“Oh, Emily, we’ve talked a lot about NASCAR, but you have never told me what you think of Jeremiah Jones.” Jeremiah had been watching TV but got interested in the phone conversation at the mention of his name. He leaned in close to hear her answer.
“I like him. He is so cute.”
Jeremiah looked at Dawn and winked. Then he leaned back into the couch cushions to finish watching his television program. Dawn and Emily talked for about five more minutes before hanging up.
“She’ll die of embarrassment if she ever finds out about that,” Dawn laughed as she set the phone back on its base. “She doesn’t know it yet, but if she finishes the school year with good grades and stays out of trouble, her mom is going to let her come visit me for the Coke 600 on Memorial Day weekend. It will be an early birthday present.”
“That will be great,” Jeremiah said. “I can’t wait to meet her and tell her what just happened.”
“I can’t wait to see that,” Dawn said just before covering her mouth for a yawn. “Sorry about that,” she said. “It’s been a long day.”
“I know. I’m leaving at five a.m. tomorrow for a test session in Atlanta. I guess I need to get home,” he said as he got off the sofa and headed toward the door.
“I’ll walk you out,” Dawn said and followed him. “Thanks for the flowers.”
“Thank you for the great dinner,” he said as they reached the door. He paused for a moment before continuing. “I know we agreed to just be friends but…” he stopped.
“But what?”
“But can I give you a small kiss good-night?” Dawn’s head dropped. “Okay. I’ll take that as a no. What about a friendly hug?”
Dawn raised her head to look at him again. “I’d like that.” She smiled.
He stepped forward and put his arms around her shoulders as he pulled her close. Oh, she smells so good, he thought as he enjoyed the moment. He stepped back and released her. He knew she was vulnerable and that he had hurt her once. He didn’t want to hurt her again.
“Oh, before you go, let me give you this.” She walked over to the kitchen counter and wrote something on a piece of paper. Then she walked back and handed it to him. “It’s my home and cell numbers.”
“Thank you,” he said. He wanted more, so much more from her, but he knew that she couldn’t give it now. Since he couldn’t think of anything else to say or do, he went home.
Dawn waited until his truck pulled out of the drive to turn off the porch light and close the front door. She walked over to the recliner, sat down, and picked up her Bible from the top of the bookshelf beside it. Lately, she had been struggling with what to read. The trouble was continuing tonight. Once settled, she would have to find a church in Charlotte and start going to Bible study again. Maybe that would give her the focus that she needed. She remembered Psalms 75:1 just then. “We give thanks to you, Oh God, we give thanks! For your wondrous works declare that your name is near.” She bowed her head and prayed, “Thank you, Father, for a place to live. It is better than I ever expected. Being in the country like this is almost like being home in Arkansas. Thank you for always watching over me and blessing me. It is just one of the many reasons why I love you so much. Thank you Father. Amen.”
Bryan picked Dawn up at eight-fifteen the next morning, just as promised, to take Dawn to the race shop. It took about forty-five minutes to get where they were going. This was Dawn’s first real look at the city of Charlotte. They had gotten in pretty late on Sunday night, and Dawn had spent most of the day yesterday settling into her new home. The traffic was terrible. It was the thing that Dawn had dreaded most about moving to the big city. This country girl always got so nervous trying to navigate through all the vehicles. Maybe Bryan would do all the driving, since he did that for a living.
Once at the office, Bryan gave Dawn the grand tour. In the front was the office area, where Dawn would spend most of her time. She didn’t have an office, just a cubicle in the corner. That was fine with her because she had worked in a cubicle at her last job. Then Bryan took Dawn in to meet the race team owner, Edward Schneider. He was an older man, in his late fifties, with not much hair but plenty of personality to make up for it. He was definitely a motivator and a people person. He liked everybody, and everybody liked him. After talking for a while, he took her on a tour of the race shop. He actually owned two teams and cars from both teams were in the shop. Dawn had already met Bryan’s pit crew, but now she met everyone else. Each team employed at least fifty people. There were mechanics, fabricators, and paint and body guys. Some of the cars were finished, but others were in various stages. They really did build their cars from the ground up. The car from Daytona was being repaired. It wasn’t badly damaged, just a few dents and bangs here and there. Dawn watched as the guys tore the metal off the car so that it could be replaced.
“Wow,” Dawn said, “I can’t wait to see these guys actually build a car.”
“We’re starting another car for my other team today. It has to be ready for our first road course race,” Edward told her. “Come back here anytime to watch the guys at work.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Any other questions?”
“Nothing comes to mind right now.”
“Well, my door is always open. If you think of any questions, drop by. Any of the staff will be able to help you as well.”
“Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome again.” He was going to say something else, but his cell phone rang. “I’ve got to take this. It was nice to meet you. And remember, my door is always open.”
“So, what do you think?” Bryan asked.
“Very impressive,” she answered. “I’ve been in garages before but nothing like this. It’s so clean you could eat off the floor.”
