Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Endurance races are aptly named. It takes all of a driver's (or drivers', as the case may be) stamina to drive the arduous course laid out by the race planners. This particular race started at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, wound up through southern California, across Arizona and New Mexico, into the western edge of Texas and Oklahoma, back across New Mexico and Arizona, and came to an end in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since the race rules called for two drivers, Jason asked Sam to come with him.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Sure of what?"
"Sure that you want to spend a week in an enclosed space with me."
"Why not? It's not like we haven't driven together before. Do you have some terrible personal habit that will drive me completely crazy?"
"Not that I'm aware of, but I'm not the one that it would drive crazy." Sam smiled wickedly at him.
"Ha, ha. Very funny."
"Besides, I have my virtue to worry about."
"Your virtue?" Jason asked.
"Yes. My reputation may be ruined. You might try to take advantage of me or something." She grinned at him.
"And get my neck broken in the process? No, thank you." Jason was well aware that Sam was perfectly capable of defending herself against someone with his training, even though he had a slightly unfair advantage. He had been tempted to try something several times over the last two years, but he had too much respect for Sam. Even on the few actual dates they had gone on had ended with little more than a kiss on the cheek. Jason knew that Sam was attracted to him, but for some reason or another, she'd pull back if they started to get too close. The one time Sam had actually kissed him, or he had kissed her for that matter, they had come very close to getting carried away by the tidal wave of emotion. It had taken everything Jason had to keep himself from carrying her to the bedroom and making love to her.
"Earth to Jason."
"Hmm?"
"Where were you? You looked like you were a million miles away."
"I was just thinking about the race." Good lie. Maybe she might even believe it.
"Uh huh." No such luck.
"So, are you going to be my co-driver or not?"
"Okay."
"That's it? Just 'okay'?"
"What do you want, an 'I will be extremely honored to be your co-driver'? Or maybe it should be 'Thank you for allowing me this fabulous opportunity'? Or--"
"All right already. I get the picture."
Sam smiled at him. "It's just so easy to rattle your chain, you know that?"
* * * * * * * *
Sam and Jason had driven together several times before, so Jason knew exactly what he was getting into. The first endurance race he and Sam had been in brought back a flood of memories of Lucy and the African endurance race they had driven in when he was still with G-Force. Luckily, the race with Sam ended in a much happier way. Jason had learned that Sam could actually read a map and plot a course, carry up her end of the conversation without prattling on about nothing, and had no problem with silences that lasted for miles. Some of the other drivers (mostly male) couldn't do half of that. To top things off, Sam was a hell of a driver. She had a quiet aggressiveness about her driving, but not so aggressive as to take unnecessary risks, and she had good instincts. When asked about it, she would simply say, "I had a good teacher." That teacher had been Jason. After Sam had won her first professional race, Mr. Pitney had taken Jason aside and asked him to take Sam under his wing and teach her everything he could about the world of racing, on track and off. Jason had agreed, but Mr. Pitney had warned him that if he tried anything with Sam, it would be months before they found all of Jason's body parts.
The rules of the endurance race were simple: two drivers, one car, and a map. Check points were scattered throughout the course and at each check point, the driver had to get out, have the card stamped, and the other driver would then drive to the next check point. The reasoning behind this was to keep one driver from monopolizing the driving and ensuring that each driver would get some rest. There were also a couple of 'black out' areas along the course. This basically meant that as soon as the sun set in a particular area of the course, the drivers had to stop for the night, again ensuring that the drivers got some rest. It had been well documented that sleep deprived drivers made some deadly mistakes.
On the last day of the race, Jason and Sam were in the lead. They had passed their main rival about 20 miles back when he had made the biggest mistake of his career and ended up in a ditch. They crossed the finish line in Las Vegas long before any of the other cars were in sight.
After being congratulated by Mr. and Mrs. Pitney, Mike, and the rest of their pit crew, Sam and Jason were left alone when the others loaded up the car and headed back home. Mr. Pitney had reserved a couple of rooms and told the two drivers to take a few days off and relax.
"Okay, now what?" Sam asked.
"Well, we could get married," Jason replied quietly.
"Okay," Sam said. After a minute, she said, "You were kidding, weren't you?"
"No." Jason had surprised himself by saying it in the first place. Sam just looked at him with rounded eyes. "I'm very serious." Sam still didn't say anything. "If you don't want to, I suppose we could find something else to do," Jason quickly added.
