I do not own Cars, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. I do, however, own all the Original Characters.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Tina Marie had barely departed for Virginia before Brian was consumed in a loneliness that he would deny to anyone who speculated. How slowly she closed the door behind her with a soft click of the lock let Brian know she regretted leaving just as much as he detested saying goodbye again. His eyes were fixated on the coffee percolator upon the stove that wasn't brewing fast enough for his patience. Slightly hungover, he mused thoughts of spiking the first cup with whatever alcohol remained from the previous night to aid his hoodache.
The sharp aroma of the impending brew failed to stir him in the slightest, but in an effort to distract himself from the subtle misery, he mustered all the energy he could to begin tidying the apartment. With a heavy sigh, the green and black car lazily roamed between rooms to retrieve all the empty bottles and trash that accumulated from their two car extravaganza, wondering when Colton would finally arrive.
Brian was snapped from his thoughts when he heard the percolator spurting to signal it was ready. He returned to the kitchen and poured himself a fresh cup and paused as the steam rose beneath his grille, fogging his chrome.
After considering how exhausted he truly was, and with Colton still missing, he decided to give himself the day off and do something he hardly got a chance to. With coffee mug in tow, he idled towards the front door so he could park on his porch and enjoy the approaching sunrise before it was too hot outside. The sun was still below the tree line across the street and hid the glare that would be upon him within the next half hour.
When he opened the door, he saw the morning newspaper on the edge of the porch by the ramp with a front page that provoked a soft chuckle from him. Still smiling, he scooped up the paper that was plastered with candid images of Cassie and Colton together after the race, and settled on the other side of the porch. While he waited for his coffee to cool, he flipped the newspaper to the sports section to read the full article.
Through the stillness of the morning he could hear a distinct engine turning into his neighborhood. With a quiet eagerness he watched a clearly tired Colton turn into the driveway and onto the veranda with sluggish control of his tires. Having decided to take Tina Marie's advice to pull back from his assumptions about Cassie, he reminded himself to refrain from asking the bigger and more intrusive questions. For now, he would enjoy time with his friend.
"Good morning, lover boy," Brian mumbled as gulped most of his coffee. He barely gained a smile from the sleepy racer as the orange car yawned. A rare sight. "Looks like she wore you out..."
Colton's hood flushed crimson at the implication. "Don't be so crude," he countered as he halted beside the front door. "you're talking about my future girlfriend. Well," he continued, correcting himself. "I'm hoping she'll be my girlfriend. I'm gonna ask her about it real soon. And no, I only drove her home last night - believe it or not, there are a few gentlemen still out there." His bright smile returned briefly at the reminder of the sensational first date.
Knowing that Colton wasn't genuinely offended, Brian smirked. Although intrigued by their progression, he curbed his true reaction. "You're already considering a relationship? Wow. You move fast on and off the track." He watched with amusement as Colton tried to stifle another deep yawn. "There's more coffee," he stated warmly. "you should pour yourself a cup. Actually, get the whole damn canister and bring it out here while you're at it…"
When Colton returned with the extra mug and canister, he parked closely next to his friend and refilled Brian's mug to the brim; the other car dipped his grille in gratitude. "So what's got you so tired?" he asked, noting that Brian was barely awake himself and fighting a grogginess that made the trainer look heavy.
Unable to lie to Colton, Brian sighed and kept his answer simple. "I ran into an old girlfriend last night. She stayed over…"
"What! No way!" Colton exclaimed, having not heard this part of Brian's past. "Does she qualify as a girlfriend because you've been with her at least twice?" he jested while he jabbed him in the wheel well, causing the green and black car to roll his eyes. "Is she here now? I'd like to meet her." But when Brian grunted in a way that suggested the car did not care to elaborate, it squashed his enthusiasm. "Oh," he breathed. "story for another day?"
Brian smiled apologetically but nodded. He picked up his coffee mug again. "When do you see Cassie next?"
