Play By Play [6] One Sweet Ride Read online

  “Which is what? Two months out of the year? Not very practical for her, is it?”

  Donny stared at the ground.

  “Do you want her with you because you’ll miss her, or because you’re afraid if she’s not with you all the time she’ll find someone else?”

  Gray caught the worried expression on Donny’s face.

  “I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, you know,” Donny said. “I barely got out of high school. And Stacie—God, that girl is smart. Sometimes I don’t know what she’s doing with someone like me.”

  “She’s here, isn’t she?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe she loves you, though God only knows why. You’re a dick sometimes, you drink and party too much, and your head is up your ass more often than not. But she does care about you and she sacrifices a lot for you. Maybe you should consider doing the same thing for her. If you love her.”

  He lifted his chin, clearly pissed off. “I do.”

  “Then trust her. That’s what love is built on, Donny. Without it, you’re toast and so is your relationship.”

  Donny clamped his lips together as they walked, then finally nodded. “You know what? You’re right. If I don’t start trusting in her—in us—I’m gonna lose her. I can already feel her slipping through my fingers.”

  “Then do something about it. You worrying about your girl makes you lose focus on racing, and that’s where I need your attention to be. Understood?”

  Donny gave him a quick nod. “Got it, boss.”

  Gray slapped Donny on the arm. “Good talk. Now let’s figure out what’s going on with your engine. I heard something I didn’t like during your practice run today.”

  *******

  EVELYN HOVERED NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE GARAGE, having overheard Gray’s conversation with Donny.

  Stacie had taken off for her trailer, claiming she had some laundry to do, followed by studying. Since Evelyn didn’t have access to Gray’s trailer, and since she needed access to Gray, she figured the only thing she could do was suck it up and talk to him, much as she didn’t want to.

  But then she overheard him giving Donny advice on his relationship with Stacie, and good advice at that, which surprised her.

  It seemed like he was always surprising her, either in good ways or bad. The man was utterly unpredictable, which wasn’t a good thing at all. She liked the people she worked with to be dependable in their actions and responses. Gray seemed like a wild card to her, and she couldn’t trust what he’d do or say.

  At least in politics she knew all the players. This was Gray Preston, an unknown, who lived in a world she had been thrust into and was utterly unfamiliar with. It was already clear he was nothing like his father, who was a known quantity. Mitchell Preston had played the political game for years. He knew the score, and so did Evelyn.

  Gray wasn’t going to play the game her way. He was already angry with her for trying to help out his friend. Favors were done all the time in Washington. Sometimes they came with a price tag. The one she’d offered to do for Miranda last night had been offered without strings. Because Gray didn’t know her, he just assumed she’d want something in return. Or that his father would.

  If he’d bothered to ask her, she could have told him that. But no, he’d decided to act like an arrogant douchebag and make assumptions without knowledge, so she’d be damned if she was going to be nice to him.

  Unfortunately, she did still have to do her job. Which right now consisted of leaning against the wall of the garage and watching his very fine ass as he bent over the hood of his race car, deep in conversation with his crew chief and several members of his team. Whether he knew she was there or not, she had no idea, nor did she care. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and answered a few emails. After a while, someone on the team must have noticed her, because they brought her a folding chair. She smiled her thanks and took a seat inside the garage, where it was shady and much cooler than it was outside.

  Admittedly, watching hot guys work on even hotter cars wasn’t a bad way to pass the time. And since it was clear Gray wasn’t going to talk to her right now, it wasn’t a bad gig. Better than running around after senators and representatives and fetching coffee and sending emails and composing letters. She was so used to the fast pace of life in D.C., this was like watching grass grow, especially since she knew absolutely zip about automobiles and racing. It would help her to gain an understanding of what the fans found so exhilarating about this sport so she’d be able to integrate Gray’s passion for the sport with the upcoming election. Again, it would be fruitless to ask Gray. He hadn’t once looked her way or acknowledged her at all.

  She supposed she could try, though. She’d never been a coward and she wasn’t going to be one now. She stood and headed over to the car, inching ever closer, wincing a bit as the sound of some tool she was unfamiliar with howled in a piercing, staccato beat from underneath the vehicle.

  She hovered close and eavesdropped on their conversation, all of which went right over her head. Manifolds and oil pressure and gauges and gear boxes. They might as well be speaking a foreign language—one that she didn’t speak, anyway.

  Gray finally lifted his head, a streak of dark grease across his jaw, which only enhanced his rugged good looks. His crew chief, Ian, stepped away, allowing her to draw closer.

  “What are you working on?” she asked.

  He frowned. “The car, obviously.”

  Oh, he was still in a mood. “Obviously. I was wondering if you’d teach me a bit about it.”

  “Not now, Evelyn. Kind of busy here.”

  “Can I just hang out and watch, then?”

  “You’re in the way.”

  His tone was sharp. Rude. And she grabbed a clue in a hurry.

  “Certainly. Of course. Some other time, then. I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”

  With a nod to Ian, she moved away, clearly dismissed.

  He’d irritated the hell out of her last night, making untrue accusations about her.

