Happy Hour (Racing on the Edge) (66 page)

I still felt nauseous and
this
wasn’t helping. Not only was my stomach bothering me, I
did not
want to tell Jameson he had to go on a date with Dana because I was trying to find out answers.  Answers he
did not
want me finding out. But if I didn’t, and something happened to Jameson, I would always wonder if I could have stopped it.

Everyone was hard at work preparing for a night of dirt track racing when I walked into the announcer’s booth.

Jameson was standing in the corner with Mark going over the schedule for the events tonight.

When his eyes met mine, he quickly made his way over to me by the door.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jameson kissed my forehead, his arms wrapped around me. “You don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine.” I eluded. I really did look like shit right then, and I
felt
worse than shit. “Just tired,”

He took me into the private office off the announcer’s booth. “Are you sure you’re okay, honey? Are you horny or something?”

“No
...
well
...
actually yes, but that’s not why.” I tried to make something up but drew a blank and went with the truth, well part of it anyways. “I just don’t feel very good tonight. I think it was that corndog I ate.”

Jameson scrunched his nose disgusted. “That’s what you get for eating a corndog.”

We laughed and talked about the schedule for the night and stole a few kisses before heading back outside to the announcers booth.

“Oh
...
by the way, you are going on a date with Dana.” I cringed, waiting for his protests. “On Sunday,”

“I don’t think I heard you.” His hand came up slamming the door shut. “What was that?”

“You’re going on a date,” I repeated. “with Dana.”

“You can’t be serious.” His eyes were hard and not pleasant at all. “
Please
tell me you’re not serious.”

I stood there, waiting for him to agree, while he stood there, waiting for me to tell him I was joking.

“I’m serious Jameson. It’s the only way to get Dana to tell us what Darrin and Chelsea are up to.”

“I thought I told you to stay out of this?”

“You did but we
have
to know.”

“Going on a date, with Dana, is not worth knowing!” he shouted. “No fucking way. Not happening. Ever,”

“Jameson,” I sighed heavily. “Just
please
...
I don’t like this anymore than you do.”

“I highly doubt that or you wouldn’t have agreed to whore me out.” He barked back shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I feel cheap.”

“Whore you out?” I pushed him back against the wall, trying to be intimidating, clearly not achieved by the smirk. “Listen,” I grabbed his face between my hands. “I’m not going to sit back and wait for Darrin to hurt you
...
I will find out what that fucker is up to. So if Dana is our only option, you take her to dinner.”

“You’re okay with me going out with another woman?” he questioned for good reason.

“
Fuck no
I’m not okay with it, but what choice do I have?”

“You could let me take care of this myself and not get involved.” He glared challenging me to say something else.

 It was clear he didn’t want me involved. But then again, that “what if?” was blaring so loud, I couldn’t see past it to
not
make him do this.

I grumbled, frustrated. “Just go out to dinner with her.” I stepped back creating distance from his glare. “Emma and I will be there to make sure she doesn’t try anything.”

The silence that followed made me nervous before he finally caved.

“Ah Christ,” Jameson stared at me with obvious doubt. “I swear to god Sway, if this goes badly, I’m holding you
and
stabberally responsible.”

There was a loud knock on the door. “Hey Jameson,” Mark poked his head in. “I need you for a second.”

Jameson nodded to him, and then looked back to me. “No longer than an hour. I’m serious, I’m fucking timing it.” He pointed to his wrist heading to the door. “One hour.”

This had bad idea written all over it but what other choice did we have?

I didn’t have one. I refused to sit back and wait for Darrin to pull his next move on the track for the simple “what if?” factor.

I sent Emma a text letting her know that Jameson said okay and then walked out of the office to find Mallory again.

The rest of the evening was spent with Mallory and me arguing over silly inconsequential things like what the schedule would be for the ticket booth or when to close the beer garden down.

Jameson spent most of his night arguing with track officials being slow to throw out a caution or being slow cleaning up a wreck.

Being a racer himself, he wasn’t exactly the person you want yelling at you to throw a caution. They had their own ideas about the way things should be run and it wasn’t always the right one.

Throughout the busy evening, we may have seen each other twice since our Dana conversation and both occasions, he was yelling at someone.

It was a relief I wasn’t behind the yelling but I knew this was going to happen, I warned him. He didn’t need all this superfluous stress added to his life, he had enough going on as it was.

