Sally stood silent, almost holding her breath.. She had just heard
"Sally would never"-"She will. She is an overpowering, overworking, organized, woman and she wears the pants in whatever relationship she gets herself into. One day she will get married and have kids. And whoever that man is? She will ask him to give up his career. Because she will not be able too. So, again.. Are you prepared to give up racing for my daughter? Maybe even change your career to something more suitable."
Lightning swallowed hard and nervously. Silent and staring and truly thinking about that question. "I.. I would never change my career.. But.."
Sally waited.. But she loved Lightning and.. He would do anything for her right?.. After all he stayed.. But left... But came back.. He had changed for the better.. But.. Sally left back to her room before he answered. She didn't want to know. She didn't want to look at Lightning any differently. Because she knew the answer.. He loved racing.
Lightning shook his head answering "You're asking me something about the far, far future. Something that might not even happen..Something you obviously don't want to happen!.. So I don't have an answer.. That's my answer." Carson raised a brow and snarled "Well. You really want to be with her than? Not as some fancy hood ornament?" Lightning shook his head and snapped "You are a horrible father. Trying to buy me out of her life. Not to mention putting down my occupation. I am not some overpaid mechanic! I race cars! For hours and miles! At speeds that you only wish you could drive without a huge fine slapped to you! The rush is something I can't explain, and it's not the safest job either, did you know that? Because drivers die in this sport."
Carson snickered and his snicker turned to a chuckle replying "You make it sound so real. You realize until last year the sport you refer to, wasn't even legally an official sport?" Lightning glared and asked "And what happened to change that?" Carson stared. He knew. Lightning did. Lightning grabbed the attention of higher people with his act at the cup race and the tie breaker. Carson just glared silently. Drinking his own coffee. Lightning stared at his coffee a minute before continuing "Sally has.. Really helped me to.. Become a better person and grow up in a way.. So.. I'm gonna be the better person and.. And I'm not going to tell her what you just tried to do. Because I know she loves you, and in a twisted way, you love her.. That way she doesn't look at you like I do now."
Carson just stared. Inside he appreciated that, but wouldn't say it. Lightning began to walk off but stopped adding "And in the chance I marry your daughter.. Don't worry about her. I got this. I can take care of my own." And walked off. Carson snickered and drank his coffee. He did not like this one. This one was the worst out of the guys she dated..
Lightning walked through the hall way where he could have sworn he heard faint sniffling. He stopped at Sally's door and knocked, "Sal?.." The door opened. Her eyes were glossy but he couldn't tell if she had been crying it not. "You okay?" She nodded and walked to the bed and sat down. Lightning walked in and shut the door. "Just this trip.. I really hoped you and my Dad could get along.. I'm not so sure it's gonna happen.." Lightning shrugged replying "Maybe one day. I mean we just met." Sally nodded but frowned. "What's wrong Sally? Something tells me that's not all that's bothering you?" He sat next to Sally and she leaned on his shoulder. "Just.. A few things actually.. My dad.. I heard some things you two were talking about in the kitchen.. And I should have stood up for you when he put you down.."
Lightning shrugged with a smile, "Awe it's alright. It's not your job to protect me." Sally was upset though. "It's that and.. Then this thing with Wheel well too and"-"Wait? What's wrong with Wheel well?" Lightning interrupted. Sally stared at him admitting "Well... You know how much I wanted to buy the place one day.. And you knew how..How much that meant to me..." She was holding back tears of broken dreams. Lightning had a concerned expression asking "Yea.. What is it? What happend?..." Sally took a deep breath before explaining sadly "Someone.. Someone bought it.. I lost my chance now and I'll never be able to buy it!?" She was truly upset about it.
"Wait is this what you have been so upset about the past couple days?" Lightning asked with a snicker. Sally's brows lowered "Yes, and why are you doing that thing again? You think my pain is funny?!" She snapped. But Lightning couldn't help laughing. Sally's jaw dropped "You are unbelievable Lightning!" Lightning contsined his laughter and asked "So guessing you don't wanna celebrate your birthday tomorrow huh?" "You think!?" she snapped, "I'm sorry it's just... It's not fair!" Lightning replied by letting out a bit of a chuckle so she grabbed a pillow and slapped him with it!
