Bottomed Out

by Brooke May

  Once on the ground floor, I do just that, and after a few minutes, the ramp is back up, and the van is locked. I take off for the elevator. It was intimidating when I came to the front entrance for my interview with the company. I had just gotten the all clear to go back to live my life as normally as I possibly could.

  Lucky for me, the company was one of my former sponsors and had been an incredible supporter of mine as I slowly came back to who I was. When they got word that I was well enough to be on my own again, they offered me a job.

  I still had to interview for it, but it was only for appearance’s sake. I had no experience with anything on their side of races and events, but I learned quickly, and now I have my own office and assistant.

  Unlike Axle, who is stuck in a hellhole of a job where he could easily leave but doesn’t in fear he will be blackballed in the accounting world, and Levi, who has every single thing he needs to be a good attorney but chooses to be a playboy and live off the inheritance his grandfather left him, I enjoy working and love what I do.

  The lights for each floor flash for a moment before moving up to the next one until they come to a stop on the fourth floor, and the doors open. I’m quick to get out before they decide to close on me and pump my arms through the entrance of the office.

  Veronica is manning the front desk like the expert she is. It isn’t even eight yet, and our phones are already ringing off the hook. She waves to me as I pass while also pushing the automatic door for me.

  Mouthing, “Thanks,” to her, I head down the extremely short hallway that opens to many desks and offices. Making my way over to my door, I find my assistant, Michelle, busying herself at her own desk in front of my closed door.

  “Morning, Michelle.”

  “Good morning, Jax.” Coming up behind me, she follows me into my office as I push the door open to give me the daily agenda. “Mr. Landon will be here in a few. He has something he wanted to talk to you about, and then you need to finalize the vendors for the race in a few weeks.”

  “Sounds good.” Putting my stuff in the top drawer of my desk, I get in my spot behind it and smile up at her. “How was your weekend?”

  “I survived it.” She deflates with a relief only a mother can experience.

  “Wasn’t it your son’s birthday?”

  “It was.” She cringes with a nod. “He decided it was the best time to get sick just as he was blowing out his candles.”

  “Vomit and cake? That’s a nasty mix.”

  “Tell me about it.” She shakes it off with a horrified expression crossing her face. “Anyway, better get to work.” Tapping on my desk, she heads out the door and leaves me to my own work.

  I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was given this job and quickly learned that not only did Mr. Landon start this company by slowly endorsing one rider at a time and planning one race at a time but he also somehow amassed an empire in Utah for motocross and a few other motor sports events.

  When you go to a track and see all the workers running around to make sure the tracks are ready, the shitters are good, and every little thing is right, that’s what we do. Well, what most of the workers do. I work even farther behind the scenes by getting vendors there as well as the riders.

  Firing up my computer, I get right to work answering emails and figuring out which riders will attend and who hasn’t gotten back to us yet. I’m just diving into a reply to one of the emails I had waiting from a rider’s manager when my door opens and Mr. Landon strides in.

  “Good morning, Jax.” His booming, jovial voice carries through my room, rattling the pictures I have on the walls. A tall and stout man, Ern Landon seems to walk around with a permanent smile that reddens his cheeks. I have yet to come across anyone who has something bad to say about the man.

  “Good morning, Ern.” I only use his first name when I’m face-to-face with him. “I heard you wanted to speak to me?” Pushing my keyboard away, I give him my undivided attention.

  “That I do, Jax, my boy.” Pulling out the chair across from me, he takes the seat and crosses his leg, causing his slacks to ride up and reveal his vibrant green socks. The man is a little odd, but he is an amazing boss. “Are you familiar with Piston Motor Sports?”

  “The company the Bartin twins are building up?” Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on my desk in intrigue. Paige and Parker Bartin are motocross racers who have been dominating the field since they broke out a few years ago. Parker puts his focus on freestyle events where he has been known to pull out all the stops to go big and go home a winner while Paige is one hell of a racer. The two of them together are a force to be reckoned with and are now working on their own company to cover a few other motor sports.

  “That’s the one.” He snaps his fingers when he points at me.

  “What about them?”

  “I would like you to contact someone there and arrange a meeting with a representative. I would like to see if we could work something out to have the twins participate in a few of our events.”

  “That would be great publicity.” I nod in agreement.

  “That’s why I love you, Jax. You get where I’m going each time.” Getting up, he raps his knuckles on my desk. “A partnership with them not only helps us but would also help them. See that it gets done.”

  “I won’t disappoint you, sir,” I say with a nod. He tosses me a thumbs-up before striding out my door.

  Not wasting a moment, I pick up the desk phone as well as look up the number for the complex the twins have been building outside of the city. Normally, I would have Michelle do this and then patch it over to me, but with the possibility of having someone as well-known as Paige and Parker Bartin, I want to handle this myself.

  “Hello, Piston Motor Sports. This is Genie, how may I help you?” A rather bored tone of a woman comes on the line after two rings.

  “Hello, my name is Jax Hunt. I work for Double X Industries, and I was wondering if I might have a moment to speak with Paige or Parker Bartin?”

