Seeing that Sally had soon been lulled to sleep by her massage and the soft music, Lightning decided to apologize to Dana and the Streets Tonight team. "I'm sorry, Dana," he quietly said, "Sally and I had a long day of working Saturday, and not very much sleep last night. So I'm afraid there might not be much of us for you to shoot this trip."
"That's okay," Dana assured. "Most cars don't get to see how hard sports celebrities like you work sometimes. We have footage of some of what you were doing Saturday. It might be a good angle to show that even you need rest too. If you want to shut the curtain, that's fine . . . but if you'd allow us to shoot some discreet shots, I think that might really touch the audience in a way. Make you seem more real."
"Well, I can't ask Sally here, but . . ." he said.
"Yess, you can . . ." Sally sleepily responded with her eyes closed, "and I'm fine with it, too."
"Well, that seals it then," Lightning confirmed. "Go ahead and shoot as you like. I'll even give you some shots of me just looking out the window here as I fade out. No . . . actually," he decided, "I'd rather look at Sally."
Sally just smiled at him with her eyes closed. "Thank you, Stickers . . ." she sighed, "for making my dream come true . . ." before fading off to sleep again.
"That was a good shot!" Dana whispered to Lightning.
He just winked back at her and the camera. Dana nodded again approvingly. They were getting a good story.
— — — — —
About nine hours later, they arrived.
"Wake-up call!" Mack announced on the videocom. "Now approaching beautiful — well, maybe as much big as beautiful — Los Angeles, California!"
Lightning and Sally both blinked their eyes, yawned and stretched after their first good sleep the entire weekend.
"How're you doing?" Lightning asked Sally as he looked at her.
"Wonderful . . ." Sally replied as she stretched some more. "I can see why you say you like sleeping in here. The trailer does just rock you to sleep. I'm also wonderful because I slept in your world here for the first time . . . with you. One thing's for sure when we get back . . ."
"What's that?" he asked.
"No more sleeping in separate cones," she decided, smiling. "We're getting the gold license plate frames while we're here. If necessary, we might even get married in Vegas."
"I think Radiator Springs would be better than Vegas," he advised.
"Yeah, but only as long as it's no more separate cones in the meantime," she playfully emphasized. "And I don't mind if that's on tape, America," Sally then said to the camera she knew was behind her. "Because this is what being engaged feels like! It's my first time, and it feels fabulous!"
It was evening now as their truck slowed to a stop in front of the stylish hotel and conference center where Lightning was slated to make a brief appearance at a Rust-eze Racing Rally.
"Watch out for Harv," Lightning cautioned Dana as he spotted him out the trailer's window.
"Oh don't worry, I know Harv," Dana assured. "Thanks again for the ride. If you wouldn't mind, I'd still like to get a hotel room interview with you two, and maybe follow you out on the town, and I might suggest a trip to the beach while you're here, too. Given how many times he's called our office, I think Harv would clear it."
"We're only here through tomorrow morning," Lightning cautioned. "But either Sally or I will keep in touch with you."
Sally smiled at him.
"Here's my card with my direct mobile number," Dana said, passing it over via her cameravan. "Look forward to it. Thanks again!" she added as she and her cameravan left out the side crew ramp of the lead trailer.
"Ready for our first big city appearance together?" Lightning asked Sally. "Normally I've psyched myself up for these things, especially on race days. But with you, I'm just going to be relaxed and wing it this time."
"As an attorney here," Sally responded looking out the window, "I used to be on the periphery of these events. Just never thought I'd be in the middle of them!"
"This time, I'm the one with the less than graceful exit, going tail first out of here," he said as he pushed the button to open the ramp. "You just follow me out and smile!"
"Ready? Showtime!" he said as he backed out, revving his engine.
Lightning came out amid the throng of flashing cameras, smiling to each side. Once at the bottom, he turned to one side, and then Sally's front end began to emerge from the trailer. Although the crowd was smaller than the one they'd left at Radiator Springs, Sally actually found herself more nervous this time. She put on a decent forced smile though for the cameras flashing around her as she slowly descended the ramp looking around. While smiling himself, Lightning noticed her nerves though as she reached the bottom of the ramp.
"It's okay," he quietly reassured her.
"You know, for some screwy reason, I'd almost feel more comfortable with the Crew Chief's headset on!" she quietly confided in him through a forced smile. "Don't ask me why!"
"Hey, just pretend this is your due now, for all you've experienced in the past — which actually, it is!" he quietly encouraged her as they smiled at the cameras together. "This is just the 'Way to Go Sally Awards!'"
Sally smiled and laughed openly as she nudged affectionately against him as they made their way through the flashing cameras into the hotel.
"Perfect Sal, perfect!" he whispered to her.
"Okay," she whispered back, "make you a deal. I'll coach you on the track, and you coach me off the track!"
"Done deal!" he readily accepted as he whispered back to her. "See what a team we make?"
"Yeah," she whispered, "I do."
"Wow, it is tough to catch up with you guys!" a dark blue BMW sports car said as he finally pushed his way through the crowd to Lightning and Sally in the hotel lobby.
