Part 69
Quinn had passed the time trials and was in the race; so was Paul.
"Racing against each other. How romantic," Alexis observed.
Zander was in the middle of his parents again. He wanted Pete to be able to come to the race, and so had to get Sergei to agree to stay away. Sergei didn't argue, and said he would take care of some business instead.
Then he realized that Oksana still did not want Pete to go. She was convinced Sergei would be there. Zander told her Sergei was specifically not there for that reason. He was forced to invite Oksana to go along, too, and mentioned Alexis was going.
This seemed to be enough; Alexis understood the situation very well, and her being there turned out to be enough assurance for Oksana, and she didn't go along. Zander felt bad that he was so relieved, but had thought of the races as a fun thing to do, and somehow that possibility seemed closed off with Oksana around. He didn't know what to do about it, but it was so.
Oksana was very civil to Alexis when they went to pick up Peter; this scored her a few points with her older son.
In the pit, Danny and Joe were covered with grease, but having a great time. "Quinn's car is in good shape," Danny told Zander and Peter, who had just come in. "Doctor Perfect's is over there. Needs the plugs replaced."
"Quinn hasn't taken your advice yet, I guess?" Zander smiled.
Danny snorted. "Not yet. It's tough to be wise. So few understand."
"You're a wise guy, all right," Joe said.
Danny laughed and slapped Joe on the back. "And where do you think I learned it?"
"What if Quinn dated that guy over there? The grease monkey picking up that can?" Zander asked, just to see what Danny would say to that. The guy was short and wiry and he had long, stringy hair sticking out under his baseball cap. He was covered in oil like them and had on a pair of ratty jeans and a t-shirt. It was fairly certain, at least by stereotypical signs, that he was not a college graduate.
"He's a cutie," Alexis said, ironically.
"If she loves him, bring 'im on," Danny answered, "I prefer him to all doctors and lawyers everywhere, in that case. I mean the kind where she can't quit thinking of him. Doesn't forget about him."
"Look at across a crowded room, see that guy and that's it," Zander quoted.
"That's the shorthand for it, but really. Why live your life so perfect you miss out on the good parts? Then meet that one across a crowded room and already be married. What a mess. No longer perfect. If people would only see that! So many don't."
"Danny knows how the world should be run," Joe explained. "We don't know he's wrong. Trouble is we don't know he's right, either."
Zander grinned.
A little while later, Quinn arrived. "How is it going?" she asked them.
"Good," Zander said, "Only don't look across the pit at the guy picking up cans."
Danny threw back his head and laughed out loud, even slapping his knee. "You're a sharp one, Zander!" he roared.
Alexis, Zander and Peter were in the stands by the time the race started. It was chilly; one of those days telling you fall is coming. Alexis was having a good time, sitting between Peter and Zander, wearing blue jeans and a leather jacket, which was fun to see, since she wore a professional suit 99 of the time. "Now you look pretty comfortable, for once," Zander said to her. "No briefcase to drag around, either."
Alexis loved the way the cars went around slow then the next time they came around they were whizzing by in a blur and making tons more noise. "I love that zoom when they come by us," she said. They laughed at the announcers, whose voices were audible, but the content of what they said indecipherable.
In the end, Quinn came in 24th and Paul 53rd. Quinn was rather proud of her finish; it was the highest she'd ever gotten. Every single car that had come in ahead of her had a male driver. Alexis was full of cheers for Quinn over that.
"Do you think Dr. Perfect is so happy about it as he seems to be?" Peter whispered to Zander and Alexis.
"Noooo," Alexis said. "It's all fake."
Quinn was all smiles, and happy, electrified in mood, and beautiful as one gets who is excited; different from the businesslike, formally proper-looking nurse.
"Congratulations," Zander said, and shook her hand. She shook Peter's hand, too. "Good run, Q." Peter said. "Now I thought you were the slightest bit tight on the corners, but we can take care of that next time." Quinn looked up at Peter and smiled even more brightly. "Yes, coach," she laughed.
