Page 58 of Jump Start

“We will arrive on site on Wednesday and set up. Practise on Thursday and Friday before Saturday qualifying and the Sunday race…Thomas, are you listening?”

“No, tell me again, mate,” I said sarcastically, earning a laugh from the room and a less-than-impressed look from Chris.

“Knock, knock.” I heard my favourite sound again.

“Yes, Harps,” Chris said with a smile, as I turned around to greet her.

As she leant against the door with an Echidna Racing pen and paper in her hand, she looked every bit the professional.

“Hey, sorry guys, I have Will on the phone. He says Channel 6 won’t stop calling him for an exclusive. Think he needs help.” Her eyes trailed off around the board room, clearly feeling awkward about speaking with and about my suspended teammate.

“Hmm, I bet. Please take a message for me, Harps, and I’ll deal with it. Thank you.”

I winked at her quickly before she disappeared out of the door.

“You okay, Jacko?” Landon asked from across the table, as I watched her leave and smiled after her. I knew I had it bad for Harper, and I didn’t really give a shit who knew it.

***

Harper

I continued to pack up my belongings as Thomas entered the room, his bag hanging across his chest, scrunching up his shirt a little.

“Ready to go home?” he asked, walking to the centre of the room.

“Whose? Mine or yours?” I said, stirring him.

“Well, I’m not bloody driving past my house to go all the way into the city,” he teased.

“Fine, I’ll stay over. I do have to go home at some point.” Although moving in with him was looking increasingly attractive.

Thomas walked me to my car and leant in by the window as I turned on the ignition.

“Call me,” I said as he kissed me.

“Of course! Unless Xavier calls, then you’re out,” he yelled over the sound of both our engines.

“And fair enough too!”

As we both pulled out of the Echidna Racing carpark, with the sun setting in the background and the lingering feeling of a successful first day at my new job, I knew what I was going to do.

Why the hell was I fighting this? I wanted to live with Thomas. He would be away a lot during the year, and it was up to me whether I wanted to go with him or not. If it didn’t workout, then I’d deal with it. Talk about a rollercoaster. I had lived with boyfriends before, and it never seemed to work out. None of them were Thomas, though. Maybe that was why.

My phone rang, and 'Thomas Henry-Jackson'flashed on the screen. I had finally removed ‘prick’ from his name, even though, at times, he still fit the description.

“Yes, who is it?”

“It’s the guy who’s going to put his mouth on your nipples when we get home.”

I was not expecting to hear that and had a mouthful of water that I subsequently choked on as I laughed.

“What the fuck, Thomas? I nearly choked and died!”

His laugh in the background made me smile. “Sorry! But seriously, get ready.” If these were the things I had to look forward to after moving in with him, then I would do it right now. As much as I wanted to tell him what I’d decided, his focus needed to be on the last race of the year. The rest could wait.

Twenty - nine

Harper

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