“Ed insists on a clean shop. A clean shop is a safe shop. Not to mention the fact that fans come here year round to see how their favorite teams operate. They spend a lot of money to come here, and he wants them to be impressed with everything when they leave.”
“I don’t see how anyone wouldn’t be impressed with this place.” Just then, a group of people walked into the shop. They saw Bryan standing there and immediately began to point and get their cameras. “Speaking of fans, I think some of yours just arrived.”
Bryan turned to look over his shoulder. “Great. I love meeting my fans. Come with me.” Dawn spent most of the next hour talking to the fans, getting photos for Bryan to sign, and taking pictures. She loved it. These fans knew so much about NASCAR. Some had followed Bryan’s career since he was a rookie in the Nationwide Series.
After lunch at a nearby deli, Dawn spent the afternoon settling into her new space and getting to know her coworkers. After a few days in the office, it was time to go to a place where Dawn had always wanted to go: Las Vegas!
Dawn, Bryan, and the rest of the crew arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon. From the airport, they took a helicopter over the famous Las Vegas strip. It didn’t look like much during the day, but she had seen photos and videos, so she couldn’t wait to see it at night. Once at the track, the guys started to set up the garage stall, and Dawn used her laptop to check out Vegas on the Internet. Later, she went over to Bryan’s motor coach to cook supper for the crew. She wasn’t going to let them eat pizza all the time. An hour later, there was enough spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, tossed salad, and iced tea for twenty people. There were only about a dozen guys, but she knew how grown men could eat, especially hungry ones who had worked hard all day. She hoped it was enough. She called Bryan on his cell phone to tell him to bring everyone over for supper.
“This is so good,” Ted said between bites. It’s been so long since I’ve had a real home-cooked meal.” All the guys nodded in agreement. They probably would’ve added their own comments, but their mouths were full.
&nbs
p; “Did everybody get enough?” Dawn asked.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m stuffed,” Bryan answered. “That was excellent.”
“Thank you,” Dawn replied as she refilled drink glasses.
“You haven’t eaten yet,” Bryan said. “Stop waiting on everyone. Sit down and eat.”
“I ate before you guys got here.”
“Any dessert?” Ted asked.
“No. I didn’t have time.”
“It’s probably a good thing. If I ate anymore, I’d be miserable.”
“You should be full. You went back for seconds, twice,” Bryan joked.
“I had plenty to eat. Who knows when I’ll get another meal like this one. Thank you,” Ted told her, and everyone added their thanks.
“You’re welcome.”
With that, everyone got up to leave. “Wait just a second, guys. Dawn is my personal assistant, not your maid. Let’s help her clean up,” Bryan said as he pointed into the kitchen. “Scrape your plates into the trash. Then put them in the dishwasher with your glasses.”
“Oh man!” Ted groaned. “Do we have to?”
“If you don’t help her clean up, she may not cook for you again.”
That was the inspiration the crew needed. After the guys cleaned up after themselves, all Dawn had to do was put the leftovers in the fridge, start the dishwasher, and wipe everything down. She had just sat down to watch TV when her cell phone rang. “Hello.”
“Hello. This is Jeremiah. What ‘cha doin’?”
“Watching TV.”
“You’re in Sin City and you’re sitting around watching TV?”
“Yeah.”
“No way. I just got into town. You want to go do something?”
“Sure.”
“Great. Can you be ready in twenty minutes?”
“That depends. What do you wear for a night out in Vegas?”
It was just over an hour later when Jeremiah arrived at Dawn’s hotel room. Jeremiah let out a whistle when she answered the door wearing a black leather mini and red halter top. “You look hot.”
“I did some shopping when I found out I was coming to Vegas. It’s not too much, is it? I can’t dress like this in Arkansas.”
“You know what they say: ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,’” Jeremiah said with a wink.
“You’re a nut,” Dawn said when she stopped laughing. “Let’s go.”
“What do you want to do first?” Jeremiah asked as they rode down the strip in a taxi. Dawn didn’t hear him. She was looking at all the lights of the city. He got her attention by touching her elbow. “First time in Vegas?”
“Uh-huh,” she answered without turning away from the window. “It’s amazing. So many colors. I’ve always liked rainbows, and this is like a rainbow.” Everywhere she looked there was a different color or a different set of lights, a moving sign in front of this hotel or another outlandish display in front of that casino. It was more than she could take in.
“So what do you want to do first?” he asked again.
“I don’t know. What do you suggest?”
“Let’s gamble, baby!”
“I love to play blackjack,” Jeremiah said a few minutes later as they entered the casino.
“I can’t believe I’m here. My brother Shane is gonna go crazy when he hears about this,” Dawn said as a man dressed like a soldier walked by. “So cool. I can’t believe I let my camera battery die.”
“You can’t take pictures in the gaming area of the casino.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. They just have signs that say no flash photography.” He saw one and pointed it out to her. “Anyway, do you gamble?”