"Are you even listening to what you're saying?" Sam finally managed to ask.
"Yes. I'm asking you to marry me," Jason said slowly just in case Sam had trouble understanding.
"That's what I thought you said."
"Well?"
Sam thought for minute, and then said softly, "All right. If you're sure."
Now it was Jason's turn to blink. "You're saying yes?" He couldn't believe it.
"If you wanted me to say no, why did you ask in the first place?"
"I wasn't sure what you would say. Let's go before you change your mind."
If you've never been to Las Vegas, there are wedding chapels just about everywhere, if you know where to look. Even some of the hotels have one. You can even get married by Elvis if you want. Jason and Sam chose the more traditional route. No Elvis, no drive through, just a minister, and a couple of quickly purchased wedding rings. After the ceremony and signing of the marriage license, Sam and Jason went to one of their hotel rooms (remember, Mr. Pitney reserved two). They had decided to take a shower and then go looking for dinner. After taking his shower and as Sam was taking hers, Jason stood at the window, overlooking the city, staring unseeing at the bright neon lights of the strip.
"What was I thinking?" he thought as he leaned against the window frame. "We can always get an annulment when we get home."
He turned when he heard the bathroom door open. Sam stood there wrapped in a white terry cloth robe, toweling her hair dry. "Hi," he said.
"Hi."
"I've been thinking, Sam."
"Uh oh. That's a bad thing."
"If you want, we can get an annulment when we get home."
"Why would I want an annulment? Having second thoughts?"
"No."
"Jason, I wouldn't have said yes if I hadn't meant it," Sam said as she walked over to him. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you ask me to marry you?"
He took a deep breath before answering. "I asked because--" He took another breath before continuing, "I asked because I love you and I wanted you to marry me." He still wouldn't look at her.
Sam stopped directly in front of him. She lifted his chin so he had to look at her. "Then what's the problem?" Sam slid her hands around his head and pulled him gently to her. She kissed him deeply. Jason was a little taken aback by the depth of her kiss, but he was soon lost in it. He was more surprised when she pulled him towards the bed.
"Sam, what are you doing?" he murmured.
"Isn't it customary to consummate a marriage?" she replied quietly.
Endurance races are aptly named. It takes all of a driver's (or drivers', as the case may be) stamina to drive the arduous course laid out by the race planners. This particular race started at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, wound up through southern California, across Arizona and New Mexico, into the western edge of Texas and Oklahoma, back across New Mexico and Arizona, and came to an end in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since the race rules called for two drivers, Jason asked Sam to come with him.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Sure of what?"
"Sure that you want to spend a week in an enclosed space with me."
"Why not? It's not like we haven't driven together before. Do you have some terrible personal habit that will drive me completely crazy?"
"Not that I'm aware of, but I'm not the one that it would drive crazy." Sam smiled wickedly at him.
"Ha, ha. Very funny."
"Besides, I have my virtue to worry about."
"Your virtue?" Jason asked.
"Yes. My reputation may be ruined. You might try to take advantage of me or something." She grinned at him.
"And get my neck broken in the process? No, thank you." Jason was well aware that Sam was perfectly capable of defending herself against someone with his training, even though he had a slightly unfair advantage. He had been tempted to try something several times over the last two years, but he had too much respect for Sam. Even on the few actual dates they had gone on had ended with little more than a kiss on the cheek. Jason knew that Sam was attracted to him, but for some reason or another, she'd pull back if they started to get too close. The one time Sam had actually kissed him, or he had kissed her for that matter, they had come very close to getting carried away by the tidal wave of emotion. It had taken everything Jason had to keep himself from carrying her to the bedroom and making love to her.
"Earth to Jason."
"Hmm?"
"Where were you? You looked like you were a million miles away."
"I was just thinking about the race." Good lie. Maybe she might even believe it.
"Uh huh." No such luck.
"So, are you going to be my co-driver or not?"
"Okay."
"That's it? Just 'okay'?"
"What do you want, an 'I will be extremely honored to be your co-driver'? Or maybe it should be 'Thank you for allowing me this fabulous opportunity'? Or--"
"All right already. I get the picture."
Sam smiled at him. "It's just so easy to rattle your chain, you know that?"