Colton sat back on his shocks and looked out over the lawn that was basked in golden streams of light which seeped through the slits between the pines. "I'll hopefully see her this evening if she's not working double shifts. We have plans each night of this week." He felt Brian staring at him and pressing for answers to silent questions. "If I'm gonna do this, I wanna know if she's the right one now so I'm not chasing after it longer than I should…"
Although Brian was impressed by Colton's insight at his age, it did not stop him from ridiculing his protege. "Full throttle. I should have guessed…"
The orange car glanced over to Brian who had resumed reading the newspaper. "Anything interesting?" he asked, taking a sip of his own coffee.
Brian said nothing but smiled coyly as he stiffened the newspaper by giving it a single, abrupt shake and watched for Colton's reaction out of the corner of his windshield. The orange car looked down at the reveal of the black and white photographs of he and Cassie on the front page, and choked on his coffee. He tried to grab the newspaper but Brian snatched it away before the racer could make contact. "Not so fast - I'm framing this one," he teased.
Colton scoffed as his burning curiosity turned into frustration. "Oh c'mon!" he cried out, nearly knocking over his own porcelain mug in blind excitement. "at least tell me what it says!"
Brian laughed as Colton attempted to read over the side of his fender. "It's all speculation of course," the trainer assured, shoving Colton off himself. "but I find the line 'Colton Dannelley takes home two trophies on Sunday' hilarious." As Colton squirmed on his tires from the embarrassment, he neatly folded the newspaper and laid it down before turning to offer the younger car his first bit of advice of the day. "Hey, listen… if you're gonna go through with this for Cassie, get used to this now - the media only gets worse from here."
After three consecutive nights out on the town, Cassie had invited Colton to come over to her place on Thursday for a quieter, more secluded evening. The orange car happily accepted the offer and spent the majority of the afternoon deciding what kind of flowers to present to her. He worried that red roses carried too bold of a statement and would scare her away, but Brian convinced him that if he intended to love her, to not show anything less.
He arrived to her flat just after sunset with a dozen long stem roses. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, straightened his posture upon his chassis, and politely tapped his tire against the entrance. When she opened the door he was met with the same endearing smile which had not failed to put butterflies in his tank since the moment he first met her. He revealed the bouquet which he had tucked beside his fender, and she melted before him.
"Colton!" she exclaimed, eagerly accepting the arrangement when he extended it to her. She took the time to admire each flower individually with a sparkle of delight in her eyes before glancing up at the racer. "they're lovely!" She drove forward to give him an appreciative kiss and he grinned wide in relief. Her elation, however, was gone almost as instantly as it arrived. Having been so surprised by his gesture, she had forgotten her situation.
"What's wrong?" Colton asked, watching Cassie glance into her side view mirror with nervousness. "Did your roommate decide to stay home? We can go out if you want."
The powder blue car shook her grille. "She's gone, but she left the place a wreck before she took the kids out for the evening," she admitted with slight annoyance in her tone, reversing to let him through the threshold. "I got home from my shift later than I intended to and I, umm, haven't had time to finish cleaning yet." Half expecting him to recoil at the sight of a den littered with baby toys, she braced herself for his reaction. "It's bad, I know…"
But when Colton drove inside and braked beside her, he chuckled to himself and glanced over at Cassie with compassion that eased her worry. "Ehh, they're kids," he answered with a warm smile. "what are ya gonna do?"
The powder blue coupe, taken aback by his sincerity, regarded him with a deeper gratitude than moments ago. "You're so kind," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the fender before maneuvering around him to close the front door. On her way to the kitchen at the back of the unit to tend to her bouquet, she found a pacifier on the carpet and carried it with her to the sink, running water over it with a sigh while she browsed the cabinets for the best vase. "How was training?" she called out to him.
"It was good! Today we worked on simple routines," Colton replied as his eyes roved over her choice of decorations throughout the room, making mental notes of what she liked for future gift ideas. He smiled to himself when he discovered the predominant theme was anything bright in pigment, particularly yellow, and floral related. "Very cute place you've got here - it's cozy!"
Still waiting for her to return, he took it upon himself to start helping her with the colorful clutter. He collected toy after toy into his right tire on his cruise around the living room, roaming back and forth until he gathered all the last pieces and parked in front of one of the many bins that held the remainder of the unused toys. Resting his frame on the plush carpet, he began to sort the toys into vague categories, trying to guess where they belonged.