  She could brush that aside so they could work together. Gray, on the other hand, held a grudge.

  Fine. She left the garage and wandered, debating whether or not to call it a day and head to her hotel since she was getting nowhere by hovering. He’d talk to her when he was ready, and he evidently wasn’t ready today. And she refused to bother Stacie when she needed to be studying.

  So when she saw one of the drivers, still in his fire suit, leaving the track area, she decided maybe she could gain her auto racing education in another way.

  She smiled and approached him. “Excuse me.”

  He stopped and his lips curled in a genuine smile. “Hi there. You’re with Gray Preston, aren’t you?”

  She was about to explain, but if it got her an audience with the guy, why bother?

  “Yes, I am. I’m Evelyn Hill.”

  He shook her hand. “Calvin McClusky. I drive the number twelve Ford.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. McClusky.”

  “You can call me Cal. All my close friends do.”

  He was totally hitting on her. Great-looking guy. Tall, looked well built under that fire suit, and with serious blue eyes, spiky dark blond hair, and the kind of killer smile that she was certain divested many a woman of her panties.

  “Okay, Cal. Are you busy right now?”

  “Just drove my practice run and now I’m heading to my garage.”

  “Perfect. Would you mind if I tagged along?”

  “Not at all, darlin’. Come on.”

  Cal had a very southern accent that Evelyn found quite appealing. No wonder these guys had so many groupies. All that charm.

  Except, Gray, of course, who she didn’t find charming in the least, especially not today.

  Cal introduced her to his crew, who were all as friendly as he was.

  “So, you’re Gray’s new girl?” Cal asked as he climbed out of his fire suit, revealing a body that sho
uld be declared illegal. Wide shoulders, lean waist, and thighs that had obviously spent some time in the gym.

  “I’m nobody’s girl. But yes, Gray and I have been spending some time together.”

  Cal arched a brow. “Oh, a smart woman. Just my type. Can I get you something to drink?” he asked as he headed over to a refrigerator in the garage.

  “A water would be great, if you have one.”

  He pulled out a water for her and an energy drink for himself, then came back to stand in front of her.

  “Thank you. So what do you do with your car after your practice run?” she asked, unscrewing the top of the water to take a couple sips.

  “We go over it, make sure the laps didn’t do any damage, and make sure it’s still running prime. We download the data we gathered from the laps we ran and check the car over. Next step tomorrow is qualifying. That’s when you want the car at its best, so this is our last chance to fix anything.”

  “So if there are any mechanical problems or engine problems, you can still fix them.”

  “Right.”

  He let her lean over the quarter panel and look inside the car as he pointed out various parts of the engine and explained their function. Since Evelyn had a near eidetic memory, this was proving to be so useful. Plus, Cal was easy, and not just on the eyes. There was a definite plus in that she didn’t work for his father. There was no end goal in sight other than to enjoy his company. And he was definitely enjoyable.

  After a while, he led her away from the car. “So, are you and Gray in some kind of relationship?”

  “No, we’re not.”

  “Which means you’d be free to go out with me.”

  Now that was a sticky situation. “Actually, I’m here to work.”

  “For Gray.”

  “Sort of.”

  “So you’re still free to go out with me.” He gave her the kind of easygoing smile that would be nearly impossible to resist, if she were looking for a hot guy to spend an evening with. Which she wasn’t.

  “I’m sorry, I really can’t.” She laid her hand on his arm. “But if I was going to go out with someone, Cal, it would definitely be you.”

  He smiled at her, so he took the rejection well. “I guess I’ll take that as a decent enough consolation.”

  She laughed. “I hope so. And I do appreciate the offer. Believe me, today was the perfect day to receive it.”

  “Rough one?”

  “Yes. So thank you.”

  “What the hell are you doing, Evelyn?”

  She spun around to see Gray barreling down on them. As was his typical demeanor since last night, he looked angry. She’d had just about enough of him being angry for no reason, so she gave him a laid-back stare and didn’t move. There was no reason for her to feel guilty for spending time with Cal. She might work for his father, but she didn’t work for him. He didn’t own her.

  “As a matter of fact, I was spending time with Cal.”

  Gray gave Cal what could only be described as a death glare, the kind she’d seen many times when two political opponents faced off. “What are you doing with Evelyn?”

  “I was giving her some car lessons.”

  “Why?”

  Evelyn decided she could handle this. “Because I asked him and he was gracious enough to give me some of his time, something you couldn’t be bothered with today.”

  Cal crossed his arms and smirked at Gray.

  “I was goddamn busy today.”

  “Only takes a few minutes to explain the physical and mechanical aspects of your race car, Gray,” Cal said. “Especially to a smart woman like Evelyn. What bug crawled up your ass today?”

  “None of your fucking business, McClusky. Let’s go, Evelyn.”

  He was treating her like she was his property, and she didn’t like it. Instead, she turned her back to Gray and faced Cal. “I’ve changed my mind. I’d love to go out with you tonight, Cal.”

  Cal grinned. “Great. Are you staying nearby?”

  “Yes.” She gave him her hotel information and her cell phone number, feeling Gray’s gaze burn into her the entire time.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven?” Cal asked.