* * * * * * * *
Sam and Jason had driven together several times before, so Jason knew exactly what he was getting into. The first endurance race he and Sam had been in brought back a flood of memories of Lucy and the African endurance race they had driven in when he was still with G-Force. Luckily, the race with Sam ended in a much happier way. Jason had learned that Sam could actually read a map and plot a course, carry up her end of the conversation without prattling on about nothing, and had no problem with silences that lasted for miles. Some of the other drivers (mostly male) couldn't do half of that. To top things off, Sam was a hell of a driver. She had a quiet aggressiveness about her driving, but not so aggressive as to take unnecessary risks, and she had good instincts. When asked about it, she would simply say, "I had a good teacher." That teacher had been Jason. After Sam had won her first professional race, Mr. Pitney had taken Jason aside and asked him to take Sam under his wing and teach her everything he could about the world of racing, on track and off. Jason had agreed, but Mr. Pitney had warned him that if he tried anything with Sam, it would be months before they found all of Jason's body parts.
The rules of the endurance race were simple: two drivers, one car, and a map. Check points were scattered throughout the course and at each check point, the driver had to get out, have the card stamped, and the other driver would then drive to the next check point. The reasoning behind this was to keep one driver from monopolizing the driving and ensuring that each driver would get some rest. There were also a couple of 'black out' areas along the course. This basically meant that as soon as the sun set in a particular area of the course, the drivers had to stop for the night, again ensuring that the drivers got some rest. It had been well documented that sleep deprived drivers made some deadly mistakes.
On the last day of the race, Jason and Sam were in the lead. They had passed their main rival about 20 miles back when he had made the biggest mistake of his career and ended up in a ditch. They crossed the finish line in Las Vegas long before any of the other cars were in sight.
After being congratulated by Mr. and Mrs. Pitney, Mike, and the rest of their pit crew, Sam and Jason were left alone when the others loaded up the car and headed back home. Mr. Pitney had reserved a couple of rooms and told the two drivers to take a few days off and relax.
"Okay, now what?" Sam asked.
"Well, we could get married," Jason replied quietly.
"Okay," Sam said. After a minute, she said, "You were kidding, weren't you?"
"No." Jason had surprised himself by saying it in the first place. Sam just looked at him with rounded eyes. "I'm very serious." Sam still didn't say anything. "If you don't want to, I suppose we could find something else to do," Jason quickly added.
"Are you even listening to what you're saying?" Sam finally managed to ask.
"Yes. I'm asking you to marry me," Jason said slowly just in case Sam had trouble understanding.
"That's what I thought you said."
"Well?"
Sam thought for minute, and then said softly, "All right. If you're sure."
Now it was Jason's turn to blink. "You're saying yes?" He couldn't believe it.
"If you wanted me to say no, why did you ask in the first place?"
"I wasn't sure what you would say. Let's go before you change your mind."
If you've never been to Las Vegas, there are wedding chapels just about everywhere, if you know where to look. Even some of the hotels have one. You can even get married by Elvis if you want. Jason and Sam chose the more traditional route. No Elvis, no drive through, just a minister, and a couple of quickly purchased wedding rings. After the ceremony and signing of the marriage license, Sam and Jason went to one of their hotel rooms (remember, Mr. Pitney reserved two). They had decided to take a shower and then go looking for dinner. After taking his shower and as Sam was taking hers, Jason stood at the window, overlooking the city, staring unseeing at the bright neon lights of the strip.
"What was I thinking?" he thought as he leaned against the window frame. "We can always get an annulment when we get home."
He turned when he heard the bathroom door open. Sam stood there wrapped in a white terry cloth robe, toweling her hair dry. "Hi," he said.
"Hi."
"I've been thinking, Sam."
"Uh oh. That's a bad thing."
"If you want, we can get an annulment when we get home."
"Why would I want an annulment? Having second thoughts?"
"No."
"Jason, I wouldn't have said yes if I hadn't meant it," Sam said as she walked over to him. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you ask me to marry you?"
He took a deep breath before answering. "I asked because--" He took another breath before continuing, "I asked because I love you and I wanted you to marry me." He still wouldn't look at her.
Sam stopped directly in front of him. She lifted his chin so he had to look at her. "Then what's the problem?" Sam slid her hands around his head and pulled him gently to her. She kissed him deeply. Jason was a little taken aback by the depth of her kiss, but he was soon lost in it. He was more surprised when she pulled him towards the bed.
"Sam, what are you doing?" he murmured.
"Isn't it customary to consummate a marriage?" she replied quietly.