Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 153946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
“Maybe they were just relieved you didn’t have a ten-minute one-man play ready to go this time,” Chick said sourly, still pouting over being left out of the fun. “I’ve been hearing strange stories about you and chili in unusual containers.”
Gene guffawed at the reminder. “That first year was legendary.”
“And disgusting,” I told him. I didn’t want to think about that or the part my sister had played in yesterday’s inspection. “Is August with her?”
“I haven’t seen her since the drivers’ meeting. Maybe she’s in the flashy RV that made this guy my new favorite person.”
Chick preened. “I may not drive, but I bring all the best presents. And now you’ll never be led astray by Dave the Dick again.”
He and August had come roaring into the paddock this morning in a high-end RV he’d apparently purchased “for the team” so the drivers and crew had someplace comfortable to relax between shifts. The man might have more money than sense, but no one could say he didn’t take care of his friends.
Since August had initially assumed it was a rental, I was betting she’d try to convince him to return it before the weekend was over.
“Hi guys.” Morgan walked around the side of the tent and slipped her arm through her husband’s. She looked happier than I’d seen her in the last few years. Her recent trip and that fresh start she and August had decided on appeared to be working out for her. “Bernie said one of the judges cried at the pitch, but only after you told him Mom worked on Blind Fury and Highway to Hell. Is that true?”
Gene’s smile softened for his wife. “What can I say? He loves really bad movies.”
“Hey, there were good movies too,” she said. “And she worked on that reboot of The Twilight Zone for a few years in the eighties. Everyone loved that. Why do people only remember the junk?”
“Would we call a Rutger Hauer movie junk?” Chick asked skeptically. “He was in Blade Runner and Ladyhawke.”
“He was also in Hobo with a Shotgun, Omega Doom and had a bit part in your Mutant Bounty movie,” Gene countered. “I don’t think he’s all that discerning with his acting roles.”
“Getting him was a coup for that film,” Chick said a little defensively.
When Morgan rolled her eyes at me, I forced myself to smile. “Have you seen your sister?”
“She was saying hello to Mom’s friends and the Haywoods while I was getting them seated in the stands. It’s crazy back there, and you know she’s not big on crowds. Maybe she needed a moment or two to herself. Oh, here comes Kingston. He’s been filming everyone all morning. He might know.”
My jaw tightened in frustration. Where the hell was she? I really needed to see her before the race.
I turned to see Kingston striding toward us, with Lucy and Rick hot on his heels.
“They don’t allow drones for any aerial shots,” he complained, “I couldn’t get August to give me a pre-race interview and now Lucy says I can’t plug in my audio recorder to his sound board.”
“You didn’t say anything about touching my equipment,” Lucy shot back. “We already attached three camera mounts inside the car for you. Front view, driver view and rear view. Then we mounted a few exteriors on the bumper to catch the road action. But I have a system in place and I need you not to fuck with it.”
Lucy was serious about his system.
“Tell him you’ll record it for him with your audio dongle-thingy so he can add it to his edits,” Bernie said, popping up on the other side of Rick suddenly enough to make him flinch.
“I thought you were in the tent,” he muttered.
“I’m freakishly fast,” she warned him. “You’ll find out later.”
Lucy was nodding slowly at her. “I can do that.”
Kingston looked like a vein might burst in his temple at any moment. “Fifteen minutes ago, you specifically said there was no way you could do that.”
The redhead shrugged. “You didn’t turn your body into a pretzel for the judges.”
“Does anyone know where my sister is?” Morgan asked helpfully.
“She was aimed toward the parking lot a few minutes ago,” Rick said. “Moving fast. Green around the gills.”
Bernie’s smile turned worried. “That’s not good.”
“That’s normal newbie nausea,” Gene countered when his wife glanced at him in concern. “I wasn’t feeling great before my first few races either, remember?”
“Maybe you shouldn’t eat hot dogs for breakfast,” Chick muttered.
“I’m going to go check on her.”
Everyone looked at me with varying levels of interest and worry.
“Don’t get distracted,” Gene warned. “We have less than forty minutes before the car is on the track.”
“You’ve got to be cooler than this, man,” Lucy said, shaking his head. “I know you’re living together now, but women don’t like being chased. They dig the mysterious guys who act like they don’t give a shit about them.”