"Thanks! It's a work in progress but-" Cassie rounded the corner of the kitchen into the den and laughed aloud at the sight of the grown racer plopped on the floor amongst the toys. Startled by her giggle, Colton quickly brought his tires beneath him and lashed around with a grin as she approached, halting before him. "You didn't have to do that," she said sweetly, savoring his considerate nature. "I take it you don't mind children?"
Colton smiled with a new cheer she had not seen before tonight. "Oh are you kidding? I love kids!" he blurted, accepting the oil can she offered him.
Cassie scoffed but was internally elated. "How have you been single for so long?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer as she turned away from him. She began to light various, mismatch candles throughout the room in an effort to distract from the rental that resembled a small daycare. She started to regret asking him to come over, feeling the romantic mood drip away just like the candle wax. Her mind became a raving mess of insecurities and second thoughts, but when she whirled around and saw his soothing smile as if he could sense her doubts, it chased away any negative thoughts.
"I've always been single," the orange car admitted, shuffling on his tires self-consciously. "I guess it's just something I never really thought about." Until I met someone like you, he thought.
Her engine involuntarily fluttered in response to his comment, unsure of how to interpret his answer. She noted that he was steadily drinking the can of oil. "I hope it's the brand you like - I wasn't sure which one you preferred." She snuggled against his side and sank on her shocks with a content sigh. Over the course of the week, they had fallen into a state of comfort between themselves that both cars took every chance they could to be as close as possible to the other. Having waited for this moment all day, she reveled in his presence and warmth. When he did not return the gesture, however, she became instantly worried. "What's the matter? You seem a little tense…"
The orange car nodded and took another sip. "I think we've done a pretty good job of being honest with each other right away," he began. "and there's something I wanna talk to you about…"
Cassie felt nauseous. She thought back to his comment moments ago and wondered if she missed the hint. "Oh no," she gasped, shying away from his frame. "is this the part where you tell me you wanna stay just friends?"
Colton was shocked at her assumption. "Oh goodness no!" he rushed, pulling her back to his side in a tighter embrace. "I wanted to talk to you about the complete opposite, actually." Feeling that she was still skeptical of him, he shifted slightly to look directly into her big blue eyes that had gone wide with confusion. "I was gonna ask you… if you wanted to, y'know, go steady? I mean, maybe it's the last thing on your mind since you just moved here, but I would be devastated if someone else came into your life and-" Her gaze had not broken and his confidence was slipping; he panicked. "I'm sorry - if I'm moving too fast with this, you can tell me. I can-"
"Aren't you gonna give me a chance to answer?" she interrupted, a grin seeping onto her lips. "You don't have to persuade me - I'd love to be your lady!"
The young racer sputtered on the nervous laugh that escaped him. "Then you've just made me the happiest man," he said, kissing her fully with an enthusiasm which caused her to squeal in delight. She gasped at the reveal of his strength when he lifted her front end with one swoop of a single tire so he could kiss every inch under her grille. Peck after peck she laughed loudly at his display of joy before he set her down carefully.
Cassie resumed her snuggle into his fender with vigor. "You are a dream come true - do you know how refreshing it is to find a guy like you?" She playfully bumped her quarter panel into his side to rock him.
"I'll gladly spend all my time telling you that I'm the luckier one," Colton breathed. Filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, his thoughts jumped to those closest to him. "I can't wait to introduce you to my friends," he began, but noticed when she momentarily shrank back into a nervous state. "Ohh don't worry, they're a great group and they're gonna adore you!" he assured. "One in particular is gonna be so excited she may scream…"
Friday night after practice, and eager to escort Cassie to the mansion to introduce her to everyone, Colton fled the compound and left the team behind to rush home and get cleaned before he met with her. Because they were leaving tomorrow for the next race in Georgia, Brian, James, and Mason finished packing their essentials into the trailer. Knowing that Joanna wanted to join them for the out of state race, they towed the trailer to Dave's where they would spend the night, and parked it in the driveway so they could all leave together from the mansion early in the morning for Saturday's qualifying round.
