They can’t.
I feel Penny’s eyes on me eventually, grinning wider at the thought of her watching me, not just racing, but winning for her.
Winning her curves and winning her heart, showing her how I’ll make her mine properly.
The rest of the laps aren't a blur for me, but a calculated and definite series of movements. Like the most exhilarating foreplay I’ve ever had, knowing Penny is watching and waiting for my next installment with her beneath me, with my hands tracing all over her body…
I do have to stop for tires, and although not impressed with my style so far, the fact I’m winning speaks for itself, with the only words from the team apart from updates coming from Mike, who suddenly puts himself on the airwaves.
“Steve. You’ll make up the next lap to hold a lead, but you’re burning out the car in the process. That rear axle mount is white hot at the minute.”
I don’t know how it happens, but my radio suddenly goes dead.
Might have something to do with me ripping out the cable from my helmet, dunno.
I appreciate their concern, but this is my race and I’ve already won. All I need to do is finish and claim my prize.
I end up lapping some of the last place holders, and gauge my time and imminent finish from the boards on the side of the track.
The final lap, I’m in the home stretch and I can see nothing but my hands running over Penny, freeing her breasts from her blouse and holding her with both my hands as I fill my mouth with her.
But something breaks my daydream. A series of lights flashing and an electronic alarm, followed by a sickening snapping sound.
The car pitches right and despite my trying to correct it, starts to spin before I lose all sense of direction.
I grip the wheel hard, snarling before yelling in frustration and anger as I see the checkered finish line only yards from me.
It looks like I didn’t win after all.
The car’s not going anywhere, stuck at an obscure angle but fortunately to one side of the track.
Once one car, then another slowly pass me from the front, I realize my car’s facing the other way.
I have crossed the finish line, the car spinning itself right across the finish to victory, coming to rest facing the wrong direction.
I won!
I won after all and now the only thing I’m trying to do is free myself from this damned car and find Penny.
There’s no smoke or flames and I can feel my body’s unharmed, but before I even climb out I know the car’s a wreck.
There’s gonna be hell to pay, but as I’m helped out of the car by track marshals, I can hear the roar of the crowd, even through my helmet, which I hurry to take off so I can see straight.
There’s talk of medics, an ambulance but I push past and hop over the barrier, soon met by half the pit crew who are at once happy and hella pissed off with me.
I won, yes. But I’ve totaled a car and ignored everything I was supposed to do, but all I can think of is Penny.
Ushered back to the pit garage, a sea of people are closing in and it looks like some of the barriers have been breached by racegoers too, making for a chaotic scene.
Where are you Penny?
A familiar voice with an edge to it, and a hand under my arm brings me closer to her, but not quite.
“What the fuck was that all about!?”
Her dad, Mike, my best friend and now senior team mechanic is spinning me around to face him.
Security and the pit crew move to close the garage doors to stop people from flooding in but my biggest problem is still not being able to see Penny.
Mike looks like the rest of the crew, relieved, victorious but mad as hell.
The sound of Penny’s voice cutting through the chaos cancels out everything.
Wrenching my arm free from her dad, I spin to see her trying to catch my attention from across the garage, her eyes wide and her arms outstretched.
I push my way past everyone and everything else, only wanting to hold her again, which I am in seconds flat.
“I thought… I was so…” she starts to say, but turning as I hold her closer, I only want to do one thing, which I do and the whole garage falls silent as I kiss her luscious lips.
Somebody gasps, then murmurs, until finally a familiar voice cuts through the silence and I lift my head from Penny.
Mike’s eyes are on me. Narrow, burning slits as a short, puffy hand claps his shoulder from behind, steadying its owner. Team owner, Buford Billings.
“Now that’s what I call a victory kiss! Why all the long faces? We just won the damned race people, let’s look alive!” he booms across the garage, and with the help of his grandson, the team manager, the gathered crowd slowly joins him in what feels like a strained, almost nervous celebration.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Penny
I’m not gonna lose sight of Steve again, the last lap of the race, and then his crash over the finish line destroys any shyness or reserve I have left.
I don’t care what happens next, I only want him and I can see by the look in his eyes when I finally get his attention that he feels the same.
His kiss is the greatest reward for all my worry. My dad’s eyes are on us, boring into Steve once he’s done kissing me, which is only a taste of what I know he has in store for me.
I feel a stab of pain for my dad, but I can’t feel guilty and I won’t feel bad for following my heart.
It’s sad when I feel my dad’s gaze wanting to move to me, but he chooses to turn his back instead, losing himself behind the surging mechanics, pit crew and team members as they all rush forward to finally