“I’ve played slots, but that’s it.”
“What’s the most that you have ever won?”
“About a hundred bucks,” she said as they passed the roulette table.
“Wait a minute. Do they have casinos in Arkansas?”
“No. But you can either drive to Tunica, Mississippi, or across the border to casinos on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, or to one of the riverboats on the Mississippi River.”
“Do you play Texas Hold-Em?”
“No. Both my brothers do and they tried to teach me, but I can’t understand checks, calls, and that stuff.”
“What was difficult about that?”
“I just couldn’t understand when to check or call. I didn’t get it.” They had been talking while standing in line to get chips.
“Do you have money to play slots with?”
“A few dollars.”
“I’ll give you some money,” he said as he reached for his wallet.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.”
“Maybe later.”
“Just let me know.”
Three hours later, Dawn was bored. She had been sitting all that time watching Jeremiah play blackjack. She would watch people for a while but would stop when she felt like she was staring. “You look bored,” Jeremiah said between hands.
“A little.”
“Do you want to go do something else?”
“I’m getting hungry.”
“Then we’ll go get something to eat.”
“No, that’s okay. I don’t want to interrupt your game.”
“It’s okay. I’m losing, and my back is hurting.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Jeremiah said as he got up from his seat, said good-bye to the dealer, and the other players. “What are you in the mood for?”
“I don’t want a lot. I had a big meal with the guys before you called. I just want to keep my stomach from growling.”
“I wasn’t hungry before you mentioned food, but now I realize that I’m starving. Funny how that happens, huh? I want a hamburger.”
“Sounds good.”
“There’s this really good mom-and-pop style place a couple of blocks away.”
“That sounds great!”
They were passing the slot machines when Jeremiah suddenly stopped. “I just realized that you watched me play all that time and you didn’t get to gamble at all.”
“It’s okay.”
“I’m not letting you leave without gambling at least a little bit. You’ll regret it, and I’ll regret letting you miss this opportunity.”
“Okay.”
“I’ve got a five-dollar token right here,” he said as he fished the coin out of his pocket. “Take this and pick a machine.”
Dawn took the shiny coin from Jeremiah’s hand and looked around. About four slot machines away, a middle-aged bald man put his last coin in the machine. He pulled the handle and waited. He watched until the wheels stopped spinning. He glared at the machine for a few seconds and then walked away. Dawn waited until the man was out of sight to approach the machine. Jeremiah followed close behind. “I can’t believe you’re going to play machine that that guy just gave up on.”
“It’s something that my best friend from college taught me. She has this theory about a machine being due. We would walk around the casino watching for people to give up on a machine. Then we would play one pull on that machine.”
“What was a good Christian girl like you doing in a casino?” he asked.
“I shouldn’t have been there then, and I shouldn’t be here now. But those were my wild college days, and this is my first trip to Vegas. I hope the Lord will forgive me.”
“I want to know how wild your college days were.”
“Not that wild. I drank a little and smoked on occasion. That was about it.”
“That’s disappointing.” Jeremiah s
ighed. “Anyway, about this theory. Did you ever win?”
“Sometimes. Not enough to call it a legitimate theory. Just something to do.” Dawn put the coin in the slot machine and put her hand on the lever. “Ready?”
“Yes,” Jeremiah answered as he leaned in close. “Go for it!”
Dawn pulled the handle and watched the three wheels spin. She could see Jeremiah’s reflection in the glass. He was glued to the scene. They watched in silence as the first wheel stopped and then the second. They were the same. They both held their breath. The third wheel stopped, but it was different from the first two. Dawn was a little disappointed until she noticed the chart on the top of the slot machine. It wasn’t the jackpot, but it was enough to win twenty dollars. Both Jeremiah and Dawn let out a cheer. He put a hand on Dawn’s shoulder and gave her a small squeeze. “You have the option to keep playing or taking the money. What are you going to do?”
“I’m taking the money,” Dawn said as she hit the button to release the coins. She smiled as she heard the tokens hit the tray in the bottom of the machine with a clunk, clink, clank. “I love that sound. Looks like the burgers are on me.”
Later, with hamburgers and sodas in hand, Dawn and Jeremiah strolled down the strip. She couldn’t stop looking at all the lights. It was amazing.
“You’re gonna go blind,” he said.
“I can’t help it. They wouldn’t have all these lights if they didn’t want people to look.”
“True, I guess.”
“I wonder if this is how a mosquito feels just before he flies into the bug zapper,” Dawn said. Jeremiah laughed so hard he couldn’t keep walking. He threw his head back and crossed his hands over his stomach, almost spilling his drink. Dawn turned and watched him laugh. “I’m sorry. Sometimes the country girl in me says stupid things like that.”
Jeremiah laughed for a few more seconds before he could answer. “That’s great. I love it. It actually sounds like something my dad would say.”
“Really?”
Revved Up Hearts Page 9