No longer expected to knock when they arrived, Brian drove into the mansion and was immediately met with the sight of the unwrapped television set Dave mentioned he was going to have delivered. When Dave would find the time to enjoy the television, Brian didn't know, but it was expensive and Dave insisted on buying it. Now he and James were helping to remove it from the box while they waited for Dave to get home, and for Colton to arrive with Cassie. Very wisely, Mason parked himself in the corner to supervise the event as Brian and James fell into their typical, and frequent, aggravated interactions.
From one side of the box, Brian realized James took a completely different approach to dismantling the packaging - one that was too sloppy for his liking. "Be careful," he spat. "you might damage the unit." Much to his growing impatience, James continued to paw and tear the coverings while mumbling to himself, mocking the crew chief. "What are you, a toddler? You're getting that shit all over the floor. Joanna just cleaned - she'll have a fit."
"You know," James huffed, removing the last bit of wrapping from his side of the cardboard box. "I get this abuse from you all day at the track. No decency after hours, I suppose?" Before Brian could retort, the front door opened behind himself and he tilted his mirror to see Dave who had paused in the open threshold. "Ahh, good! The boss is here. Now I can put in a formal complaint against another employee…"
Dave, perplexed at the sight of the fiasco, unintentionally slammed the heavy oak door behind him. "Where's Joanna?" was all he could ask, and the three cars simultaneously pointed a tire to the north end of the mansion towards the entertainment room. More concerned with Joanna's wellbeing, Dave gave a quick nod before delicately maneuvering around the mess on the floor and the team members on his way down the second hallway to his wife.
Although he had been personally excited to meet Cassie tonight, halfway through his workday he remembered how it devastated Joanna to lose her girlfriends when they eloped, and it occurred to him that she may be very nervous about meeting Cassie. The businessman spent the remainder of the day worried about her and how she was coping with the suspense of meeting another woman after almost a year of isolating herself from the idea.
Just as he suspected, Joanna was quietly panicking by over-preparing for Cassie's arrival with theatrics and offerings that would be sure to overwhelm the young lady. When the purple and black car failed to acknowledge his arrival, he slowly approached her with a tender smile and parked before the liquor cart that she hastily loaded with an assortment of spirits and fine crystal glassware. He observed her choice of scotch. "Breaking out the Macallan, I see."
Joanna missed his attempt at lighthearted jesting, instead turning away from him and to the cabinet to fetch another bottle in case the other nine options were no good. When she reached up at the lighted shelving, Dave placed a tire on her own and she was shaken from her thoughts. She withdrew her tire, finally meeting his gaze which said everything she would rather deny. "I just… want this to go perfectly," she admitted, feeling discouraged.
"I know, darling, and everything is gonna be fine. Relax and enjoy your home. These guys are over here enough that they can serve themselves. Just be yourself," he said, pulling her in for a loving kiss to comfort her. Joanna nodded quickly when she pulled away from his grille, realizing he genuinely understood why she was uptight. "Come join me in the living room and watch the boys fumble with the television, it's rather amusing…"
From the entertainment room they could hear Colton arrive by his enthusiastic greeting that echoed down the corridors. Joanna's deep, royal purple paint momentarily flashed a few shades pale before she resumed her smile and grabbed the glass of wine she had poured for herself, and followed her husband back down the hallway join the others. Together they paused in the junction to see Cassie and Colton still stuck by the front door after being immediately engaged in conversation.
"Oh he hasn't stopped grinning since he met you… all he does is talk about you at the track!" James relayed to Cassie, to which Colton blushed in response. "I'm James, by the way. Mason is my buddy - he's the strong, silent type… and I mean silent. Over here," he continued, resting a tire on Brian's fender with the faith that the green and black car wouldn't retaliate in front of the others. "is Brian, our resident jerk!"
Having already received the details about Colton's friends before driving over, Cassie smiled coyly at the crew chief. "I remember you," she started, glancing over at Colton for reassurance; he nodded while biting his lower lip with a grin and small bounce on his shocks. "you're the ornery car from the hospital." Her remark gained a chorus of laughter from everyone save for Brian who latched onto his smirk. She was elated her joke had been well-received.
