Page 3 of Driving Force

Good god, what the hell is going on? I don’t invite women to tag along, let alone go to the drivers’ meeting after my meet and greet. That’s my quiet place (insert facepalm here). It is the one time during the whole race day that I get to myself, but now I’ve got not one but maybe two extra people coming with me. This has got to be an out-of-body experience right now. Maybe I’m still asleep, and this is just a fantasy—meeting the girl of my dreams, who I didn’t even know I was looking for, and now I’m waiting for a purple elephant to come into view at any moment. But again, those blue eyes and mouth-watering curves have me waiting on edge for her answer.

Looking between Malibu Ken and myself, she says, “If you’re sure I won’t be in the way,” in that sweet southern accent that makes my dick come to life.

Why the hell am I acting like a teenager who’s just got his first taste? Turning away from me, she tells Chase she's so sorry but that she will see him as soon as the race begins, and they can talk some more. Yes, Ryan 1, Chase 0. Take that, Malibu Ken. Okay, I do know the guy’s name, but to me, he's competition, and I always win.

“Okay, let’s get this day going,” Brad yells to the three of us. I can’t help but glance at her every few steps and wonder if she felt the spark like I did when we touched. I notice a few other drivers looking at this gorgeous woman, and she has absolutely no idea that guys look at her, which is even more of a turn-on. Yep, I need to get this in check before the green flag drops. I want to pull her close to stake claim like a caveman so that the other drivers looking her way know that they don’t have a chance in hell, but damn, who’s saying I do? She seemed a little invested in Chase when they said goodbye. The way she touched his arm when they finished talking had my jealousy meter up a few notches. Glancing at her as she fiddles with her glasses.

“Tinley, tell me a little about yourself,” I say, wanting to get as much information about this woman as possible during our little walk to the meet and greet because I knew we could be interrupted by someone wanting a picture or autograph on our walk at any moment. When she glances at me with those piercing blue eyes, I lose my train of thought.

Moving closer to her as we walk, my hand finds the small of her back, and I hear her breath catch just a little as she answers my questions. “Well, I’m originally from a small beach town in North Carolina.” She shrugs. “I didn’t want to move too far from home for college, so I decided on App State in Boone since I love the mountains but still wanted to be close enough to drive home if I needed my beach fix,” she replies, rubbing her hands down her sides.

“I’m a mountain person myself. I love winter. Before falling in love with racing, I wanted to be in the NHL,” I tell her. Shifting us away from the car coming down the alley, heading toward the garage. “What are you majoring in?”

“I’m an English major. I want to work for a publishing company after finishing school in a few months.” I look down at the asphalt as we stop for me to sign an autograph.

“So, are you able to work anywhere you want?” I ask her, becoming very invested in what she has to say.

She brushes her hair out of her face, the sun already heating up the asphalt. “Yep, pretty much, which is great,” she replies. “What made you want to be a race car driver?” she asks, looking up at me.

“I won my first bike race when I was about five years old. I thought hockey might be my career path when I got a little older, but racing just pulled me in and never let go.”

She laughs at my answer. “So, you’re just like every other driver out here, then, huh?” she says with the cutest smile, playing with her glasses again, then looking up at me.

“Wow, don’t hold back on my account,” I can’t help but say when she looks at me with those bright blue eyes. My mouth goes dry, thinking how I could get lost in those eyes. A tiny smile crosses her face, and the cutest dimple appears.

Walking into a meet and greet is always a fun time. Normally, we’re surrounded by other team members and drivers. Sitting down next to my teammate and best friend Matt, he must notice the stupid smile on my face. “What the hell have you been up to this morning, McKenzie? You look like you have a clothes hanger stuck in your mouth.”

Just as I’m about to tell him about Tinley, a little boy dressed in my number comes up to get the first autograph of the morning. That shuts down his questions before they can even begin.

“Hey little man, how are you?” I ask the little boy, who can’t be more than five.

“Hi,” he says shyly.

“Are you enjoying the race weekend so far?” I ask trying to make sure the little boy knows he doesn’t have to shy around me.

Slowly he looks up to his dad before a big smile comes across his face. Finally, he opens up and begins to tell me all about his day, from checking out the cars to getting to meet other drivers. Laughing, I can’t help but wish I had half his energy.

“McKenzie, quit hogging the little man. Maybe the rest of us would like to talk to him, too,” Matt says before laughing.

“Well I hope you have a great rest of the day, and make sure not to root for this guy,” I tell him, thumbing toward Matt, who is giving his famous smile.

After two hours of signing my name, taking pictures, and answering questions, I am beyond anxious to get out of there. Every now and then, I get to catch a glimpse of Tinley every so often and I get lost yet again in those curves of hers.

I can’t complain too much because if it wasn’t for my fans, I wouldn’t have the life I love so much. I stand up, telling Matt to have a good race and enjoy coming in second to me. Making my way over to the dark-haired beauty I have become entranced with, I realize this race day is turning into one I won’t forget.

Starting our walk to the next event, we continue with the questions. Tinley asking me questions now. “If you could pick one part of the race day you enjoy the most, what would it be? Honestly, I love the moment right before the race starts. That’s when all the excitement comes crashing down, and I’m left with just the job I love. After signing a few autographs before heading into the drivers' meeting, I find myself glancing over at Tinley standing with Grace and Brad taking in the craziness of my life. A small part of me wonders if she might welcome the idea of going on a date with me or if I should just enjoy our time together now. I guess there’s only one way to find out. I take a last look at her before ducking into the meeting.

The sound of the racetrack starts to become a relaxing sound, from the hustle of the crew member running from point A to point B to the loud engines coming from the garage area. I had been in awe of this man since we stepped out of the meet and greet. His sweet nature with the children making sure that he answered any question they had and playing along when the parents could tell the kid was a little shy to make them comfortable. As I stand back with Grace and Brad, my head spins a little, trying to figure out Ryan.

Grace has said Ryan was a big deal, but I didn’t expect him to be so down to earth. I’m taken aback just a little. The man is gorgeous. But the way he carries himself strikes me as something different. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t looked at him more than a few times since we got to the track earlier today. I snuck admiring glances at his tall, slender frame, light brown hair that’s grown out just a little, and green eyes with little yellow flecks in them, with just the right amount of scruff that was so sexy. Every so often, I could feel his eyes on me and it made my skin prickle with awareness, and I found myself fiddling with my glasses more than normal. But Ryan makes me want to be more forward and brave with what I want.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a tall blonde standing off to Ryan's side, waiting for her turn to speak with him. I can’t help but feel a little pain, wondering who this woman is and if she’s just a fan or something else. The way that she’s standing closer to him tells me that she may know him. But that’s none of my business. I’ve just met this man, so why am I acting jealous?

As she goes in to hug him, I can’t help but notice he seems to tense just a little. There’s history there. Nudging Grace, I ask, “Do you know who that is talking with Ryan?”

Looking up, Grace finds the tall blonde, and the recognition on her face tells me she knows this person. That’s Serena. She and Ryan were the ‘it’ couple a few months ago, but from what I’ve seen in the papers, they haven’t been seen together in a while.”

A pang of jealousy tugs at me, but I push it away. I have no claim to him. I don’t even know him, for that matter. Shaking out of my fog, I start to walk again.

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