Pace Laps (Racing on the Edge Book 10) (20 page)

Seeing the look on her face when Rager swam over to her float and leaned in to whisper in her ear, I could tell that I wasn’t what she needed. No, my girl looked at Rager like he hung the moon and while I knew I should be worried because she was married to another man, I couldn’t help but smile. Jameson and I always believed that Arie should be with Rager. He was one of those guys who when you met him, he fit it perfectly with our family. But Rager was six years older than Arie, and when she was younger, he was always respectful of the age difference. The problem was when it finally wouldn’t have mattered, it was too late because she was with Easton.

I cheered for Rager in this scenario, believe it or not.

Lost in those thoughts, I heard my name and strip club mentioned, which naturally drew my attention.

When I looked over to where the guys were all sitting around a cooler filled with beer, I heard Jameson telling everyone how disappointed he was that I wouldn’t kiss a stripper during our one and only visit to a strip club together a few months back.

I had never been to a strip club and after my surgery and the installation of my new and improved funbags, a little research was in order. I wanted to see how the new girls measured up against professionals. Needless to say, Jameson was all for the idea. I think he had secretly waited for this moment his whole life.

“What are you rambling about over there?” I asked, wanting to see what story he was feeding the guys.

“I was just telling everyone how I’m just really disappointed that you wouldn’t kiss the stripper giving you a lap dance.” Jameson had a genuine look of disappointment on his face. He had the same look at the club when I told him there was no way I was going to make out with some random chick flashing her tits in my face.

“You need to let it go, Jameson.” I made my way over to him, sitting down on his lap. “It’s never gonna happen.”

Spencer, of course, had to give his two cents. “I don’t get your hesitation. She was hot.”

This of course only succeeded to make Alley angry. “If you think it’s so hot, why don’t you kiss Tommy?”

Spencer’s face went green, and then white. Pure fucking white. “Why the hell would I do that?”

Hell, even Tommy looked concerned, his sunglasses tipping down to eye Alley.

“Because why is it okay for you guys to want to see us kissing another girl, but you can’t kiss another guy?”

Spencer shifted in his chair to look at her, I mean really look at her, like what he was about to say was the most important thing he’d ever said. Not likely. “Look, babe, me kissing Tommy, that’s just fucking disgusting. No one wants to see that shit. But Sway, kissing a hot stripper who has her tits in her face, well that’s just fucking art. Guys would line up around the block to pay and see that.”

Jameson nodded. “That’s what I’m saying!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Spencer had a very specific way of looking at the world, and I couldn’t deny his logic. Nobody wants to see him kissing Tommy. Hell, I didn’t want to see anyone kissing Tommy. Man or woman. Alley, on the other hand, stood up, swaying slightly because as I said, we were all pretty wasted, and smacked Spencer in the back of the head. “You’re a fucking pig. You know that?”

Looking up to give Jameson a quick kiss, I noticed the look of disgust on his face. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Is me sitting on your lap that disgusting to you?”

Jameson looked down at me, his face scrunched in confusion. “What? No. Why would you ask that?”

“Well, you looked upset.”

“I’m not upset with you. I’m disgusted by Dave.”

I had to roll my eyes because this was not a new development. Dave brought disgust to most people he met. Mostly because he had weird obsessive-compulsive disorders.

“Why now?”

“Well, have you ever watched him? I mean really watched him?”

“No, why would I do that?” The thought actually made me shudder.

“I’ve been sitting here watching him, and I have to be honest. I’m severely disturbed by what I’m seeing. Have you ever noticed that he is constantly smelling his fingers?”

“What do you mean smelling his fingers?” I was almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Anytime he touches something, usually one of his body parts, he smells his fingers. So far I’ve seen him wipe his armpits and sniff his fingers… and just a minute ago he stuck his hands down his pants to scratch his balls, and again, he sniffed his fingers.” Reaching up, he ran his fingers through his hair and then stared at me. “I’m thinking there is something seriously wrong with that bastard.”

“I don’t know why you’re so affected by this. He drank gasoline last week. There’s always been something wrong with him.”

“Good point.”

Willie came back, maybe for more abuse, and sat next to us.

Jameson leaned back and stared at Willie’s shorts. “Your board shorts look like a cheap motel.”

I burst out laughing knowing where he was going with that one. I loved drunk Jameson. Fucking loved him so much.

“Why’s that?” He then pulled at the crotch trying to gain some room. They were seriously
that
tight you could see the outline of his dick.

“No ballroom,” Jameson noted, looking away.

It took Willie like five minutes to understand the joke, but everyone else got it.

After dinner and giving the grandkids s’mores, I pulled Jameson aside for his birthday present. Me of course.

We were only like a minute into it when Rosa knocked on the door. “I have to pee.”

“Fuck off, Rosa. Go away.”

She didn’t. Naturally. “If I slide my phone under the door, will you take a Snapchat so I can add it to my story?”

Jameson slammed his shoulder into the door, breaking it. “GO. THE. FUCK AWAY!”

