Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Sam raced in several other professional races, even competing against Jason twice, but she was never able to beat him. She only placed in one race, but managed to finish second in the other. She had also competed with him in several endurance races as his co-driver.
Racing still came second to her day job. She had been hired as a mechanical design engineer as Mr. Pitney continued to remind her. "I didn't hire you to drive, Sammy. I hired you to be an engineer."
"I'm sure I don't need to remind you, Mr. Pitney, but you were the one that suggested I try a professional race." One of the reasons Jack Pitney hired Sam in the first place, other than her design ability, was she wasn't afraid to stand up to him.
"One race, Sammy. I didn't mean every race that you qualified for," Jack Pitney countered.
"My professional career is over, Mr. Pitney. I'll be a good little engineer and stay in the office from now on."
Satisfied with her answer, he decided to change the subject. "So what's going on with you and Jason?"
Sam stopped. "There isn't anything going on between us, Mr. Pitney."
"Don't pull that with me, Sammy. I see how you two look at each other."
"As long as they only look at each other, dear," Mrs. Pitney said as she walked into her husband's office. "but I have noticed that Jason seems happier now than he has in the last 12 years."
"Hello, Eileen," Jack Pitney said to his wife of 30 years. "Don't encourage them. Sammy doesn't need Jason hanging around after her like a lost puppy."
"I told you, Mr. Pitney. There isn't anything going on between us. Jason is just a friend." Sam said.
"And I'm sure he'd like to be more than just friends."
"Jack, that's none of your concern. If they want to have a relationship, that's their business. Keep your opinions to yourself." Mrs. Pitney turned toward Sam and winked. "Besides, Sam works too hard. She needs to have a little fun once in a while and part of Jason's problem is that he's lonely."
"He isn't lonely, Eileen. Women flock around him like seagulls on a garbage scow."
"In case you haven't noticed, he always goes home alone."
"If you two will excuse me, I have to get back to work," Sam said as she slipped out of her boss's office. As she walked back to her office, she thought about Jason. In the year and a half that they had known each other, they had gone from fighting like dogs and cats to becoming friends. They kidded each other about everything, traded insults, and even went out for dinner once in a while; the few dates they had always ended at the front door with a kiss on the cheek. Sam found herself in her office without really knowing how she had gotten there. She closed the door and sat down at her drafting table, still thinking about Jason. They hadn't seen each other in almost three weeks. Their last dated ended awkwardly, to say the least. Sam had lost a bet and had to make Jason dinner. He had stuck around to help her clean up the kitchen and ended up kissing her. They both got swept away by the kiss and if Jason hadn't stopped it when he had, they would have ended up in the bedroom. Sam had almost thrown him out, but he beat a hasty retreat of his own. It wasn't the kiss that had frightened her, but her reaction to it.
Sam had never been much for dating and always felt that she didn't need someone in her life. Her feelings for Jason had scared her more than she thought possible. When they were in a group, she didn't have a problem. The problems arose when she was alone with him. Jason was always a gentleman around her and Mike had told her that Mr. Pitney had threatened Jason with dismemberment if he so much as laid a hand on her. Sam had tried to keep him at arms' length, but her resolve was failing. After the kiss, Jason had made himself scarce. For the last three weeks, he had been racing on the European circuit.
* * * * * * * *
Nearly six months passed before Sam saw Jason again. She had just returned to her office after a meeting with Mr. Pitney and two of his other drivers. She had barely sat down at her desk when there was a knock at her door. Turning to see whom her visitor was, she was surprised to see Jason leaning against the doorframe. His hair was longer and he seemed thinner.
"Hi," he said as if he had only seen her yesterday.
"Hi. Welcome back."
"Thanks. Do you have any plans for lunch?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Well, you do now."
"What if I don't want to have lunch with you?" she teased.
"Too bad." After a few seconds, he added, "Sam, we need to talk about what happened."
Sam regarded him silently for a minute. "That was six months ago, Jason."
"I know, but I still owe you an apology. It seems like all I do is apologize to you."
"I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."
"It was my fault. I had no right--," his voice trailed off.
"It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have let it go as far as it did." Sam stood up and pulled Jason into her office, closing the door behind him. After making him sit down at her drafting table, she continued, "I should have said something to you about the way I felt."
"I thought you felt that same way I did, but I guess I was wrong."
"You weren't wrong," Sam said quietly.
"What?"
"I said you weren't wrong. I'm attracted to you and -- I don't know how to deal with it."
Jason just sat looking at her, not knowing what to say.
