Unsocial (54 page)

Brooke

Adam guides me as we meander behind the guys on our way to what
they call the Eagle’s Nest, which is basically a place in the infield of the
track where racers can watch the preliminaries since it offers a 360-view of
the track. Several people stop us on the way to congratulate or offer will wishes
to Adam along the way, and when I look up, I see Jax and Dylan talking to an
older gentleman.

Finally,
we are moving again, and
Adam pulls me in close putting his arm around my shoulders.  In the back of my
mind, I know if Dylan sees this he’s not going to be happy.  I've been
surprised as well as impressed at how well he’s held himself back on several
occasions.  But he has to know that I’m not interested in Adam like that. I
reassure him several times on the phone last night that Adam and I are just
friends. But I’m not going to deny that it doesn’t secretly thrill me that he’s
feeling jealous or even possessive.

“So Brooke, how's life?"

"Great,” I tell him honestly.  “I like my job even though
it’s busting my ass.”

He chuckles, "You know I was busting your chops earlier.  I’m
proud of what you’ve done. Can’t say I don’t miss the wild Brooke from high
school.”

I laugh, "I still have my moments. But I have grown up some
too.”

When I look forward again, I meet Dylan’s narrowed gaze.
Uh oh,
definitely not a happy boyfriend.
I smile at him to get a feel of just how
pissed he is, and when his hands cross across his chest and his eyes narrow
even more as he watches our approach, I pretty much get my answer.  I may be
doing damage control.

“Somebody looks pissed,” Adam snorts beside me.

“Stop it,” I tell him and scoot out from under his arm heading
toward my man.

“What the fuck, are we going infield or not?” He’s barely hanging
on, and I wish I could pull him aside and talk to him, but now is not the time.
I just offer him a sweet smile and silently reassure him again. Jealous
boyfriends are exhausting. But again, if the roles were reversed, I would
probably be acting just this side of crazy.

The Eagle’s Nest isn’t very full. Everyone up here is standing at
different parts of the railing watching the qualifying heat that going on. 
Adam moves to stand beside three guys who are studying some jumps at the back
end of the track. I mostly just make my way around and take everything in. I
like this vantage point.  When I hear Adam call Dylan and Jax’s names I look
over and see him introducing them to the group of men, he was talking to. I
appreciate how Adam is involving them and introducing them to his fellow race
participants.

I turn my attention back to the grandstands to get a different
perspective of the fans. It’s loud and difficult to hear yourself think when
you’re up there with all the fans screaming and the bikes motors growling as
they fly around the track.  Up here it’s mostly the noise of the race and less
of the fans. When Adam calls my name I look up to see him motioning for me to
join him and another gentleman.  As I make my way, over I notice a familiar
face, Baxter Holt. He was in our class at school and also a fellow adrenaline
junkie.  I notice he’s also wearing a race suit. I remember in the day that he
raced BMX, but I never knew him to race motorcycles.

“Brooke Porter, damn it’s good to see you again.” He gives me a
quick hug which I return enthusiastically.

“Baxter, it’s good to see you.  I didn’t know you raced.”

“My second year actually.  Just decided to make the move from BMX,
and caught the attention of some pro sponsors at the end of my first amateur
year.  Here I am.”

“We’ve been back in the pits with Adam, so did you place in your heat?”

“Yeah, looks like I’ll be running in seventh so far. We’ll just
have to see at the end of the tenth heat,” he tells me.

We stand and catch up on the years since graduation until someone
calls him over to the rail. He excuses himself leaving Adam and me alone again.
Adam points to a jump telling me the difficulty level and how he’s planning to
approach it in the finals. I watch different riders approach it, and all of
them look to be taking it cautiously, and if I know Adam he’s taking notes and
planning how to blow up a big trip to secure a win.

He turns and leans his back against the rail and surprises me with
his next question, "So, what's up with that Dylan guy?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is he always like that? He’s seriously fucking
intense.”

“He is, but he’s really a good guy. He's a man of few words, but
he and his family have been through a lot this last year.”

"So, you’ve talked about his life story?”

"I am his social worker, so I have to know a bit about his
past."

"Hmm. Any reason he’s looking at me like he wants to kick my
ass?”

I try to laugh off his observation. “I’m used to that look. It’s
nothing new.”

"Is that really how you want to play this, Brooke?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. That look is just
classic Dylan.”

“Did you ride here with them today?” he asks.

“Yeah, I did. Thank god, I would have hated to try to park in that
madness out there.”

He turns to me and puts on his best charming smile, "Stay the
night, and I’ll take you home in the morning.”

I’m speechless because that’s an invite I never saw coming. I
don’t even have to look to know that Dylan is watching us. His stare is burning
holes in my back, and I’m sure shoots death lasers at Adam. "I can’t. I
have a boyfriend."

Adam looks at me, trying to see if I'm lying, "So, I'll never
tell."

I laugh and shake my head, "Sorry, but he’s an amazing man,
and I won’t do anything to mess things up.”

"Well damn, Dylan’s a lucky man.”

I jerk my gaze to him, and I know he reads the truth all over my
face. "No, I'm the lucky one."  He smiles and nods his head at me.
“Adam, you can’t tell anybody about this.  We have to keep us
secret for a few more months, okay?”

“Just make sure he treats you right.”

“He does.”

“Come on, let’s round up your friends and head back to the pit so
I can check my bike and eat. I’ve only got a couple of hours before the final
race.”

I motion for Dylan, Jax, and Luke so Adam can eat and prep his
bike. I hop out and join them back at his motor home, and then he announces
that it’s time to eat.

Luke adds, "No shit, I'm starving!"

