Page 22 of Driving Force

She lets out a laugh at that one. “That, my dear friend, is a story for another time. Tell me all about your weekend because the video and pictures I got told me one thing, but I want the real story from my best friend,” she says, steering away from my important question.

So we spend the next hour going over my weekend in Vegas with Ryan, then the bomb dropped on me, ending with him saying, “I love you,” even though he may have thought I was sleeping.

“Grace, what am I going to do? I like him so much, but am I in love? It’s only been a few weeks, and it’s not the normal dating life with him gone. It’s more text and FaceTime, and when we have a little time that’s just us, we can’t seem to keep our clothes on and talk. We are making up for all the lost time, so I don’t know. Could I see myself falling in love with him, yes, one hundred percent? But this little voice in my head keeps saying you better be careful, he’s in the public eye, and one pretty face may turn his head.”

“Tin, you need to talk with Ryan. Don’t hide how you’re feeling, and keep it in. He needs to know that you have doubts and fears. Who’s to say that he doesn’t have the same concerns, but he’s in this love bubble and doesn’t want to rock the boat?” Grace states.

“You’re right. I’ll have the adult talk, though I worry he’s getting tired of hearing my worries.”

“Brad, what the hell, man? Why can’t you just have me on an uneventful weekend?” I say with a laugh, sitting down in the chair across from him and looking over the schedule for the upcoming race weekend.

“Well, for one, everyone wants to talk with the winner from last week’s race. Another, everyone seems to love your ass. But I’m not sure why. You’re not that great,” he says with a laugh. “So tell me, Ryan, how was your weekend with Tinley by your side?” He gives me a smug smile.

“I’ll have you know it was a great weekend.” I wink at him. “Honestly, she’s fit in so well with the team, travel, and the life. It’s like we made it for her to be there.”

“Ryan, I know you are in the great start of a relationship bubble, totally blissed out, but I want you to be very careful. Don't jump too fast.” That’s one thing I love most about Brad. He tells me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. With this life, many people can turn into yes people, and I can usually spot them a mile away and try to stay clear because I don’t want that on my team. So, I know if Brad is making sure I keep my feet on the ground, he’s concerned.

“Thank you for your concern, Brad, but honestly, Tinley is nothing like I have ever experienced, and she may just be exactly what I need.”

“Have you told her that?” he asks.

“No, but after the weekend and having her with me and a part of the team, we need to have a talk about where we are going because I’m falling hard in love with her. And I may have said it after the race, but she was asleep, so it’s in the back of my head that I want to tell her sooner rather than later.”

“Just be careful with not only your heart but with your head. Women can be the best thing for a driver or can be a distraction. Just find the right balance. Tinley seems like a great woman. She could care less about all the flash and celebrity, and maybe that’s what you need,” Brad points out.

Standing up to leave, I throw my hand up to say bye as his phone rings, so I let myself out and head down the hall to the simulator to finish my afternoon. Rounding the corner, I can hear a raised voice, and as I get closer, I notice it’s coming from the sim room. “Shit, what the hell? What were you thinking? Stay focused. You don’t need to be the drama. Yes, she was gorgeous, and that smart mouth turns you on, but that’s it. Stay focused. Racing is the priority, not her.”

Stepping into the sim lab, I see the inner monologue coming from my best friend. After how quickly he got off our phone call Sunday, I left it alone, but now I know someone has gotten under his skin. The question is, who?

“Hey man,” I say as I get into the sim car to put my information in from my last run to pick up where I left off.

“Hey,” he says in a clipped tone.

“Matt, what’s going on with your bud? What’s with the grumpiness? That’s normally not your go-to. That’s mine. You’re the sunshine to my grumpy most weeks.”

Abruptly standing, he wipes his face with this hand, looking me in the eye. I can tell something is going on, so I wait and see if he is going to say or just leave it in the air.

“It’s nothing, man. I just thought something might be more than it was, is all. But looks like I’m the dumb one this time,” he finally says, walking out of the room and leaving me once again with questions for my best friend.

After racing 200 laps and ensuring my car is how it needs it to be for Saturday’s race, I’m ready to go home and just relax for a little while.

Me:

Hey, just leaving the shop. I’ll call later.

My Girl:

That’s fine, just catching up with Grace. Something odd is going on with her. I’ll be around. (winkie emoji)

Me:

Weird. Matt seemed to be in a mood today also. I found him in the sim room talking to himself, and when I asked, he just mumbled and left.

My Girl:

I wonder…

Me:

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