"That's right," James encouraged with a wide grin. "don't be afraid to give him hell!"
Calling James out on his over-confident bluff, Brian rolled his eyes and slugged him in the fender; he was pleased to hear the audible squeak from the pit crew member before he directed a suave smile back to Cassie. "So we're gonna start off like that, huh? That's fine, I can admit I deserve it," he said with a wink, dipping his grille to formally greet her. "Congrats on making it a week with Colt - it takes patience to put up with him…"
Colton chuckled. "Hey now, don't deflect just because you got made fun of!" The orange car leaned his frame towards Cassie to pretend to whisper to her and she giggled. "Just so ya know, he does that whenever you make him uncomfortable. Keep it up!" It was then that he noticed Dave and Joanna patiently sitting in the back of the living room behind the crew. At the sight of the couple, he gasped which was followed by a grin. "Cassie, I'd like for you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Henderson - they're the ones who brought these crazy cars together that I call my family."
The powder blue coupe bowed. "I've heard many wonderful things about you both," she added with a bright smile.
Dave was internally grateful for their sentiment. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Cassie. Dave will do, and this is Joanna." He glanced over to his wife who was gripping her wine glass a little too tight; the dark liquid within was rippling. Her smile seemed stuck in place and he was unsure if she was finally excited or still frightened. Feeling how tense she was, the maroon and black car nuzzled her for reassurance and it broke her from her gaze.
Joanna blinked rapidly as her smile grew. "We're glad you're here with us."
"Now that you're all here," Colton began, and anticipating his next choice of words, Cassie leaned into him with an eager grin. "I can officially tell you all that Cassie is my girlfriend!" His announcement was immediately met with an excited round of cheers and congratulations as he turned to give Cassie a big kiss on the fender who was stunned by their collective reaction. "See," he said, nudging the same place he kissed. "I told you they'd be thrilled!"
James was the first to speak. "So will you'll be leaving with us in the morning for the race in Georgia? It's a long journey…"
Cassie glanced over at Colton, batting her eyes at the orange car before looking back to James. "Oh, I think he's worth traveling any distance for," she answered. "I work tomorrow but I'll drive down on Sunday to watch him win."
The brown car grinned at her immediate support. "That's the spirit! I like your enthusiasm!"
After a few more moments of conversation, Dave suggested they continue in the entertainment room where everyone could chat comfortably. While the group swapped stories over drinks, Brian fell quiet and drifted deep into his own musings. He studied Colton and how proud his best friend was of his newfound love, never far from his lady who happily clung to his tire and was glued to his vibrant personality which she seemed to exude as well.
Despite his earlier hesitations, she was quickly wearing away at his suspicions of her. It became easy to appreciate why Colton had fallen for her when he saw how Cassie tended to the young racer as if she knew his next movements or choice of words, the ways in which she doted over him, and the look of adoration that never faded. All his silent attempts to detect the flaw lead nowhere as her altruism and shining demeanor became more prominent.
Brian smirked to himself behind his scotch glass, knowing he was in the presence of a love he had now seen twice in his life, even if the couple did not yet realize the potential and strength they had between themselves.
Cassie arrived at the Georgia track on Sunday in time to give Colton a good luck kiss before the racers were called to the track, which put the extra pep in his glide as he made his way towards the starting line. Brian had just enough time to maintain his gentlemanly tradition of escorting Joanna, this time accompanied by Cassie, to the owner's booth. He winked at them both before turning to leave, enjoying that it made Cassie uncomfortable.
Desensitized by the almost constant display of his nature, Joanna merely laughed as she turned to drive down the first row of the booth for the ideal location in front of the long glass window which overlooked the track. Cassie quickly tagged along at Joanna's fender, following her lead in the situation that was foreign to herself. The other cars in the booth made room for the two ladies as they parked themselves in the middle of the front row.
