Chapter 21 - Ready to Race
Sorry to have made you all wait so long but not only did I have to travel for family business I got a new computer and my internet has been acting up. Thus the delay. But here you go and I'll try to have another update soon. Thanks for your patience and for the emails I got telling me they liked the story. Thanks again. (
Letty and she were working on some car, Letty was showing her the basics of car repair. Dom and Mia were fighting over what to do with some work orders, Mia was not going to be upset to turn over the receptionist duties to Nyssa at all. Leon and Jesse were working on another car together and they were listening to loud music while they worked. As far as Nyssa knew Vince was still home in bed. She hadn't wanted to wake him. She had set the alarm to do her dirty work for her at 11am. In fact he would be waking to that in about 10 minutes. She laughed at her own deviousness.
Just then a flat bed tow truck pulled up to the back bay doors with a very wrecked, rough car on it. They all walked over to the door and Brian came up beside the truck.
"What the hell is this? Whatdya got there?" Dom asked, wondering what the hell Brian wanted to do with the junk pile on the truck.
"This is your car!" Brian said with a flourish toward the junk pile pretending to be a race car.
"My car?" Dom asked with a laugh. "I said a 10 second car, not a 10 minute car."
Jesse hit the fender of the blackened car. "You could push this across the finish line or tow it." He laughed.
"You couldn't tow that across the finish line." Dom laughed, Letty and Nyssa were also cracking up leaning against the black car they had been working on.
"No faith" Brian said, looking hurt.
"Oh I have faith in you but this is not a junk yard, it's a garage."
"Pop the hood." Brian looked like he was going to save the situation yet. Mia looked on indulgently at him. She was clearly falling for him.
"Pop the hood?" Dom asked with an incredulous look on his face.
"Pop the hood." Brian said with a gesture toward the front of the car.
They unloaded the car from the truck. It seemed it was staying now whether Dom wanted it or not.
Jesse pryed the hood off the wreck. "2 J Z engine, no shit."
"See, what'd I tell you?"
Dom was visibly impressed. "I retract my previous statement."
Jesse went on to tell them that after a lot of work the car could bead anything. Dom told Brian that he would put the car parts on his account at Harry's and that Brian would have to race for him at wars and help fix up the car. Whenever Brian was not at work at the Racer's Edge, he was to be at DT working on his car. Vince was not going to like that. Dom looked at Nyssa.
"And if you want to be a permanent fixture around the place you better work your butt off and be ready to race at wars too. You need to get racing, you've been practising how to drive long enough. Take someone and go do mock races or something. I want you ready for wars. Consider it an audition to the team for both of you."
Nyssa and Brian shared a look. Mia looked at Brian. "He owns you now." Brian gave her a look like that of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming 18 wheeler. Mia didn't look happy because of course she didn't date her brother's friends, but she was going to make an exception for Brian. Mia looked at Nyssa and finished, "You better get cracking at getting ready to race girl, he's not kidding." She looked at her brother who was now bent over a customer's car.
"Don't worry 'bout it Mia. Letty and I are all over it but you can't tell anyone. I don't want Vince or Dom to know but Letty and I have been doing mock races and I beat her once. I'll be ready."
"Good. I don't want you stuck as the sandwich girl you know. He likes you so it's not like he would kick you out but he seems to think you can race so he would be disappointed."
"Well, so would I Mia, I wanna race not make drinks and sandwiches for the rest of my days."
"Good. Oh no, here comes trouble." Sure enough Vince was walking up to the garage, looking so fine if Nyssa did say so, and eyeing up Brian with a look that said he was looking for a fight.
"Oh man, what is he? A fighting fool? He just can't wait to try to fight Brian again. I sure hope he is not right about Brian though. He is so sure there is more to him then what we know." Nyssa thought maybe Vince just liked to fight and he really thought Brian was up to something.
"Well, I like Brian, we are going out tomorrow tonight and if Vince hurts him then I am going to have to hurt Vince. I will not be happy."
"Well then girl we need a plan right now to keep the two of 'em apart or very close to Dominic."
"Why don't you take your man and go do some races?"
"Good idea." She ran up to Vince. "Morning Baby. You have a good night sleep?"
