Page 4 of Racing Heat
Chapter Two
~JASE~
The Backwoods is pretty crowded tonight. Danny, August, and I have been able to grab our normal table. They were my first real friends in the US. I met August first; him and his father, Maxwell Cromwell, were the ones who hired me. The Cromwell’s own the Tampa Bay Blaze. Eventually, Maxwell will step away and August will have full ownership. I knew I would immediately like August. He made an effort to get to know me, took me out for meals and helped me find the lay of the land in Tampa.
Danny used to be a sports reporter for a Tampa Bay paper—until he got caught screwing around with Mackenzie Dixon. His job didn’t survive the fallout, but their relationship did, and now he’s a college swim coach.
When Mac arrives with her friends, she’s going to have a hard time finding a table. Danny said they’re on their way. I’m not sure who that includes, but I hope it means Cassie’s among them.
“Think we should steal them some extra seats to sit with us?” Danny asks.
“Why, are you worried about getting in trouble with the missus?” August teases him.
I laugh along with August, while Danny flips us both off. Mac and Danny do act like an old married couple, but it’s nice. It’s nice to see him so happy, and her too. I don’t dare say that to August, though. He’s in his bachelor era, and making fun of Danny for being in a relationship is something he really enjoys. Deep down, I think he’s happy for him. But that’s assuming August has a deep down.
Danny rolls his eyes. “I’m not worried about getting into trouble with her. I just thought it would be nice if the girls had somewhere to sit when they came in.”
“Who is coming in with her?” I ask.
“You know, the usuals—Cassie, Hendrix, Amelia, and I think maybe Andie.” Danny glances at his phone. I assume he’s looking for updates from Mac. “I told her the bar was busy, so hopefully they get their asses here soon.”
Hendrix is the goalie on the team and Amelia is the center-back. The four of them appear to be inseparable. It’s nice how closely they’ve bonded. They’ve even taken Andie, the assistant coach, under their wing. Andie’s quieter than they are, but they sure can make her smile and come alive.
“I’m sure they will.” I take a slow sip of my beer.
“Why is it so busy in here tonight?” Danny asks, looking around.
“I think it’s the fight that has people coming in,” August remarks distractedly as he reads something on his phone.
“The one between the two reality stars?” I ask.
“That would be the one.” August sets his phone down, fully joining our conversation.
“Apparently, that’s what counts for good sports TV these days,” Danny says, his tone thick with sarcasm.
“It’s a good thing you’re not in the media anymore,” August tells Danny. “Would you have had to write a piece on it?”
Danny glances at the TV and turns his attention back to us with a shrug. “I’m not sure—maybe. It would all depend on how much of an ass my editor felt like being that week. He liked to punish us with those types of assignments because, like you said, it’s not really good sports TV. It’s carefully orchestrated, but we have to pretend it’s not.”
“The dude they replaced you with is so green,” I tell Danny. “He doesn’t ask the tough questions like you did. I accompanied Hendrix into the media room the other day because she asked me to. And boy, the questions were pure softballs. I think she was a little insulted about how little depth they had.”
He nods. “Yeah, I’ve been reading a few of his pieces. He doesn’t appear to have the same approach that I do.”
“You mean he’s not an asshole?” August teases him.
He’s right, the guy isn’t. And it’s not that Dannyisan asshole; he just asked tough question that made the media rooms, and the stories, come alive. It was what he was good at. It was what got him, and Mac started. Verbal sparring in the media room turned into this love affair they have going on now.
“Ever miss it?” I ask Danny.
“Nope,” he replies. “I like coaching swimming more than I thought I would.”
“That’s great, man,” I reply.
“Is it hard to coach knowing you’re never actually going to compete again?”
Danny tenses at August’s question. I do too, because it’s not like I’ll ever play on the professional stage again. Sure, I play in the occasional pickup game. But I’m slower now than I used to be, and I can’t dive. Diving puts me in too much pain.
I completely miss Danny’s answer. I’m too lost in my thoughts, until the girls come over and join us, their boisterous laughter and conversation instantly brightening the table. Danny places his arm around Mac, pulling her into his side fora kiss. I look away from the intimate moment. My senses are overwhelmed by the smell of sweet flowers coming from Cassie. She’s standing beside me, wearing tight black jeans and a white top. I take a moment to appraise her, hoping that no one else, especially Cassie, notices.
