Chapter 29 Among friends
Barstow
At the trailer, Jenna went into the bathroom and grabbed some protein bars and coffee for everyone for breakfast. David and Vince were at the Ducati, when she came out. They seemed to be getting along fairly well, as they looked over the bike together. Jenna leaned against her car, sipping her hot coffee watching her boyfriend and her best friend exam the bike. Tension eased out of her shoulders as she realized that for now at least the two most important men in her life seemed to have called a truce.
A little while later Vince found himself standing on the sidelines watching as Jenna geared up for her race. He took her helmet from David, subtly edging his way between the two friends.
"Be careful out there. We've got plans for tonight, remember," Vince told her loud enough for David to hear as he bent to kiss her.
"What sorta plans would those be," Jenna whispered smiling against his lips.
Vince dropped his voice, low and smooth next to her ear. "Mmmm...Birthday presents, baby. Gonna be opening your present all night, nice and slow. How's that sound?"
Vince deep honeyed voice wrapped Jenna in a cocoon of heat as tight as his arms holding her. Just the thought of getting her birthday present made her tingle all over. Then Vince stopped talking and took possession of her mouth with a short but incredibly hot kiss that left her world spinning.
David clapped Vince on the shoulder, interrupting the kiss and said with a laugh, "Dude, don't kiss her stupid right before the race. She's gotta one track mind, so let her keep it on the race track for now."
Vince snarled at David, but released Jenna and helped her put her helmet on. He moved over to stand with Pops as Jenna lined up with the rest of the competitors. Vince could feel his nerves jangle as he looked over the competition. Most of the riders were young men, only two women counting Jenna. Vince didn't like how small she looked in comparison to all the others. These races were very high pressure and riders could get short tempered very easily. If you could put your competition out of the race without hurting yourself, you did. Even without the danger of angry competitors, the track itself was dangerous especially at high speeds. Vince found those bricks in his throat and stomach again, his palms started to sweat and he clenched his teeth.
Seeing Vince tense up, David squeezed his shoulder and said, "Relax man. That girl was practically born on a bike, she loves this shit. She'll be fine and it will be all over in a few minutes."
Vince just nodded, his eyes still glued to Jenna. Pops watched the track with eagle eyes and
when he spoke he seemed to be addressing the world at large, not just Vince. "I would never let her on a bike if I thought she couldn't handle it. I have pulled her off the line before, because the other riders were too ornery. I've seen her ditch some real big guys out there if they got too close," having said that Pops shot Vince a sly grin as he walked away, "See you after she wins."
Jenna didn't win, but she did come in second. Vince thought she would have won if it hadn't been for the other girl out there. She kept crowding Jenna, and finally clipped her. Jenna recovered nicely, but changed her focus from the race to the girl. Jenna managed to force the girl into a bale of hay and spent the rest of the race playing catch up.
Vince and David jogged side by side to the finish line, but David sprinted the last few yards, his slightly longer legs giving him an advantage and he reached Jenna first. She still had her helmet on when he swung her around in the air, hugging her hard. Vince clenched his fists in frustration, but managed to wait until her feet hit the ground before snatching her out of David's arms.
Deliberately turning away from David, Vince gently eased the helmet from Jenna's head. Dropping the helmet to the ground, Vince lifted Jenna high so that she had to lower her head to bring her mouth into contact with his.
David watched Vince's muscles bunch as he lifted Jenna high in the air. As Vince's head tipped back to kiss Jenna, the smooth muscles of his throat stretched and worked in sync with their dueling tongues. David felt a stab of jealousy for Jenna for the first time in his life. Feeling guilty as hell David turned and walked away.
Several hours later, Jenna found herself leaning against a hay bale watching Vince and David again. They stood by the track, David in his riding gear, Vince in jeans and double tanks. Their tanned skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweat defining their muscles in the desert heat. Pops stood with them and Jenna could tell by the body language that they were discussing the competition.
The truce, uneasy as it was still seemed to be holding steady, even if they did growl at each other from time to time.
Pops gave David an affectionate pat on the back as he straddled his motorcycle. Bikes roared to life all over the place, not the deep rumbling purr of the Ducati, but something rougher and higher pitched.
Jenna stepped up carrying David's helmet. Her finger glided across Vince's thigh as she passed him on her way to David.
Holding out the helmet to David, she jerked her head in the direction of the line up, "Number 18 is that punk that tried to push you off the track at Rocky Ridge last year. Keep an eye on him; don't get caught with your pants down out there."
"Awh, com'on. Dropping trowe' is fun," David smirked, taking his helmet from her.
"Well this is our last race of the day and I would like to spend the night celebrating my birthday, not pacing the emergency room. Be careful out there."
"See you at the finish line." And without thinking, David dropped a kiss on Jenna's lips.