  “Please hold.”

  “Than–” Music quickly interrupts my gratitude. It isn’t the usual instrumental type you would normally hear when being transferred or put on hold. Instead, I’m greeted by the same type of music I was listening to on my way to the office.

  Sitting back, I make myself comfortable and collect my thoughts on how I’m going to approach asking one or both of the siblings to participate in one of our events. The one we have coming up in a few weeks might be too short of notice, but if I manage to pull it off, my boss would be that much more pleased.

  Five minutes roll by and I end up switching my phone from one ear to the other and continue to wait. By ten minutes, I’m back to answering the email I had started when Mr. Landon came in as well as several others.

  When the fifteen-minute mark comes and goes and Michelle is poking her head in to make sure I’m okay and to inform me I have other calls I need to get back to, I’m about ready to hang up and try again after lunch when the music halts, and a rushed voice speaks.

  “Hello?” The voice is smooth and soft, but the word is anything but. I’m struck speechless from hearing it. “Hello?” This time it’s a little rougher. “Jesus, if she put through another prank fucking call again, I’m going to make sure she gets shit canned this time.”

  “Err …” What the hell is wrong with me? By the time I was done writing out my emails, I knew exactly how I wanted to pitch this.

  “Hello?”

  I practically swallow my tongue as I finally grab hold of some words. “Hello, my name is Jax Hunt, and I’m with Double X Industries. I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time, Ms. Bartin?”

  A chuckle is my answer, followed by a sweet sort of giggle.

  “You seriously think I’m Paige?” The woman laughs through her question.

  “I assumed since you were the one to answer the call …” I trail off, letting the meaning sink in.

  “Well, I hate to tell you, Mr. Hunt, but I’m not Paige Bartin.
I’m her right-hand, and I’m who you get. And frankly, now isn’t a good time.”

  “It would only take a couple of minutes.”

  “Sorry, maybe you should try again later.” I know I’m about to lose this call.

  “Could I speak to Parker then?” Once more, I’m answered with laughter.

  “That’s not going to happen. Listen, I’ll make sure Paige gets the message that a Mr. Hunt from Double X Industries wants a word with her, okay?” I’m not given the opportunity to reply as the line goes dead.

  “Well, shit.” Putting the phone back in the cradle, I pick up my pen and drum it against my desk before I go back to work. I’ll have to figure something else out to get a hold of the twins.

  Chapter Three

  My entire workday became swamped after that call, but I am still reeling from it. It wasn’t so much the conversation as it was the sweet yet strong as hell voice on the other end that messed with me. I don’t know much about the Bartin twins outside of their careers. I’m not aware of their team of crew members and everyone who helps out behind closed doors, but I’m interested to find out more about the woman I spoke to.

  Doing my best to force that voice that now haunts me to the back of my head, I dive into work by composing more emails. I spent so much time on the phone that by the time I finally hung up for good, at least for the day, both of my ears were burning and I’m sure red from the amount of time I spent on each call.

  As usual, I ate lunch at my desk, and like every day of the week, Michelle came in to eat hers with me. She told me the rest of the story about her son’s birthday party that ended with the vomit-covered cake her mother-in-law worked on for three days to perfect.

  And to my relief, Mr. Landon never came back or even called to see if I was able to get a hold of the Bartins. Reporting back to him that I did not succeed isn’t something I am ready to tell him. I am hoping that he will leave me to it, and I understand that the twins are probably both extremely busy as the season starts to pick up.

  Tapping on my mouse, I refresh my email one final time before I power down and call it a day.

  I’m not so work crazed to have my work email and calendar synced to my phone. When I leave the building, I typically leave everything at the doors I exit from. I also leave my attitude with whatever shit is happening in my workplace there as well, unlike a certain grumpy grouch I live with.

  When the final refresh doesn’t reveal any new messages, I begin the process of powering down my computer and collecting my things to head out. Normally, I would change in here before heading out because I always go to the gym after work, but that isn’t the case today.

  Since I haven’t technically signed up for the new gym yet, there is no point in getting my workout clothes on. I’m going for a tour and to visit more with the staff of physical therapists who will be there if I need them.

  Pushing the button to open my door, I roll out into the hustle and bustle of everyone else getting ready to head home. One great thing about Double X is Mr. Landon has always asked all of us to make sure we wrap up for the day by at least five thirty, and if not, it can wait until the next day. He knows most of us have families to run home to and wouldn’t dare deny us time with our loved ones.

  Michelle is putting away her things for the day and grabbing her purse just in time to head to the elevator with me.

  “I take it you didn’t have any more luck tracking down one of the Bartins?” Pushing the call button, she takes a step back.

  “I didn’t try anymore.” I don’t know why I didn’t try to track down another number or even find an email address. For some reason, I’m positive that any email I sent would go unopened.

  “I heard they were hard to reach.”

  “More than likely due to a busy schedule.” Michelle steps into the elevator after me and pushes the button for the underground garage. “Racing season is starting for the year, so it may take some time. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get ahold of them before our next event.”

  She blows out a disbelieving breath. “Jax, you are perfectly capable of making miracles happen.”

