Victory Lane (Shady Falls #1) (12 page)

“I know your professors, and Roger’s opinion is certainly incredibly important, he was my crew chief after all. But forgive my bluntness, how do you expect my guys to work with you?”

“Pardon me, sir, I’m not sure I understand the question,” she said. Her discomfort following George’s comment came back. I wanted desperately to butt in, but from across the table I could see Ky eyeing me and slightly shaking his head. We both knew she had to do this on her own.

“Well, Toni. You’re a beautiful woman, as George pointed out. How are my guys supposed to work with you when you look like this?” He gestured to her with his hand, drawing attention to her perfect figure.

Toni took in a deep breath. She sat a little taller and then I saw it, that flash of defiance and spirit that I saw in the garage when I pushed her. It wasn’t as fierce, but it was there. This was exactly what she needed to show Axel who she was. She didn’t defend herself against George, but apparently, she’d had enough. “I beg your pardon, Mr. Turner, but I certainly don’t look like this when I’m in the shop. I dress exactly like everyone else, I don’t wear make-up and my hair is pulled out of the way. I have yet to have a single problem working with any of the guys this week. I have been working with the Car Chief Kevin Dunn and several others and there hasn’t been a single issue.”

I was proud of her for standing up for herself. At no point did she call him out for trying to discriminate against her, and I knew that’s exactly what he was fishing for. She was confident and straightforward. It turned me on to see her defend herself again. I was drawn to this girl, and I just knew it was a bad idea.

“Maybe Kevin or the other guys didn’t give you a problem because they were trying to get into your pants,” Axel pushed. Now he was trying to see how far he could push her before she got pissed. She didn’t react to George, so I was sure Axel wanted to know what it would take to set her off. I’d seen him do this to just about every crew member we had. He believed people’s true colors came out when they were pushed.

“With all due respect, Mr. Turner, I can’t control what other people think. Clearly, George thinks we’re still livin’ in the 1950s and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.” Margie let out a small snicker at Toni’s comment about George, Kyle was smiling, and I was finding it difficult to control my laugh. “I can only control myself. At no point did anyone say anything that I felt was trying to get my attention. Unless asking me to show them my method for adjusting the chassis is their way of flirting.”

Axel looked her over and then turned his attention to Kyle. “Tell me about this bet you have going with our young intern.”

“Whoever’s car performs better tomorrow will be the car we use for the races. If her car is better, she gets an immediate contract,” Kyle explained.

“And you’re gonna hire someone without my approval?” Axel asked.

Kyle’s eyes flashed with annoyance. Ky was used to Axel’s shit, he liked to fuck with people’s heads and right now Ky and Toni were the top of his list. He wanted to make sure she was the right fit for our team. Axel believed it didn’t always take the best driver or mechanic to get the job done; it took a team who worked well together to bring out the best in one another to get it done. “Axel, you know goddamn well I have full control over my crew. It’s written into my contract and it has been discussed on numerous occasions. I don’t appreciate you questioning my decisions,” Kyle growled.

I worried about this situation. Kyle was right, he did have full control, but Axel still had to sign the checks. If Axel didn’t feel she was a good fit, he’d fight Ky every step of the way. Axel looked pissed for a moment, but then he softened. “You have that much faith in the girl?”

“Fuckin’A I do,” Kyle said. “There wasn’t a single other student her group that could touch Toni’s knowhow. She also has earned the trust of Kev and the rest of her team. You’ve trusted me to make the best decisions for this team for five years. Are you seriously questioning me now?”

“And I still do trust you,” Axel said. He turned to Toni with a smile. “Sorry Toni, I had to test you. You’ll do just fine with these assholes. Welcome aboard.”

Toni smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

“Call me Axel, Toni. Sir makes me feel like an old man.” He smiled at the young woman, his eyes flashing with a protective glow. It amazed me how quickly people took to her. She has something about her that won people over almost instantly. Even Axel wasn’t immune to her charms.

“Well,” I said, “you are old, Axel. Especially to Toni.” I winked at Toni and smirked at the old man. “She’s the same age as your daughter.”

“Fuck off, Jules. You can be replaced,” Axel said. It was his normal mock threat when I was fucking with him.

“I can be,” I agreed. “Of course, my replacement could never drive like me. So have fun loosin’.”

Axel scowled at me then turned to the Icecore rep. “You see the shit I have to put up with, George.”

George laughed, “This is why I love sponsoring this team. Y’all are a real family.”

I glanced toward Toni. She seemed more relaxed, but still a little nervous. She could be so shy and modest one moment then brazen and confident the next. She was a constant contradiction. I was impressed and intrigued with her ability to get people to see what kind of person she was beneath all the pretense. She clearly wanted to be taken seriously in her work and she made sure everyone knew it. I gestured to the waiter and turned to my companions. “How about dinner?”

~oOo~

After dinner, we returned to the hotel in a quiet haze. Everyone seemed to be tired or focused on whatever was on their minds. My mind was stuck on the woman next to me. The dinner went well. All night she was by my side. Her spunk and her confidence were amazing throughout the conversation. She seemed to win everyone over with her knowledge and the way she expressed herself. There were times when I noticed she would turn into herself in spite of the company. But the biggest thing I noticed was when Axel was animatedly talking; his hands flying around made her flinch away from him. Another thing I was starting to notice was not only did I want this beautiful woman in my bed, but I also wanted to know her. I wanted to help her to move beyond whatever plagued her so she could have a future and a growing part preferred that future with me. It scared me a little. I didn’t look for relationships anymore. Women were there to meet my immediate needs and nothing more. The fact I was actually contemplating more than a moment with this woman was terrifying. But it gave me hope; maybe I wasn’t quite as fucked-up as I thought.