When the races were finished for the night, I finally got to see Jameson. It didn’t take long before Emma needed him to sign some autographs for the little midget series.

After that night, I had a feeling this was the way race nights would be from now on at Grays Harbor.

“Where is he?” Emma asked coming into my bedroom Sunday afternoon, the day of the date with Dana. “He didn’t run away, did he?”

“In the bathroom,” I answered not looking up from my book. “He’s taking a shower.”

She plopped down on my bed. “Is he still mad at me?”

“What do you think?” I raised my eyebrow at her.

“Ughh
...
” she groaned. “He’s overreacting.”

“Is he?” I laughed. “Emma, you made reservations for him and Dana at Sorrento’s.”

“So
...
?”

“It’s one of his favorite places, not to mention he is going with Dana.” I finally looked at her. “You’re tainting his memory of the restaurant forever now.”

“We’re going to be right outside.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like a
real
date, she knows that.”

“Does she?”

Emma giggled with a touch of mischief. “I told her it wasn’t a date
...
” My glare had her confessing. “Okay, Okay
...
I told her it was a date but she knows it’s nothing more than a “friend” date. I told her that you’re his girlfriend.”

That still didn’t make it any better.

Emma and I were going with him but Dana didn’t know that. We were supposed to hide out in the kitchen while they were on their date. I hated calling it that, but that’s what it was, for her sake. Dana needed to think Jameson was going on a date with her so she would tell him what Darrin was up to.

Jameson on the other hand, was convinced she was going to try to rape him or something, and to say he freaked out when Emma made reservations at Sorrento’s, was an understatement
...
he went apeshit.

I heard my bedroom door open and Jameson walked in with only a towel wrapped low around his waist.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked Emma.

They scowled at each other for a moment. “Talking with Sway,” Emma finally answered.

I just ogled like the pervy pigizzle I am. He was showing entirely too much skin for me to focus on anything else.

“You’ve got five seconds before I’m completely naked.” Jameson warned tugging on his towel. “Four seconds
...
”

Emma screamed in horror running towards the door.

“Works like a charm.” Jameson smirked walking towards the bed. I set my book down wrapping my arms around his waist when he made it to the edge of the bed. “What do I wear?”

“Nothing revealing,”

“Obviously,” he held up a black Simplex long sleeve shirt. “How about this?”

“Don’t wear black.”

He threw the shirt back in his suitcase. “Why, what’s wrong with black?” he asked confused.

“You look
...
incredibly
hot
in black, it makes your eyes stand out. I don’t want her drooling over you.”

“Right, no black then,” He agreed rummaging through his bag. “What color looks the worst?”

“Wear that one.” I pointed to the navy blue Oakley shirt. He picked it up, pulling it over his head and then sat down beside me. “And don’t wear your cologne.”

“I wasn’t going to.” He said with a chuckle. “I only wear that for you.”

My shoulders slumped forward. Jameson must have noticed because the next thing I knew, he pulled me onto his lap.

His hand moved under my chin. “This was your idea,
remember
?”

I sighed forcing a small smile. “I know
...
it doesn’t mean I like the idea.”

“Does that mean I don’t have to go?”

“NO!” Emma yelled from behind the door. “You’re going!”

“I asked my parents for a dog
...
and
that’s
what they brought home.” Jameson said pointing to Emma who was now inside my bedroom with her hands covering her eyes.

“Shut up Jameson,” she reached forward to punch his shoulder. “now get in the car. You’re going to be late.”

He laughed sarcastically. “We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

An hour later, Emma and I sat there crammed in the corner of the kitchen at Sorrento’s in downtown Olympia, watching Jameson and Dana.

Every time Dana tried to touch him in some way, Emma giggled hysterically as though this was a comedy club.

I did not. I wanted to run out there and rip her hair out.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I asked adjusting my position on the floor. My ass was starting to fall asleep.

“You have no idea.” Emma grinned evilly stuffing another bread stick in her mouth. The guys working in the kitchen were kind enough to let us sit back here for one, but they also kept handing us food. I didn’t have the heart to tell them we were like dogs, if you fed us, we might never leave.

“He’s going to kill you.” I told Emma with a mouth full of food. “Just so you know.”

“I don’t care.” She laughed. “This is a hoot.”

Dana once again reached for his hand over the table. Jameson jerked it back quickly and glanced around the restaurant, probably looking for us. I felt bad for him; there he was sitting across from her gazing unabashedly at him.