  “Except making my legs work.” Grinning up at her, I pick up one of my lifeless limbs and drop it back into its rightful place.

  “Oh, Jax. If you are looking for sympathy from me, you are barking up the wrong tree.” I can’t help but snort a laugh at the extremely tall woman. “You have compensated for your legs and become a great role model for so many who are going through something similar. Oh, don’t look away like that.” She lightly slaps my shoulder. “I’m with you when you visit with kids at both schools and youth centers. You’re a great man, Jax. And some miracles can happen.”

  Her words make my chest puff up a little. I also admire her for not catering to me even when I’m not looking for sympathy.

  “Don’t let my compliment get to your head.” She bats at me again just as the elevator doors open. “Now, go check out the gym and then go home to think of a way to get in touch with one of the twins. I’ll go out to their complex with you if that is what you need to do.”

  “Have I told you how much I adore you?”

  When she first came to work as my assistant, I wasn’t sure how to take the constant spit up on her blouses and stains on her slacks, but when she proved to be a force of nature in aiding me with making contacts and anything else that I honestly didn’t ask from her, I made sure to keep a strong hold on having her as my assistant. I even reasoned with Mr. Landon to give Michelle a healthy raise after her ninety-day trial period.

  I’m just surprised she hasn’t been given the opportunity to have her own office and assistant yet.

  “I may have to resort to that.” I follow her out and over to my van. “I’ve wanted to check out their facility since I got word of it a while ago.”

  “Sounds like a fun outing. Just let me know.”

  “I will. Thank you, Michelle.”

  “Anytime, boss man. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Waving over her head, she makes her way down the long row of vehicles to her car. I know she waits for me to get into my van, but I’m the one who worries about her. Her husband works for the railroad and is gone the majority of the time, leaving her to take care of their son on her own. I don’t want to see anything happen to her.

  My lift makes its nasal sound as it slowly lowers to the ground and ends with a sudden bang.

  Getting on, I secure myself for the slow ride up and once in the van, I get myself to the driver’s side and I’m off to the gym.

  I was told it’s better than the one I used to attend, and I’ve heard nothing but stellar things about the place. I’m really hoping it will be a good fit for me because it’s only a mile away from my apartment, so I could easily go home and wheel my way there. It would be nice to get outside a little more, especially in the evenings or early in the mornings when the weather permits.

  Waving at the parking garage guard, I exit and head into the afterwork traffic, which is hell as usual. I can’t imagine how bad the traffic can be at this time in other cities around the country or world for that matter.

  I don’t have a set appointment to get to the gym. It’s open until eleven, but I would like to get there before hunger takes hold of me and I decide to get fast food. Thankfully, it doesn’t come to that, and I make it just as traffic is slowly letting up.

  The parking lot is enormous with far more handicap spots than what’s normally found in one. It’s refreshing to be able to pull into a van spot that isn’t occupied by a minivan filled with screaming kids and an exhausted mom.

  Once more, I’m forced to wait as I get out and lock my van. This is one of the reasons I make sure I get going as early as I can. It takes me twice as long to get to and from appointments just because of my van.

  The pavement is still plenty warm on the way in, and I’m blasted with cool air as the doors open automatically for me. It’s like walking into Walmart.

  No music plays like other gyms, and I find it refreshing. I can com
e in for silence if I need to, or I could plug in my music while I make my way around to do different workouts.

  “Hello.” A bright smile greets me from the lower front desk. “I’m Francis. Welcome to Your Way Gym.”

  “Hello. I’m Jax Hunt. I was hoping to get a tour. My gym has closed down, and I’m in the market for another one.”

  “Absolutely.” She shoots out of her seat. Taking a quick look around the place, I find it pretty deserted at the moment. The massive building has plenty of room for multiple wheelchair-bound people to move around without running into one another.

  “I’m free to show you around.” Hopping around, Francis comes to stand in front of me. She leads me through the weights, hand bicycles to hanging equipment, a gym with lower hoops to have basketball games, a yoga and Pilates room, to even a rehab room. Fuck, they even have a room for Zumba and other dance shit I know I won’t be going near.

  The air conditioning is just right. It isn’t freezing in here so that if sweat is beading on me, I’m not going to chill to death between reps or machines. But it isn’t too stuffy in here either.

  “We have at least four therapists on staff at all times. Each of them specializes in a different type of therapy.” Francis stops, her hands clasping before her as she turns to face me. I wheel to a stop at the front counter with her, still looking around. “Any questions, Mr. Hunt?”

  “Err … Please call me Jax.” I smile up at her. “I only have two. What is the monthly fee, and where do I sign up?”

  “The first month is free, and afterward, it’s two fifty a month.” I hiss at the steep price. That’s a little more than I was hoping to go with, but if it means I can work out where I know I’ll be safe and have people on staff who are equipped to help me, then it’s a fair price. “And here is the signup sheet.”

  Taking the clipboard from her, I start filling out the forms. It’s more in-depth than usual, and I’ll have to get my doctors to fax some things over but I’m okay with that.