Sam raced in several other professional races, even competing against Jason twice, but she was never able to beat him. She only placed in one race, but managed to finish second in the other. She had also competed with him in several endurance races as his co-driver.
Racing still came second to her day job. She had been hired as a mechanical design engineer as Mr. Pitney continued to remind her. "I didn't hire you to drive, Sammy. I hired you to be an engineer."
"I'm sure I don't need to remind you, Mr. Pitney, but you were the one that suggested I try a professional race." One of the reasons Jack Pitney hired Sam in the first place, other than her design ability, was she wasn't afraid to stand up to him.
"One race, Sammy. I didn't mean every race that you qualified for," Jack Pitney countered.
"My professional career is over, Mr. Pitney. I'll be a good little engineer and stay in the office from now on."
Satisfied with her answer, he decided to change the subject. "So what's going on with you and Jason?"
Sam stopped. "There isn't anything going on between us, Mr. Pitney."
"Don't pull that with me, Sammy. I see how you two look at each other."
"As long as they only look at each other, dear," Mrs. Pitney said as she walked into her husband's office. "but I have noticed that Jason seems happier now than he has in the last 12 years."
"Hello, Eileen," Jack Pitney said to his wife of 30 years. "Don't encourage them. Sammy doesn't need Jason hanging around after her like a lost puppy."
"I told you, Mr. Pitney. There isn't anything going on between us. Jason is just a friend." Sam said.
"And I'm sure he'd like to be more than just friends."
"Jack, that's none of your concern. If they want to have a relationship, that's their business. Keep your opinions to yourself." Mrs. Pitney turned toward Sam and winked. "Besides, Sam works too hard. She needs to have a little fun once in a while and part of Jason's problem is that he's lonely."
"He isn't lonely, Eileen. Women flock around him like seagulls on a garbage scow."
"In case you haven't noticed, he always goes home alone."
"If you two will excuse me, I have to get back to work," Sam said as she slipped out of her boss's office. As she walked back to her office, she thought about Jason. In the year and a half that they had known each other, they had gone from fighting like dogs and cats to becoming friends. They kidded each other about everything, traded insults, and even went out for dinner once in a while; the few dates they had always ended at the front door with a kiss on the cheek. Sam found herself in her office without really knowing how she had gotten there. She closed the door and sat down at her drafting table, still thinking about Jason. They hadn't seen each other in almost three weeks. Their last dated ended awkwardly, to say the least. Sam had lost a bet and had to make Jason dinner. He had stuck around to help her clean up the kitchen and ended up kissing her. They both got swept away by the kiss and if Jason hadn't stopped it when he had, they would have ended up in the bedroom. Sam had almost thrown him out, but he beat a hasty retreat of his own. It wasn't the kiss that had frightened her, but her reaction to it.
Sam had never been much for dating and always felt that she didn't need someone in her life. Her feelings for Jason had scared her more than she thought possible. When they were in a group, she didn't have a problem. The problems arose when she was alone with him. Jason was always a gentleman around her and Mike had told her that Mr. Pitney had threatened Jason with dismemberment if he so much as laid a hand on her. Sam had tried to keep him at arms' length, but her resolve was failing. After the kiss, Jason had made himself scarce. For the last three weeks, he had been racing on the European circuit.
* * * * * * * *
Nearly six months passed before Sam saw Jason again. She had just returned to her office after a meeting with Mr. Pitney and two of his other drivers. She had barely sat down at her desk when there was a knock at her door. Turning to see whom her visitor was, she was surprised to see Jason leaning against the doorframe. His hair was longer and he seemed thinner.
"Hi," he said as if he had only seen her yesterday.
"Hi. Welcome back."
"Thanks. Do you have any plans for lunch?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Well, you do now."
"What if I don't want to have lunch with you?" she teased.
"Too bad." After a few seconds, he added, "Sam, we need to talk about what happened."
Sam regarded him silently for a minute. "That was six months ago, Jason."
"I know, but I still owe you an apology. It seems like all I do is apologize to you."
"I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."
"It was my fault. I had no right--," his voice trailed off.
"It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have let it go as far as it did." Sam stood up and pulled Jason into her office, closing the door behind him. After making him sit down at her drafting table, she continued, "I should have said something to you about the way I felt."
"I thought you felt that same way I did, but I guess I was wrong."
"You weren't wrong," Sam said quietly.
"What?"
"I said you weren't wrong. I'm attracted to you and -- I don't know how to deal with it."
Jason just sat looking at her, not knowing what to say.