Vince's whole demeanour softened while he talked to Nyssa, he was not all tense and ready for a fight while he looked at the girl. The whole garage saw it. "Till the alarm that someone was nice enough to set went off." He smiled down at her to take the sting of the sarcasm out of his words. "You have anything to do with that?"
"Of course. I wanted you up and down here so that we could get some lunch. But now there is an even better reason why. Dom has laid down the law. I have to be ready to race at wars or I am going to be a sandwich monkey not a racer. So we need to practise all the time. Good thing school is over in two weeks."
Vince noticed the new car, or rather the new car wreck. He nodded to Nyssa's statement then asked, "What the hell is that?"
"That is Brian's ten minute car." She laughed and Brian turned red under the scrutiny. "That is the car Brian will be driving at race wars after he fixes it up. Dom has also said that Brian has to work here when he is not at Harry's and fix it up. Race wars is going to be both of our auditions as it were for the team."
"Oh hell no. He is not letting that fucker on the team?"
"I guess he is if Brian does well at race wars. Come on Vince, who cares? Take me to practise. Or don't you want me on the team either?"
"Of course I want you on the team but not him. I just hate him Nyssa. My hand is all better. Please let me hit him, Please?"
"Do you like pissing off Dom and Mia for some reason?"
"No, why?"
"Cause the way you act is doing just that. I mean no one says you have to like him but you have to stop with the tough guy act all the time with him. Just have a live and let live attitude with him. Dom is smart. If Brian is not trustworthy Dom will figure it out on his own. Just give it time and keep reminding Dom not to tell him anything. I mean I know you guys are up to something but I don't want you to tell me what you know. Remind Dom to keep an eye on Brian and that if he starts asking questions then think about what they are. That sort of thing."
"I know he is up to something."
"Fine Vince, but you can't prove it yet and all you do when you try to fight him all the time is make Dom mad and me look bad."
"How does this make you look bad?"
"Because it looks like you are still fighting for Mia even though you have another girl. I mean do you want me to look like some poor substitute for Mia?"
"No, that's not the point."
"I know that and you know that but everyone else around doesn't."
"I guess I see that."
"Good. Let's go race each other for practise. I think my car can take yours."
"It could but you are not half the driver you would need to be to beat me yet."
"Let's go and we'll see."
So they headed to the track. They played cat and mouse on the freeway and Vince was impressed with how she handled the car on the road. Nyssa had found her inner racer chick. She was darting in and out of the cars with wild abandon. When she realized what it was like to race there was no stopping her. She was good. Letty was impressed with her at least. She hoped Vince would be too.
They arrived and got out of the cars. Vince asked her if she was sure she was ready for this, if she wouldn't rather just practise some more together. She told him she was more then sure she was ready to go. They got back into their cars and lined them up. Nyssa turned off the music. She found she raced better if she tuned in with the car. She became one with the car and engine and for that she had to be able to hear the engine. Vince figured he would go easy on her. She put herself in her race place and laughed when it occurred to her that Letty was right. Since she learned what true passion was with Vince she had raced better.
The light went green and she popped the clutch and took off. Vince was like what the hell. When had she learned to do that? He recovered his equilibrium and tried to catch up but it was too late. She had surprised him so bad she beat him by a nose. They got stopped and got out of the cars.
"Where the hell did you learn to do that?" Vince asked her.
"Letty and I have been practising while you've been gone so often. She helped me find my edge."
"I see that. Well. I am shocked. You are ready to get in on some junior races next race night."
"You're mad at me for working on this with Letty aren't you?"
"No, what makes you think that?"
"They look on your face and the way you are talking to me. I thought you would be happy and proud of me for learning so fast and it seemed like you were always busy. I know you have your work, whatever it is so I am not saying that you ignored me or anything. It just happened that Letty and I had free time in the same times a lot so I took the initiative and learned with her. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."
"Nothing like that, I know I've been busy, but I liked teaching you. I liked the time we spent together."
"And now we can race together and we will be team mates for sure."
They hugged and headed back to DT. Vince told Dom Nyssa was ready for some small races. Dom was surprised, he didn't think she would be ready this soon. He gave his approval for her to race next meet.