"What is so funny!?" she yelled loudly! Lightning sighed and with a smile explained "I bought Wheel well. For you. If you'd just been a little patient and not over reacted, I would have told you tomorrow. Geez.. You are such a control freak.. And a drama queen" he said with a chuckle and joked. Sally blushed "Are you serious?.." she asked feeling silly. Lightning nodded answering "Yeah. You wonder why I don't have my own place in Radiator Springs?.. Cause I bought Wheel well." Sally was so surprised by this.."You really shouldn't have done that?.. I.. I mean I am beyond thankful!.." She paused.. This man couldn't be for real!? "You mean it!? Wheel well!?" she asked again with such excitement! Lightning nodded.
Sally hugged him tightly "Oh my goodness!.. You can't understand how happy this makes me!" She looked at him in the eyes and they kissed so sweetly. Lightning pushed away and asked "Maybe happy enough to call it?" Sally raised a brow and pushed back. "Oh no you don't. As amazing as you are and how much I would love to jump on you right now, no. You are not winning this mister." Lightning chuckled "You wouldn't be my Sally without a fight." And they both wound up kissing again. It was hard to fight their urges to push further. They both wanted each other badly.. It was killing them both!..
They pulled away and Lightning asked "So.. Guess you don't get any birthday sex huh?" Sally sighed with a smile repeating "You are not going to win Stickers." Lightning only snickered "We'll see about that." This was actually pretty fun...
So to get out of the house, the two went out before lunch to take a walk and to get lunch and just kinda get away from Carson some too.
They walked through a park, holding hands. Lightning wasn't always recognized immediately and everywhere. Yet...
They held hands and walked on the side walk. "It's funny seeing grass huh?" Sally said awkwardly. Lightning snickered "Not use to this much in town I guess." she added. Lightning smiled. He was happy with this woman. She was just so imperfectly perfect to him. "Thank you so much. For Wheel well. Gosh I can't wait to start tearing the floor up and rebuild parts and walls and then oh gosh, should we open a bar? I mean we could make it a hotel or a restaurant too.. What do you think? Should we do both maybe?" Lightning stared as they stopped and stood there.
"We?" he asked. "Wheel well is all yours Sally. Whatever you wanna do with it." Sally giggled explaining "Oh no. We are in this one together. I am gonna need all your help with Wheel well." She walked forward. Lightning smiled. Actually he was kinda happy to help. He wanted to be there with Sally, every step of the way.
Lightning rushed back with Sally , walking with her. "So.. What are you wanting to actually do for your birthday tomorrow?" Sally shrugged "Well sense sex is off the table..." she sighed Lightning snickered with a smile and grabbed her ass as he leaned to her ear replying "Could be on the table.. If.. You'd just say uncle.." Sally giggled and shook her head. She grabbed his hand as they walked "I am not lossing this." Lightning sighed.
"Why do you wanna meet my family for anyway?" he asked. Sally bobbed her head from side to side answering "Well I would get to know more about you. You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his family. And hiding them away says your ashamed." Lightning raised a brow defending "I'm not ashamed. I just don't.. Like to talk.. About it.." He said this as if he was trying to make it up as he went. Sally glared a bit. Not harshly, but a glare.
"I wanna take you to this dance tomorrow night." Lightning exclaimed. Sally was surprised "Firstly, where on earth is there a dance? Second, what are we? In high school now?" Lightning chuckled at that answering "I looked up events. We would never have gotten along in highschool." "Why is that?" "You were obviously that organized nerd who got an A on every sheet of paper. Let me guess, you always had to be perfect and try your best. Right?" he said with a bit of cockiness it almost seemed. Like he was so sure of himself. Sally rolled her eyes admitting "I may have been a.. Bit of a perfectionist." "Mmhmm I knew it." He replied.
They continued walking on as Lightning asked "You still didn't say yes." stating really. Sally stared and began to answer but Lightning interrupted "I already bought the tickets, so if you say no?.. I'm gonna feel rather silly here." Sally smiled, she was going to yes anyway, but now she definitely was. "Yes. I want to go to this?..Dance with you Lightning." "Monty. But don't get too use to it." He joked and made his girl laugh lightly.