  “Sounds perfect. Thank you again for the tour today. I really appreciate it.”

  “Anytime. See you tonight, darlin’.”

  With a wink to Gray, Cal walked off, leaving her alone with Gray.

  “You can’t really mean to go out with him.”

  “Last time I checked, I’m over the age of twenty-one and you are not related to me.

  In fact, this is the first time today you’ve even spoken to me. Besides, you made it pretty clear last night you want nothing to do with me, so butt out of my personal life.” She pivoted and headed toward the parking lot, knowing she was acting like a hurt girlfriend, but these were her emotions and she was going with it.

  Gray followed, his long strides easily staying in step with her short, angry ones.

  “Don’t trust him. He may seem like a nice guy, but he’s got issues.”

  And Gray didn’t? She waved her hand in dismissal at him. “I think I can handle myself just fine.”

  When she got to her car, she unlocked her door and started to open it. Gray shut it and leaned against it, commandeering her attention. “I’m serious about Cal McClusky, Evelyn. His only goal is to win, and he knows there’s something going on between you and me. That’s the only reason he wants to go out with you.”

  Could he be more insulting? “So you’re saying I have nothing to offer a man?”

  He rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I said at all.”

  “Get out of my way, Gray. And stay out of my personal life.”

  Anger flared in his eyes. “Why? You’re in mine. Shouldn’t that give me the same right to be in yours?”

  “No. Now move.”

  He hesitated, then took a step back. She slid in her seat, started the car, and drove off, a vision of Gray standing in the parking lot firmly planted in her rearview mirror.

  NINE

  THIS HAD BEEN SUCH A STUPID IDEA. SHE WAS ABOUT as interested in going out with Cal McClusky tonight as she was in switching political affiliations. But she’d had to be stubborn and show Gray that he couldn’t boss her around.

  Since when did she get so reactive? She’d always been so calm and unruffled, the perfect demeanor for a career in politics. A few days around Gray Preston and she was acting like a fourteen-year-old.

  And now she was going out on a date with a guy she wasn’t even attracted to. A nice enough guy, but still, a man she normally would have given a polite no to. In fact, she had said no, until Gray had gone all caveman on her and started issuing commands, as if she were some stuffing-brained Barbie Doll. That had set her off, and now here she stood, in front of her closet, wondering what the hell she was going to wear, when instead she could be curled up in bed reading her favorite Maya Banks romance, or unwinding by watching reality TV, her guiltiest pleasure. Or she could go over her boss’s agenda for the next month. You know, performing the functions of her damn job like she should be doing.

  Ugh.

  She chose a basic black dress with a covered neckline and short sleeves, finishing off the outfit with a bland pair of black pumps. Conservative, not sexy, and would in no way lead Cal to believe she was giving him any signals. In fact, it was the perfect outfit for attending a funeral, or an appearance on the congressional floor.

  What a boring outfit. She wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this thing on a date—not typically, anyway.

  The poor guy. He’d been so nice to her, too.

  When he knocked on her hotel room door, she grabbed her purse and her phone, noting the time.

  He was punctual, too. She pasted on a smile. “Cal.”

  “Evelyn.”

  He wore jeans, a button-down shirt, boots, and a cowboy hat. Even in her funeral dress, she was overdressed.

  “Am I overdressed
?”

  “No. You look gorgeous.”

  He had to be lying. She looked like a freakin’ pilgrim.

  He held out his arm for her. She shut the door and he led her toward his car, which was a pickup truck, so he had to help her climb into that, too.

  “Sorry. I trailer it and bring it everywhere we go. It’s my favorite ride.”

  “It’s no problem,” she said as she buckled up her seat belt, then held on when he fired up the engine, which sounded as loud and rumbly as a race car.

  “Sweet, huh?” he asked with a grin.

  She offered another benign smile. “You bet.”

  Dinner was at some swanky steakhouse, dark and private. He seemed to know the people there, because they led him to a private, dark corner booth. The waitress set him up with a beer and whiskey as soon as they were seated.

  Evelyn felt the beginnings of a headache in her temples, so she ordered an iced tea.

  “Sure you don’t want anything stronger, honey?”

  “No, the tea is fine for me.”

  “Maybe after dinner, then. I thought we’d hit a club.”

  Oh. Joy. “So, tell me about your race career.”

  He leaned back and puffed up his chest. “Won the championship three years ago.

  Third in the standings right now, so it’s only a matter of time before I win it again this year.”

  “That’s great. I’m sure a lot of that is having a good race car and a great team behind you.”

  The waitress came over with menus, which Cal pushed to the side. “You might as well bring me another round, honey. It’s been a long day. And keep ’em comin’, too.”

  The waitress nodded and Cal downed his beer in about four quick swallows, then focused his attention back on Evelyn.

  “A good team is great and all that, but a lot of my success comes from having a damn good driver behind the wheel. I didn’t get where I am by not knowing what the hell I’m doing. I’ve worked my ass off the past five years, ever since I got to drive in the big series. Winning the championship three years ago has given me a taste of what that’s like. I want it again.”