Chapter 10
"All set to go?" Speed asked Trixie as he adjusted the rear-view mirror of the Mach Five.
"Huh?" She looked up at him, still feeling stunned about her find. "Oh...yeah, sure."
"Great! Anyplace special you want to go?" he asked.
"Doesn't matter, pick somewhere," she answered in a dull voice.
"How about Italian? I'm really in the mood for that. Does Lombardi's sound good to you?"
"Whatever you want," again her voice was flat and distant.
He stole a glance at her as he headed the car down the highway. Her face was ashen; she looked as if she were going to burst into tears at any moment. "You alright?"
"I was fine till I found THIS!" She angrily shoved the box in his face.
Speed jammed on the breaks. "Where did you get that from?"
"I found it in your glove compartment," she said, looking behind her at the approaching traffic. "I think you should pull the car over before somebody hits us."
He drove the car to the side of the road, his mind reeling. He had to think of a plausible reason for the condoms to be in his car. "Yeah, um...they're mine. Remember that talk we had a couple of months ago?"
Trixie nodded. How could she forget that? She and Speed had discussed at length sex and the affect it would have on their relationship. While both wanted to become intimate, they decided to wait. They would know when the time was right to move their relationship forward.
"Well, I was in the drugstore the other day picking up some personal stuff. I um...was down in the aisle where they were located. I noticed this particular brand was on sale..."
"On sale?" Trixie said, cutting him off. "They had a huge sign proclaiming CONDOMS, ONE HALF OFF? Come on..." she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"It wasn't a big sign or anything like that, just a red label that had a special price on it." He stole a look at the box. There wasn't any label. "The cashier removed it when I paid for it."
"Fine, Speed, but that still doesn't explain why you bought them. You're hardly the kind of guy who makes impulse purchases."
"I got them because I thought that maybe we might be needing them soon. Might as well have them when the time comes, you know?" He hoped he was convincing enough.
"That makes sense, I guess," she said.
He smiled, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. "Perfect sense."
Just as he was about to pull back onto the highway, she asked another question, "Why did you open the box and take some out?"
He made a face. When would this interrogation be over? "I put a couple in my wallet. It would be dumb to walk around with the whole box all the time, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose," she replied. He did seem to have a logical explanation. Still, her instincts told her that something wasn't right. Until she found proof, though, she'd have to accept what he'd said. "I guess we should get going. Lombardi's gets crowded."
---
Trixie watched out her window as Speed drove away. "He's hiding something, I'm sure of it." She couldn't put her finger on why she thought this. He'd acted like the Speed she knew, teasing her when she couldn't twirl the spaghetti around her fork. Talking excitedly about taking pole and what the outcome of the race might be like. Yet, he'd also seemed distracted. He kept checking his watch as if he were late for an appointment.
She closed the curtains. "I wish I knew what was going on with him. Maybe I should have pressed him for more information. But, do I really want to know the truth?" She turned on the television. "Damn it, Trixie, you're such a wimp!"
---
Speed arrived at the Pines a half hour earlier than he had yesterday. "More time to be with Dallas," he said smiling. He opened the glove compartment, a quick image of Trixie flashing through his mind. He shook it off as he removed two small packets from the box. "Gotta be safe, my man!"
He walked around to the front of the building. "I'm sure glad there's a fancy hotel right next door to the track. Don't have to worry about running into one of my fellow drivers way out here."
Dallas was once again waiting for him by the door. She wore a negligee that was even sexier than the one she'd had on the previous evening. There was a bottle of champagne in her hand. "Congratulations, sugar!" she exclaimed.
Speed laughed and pulled her closer. "You're too much, you know that?" He kissed her, pulling off his shirt as he led her to the bed. "You don't know how much I wanted to just go over and grab you today..."
She giggled. "Hmmm...Me too!" She returned his kisses. "Darlin' before we get started, we just have to have some champagne. It will get us both in the mood." She backed off the bed, the bottle still in her hand.
"Get us in the mood? Honey, if I get any more in the mood, I'll explode!"
"Oh now, please, Speedikins, Ah know how hard it is for you to wait, but can't you just have one lil' ol' glass? For me? Ah'm just so proud of you and want us to celebrate."
He rose from the bed. "Okay, I guess a little champagne won't hurt. But," he said taking the bottle from her, "let me open it."
The bottle opened with a loud PFFT! sound. Speed poured the liquid in the glasses Dallas had placed on the little round table in the corner. She held hers up. Speed did the same. "Congratulations on takin' pole, sugar"
Speed grinned as they clinked their glasses and sipped the fluid. "I think you deserve some congrats, too. You did damn well today." Another clink, another drink.
Dallas watched as Speed finished his glass and refilled it. She covered hers, declining. "Ah bought that for you, sugar. Go on, drink up. I'll have more in a little while."
"Okay," he swallowed it down quickly while Dallas took tiny sips. "I guess another glass won't hurt," he said as he almost overflowed his with more champagne. "It tastes so good," he thought as he downed the stuff. He grabbed the edge of the table, suddenly feeling dizzy.
"Ah think you'd best go over to the bed." She took hold of his arm; he walked with her on unsteady feet.
"Yeah...thaz better," he said, his words starting to slur. He wasn't a drinker and the three glass of champagne had quickly gone to his head. He held up his glass. "Can I have s'more?
Dallas retrieved the bottle from the table. "Here you go, sugar." She filled his glass while pretending she was drinking hers. "You really like that, don't you?"
"Yeah, iz really good..." He put his arm around her, nearly spilling his glass. "Uh Oh! Betta drink this before I make a mess!"
Dallas watched as he gulped the stuff down. Before he had the chance to ask for more, she poured it in his glass. "Drink up honey, you deserve this."
"Yeah, I do!" he giggled as he slurped his loudly. "Wha' happens when it's gone?"
"Don't worry, honey, Ah bought two bottles."
"God, you're so good to me." He reached up and pulled her to him, their lips touching. He clumsily kissed her.
She pushed him away, wiping her lips, "Darlin, Ah think you really need more champagne before we do this." She went over to the mini-fridge and removed another bottle of bubbly.
He drank three more glasses. The room was spinning by now. "Feel so weird..."
"Maybe you should take a nap." She got off the bed. "Ah need to freshen up anyway."
"A nap...yeah...nap...okay…" He passed out.
Dallas bent over him, pulling the covers up to his chin. She shook her head, "Poor, poor Speedy. I guess some men just can't handle alcohol."
She changed into her clothes, her eyes on Speed. "Ah might as well go since it looks like we won't be making love tonight." She wrote a quick note and left it on the nightstand next to the phone.
"Ah'd wish you good luck for tomorrow, but it would be a lie," she said as she kissed his forehead. "Bye, sugar, see you at the finish line. Not."
With one last look behind her, she turned off the light and left.
