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)
I’d volunteered to work on one vehicle, for one race, five years ago to celebrate Gene’s successful treatment and remission. To raise money for the group that helped him get through it, because I’m a good friend and I hate fucking cancer as much as everybody else. And yeah, the race and those idiots’ antics were always a good time.
But it had been going on for so many years that it felt more like a job than a hobby at this point. I spent my days fixing cars for a living and most of my free time doing the same. The thrill, and the challenge, was gone.
“Golf?” Kingston asked in disbelief. “Fine. So potentially your last race for golfing reasons. The team’s fifth anniversary. A new car and driver, both of which have emotional resonance for everyone on the team, including the grouchy mechanic who wants to hit that complicated hotness.”
I didn’t deny it. “It isn’t a given that she’s getting behind the wheel yet.”
Mostly because of you.
“Gene started the team to celebrate surviving cancer. August obviously wants to do it to honor her mother. There’s a symmetry there that a blind man—or, say, someone that wasn’t an asshole—could see.”
He was going to keep pouring salt in those wounds. I shouldn’t have told him anything, but I’d needed to talk to someone. My other best friend was on a cruise halfway across the world and she wasn’t the right person to be sharing this with. My niece was aware of my living situation, but since I’d changed her diapers and held her while she puked up her baby formula, that didn’t feel right either. Lucy and Rick were out of the question. They’d laugh in my face, and then try to reach Gene overseas to share the joke. Kingston was my only option. And he didn’t “do relationships.”
“That, my friend, is hope and humor in the face of grief. It’s taking risks and healing wounds along the way. That’s a filmmaker’s dream and I’m going to capture it.”
“That’s me regretting covering for you when you took two dates to the prom,” I returned sarcastically. “Gene might not give the go-ahead to film this.”
“Think about who you’re talking about.”
Getting to race a car he wanted while cameras recorded him for posterity? “Damn it. He’ll say yes.”
“But you wouldn’t?”
“I told you I was worried she might regret it later.”
“Are you more worried about her regrets or the car?”
“Don’t ask stupid questions.”
Kingston snickered. “I had to, man. You always take the cars you work on seriously. And you worked on that one a lot.”
Yeah, I had good memories attached to the VW, but if it made August happy, I’d tear it down to scraps in a heartbeat. That’s how far gone I was.
“She’s not like Bernie,” I told him. “She’s never been a daredevil. This isn’t like her.”
“I wish I’d said yes more often.”
And now I wanted to kick myself for knocking her down the first time she’d reached out and tried. Overreacting instead of encouraging her to be a part of something again. Even if it was Lemons.
Hell.
“I am the asshole.”
“At least you’re willing to admit it,” Kingston said, still typing. “And old enough to learn from your mistakes. So, when are you going to make your move, player? You’ve been there for days now.”
“You said it yourself, it’s complicated.”
“You want my advice?”
No, but he was going to give it anyway.
“Apologize and then help her with this race. Think of all the time you’ll be up close and personal if you agree. You have shitty fashion sense and you’re not funny, but ladies seem to like you when you make an effort. She’ll hit that.”
“You really know how to build up a man’s confidence.”
“All I’m saying is give her what she needs and she’ll give you what you want.”
The transactional sound of that left a bad taste in my mouth. I wanted more than a few nights that came out of gratitude. But giving her what she needed had the right ring to it. And what she needed right now was somebody on her side. “You might have one, abnormally microscopic part of a point.”
“No one ever complains about the size of my parts. Now what about my documentary?”
“That’s Gene’s circus.”
Kingston cheered as if he were his own stadium standing ovation. “I’m in, baby. That man doesn’t have a shy bone in his lily-white body.”
“He’s crazy, but Morgan loves him,” I said in amused resignation.
“So do I. Dude knows how to live. You’re the only killjoy going to this party.”
The rumble of thunder and cracks of lightning were almost continuous, and then the power went out with a sizzling pop, cloaking me in darkness.
“Now it’s a party,” I said flatly, flicking on my cell phone flashlight.
“I didn’t miss this weather while I was gone. I need to unplug my shit. Call you tomorrow?”