We rode up in the elevator together. Kyle and Margie seemed to be in deep conversation while Toni was silent and seemed to be lost in thought. I wanted to talk to her but I didn’t know how to start the conversation. When we got to our floor, Margie grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hall. I wanted to walk Toni to her door, but it seemed Kyle would have that honor.

We said brief goodnights before Kyle and Toni disappeared in the opposite direction down the hall. I looked at Margie and she had a questioning look in her eyes.

“What?” I asked, kind of annoyed.

“You like her, don’t you?” she asked.

“Margie, I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about. She’s a nice girl, but she basically works for me.” Part of me wanted to admit it to my sister; maybe she could help me in some way.

“You like her,” Margie said again. It was a statement this time, not a question. Margie worried about me. She watched me self-destruct after Anna’s death and after finding out the baby most likely wasn’t mine. I was reckless and dangerous to everyone after Anna died. It took a reality check from Axel to make me wake up and focus. But then I was still reckless with the women I was around. Margie watched it all happen. She above most anyone else knew, for me to acknowledge another woman, beyond sex, was a pretty big deal. “Can I tell you something?” she asked. “You gotta promise you won’t say anything though.”

“Yeah, I promise. What?”

“She’s had a rough start. She went through some shit in high school; I think it might have been worse than what I went through. Did you see her flinch when Axel was talking? I thought she would jump out of her skin.” She took in a deep breath and I had to clench my fists so tight my knuckles turned white from the strain. My hands ached from the strain. I had a feeling but I hoped I was wrong. I would never understand why some men think it was okay to hurt women. “I think some guy screwed up her head, he must have destroyed her confidence and her self-image. She doesn’t seem to see her own beauty when she looks at herself. She only sees the image he left her with.”

“What the fuck happened to her? Who the hell was this guy,” I growled.

“She didn’t say specifically. She only said she went through a bad time and she got away from him and she hasn’t seen him since. She doesn’t date; she doesn’t talk to men other than the Hanson twins and the guys in the shop. She doesn’t trust too many people. I gained her trust somehow; I think that’s why she opened up to me. I think she wants to heal but she’s too afraid to open herself up again.”

“Why are you tellin’ me this shit?” I was pissed hearing some guy fucked with her head. It explained a lot.

She scowled at me. “Because I see the way you look at her. You haven’t looked at anyone like that in a long time. She’s a good girl and you’re a pain in the ass, but you could be good for her.” And I knew what she was thinking; maybe the brutalized girl and the damaged boy could save each other.

“You watch too many rom-coms, Marg. We can’t save each other. Maybe we’re both too fucked up to be any good for the other. Maybe fucked up is just what we need to be to survive our lives.”

She shook her head and said, “Maybe you can be fucked up together.”

“No, Margie. You know it don’t work like that.”

I didn’t know what to say. Maybe this girl could help me, but could I help her? I didn’t want to do anything to fuck her up even more than she already was. Besides, I had demons of my own to fight. I couldn’t take on someone else’s demons when I could barely control my own.

Chapter Nine

Toni

Walking out of the women’s locker rooms in my fire-suit at Daytona International Speedway was like a dream come true. I’d been dreaming of walking these pits and donning these uniforms for as long as I could remember. Even if this was fleeting, I was going to make the best of it. For the first time in a long time, I had hope. Kyle believed in me, Kevin and the other crew members believed in me. This could be my life, my dream come true. The smell of gasoline, rubber, grease, and other unique car smells assaulted my nose. The rumble of engines, shouting, radio traffic, and air tools overtook my ears. And the overwhelming site of the track, the stands, and the pit stalls reminded me that my every dream was becoming a reality. I stood stoic for a moment, soaking in all the sounds, smells, and sights before getting caught up in the rush of life. I watched the car I’d poured everything into as it was pushed into the stall alongside the other number fifty-five car being tested.

“Toni!” a deep timbre called from under the hood of one of the cars. Kevin nodded his head, encouraging me to come to the car. When I walked up to Kevin and the rest of the team, he clapped me on the back and smiled. “The car’s as ready as it’ll ever be, Toni. What do you think our chances are, because I’m feelin’ pretty damn good about this machine?”

I smiled at the older man and nodded in agreement. “It’s ready, Kev. We just gotta hope it has enough balls to be faster than Kyle’s car.”

“Oh, this car’s got some balls, that’s for damn sure,” he smirked. I thought back to Kev’s and Tom’s conversation about the car after Tom test drove it in Mooresville. It was the first time either man ever said anything derogatory in front of me. The face Kevin made when he noticed his slip made me laugh. It was also the first time I realized that some of the guys were finally letting their guard down around me. I was just another mechanic. I was thrilled.

We walked out toward the pit stall we would be using today. I sucked in a breath at the immense sight of the track and the stands. I almost couldn’t believe I was here. I was standing in a pit at Daytona, and I belonged there. Kyle came striding across the garage area toward Kevin and me. “Pretty amazin’ sight, ain’t it?” he asked. I could do nothing more than nod. He seemed to understand my inability to speak. “I’ll never forget my first start as crew chief for Jules. It was our first race in the truck series. I’ll tell ya, I just about puked my brains out that mornin’ when we got here. I was so nervous. We won our first race by a one and a half second lead.” He paused for a few moments, staring out at the empty stands. “Well, Toni. It’s about time to get this over with. You ready for your car to lose? Are ya ready to have to work for me for nothing for the next year?”

I snickered at him, feeling confident about the car. This was something I could handle, the shit-talking thing that men loved to do with their friends. When the guys I’ve gone to school with started with it, I knew they were accepting my presence. It seemed to be a universal means of acceptance that most men used. Kyle appeared to be no different. “Do you have that contract here with you?” I asked with a smirk, “Because I
will
be signin’ it today.”