightless cave; they only discovered it when they stumbled upon it.”
“And what about that plant they found in the Philippines? It looks like coral, but lives on the ground. And why are there only like fifty of them? Where did they come from, and where are the rest? So, you read, huh?” I jabbed him gently. He didn’t seem like the news gathering, scientific type of guy. I was duly impressed.
He took it in stride. “Don’t let it get out. It would kill my reputation.”
Our gaze met, and for a moment we bonded. It took the waitress clearing her throat to snap us out of it. Heat filled my cheeks as she dropped off our order. I was at a loss for words. We finished eating in silence, both of us on eggshells about what we saw happening.
The big, juicy burger I ordered was wrapped in lettuce, and loaded with all sorts of goodies inside. The caramelized onions filled my nostrils with pure heaven, and gooey cheese was layered over the meat. Mushrooms helped stuff the lettuce wrap, and lastly a squirt of mayonnaise to top it off.
Nick got a roast beef sandwich with provolone and a big stack of onion rings. Thankfully, the food kept us busy, because we were heading down a slippery slope that was leading us to a place I wasn’t sure either one of us was ready to face.
When we finished eating, I messaged Brody to check in with him. I was relieved when he said he was okay. Maybe I needed to believe him, but I did. He’d tell me if things had gotten worse, right? He seemed calmer, like whatever had set him off, it smoothed over or something. He signed off with a “see you soon” message.
We wrapped up another day on the road and parked in Birmingham for the night. At the first light of day, we’d be on the road again. Nick was insistent that New Orleans be our next stop. It would set us up to have a mostly straight shot across Texas afterwards, and he had some friends down there we could stay with. That last part worried me. I tried not to overthink it, and just went along for the ride.
Chapter 14 – Nick
Birmingham, Alabama. The song “Sweet Home Alabama” ran through my head. I knew about a car museum down here, but never had the chance to go. If I had more time, I’d get lost at the Barber Vintage Car Museum. Not only did the place house tons of restored cars, but motorcycles too. With well over one thousand restored cars and bikes, it was the kind of place a car guy like me drools over. The speed loving owner created something phenomenal. I heard about it from a guy who went down there to see it, and put it on my bucket list. Now, here I was in Birmingham without the time to stop.
We had two more days of driving ahead of us. We’d make a pit stop at New Orleans, which would give us a straight shot to El Paso, heading west across Texas. One last stop in San Antonio, then the next day we’d be there.
Something happened today at lunch. I felt it. She felt it. I know she wants to deny what’s happening, but there’s something there. Believe me, I’m the last person in the world who would have guessed I could be drawn to Amanda. Seriously, we’re night and day, oil and water, and yet, there were moments that told me that we might have more in common than we’d first thought. I was starting to enjoy her company – I think that was a shock to both of us.
After a solid night of sleep, we were back on the road headed to New Orleans.
Chapter 15 - Amanda
We were only on the road for five hours this time, which was a nice break from our longer excursions. Getting into New Orleans early, we decided to go see a few tourist attractions. We couldn’t check into the hotel until later, so we’d make good use of our time. We considered going farther, but we were both burned out. I was ready to break the pace.
After talking it over, we decided to go to Jackson Square and take a horse and carriage ride. While there, we watched artists paint, then took in the atmosphere and people-watched before we walked over to Frenchman Street. Jazz filled the air and music filled our souls. We stopped at a couple of places, d.b.a., and Bamboula’s, to listen to live music. It was amazing.
When Nick reached over and took my hand, I didn’t try to pull it away. It was nice, almost like we were on a date and no longer dueling road companions. It was a natural transgression, and I took it for what it was. I could enjoy the afternoon without judgement. I didn’t need to make it into something it wasn’t. Somehow or another, we found comfort in each other’s company for a short while. It was better than bickering.
From Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, we stopped to see the St. Louis Cathedral. The history and architecture stimulated my senses. I wasn’t usually into this kind of stuff, but there was magic in the air. Every detail pulled me in, as if there was a story waiting to be told. For a few moments in time, I forgot the reason we were in New Orleans. Shame pulsed through me when I remembered. This wasn’t some leisure vacation. We had somewhere to be.
With so many tours, shops, and restaurants, it would have be
en easy to get lost in New Orleans for days. Embarrassed by my selfish thoughts, I silently scolded myself. We had a responsibility to get Brody, and I needed to keep that in perspective. I looked down at my hand. Nick’s fingers were tangled around mine. I gently parted them and then admitted my guilt. “I feel badly that we stopped and we’re out here sightseeing while he’s waiting on us. Maybe we should have pushed to go a longer distance.”
“I get it, but relax. We’re on our way. There’s only so much we can do. I know it seems like we’re dropping the ball, but we still have a long drive to get through. It’s important to take breaks.” He wrapped his arm over my shoulder to comfort me. I didn’t ask him to move it. Instead, I leaned into him and accepted the warmth and companionship he offered.
When enough time had passed, we went to check into the small hotel we’d found after I begrudgingly admitted I wasn’t comfortable staying with his friends. Sorry, but no way, no how. I paid for the hotel, which put an end to the conversation. He could stay with me, or go see his friends. Either way, we needed to be on the road bright and early.
He checked into the hotel with me. I got our usual arrangement of two beds. While we’d been more affectionate through the day, it didn’t lead to anything more. Sleep was sleep, and that was the deal. I was grateful he didn’t push me.
Morning came quickly. The bright sun seeped through the cracks in the thick canvas curtains, and woke me earlier than I’d anticipated. I glanced over at Nick. He was out cold, snoring softly, and curled up under his covers. He looked cozy. Embarrassed by my urge to crawl under the covers and spoon in behind him, I opted for a cold shower instead. That would wake me up and knock some sense into me.
Before hitting the road, we gathered our things, grabbed some caffeine and prepped for another day of driving. El Paso was within our reach, and we’d be there soon enough.