“I don’t know why you’re being so mean,” Rosa said to us when we were laying on the ground because my husband just broke the door. “It’s not like I haven’t watched you two have sex before.” And then she snapped a picture of us naked.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Jameson asked her, covering himself with a towel and then ripping her phone out of her hand and put it in the toilet. “When have you ever seen us having sex?”

“Nothing. Never mind. And you’re paying for that phone.”

Jameson stared at me in disbelief. “I paid for that phone the first time.”

Pick – Refers to when a car is trying to pass another car, the car under attack may pass closely by the attacking car, such that the attacking car is on the same side of the passing car. The passing car then has to back off and get in line with the lead car in order to pass the slower car.

Know what pissed me off more than anything?

Bad media. And it seemed between Jack’s death and Easton, I had a lot of it. I knew Arie and Easton had problems. I did. And I ignored it for a while, until I couldn’t any longer. Not with my daughter pregnant and the appearance of Easton cheating on her.

“Unless you want me to knock those off your goddamn face, I suggest you remove your sunglasses,” I warned when Easton walked inside my office at JAR Racing. I mean what kind of fucking idiot did that?

Lately, this idiot.

Surprisingly, he removed them and sat down in front of me.

“What’s going on with you?” I was never one to beat around the bush. If I had a problem with you, you fucking knew it, and I had a problem with this. I pointed to the article in Racers Edge indicating Easton was sleeping around with a model.

Easton stared at me, slouched as if I wasn’t his fucking boss and signed his damn checks. “Nothing. What are you talking about?”

“Well, I’m talking about your general attitude these days. I’ve tried to stay out of this, but it’s not easy when you’re acting like this.”

A practiced look of innocence passed over his face, his brow lifting. “I really don’t know what you’re referring to.” Easton stared at me with a blank expression, searching my eyes. Maybe he was trying to see if I was serious, or maybe he was just that stupid. Regardless, the lack of respect Easton showed only pissed me off.

“Let me remind you, of who you are because you’ve seemed to forget.” My voice took on an authority figure, one that if he had any sense, he’d listen to. “I get the lifestyle, the temptation to be that superstar they want you to be, both with the fans and the women that flock to you when you’re on top. But you’re married to my only daughter. While this is affecting my business and you’re pissing me off, you’re disrespecting my daughter, and that’s where I draw the line.”

He didn’t say much, just stared at me like I didn’t know what he was going through. The truth was, I knew exactly what kind of temptation he had. I nearly lost my marriage over it, and I didn’t even act on it. I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and had a huge misunderstanding. What was going on with him and this model, it wasn’t a misunderstanding. It was him fucking up.

Leaning forward, I placed my elbows on the desk. “Who do you want to be known as?” I asked, keeping my stare level with his. “If you want to be with her, be with her. Don’t sneak around behind her back and don’t give the press a reason to doubt your intentions.” I picked up the magazine and pointed to the model. “Who’s this model? Is this something or nothing?”

Arrogance I knew well marred his features as he shifted in his chair, his head skewed slightly toward the door. “Does it matter? And you know how it is.”

“No, actually I don’t. All I know is you’ve been seen with her a lot, and it looks bad.”

Easton was growing impatient, his tone turning aggravated. “This doesn’t have anything to do with my racing, so I don’t see how this has anything to do with you.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. It does. You race for me. Your image reflects my company.” I leveled him a glare, hoping he understood where I was going with it when I said, “You’re racing because I chose for you to race. I can take that away at any point.”

“I’ve won you three championships.” He snorted, pushing out a deep breath. “And you know, I’m tired of being treated like this.” Throwing his hands up in aggravation, they landed with a slap on his thighs. “You’ve never given me a chance. Nothing I’ve ever done has ever been good enough for you. I’m not your golden boy,” he told me with a confidence I wanted to wipe from his smug face.

I shook my head and glowered at him, my body tensed. How dare he accuse me of not treating him well. “What are you talking about?”

“Rager. I know for a fact he has an indefinite contract.”

“First of all, that’s none of your business.” I couldn’t believe he was bringing Rager’s contract into this, but then again, I could because Rager’s always been competition for him. “And second, I’ve never asked you to be anyone else. I let you take the lead in your career. When you came to me and wanted to race all three divisions, I never said a word. I gave you a chance. Don’t disrespect me. I can take it away just as quickly as I gave it to you. If you want to keep racing for me, don’t give me some kind of bitch excuse as to what’s going on. It’s bullshit.”

Easton crossed his arms over his chest, watching me closely. “I don’t think this is about my racing at all.”

He was smarter than I gave him credit for. This meeting was never about his racing. I knew in my gut Arie wasn’t carrying Easton’s kid. There was just no way. But I also knew or had a strong suspicion that Easton had not been faithful. I saw him at the track and the way he watched the women around him. I know when another man was stepping out, it was obvious.

“All right, you want to know, fine. You’re fucking around on my daughter. I was trying to keep it professional, and you know, it doesn’t sit well with me. You have a family on the way.”

Easton laughed, shaking his head as he stood. “Come on now, Jameson. We both know there’s more to this than me screwing around. Do the math.”

Ungrateful asshole.

Of course I did the math.