Page 83 of Well Played

A snort explodes, “Me too.” Our crews filter out, not noticing that they’ve left without us. “Want to split a ride back to the hotel?”

She nods, sliding closer now that most people are gone. “Walk with me first?”

I hold the door open for her, and she steps out into the night. The rest of the town is quiet, fast asleep since it’s two in the morning. Charly and I head up the block, past a few small businesses and toward the towering silhouettes of grain silos in the distance.

“I’ve missed you this week.” I check over my shoulder before catching her hand in mine.

She leans her head against the outside of my arm and whispers, “I’ve missed you, too.” The moon is bright, making her hair look almost white.

“How’d the simulator work go?” She’s been up at the factory working with engineers refining their plans for a new design for an updated Indy car. We video chatted a few times, but her week has been full of meetings and work.

“Great. They think we might have it ready for late season testing.”

I love the way she perks up when she talks about their project. It’s not something she advertises, but she’d let it slip at my house that she’s almost finished with her engineering degree. She’s not only doing the test driving, but she’s also helping with the development process too.

“Probably at Barber sometime this fall.”

We hit a dead end and I turn us around to head back toward the main road. Silence falls, broken only by her wide yawn. I’llmake sure she gets back to the hotel before heading for my motorhome.

Charly sits on top of the brick wall on the street side of the track and I pull my phone out, requesting a ride. The nearest one isn’t available for almost twenty-five minutes and I send up a silent prayer thanking the universe for giving me more time with her.

While we wait for the car to show up, I sit next to her, letting her rest her head on my shoulder again. “You smell good.” She murmurs, burrowing into me.

I wrap an arm around her and pull her close, feeling her breathing even out and knowing she’s dozing off. When the car pulls up, I wake her enough to walk her over and help her slide in. Once I know she’s settled, I circle around and climb in next to her, trying to think of something clever to say.

Before we’ve even made it a block, she’s sound asleep. Slumped against my side.

At her hotel, I don’t bother trying to wake her. She told me her room number earlier, so I slip out of the cab first. She’s so small that it takes barely any effort to scoop her up into my arms. I walk through the lobby and over to the elevator, careful not to bump into anything or wake her up.

When we reach her door, I put her down gently, and she smiles sleepily up at me. “Don’t leave? I hate waking up alone and not remembering what city I’m in.”

Doesn’t she know I’ll give her anything she asks for? “I’ll stay.”

She lets us in, and we take turns using the bathroom.

When she’s ready, we both slip into bed and she slides over until we’re pressed together from head to toe, her in an oversized racing t-shirt and a tiny pair of shorts. Me in my boxers.

Even though it’s late, I have trouble falling asleep, just absorbing the fact that I’m here with her and she wants me to stay.

4

Summer

Charly

I should be moreexcited about Pennsylvania Speedweek. There’s racing every night, huge prizes, and amazing fans.

Despite all that, the one thing I keep focusing on is that I’ll get to see Robbie every day for the entire week. We won’t have to keep coming up with excuses or cover stories about what we’re doing or why we’re video chatting with each other.

We’ll be at the same tracks every night. We won’t have to try so hard to coordinate our schedules or sneak in just a few minutes together.

For an entire week.

“Earth to Charly.” My agent playfully teases. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re not one hundred percent in the right frame of mind for this.”

I’m not at all focused on the upcoming races. Just Robbie. “Let me know about my schedule for sponsor events or if anyone important will drop by.”

“I’ll email it by this evening.” She pauses. “As a side bet, I took three podiums in the pool for this week. So, you know, try for at least three.”

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