"I'm so glad that you were able to join us for the race today - Dave never gets to attend the out of town events and I'm usually by myself the whole time," Joanna commented, turning off her engine; Cassie did the same as her eyes roved over the vast perspective the booth provided. Her sights quickly locked onto the only orange racer out on the track and she smiled to herself. "And for once I'm not the only female up here…"
As a silence fell between them, Joanna was struck by the sharp and painful realized she was now alone with Cassie for the first time, and her fears from Friday night returned tenfold with a sinking feeling that churned her tank uneasily. She also noticed that Cassie did not comment or react to her sentiment about finally having company, rather she seemed uninterested and distant as she stared out over the property and the race to begin any moment.
Was it her imagination? Was she just overwhelmed? Joanna tried to remind herself that Cassie had just met five new cars all at once in less than forty eight hours and traveled out of state to meet with a group that was still practically strangers to her. Even with those aspects looming, Joanna remained unconvinced when Cassie did not seem thrilled to be around another woman, and her paranoia eroded what little confidence remained inside her.
Noting the new spectators, a waiter from the back of the space quickly approached the females with a tray full of champagne glasses. "Would you lovely ladies care for a beverage?" he asked, lowering the tray before them.
Surprised at his presence, Cassie involuntary rolled backwards a few inches as her vision was consumed by the alcohol presented before her. She smiled timidly at him. "Oh! Umm, sure - how much?"
"Complimentary," Joanna cut in from the side as she leaned towards Cassie, selecting one of the champagne glasses for herself. "When you sponsor a team, you get the perks." Cassie, who still seemed unsure, eventually reached for her own glass after a few moments and thanked the waiter before he reversed away from the pair. "It's fine, really," Joanna reassured with kind eyes. "you're supposed to enjoy yourself…"
The powder blue female, feeling the stare from Joanna, confused her concerned gaze with what she assumed to be a silent inquiry about her apparent uncomfortableness. "I'm not used to this kind of life style," Cassie admitted.
Joanna fell quiet as the implications of Cassie's statement fully registered to her. Although she admired her honesty, it also unnerved her. Cassie's comment reminded her of something she once told Dave.
Her thoughts drifted back to their initial gathering and to when she gave her a tour of the mansion. At the time, Cassie seemed awestruck, but the more she reflected on her reactions, the more she wondered what image she must portraying to Cassie and she became increasingly nervous. Was she appearing as the typical, rich and pampered housewife? The one depiction she detested for a lifestyle she did not select on her own volition?
For a brief moment Joanna thought to try and connect with Cassie by explaining that she could relate to her statement, but she knew that any explanation she gave would be a stain on their new time together and likely come across as condescending - there was no kind way to convey to Cassie that she, at one point, had driven in her treads and knew what it was like have anything less than fancy shoved at you. She sank on her shocks in defeat.
Finding what she thought was a way to recover from the tension that had fallen between them, and knowing that Cassie was new to town, Joanna decided to change the subjects with an offer. "So when we get back to Charleston, I was wondering if you wanted to go and get a new coat of gloss with me? The summer sun hasn't been that good to my dark paint, and I thought maybe we could make a day of it together. I can show you the city."
Cassie laughed inwardly. "That's so expensive! I'd love to go with you, but can we make an appointment for the following week? I get paid then…"
Joanna was now internally screaming and she fought the urge to sob. Her attempt to steer the conversation into a bonding opportunity left her feeling like a true snob. She faked a smile and acknowledged her request with a quick nod, swallowing her first glass of champagne in one gulp when Cassie returned her attention to the race. She bit her tongue just in time to stop herself from offering to pay for Cassie, not allowing a third strike against her psyche.
Some time had passed between them as the race continued, and a particular thought crossed Cassie's mind that forced her to turn to Joanna with a pleading gaze which the purple and black car tended to immediately. The more she cared for Colton, the more concerned she grew for his career. "What happened to him a few weeks ago… his crash, is that typical? Does that occur often?"
Joanna sighed, averting her gaze to the empty champagne glass she clutched. "There are always accidents on the tracks, but none usually as severe… and it was unlike Colton to put himself in a position where he could get hurt so badly." Her answer seemed to physically put Cassie at ease, and Joanna was glad to of done at least one thing right. She waved a tire to flag down the waiter for yet another glass, anticipating many refills in her near future.