Page 29 of The Big Race
Everyone around us was excited, so Ray and I didn’t have to hide our delight at knowing exactly where we were.
The morning air hummed with anticipation. Camera operators darted between the contestants, capturing candid moments of nervous preparation. Ray and I stood side by side in our bright magenta shirts, watching the production team make final adjustments to the starting line.
“How are you feeling?” Ray asked, his voice low enough that the microphones pinned to our collars might not pick it up.
“Like I might throw up,” I admitted. “But ready.”
Ray nodded, scanning the other teams with the practiced eye of a former athlete sizing up the competition. “Military couplelooks tough,” he murmured, nodding Adrienne and Fletcher in purple shirts. They stood at attention, barely speaking to each other, eyes focused on the starting line.
“Who do you think we should consider as allies?” Ray asked. He gestured toward George and Ernie in their bright orange. “The garbage collectors look strong as oxes.”
“Oxen,” I said, and we both laughed. I remembered my conversation with Ernie from dinner. “Ernie’s smart, too. Well-read. They might surprise everyone.”
Zoe approached us, clipboard in hand. “Ray and Jeffrey? We need you for your pre-race interview. Follow me, please.”
We were led to a small setup against an arched wall. A woman with a headset had us hand over our cell phones, credit cards and any cash in our wallets. “Here’s a credit card that can be used to charge your plane tickets, but only those unless otherwise directed. You’ll be given cash at the start of each round and it will be up to you to budget wisely.” She directed us to stand on marks taped to the ground. “Just be natural,” she advised. “Pretend the camera isn’t there.”
Cody stood in front of us with his camera aimed at us. The red light blinked on, and the interviewer, off-camera, asked, “Ray and Jeffrey, what brings you to The Big Race?”
Ray glanced at me, clearly expecting me to take the lead as we’d discussed.
I took a deep breath. “We’re here to save our marriage,” I said, the words feeling both terrifying and liberating as they left my mouth. “After twenty-five years together, we’ve hit a rough patch. This race is our way of remembering how to be partners, not just roommates.”
“Could you elaborate on that?” the interviewer prompted.
I hesitated, not wanting to broadcast Ray’s affair to millions of viewers. “We got comfortable. Too comfortable. Startedtaking each other for granted. Stopped seeing each other as the people we fell in love with.”
Ray shifted beside me, and I could feel his discomfort at my candor. But we’d agreed to be honest—not about the specific details of his infidelity, but about our struggle.
“Ray,” the interviewer continued, “what do you hope to gain from this experience?”
Ray cleared his throat. “A second chance,” he said simply. “Jeffrey and I built something amazing together—a home, a family with our son. I don’t want to lose that because we forgot how to communicate, how to appreciate each other’s strengths.”
“And what are those strengths?”
A small smile played at Ray’s lips. “Jeffrey is the thinker, the planner. He sees ten steps ahead. Keeps us on track.”
“And Ray is the doer,” I added. “Fearless, adaptable. Pushes through when things get tough.”
“Sounds like a good combination for The Big Race,” the interviewer observed.
“We’ll see,” I said. “It’s been a while since we functioned as a team.”
“One last question,” the interviewer said. “What would winning mean to you?”
Ray and I exchanged a glance, and I saw something vulnerable flash in his eyes.
“Winning would be great,” Ray said carefully. “But honestly? If we finish this race with our relationship stronger, that’s the real victory.”
“And a million dollars wouldn’t hurt,” I added with a wry smile, trying to lighten the moment.
The red light blinked off, and the production assistant thanked us. As we walked back to the starting area, Ray touched my elbow.
“You didn’t have to be that open about us struggling,” he said, his voice tight.
“We agreed to be honest,” I reminded him. “Besides, it’s not like we can hide it. We know from watching the show that the cameras will catch everything.”
Ray nodded reluctantly. “I know. It’s just... strange hearing you talk about our problems to strangers.”