"Sally, this is my agent Harv," Lightning said making introductions, "and Harv, this is my fiancée — and it feels very good to say that — Sally."
"Pleasure to meet you," Harv said quickly, "Hopefully unlike with me and my three marriages, we'll be seeing you for a long time with this guy. But Lightning, I thought you might 'a learned something about the dangers of commitment from me by now!"
"Well Harv, deep down, Sally was just a winner that I couldn't pass up," Lightning replied. "And I should know something about winning,"
"You, sir, are just incredible," Sally admired to Lightning, almost charmed and gratified beyond words. "Thank you . . ." she added honestly as she gave him a real kiss, stifling a tear.
"Well, I can see where this is going. You two want the room now?" Harv commented indelicately.
"Harv," Lightning responded, "this is our new winning edge here, our team. This will really help us win, both on and off the track!"
"Hmmm . . . 'Racing and Romance' . . . 'Everyone Loves a Winner' . . . yeah, I can see some angles and winning edges here," Harv mused. "I think you two are onto something."
"But we still have problems," he continued, now beginning to hustle them along to their appearance at the 'Rust-eze Racing Rally' at a ballroom down the hall. "I have to be honest . . . I won't be able to keep a lid on these problems forever. Be prepared to address and deal with them as they come up — but don't volunteer anything that the press doesn't find out on their own."
"How much do you know, Harv?" Lightning asked quietly.
"I know enough to appreciate that it might cause you some bad blood and ill will around the track if anyone connects the car Sally is now with the not-to-be-trusted bad girl who once roamed the pits," Harv answered.
Sally was chilled by that comment, and Lightning noticed her discomfort, gently touching a supportive tire against her to reassure her.
"All I hear is that there is just talk at this point," Harv then continued. "Cars wondering if there might be any connection between the polished Porsche that Sally is now, with a wild Porsche named Sal who once was known as a sharp lieutenant for one of the racecars. No one knows Sal's last name as she apparently never used it, so we're good for the moment."
"How did you make the connection, Harv?" Lightning asked.
"I knew of Sally here when she was an attorney in L.A.," Harv said. "You probably don't remember me, Sally, but I remember you. Your firm handled one of my divorces, and I saw you in the office a number of times. When I heard of you two together, saw the footage on the news of Sally Crew Chiefing for you at your demonstration laps yesterday, and heard stories about of this wild but racing-savvy and sharp Porsche named Sal . . . my gas tank just put it all together, and your reaction on the phone earlier today confirmed it. Actually, I'm hearing that Sal was admired by some on the track — that if she'd been with a different racecar and had a different attitude, she had insights and talent that could have taken her places there."
"Don't worry, Sally, this can work," Lightning reassured as he looked at her. "Harv, do you know who that other racecar is? Just yes or no for now," he then asked.
"Yes . . . I believe I do," Harv said.
Sally cringed. Lightning noticed, knowing she would. He touched her reassuringly again.
"Thanks, Harv," Lightning said as they went into the ballroom's backstage area. "That's all for now. We'll meet you back in the hall here, and go to dinner afterwards."
"Sally, I trust you completely," Lightning turned and assured her as they had a moment to themselves before they went out on stage. "That's why I asked my last question of Harv the way I did. I trust that you have your reasons, and that you will tell me when you feel it's right to. You don't need to tell me who this car is before then. Okay?"
"Lightning," she replied, "I want to tell you when I can be there at the track to help protect you. If you let on to this car that you know the past between him and I, I'm afraid that he will hurt you, go after you — because I can tell you how to beat him. It's not cheating, so much as just knowing how to avoid his cheating, when he will do it. Lightning, I'm scared for you . . . that's why I haven't told you, and I don't want you to know for your own safety, until we can be there together to beat him fair and square."
"Sally . . . I understand, I completely agree, completely trust you, and totally love you!" Lightning warmly reassured her, giving her a kiss. "I never want you to doubt, or worry about my commitment to you ever again, okay?"
"Lightning," she said honestly, " . . . I don't deserve you."
"Yes you do, Sally . . . you so do!" Lightning affirmed quietly to her as he ushered her through the curtains on cue to the stage amid cheers and cameras flashing.
That brought out a warm, tearful smile from Sally that they both knew the cameras would just eat up.
Sensing a good opportunity, Dana Starlighter just moved up the floor to the foot of the stage and asked, "Hey Ms. Carrera! Sally! How are you feeling about your trip, and your engagement to Lightning McQueen so far? Care to comment?"
"Lightning and I have begun sharing things that I had frankly thought I would never have had in the past," Sally admiringly responded while looking at him. "He continues to amaze me, with his insight, warmth, his devotion, and love . . . even now. He just wowed me again backstage with some wonderful words. I can't help the joy that I feel."
"Thank you, Ms. Carrera, thank you," Dana said, continuing to look on at Sally and Lightning as the cameravan filmed them. Even though she prided herself on being a sharp reporter; knowing what she knew about the hard life that Sally had endured, and having endured her own tough period once . . . Dana now wanted Sally and Lightning to win.
That, she knew, would make for a really good story.