Sorry to have made you all wait so long but not only did I have to travel for family business I got a new computer and my internet has been acting up. Thus the delay. But here you go and I'll try to have another update soon. Thanks for your patience and for the emails I got telling me they liked the story. Thanks again. (
Letty and she were working on some car, Letty was showing her the basics of car repair. Dom and Mia were fighting over what to do with some work orders, Mia was not going to be upset to turn over the receptionist duties to Nyssa at all. Leon and Jesse were working on another car together and they were listening to loud music while they worked. As far as Nyssa knew Vince was still home in bed. She hadn't wanted to wake him. She had set the alarm to do her dirty work for her at 11am. In fact he would be waking to that in about 10 minutes. She laughed at her own deviousness.
Just then a flat bed tow truck pulled up to the back bay doors with a very wrecked, rough car on it. They all walked over to the door and Brian came up beside the truck.
"What the hell is this? Whatdya got there?" Dom asked, wondering what the hell Brian wanted to do with the junk pile on the truck.
"This is your car!" Brian said with a flourish toward the junk pile pretending to be a race car.
"My car?" Dom asked with a laugh. "I said a 10 second car, not a 10 minute car."
Jesse hit the fender of the blackened car. "You could push this across the finish line or tow it." He laughed.
"You couldn't tow that across the finish line." Dom laughed, Letty and Nyssa were also cracking up leaning against the black car they had been working on.
"No faith" Brian said, looking hurt.
"Oh I have faith in you but this is not a junk yard, it's a garage."
"Pop the hood." Brian looked like he was going to save the situation yet. Mia looked on indulgently at him. She was clearly falling for him.
"Pop the hood?" Dom asked with an incredulous look on his face.
"Pop the hood." Brian said with a gesture toward the front of the car.
They unloaded the car from the truck. It seemed it was staying now whether Dom wanted it or not.
Jesse pryed the hood off the wreck. "2 J Z engine, no shit."
"See, what'd I tell you?"
Dom was visibly impressed. "I retract my previous statement."
Jesse went on to tell them that after a lot of work the car could bead anything. Dom told Brian that he would put the car parts on his account at Harry's and that Brian would have to race for him at wars and help fix up the car. Whenever Brian was not at work at the Racer's Edge, he was to be at DT working on his car. Vince was not going to like that. Dom looked at Nyssa.
"And if you want to be a permanent fixture around the place you better work your butt off and be ready to race at wars too. You need to get racing, you've been practising how to drive long enough. Take someone and go do mock races or something. I want you ready for wars. Consider it an audition to the team for both of you."
Nyssa and Brian shared a look. Mia looked at Brian. "He owns you now." Brian gave her a look like that of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming 18 wheeler. Mia didn't look happy because of course she didn't date her brother's friends, but she was going to make an exception for Brian. Mia looked at Nyssa and finished, "You better get cracking at getting ready to race girl, he's not kidding." She looked at her brother who was now bent over a customer's car.
"Don't worry 'bout it Mia. Letty and I are all over it but you can't tell anyone. I don't want Vince or Dom to know but Letty and I have been doing mock races and I beat her once. I'll be ready."
"Good. I don't want you stuck as the sandwich girl you know. He likes you so it's not like he would kick you out but he seems to think you can race so he would be disappointed."
"Well, so would I Mia, I wanna race not make drinks and sandwiches for the rest of my days."
"Good. Oh no, here comes trouble." Sure enough Vince was walking up to the garage, looking so fine if Nyssa did say so, and eyeing up Brian with a look that said he was looking for a fight.
"Oh man, what is he? A fighting fool? He just can't wait to try to fight Brian again. I sure hope he is not right about Brian though. He is so sure there is more to him then what we know." Nyssa thought maybe Vince just liked to fight and he really thought Brian was up to something.
"Well, I like Brian, we are going out tomorrow tonight and if Vince hurts him then I am going to have to hurt Vince. I will not be happy."
"Well then girl we need a plan right now to keep the two of 'em apart or very close to Dominic."
"Why don't you take your man and go do some races?"
"Good idea." She ran up to Vince. "Morning Baby. You have a good night sleep?"