Sally knew a little of what her father had kinda planned ahead, "As long as we have lunch at my dad's. My brother and sister sre coming over to." Sally added. Lightning nodded agreeing to that. "So what do you wanna do with our time today? Sense we can't.. You know.." he asked. Sally giggled knowing what he meant before replying "We could go over and see if my sister has a break. Meet her today before you meet her in front of my dad." Lightning raized a brow asking "Does it matter?" Sally stared a moment before answering "Not really.. But I wouldn't mind seeing her to." "If you want to Sal." Sally wasn't completely sure. It was just an idea.
The couple walked. Passing people and holding hands. Sally randomly asked "So do you have a bucket list?" Lightning chuckled finding that amusing, "No, do you?" he asked. Sally shrugged answering "Once upon a time." "Well now I'm curious. What's on that old list of yours?" he asked. Sally thought about it for a moment. Remembering all her old plans. Before Lightning. Before Radiator Springs, before the baby, before she began to become depressed about her life. "I had bucket list in college. I did complete some of it actually." She sounded proud of that. "Oh really?" Lightning asked. Sally nodded smiling. "So? What was on the list?" he asked again.
Sally rolled her eyes and smiled answering as the memories rushed back, "Well I completed a few like... I hosted a blood drive." Lightning raised a brow. Kinda weird.
"I've also completed rock climbing, cooking a full course meal with my room mate, attempted to run in my schools 5k.. That failed.. But I tried. I dyed my hair a weord color, I"-"What color?" Lightning interrupted. Sally sighed answering "Don't laugh.. Blue." Lightning snickered and smiled, tryinftrying not too laugh as he imagined Sally with blue hair instead of her beautiful platinum blonde.
"Don't laugh!" Sally scolded! Lightning chuckled "Okay, okay! What have you yet to finish?" he asked. Sally had to think another minute before answering "Well.. There was stay up all night with someone I liked, take a trip to new mexico and take the jeep down Sentra trail, get a new job, well.. Actually I guess the hotel kinda marks that one off." she giggled. Lightning smiled. He loved her cute laugh. "Wait you said the Jeep?" he realized. Sally's brows raised realizing that aswell. "Oh.. I guess I did." "Did you own a jeep before the porsche?" Lightning asked curiously. Sally shook her head explaining "No, Ben did. I actually owned a 99 bmw m coupe new." Lightning raised a brow and now had to ask "So you got rid of a?. Two year old car for the Porsche?" it just struck him as odd. Lightning was more of?.. You drive a car til it dies or is falling apart, fix it and keep driving.
Sally shrugged explaining "Well Ben convinced me into a new car but I picked it out." "I see.." Lightning said in a low mutter. He seemed annoyed now. Sally was now concerned "What is that tone for?" Lightning stared at her and sighed "It's just.." he said "I don't know.. Ben. Seems like you miss him." Sally's eyes widened. "What!? I do not miss him. I can not believe you are jealous of him." "I'm not. Not really. Just.. He was your husband. I can't... I can't compete with that.." Sally and Lightning stopped and she took his hands in hers reassuring him "Stickers. I love you and not him. You are the only man I miss. When you go on your racing trips and I can't go to all of them. It hurts sometimes. But then you come home and we have.. Hot, steamy, amazing sex." Lightning chuckled at her facial expression.
"Please don't worry about Ben and my past. I don't really worry about the girls? So come on.. Please?" Lightning nodded. She was right. "Okay." he verbally agreed. Sally smiled and kissed him lightly and kindly on the lips before they finished up their walk, back to the car. On the way, Lightning did have another idea for her birthday during this trip. "Hey Sal? What if we took that trip to new Mexico together? Leave a few days early? Could rent ourselves something to drive around up throught the trails? If you wanna complete another bucket list item?" Sally raised a brow asking "You would wanna do that?" Lightning shrugged "Are you kidding? I'd love to! You, me, a dirt trail and 195 horses? I am in." Sally laughed. "Yeah, okay. We can make tomorrow our last day. Head back out early and stop there." Lightning smiled kinda excited about the idea. And all the ways he could imoress her and win this contest! Without her family around, it would be almost to easy for him...