And Vince was moving before his brain could catch up with his fist.
David never saw the punch coming; he was raising his helmet to his head when Vince's roar of rage made him glance up. With both hands grasping the helmet, his guard was down and his left cheek took the full brunt of Vince's fist. David went down hard, taking the dirt-bike with him. Landing in a tangled heap in the sand, David shook his head, disoriented and pinned down by his bike.
Instantly, an enraged Vince was on top of him. David managed to kick free of the motorcycle, but before he could scramble to his feet, Vince grabbed the leather of his suit and drew back to land a second punch. Jenna flung herself into the fray as she clung to Vince's arm and screamed at him.
Vince attempted to shrug Jenna loose, without losing his grip on David, but she was determined to plaster herself to him and wiggle her way between him and the man he had every intention of beating to a bloody pulp. It didn't even occur to Vince to wonder why she was wrapped around him. The fact that she was screaming in his ear and swatting at him with one hand, never even registered. The only consideration he gave to her actions was that if he swung, he was likely to hit her. So he didn't swing, but he wasn't letting go either.
Then two things happened almost simultaneously. Pops grabbed Jenna around the waist and pulled her off, just as Roman Pearce hit Vince in a flying tackle. The impact dislodged Vince from David and rolled the new combatants into the crowd gathering.
They writhed in the sand and rocks, Vince landed several punches to the hard body of the black man, but the blows had little effect. Vince couldn't get enough room to swing so he couldn't throw his weight into his fists. Roman, didn't bother throwing punches, he wrapped his body around Vince, pinning him to the ground. Wrestling his way into position, he eventually cut of Vince's air supply forcing the bigger man to cease his struggle.
Panting for breath and spitting blood, Roman used his legs to control Vince as he yelled, "Don't know who the fuck you are partn'r, but this is Barstow, baby! And I got somethin' for your ass!"
Vince fought the hold until his vision began tunneling and as the blackness started closing in on him; before he let his body go limp and weakly tapped the black man's hip three times.
"You cool?" Rome asked.
Barely able to move in the tight grip and falling into the cool darkness, Vince somehow managed to nod slightly.
Roman released the lock formed by his powerful legs and pushed off Vince's shoulder as he quickly stood and backed away.
Pops let go of Jenna when it was clear that the fight was over, but she stood still, frozen to the ground. Jenna's eyes were glued to Vince and it was a few seconds before she realized she could move forward if she wanted to.
She stared at Vince for a minute, thinking she could actually see him reigning in the fury, controlling the need to attack. He stood alone in the dirt, a collage of faceless people milled around the background, murmuring about the fight that had broke out so suddenly in their midst. Jenna licked her lips, nervous about approaching him she stood rooted to the ground unable to move despite her new found freedom.
Jenna studied Vince's slightly bowed head, wishing she could see his eyes. Fine white dust coated his clothes and skin. It covered half his face and looked strange ground into his dark hair, changing the color to a light dun.
A flurry of movement and dust drew her attention to the side for a moment, turning her head, she saw Roman turn David around and use his hands to brush away the layer of dust that obscured the marking of his riding gear. She saw David's body jerk in surprise as Roman's hand swatted his backside firmly to dislodge some apparently very stubborn dust. 'Well, looks like David's in good hands. Sweet Thang… I knew it.'
Vince coughed and moaned as he rolled to his knees, breathing heavily, shaking his head and blinking as blood flow was dizzyingly restored to his brain.
Vince stood, wobbling slightly as his oxygen starved brain pounded against his eardrums. He bowed his head and focused on his breathing, willing himself to calm down. Pops words rang in his ears, "No one has ever been successful in coming between them… My advice…don't try." Vince closed his eyes and cursed himself for being an idiot. Jenna and David were a couple. They just didn't know it yet.
Vince had seen it before with Dom and Letty, in high school and after. Some unseen force, stronger than anything else, pushed them together and no matter what happened, no matter how many times they fought or cheated, they always came back to each other. That's the way it was with David and Jenna. Pops had told him, he had heard the words, he just hadn't listened.
Sighing, Vince raised his head and saw Jenna. She stood facing him, but her head was turned in profile. Following her gaze, Vince saw David, covered in grim with a large purple bruise forming on one cheek. The black man that had just forced him to submit was holding David's face and examining the swelling cheek. Vince looked back at Jenna as the black man turned David and began roughly brushing dirt and dust from his uniform.
Vince felt his heart break and bleed as a soft smile stretched Jenna's lips. Her face was stilled turned, her eyes locked on David. Vince couldn't watch any longer. Swallowing his pain and wounded pride, he turned and walked away, the crowd parting and closing in behind him and the sounds of the race starting filled the air. The fight was over and the race had just begun.