We all take a seat around the picnic table underneath the awning
hooked to the front of his rig, and somehow I end up between Dylan and Adam. He
reaches into his pocket for his phone, and I take the opportunity to scoot
closer to Dylan so that our thighs are pressed against each other. Adam calls
for a delivery of double cheeseburger with bacon and fries, prerace tradition
or superstition, probably both.  I laugh and have to tease him about it.

“Hey, I’m on top, I’m not messing with my system,” He defends.

Jax looks at Adam and laughs, “So, you have to eat the same thing
before every race? What else do you do?”

Adam snickers, “Kiss a pretty girl.”

Jax grins, "That would have to be a given. Need me to scare
up one or three?”

Everyone chuckles at Jax’s offer. “Nah, no need to do that.
Brooke’s kisses were always lucky back in the day.”

I feel Dylan stiffen next to me, so I reach and squeeze his thigh
with my hand, trying to calm him. It takes a minute to calm down, but he
eventually does have I begin making soft strokes up and down. Like he never
said anything to get a rise he changes the conversation back to racing until
our food arrives. Dylan is staying mostly silent beside me.

“So, Dylan, have you and Jax ever thought about sponsoring either
an individual or a team?”

Jax answers, “We were approached by a formula racer about two
years ago, but we were pretty new, so it didn’t go past discussions.”

“How about now? I’ve got Husqvarna for an international sponsor.
In the states, I race for Fox and Propel. If you guys are ever interested, I
would race under you and even help you put together a team of three or four.”

Jax and Luke and even Dylan perk up at the suggestion. Luke
especially seems impressed. “Does that mean our shop would be doing the customs
on your bikes?” he asks.

“Yeah. Right now I have a friend who’s been doing it, but it’s not
his real his profession.  He’s good at what he does, but since it’s just him,
he has trouble keeping up with what I need sometimes. Especially if I’m across
the pond.”

Luke pulls out his phone and thumbs through pictures of some of
the work he’s done in the shop the past few months, and damn if I’m not
impressed. But so is Adam, “Damn, that's some fucking cool work. Are all these
your designs?

“Yeah.” He flips through some more images. “This is what I did to
my truck.”

Adam takes his phone and flips through some more before handing it
back. “I will definitely be talking to you guys some more. I like your work,
Luke.”

Jax looks pleased, "We have some good work coming out of our
Oklahoma City shop too.  Our graphic designer there has some of his work in
Top
Gear
and
American Muscle.
If you ever get down there and want to
take a look just tell our receptionist, Joy, that Dylan and sent you. She’ll
get Joe to show you around the shop.”

Wait, did he say, Joy, as in the Joy that was all over him at the
Christmas party?
I move my hand off
Dylan’s thigh and look up at him. He reaches back for my hand replacing it on
his thigh again and shakes his head.

"Hell yeah, I'm in Oklahoma a lot actually. You both are in
Kansas now?”

Jax nods, "Yep, I moved up here when Dylan did."

Adam nods, "Damn, I don't think I've ever had a friend that
would pick up and move their life around for me.” He looks over at me,
"Not even a girlfriend."

Luke looks over at Adam, "So is that why you guys broke
up?"

He nods, "Yep, I had to get the hell out of Kansas and see
where racing would take me, and Brooke wanted to stay and go to college."

Not to mention Adam and I weren’t a forever couple, but sure we
can go with the short version.

Luke shakes his head at me, "You're crazy."

Adam laughs, "That's what I thought at the time. Brooke
Porter will always be the one that got away.”

Dylan is tense next to me. I have to laugh at Adam’s wistful
voice, “Whatever. I don’t remember any broken hearts, especially when I called
you two weeks after you left and you were partying with, what was it, three
women?  You even sent me selfies.”

“Dude, no shit?” Luke looks star struck.  Someday I’m going to
tell him that Dylan is the man he needs to look at star struck, but I have no
idea how that would go over right now with Luke and I both knowing about
Dylan’s past with women.

When the food arrives, we all dig in.  Wherever these burgers came
from knows burgers, and I also have to wonder if they deliver to Overland Park
as well.

Adam turns to me once again, "Hey, how is Alex?"

"She's doing great. She's managing a salon right now, but eventually,
she wants to open her own place.”

"Nice, she always did amazing shit with scissors. Coolest
cuts on the track."

Luke asks Adam, "You know Alex too?"

He nods, "Oh yeah, those two were inseparable in high school.
And she dated a buddy of mine for a few months. You've met Alex?"

Luke nods, "Yeah, she's cool. She was over at our house with
her brother on Thanksgiving."

Adam scowls, "Ah, Trevor. Now there’s an asshole I don’t
miss. Alex dating anybody these days?” Adam and Trevor never got along. His
question was directed at me, and my eyes momentarily went to Jax. Adam picks up
on it and looks at Jax, "You and Alex?"

Jax and I both shake our heads, and I say, "No, Alex isn't
dating anyone at the moment."

Adam smirks at Jax, "But you guys had something, though,
right? Doesn't surprise me, you would be her type."

Jax grins, "Alex is cool.”

Luke looks surprised, "You hooked up with Alex. Nice, she's
hot."

I shake my head at Adam, and he catches my silent warning. "Sorry,
probably not a suitable conversation with a kid at the table."

I sigh because, by the look of Luke’s scowl, he doesn't think of
himself as a kid and doesn’t appreciate being called one.

Jax thumps Luke on the back, "Please, this kid probably gets
laid more than all of us these days."

Dylan finally speaks, "Don’t encourage that shit, Jax.”

Adam laughs, "Why the hell not? Now’s the time for him to get
as much as he can.”

"He’s a junior in high school."

"Uh huh, and you weren't getting laid at his age?" he
asks disbelievingly.