Vince's whole demeanour softened while he talked to Nyssa, he was not all tense and ready for a fight while he looked at the girl. The whole garage saw it. "Till the alarm that someone was nice enough to set went off." He smiled down at her to take the sting of the sarcasm out of his words. "You have anything to do with that?"
"Of course. I wanted you up and down here so that we could get some lunch. But now there is an even better reason why. Dom has laid down the law. I have to be ready to race at wars or I am going to be a sandwich monkey not a racer. So we need to practise all the time. Good thing school is over in two weeks."
Vince noticed the new car, or rather the new car wreck. He nodded to Nyssa's statement then asked, "What the hell is that?"
"That is Brian's ten minute car." She laughed and Brian turned red under the scrutiny. "That is the car Brian will be driving at race wars after he fixes it up. Dom has also said that Brian has to work here when he is not at Harry's and fix it up. Race wars is going to be both of our auditions as it were for the team."
"Oh hell no. He is not letting that fucker on the team?"
"I guess he is if Brian does well at race wars. Come on Vince, who cares? Take me to practise. Or don't you want me on the team either?"
"Of course I want you on the team but not him. I just hate him Nyssa. My hand is all better. Please let me hit him, Please?"
"Do you like pissing off Dom and Mia for some reason?"
"No, why?"
"Cause the way you act is doing just that. I mean no one says you have to like him but you have to stop with the tough guy act all the time with him. Just have a live and let live attitude with him. Dom is smart. If Brian is not trustworthy Dom will figure it out on his own. Just give it time and keep reminding Dom not to tell him anything. I mean I know you guys are up to something but I don't want you to tell me what you know. Remind Dom to keep an eye on Brian and that if he starts asking questions then think about what they are. That sort of thing."
"I know he is up to something."
"Fine Vince, but you can't prove it yet and all you do when you try to fight him all the time is make Dom mad and me look bad."
"How does this make you look bad?"
"Because it looks like you are still fighting for Mia even though you have another girl. I mean do you want me to look like some poor substitute for Mia?"
"No, that's not the point."
"I know that and you know that but everyone else around doesn't."
"I guess I see that."
"Good. Let's go race each other for practise. I think my car can take yours."
"It could but you are not half the driver you would need to be to beat me yet."
"Let's go and we'll see."
So they headed to the track. They played cat and mouse on the freeway and Vince was impressed with how she handled the car on the road. Nyssa had found her inner racer chick. She was darting in and out of the cars with wild abandon. When she realized what it was like to race there was no stopping her. She was good. Letty was impressed with her at least. She hoped Vince would be too.
They arrived and got out of the cars. Vince asked her if she was sure she was ready for this, if she wouldn't rather just practise some more together. She told him she was more then sure she was ready to go. They got back into their cars and lined them up. Nyssa turned off the music. She found she raced better if she tuned in with the car. She became one with the car and engine and for that she had to be able to hear the engine. Vince figured he would go easy on her. She put herself in her race place and laughed when it occurred to her that Letty was right. Since she learned what true passion was with Vince she had raced better.
The light went green and she popped the clutch and took off. Vince was like what the hell. When had she learned to do that? He recovered his equilibrium and tried to catch up but it was too late. She had surprised him so bad she beat him by a nose. They got stopped and got out of the cars.
"Where the hell did you learn to do that?" Vince asked her.
"Letty and I have been practising while you've been gone so often. She helped me find my edge."
"I see that. Well. I am shocked. You are ready to get in on some junior races next race night."
"You're mad at me for working on this with Letty aren't you?"
"No, what makes you think that?"
"They look on your face and the way you are talking to me. I thought you would be happy and proud of me for learning so fast and it seemed like you were always busy. I know you have your work, whatever it is so I am not saying that you ignored me or anything. It just happened that Letty and I had free time in the same times a lot so I took the initiative and learned with her. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."
"Nothing like that, I know I've been busy, but I liked teaching you. I liked the time we spent together."
"And now we can race together and we will be team mates for sure."
They hugged and headed back to DT. Vince told Dom Nyssa was ready for some small races. Dom was surprised, he didn't think she would be ready this soon. He gave his approval for her to race next meet.