Chapter
22
"Where the hell's he running off to?" Pops
asked as Speed scooted from the room. "This isn't over yet."
He rose from his seat but was motioned back by Dallas. "Ah'll get him. He always listens to me."
Janine smirked as she watched her leave the room. "He always listens to me," she said using the same obnoxious tone and accent as Dallas.
Trixie stifled a giggle. "You sounded just like her."
Janine laughed. "It's easy, just pretend to be a brainless bimbo and you too can sound like Dallas Maverick!"
"She's far from brainless," Mom Racer interjected. "She's smart and knows it. And she also knows how to manipulate others to get what she wants, especially when it comes to members of the opposite sex who are too blinded by her shallow beauty to see her for what she really is. It's too bad my son's brain has moved from his head to another area of his body or else he'd see that." She gave a long sigh and spoke more to herself than anybody else, "Why are boys... young men his age so stupid?"
Trixie and Janine exchanged glances, surprised at the way Mrs. Racer spoke about her middle child.
Pops still stood, unsure of what he should do now that Speed had left the room. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry about this. Speed isn't thinking too clearly right now."
"It's alright Mr. Racer," Andrew Coretti intoned, "we can continue with the remainder of this hearing without your son's presence. We are nearly finished, except from some minor details."
---
"Speedy darlin', where are you?" Dallas called as she walked down the darkened hallway. Outside, dark black clouds were swirling menacingly; adding to the dismal atmosphere.
She got to the end of the hall and noticed Speed sitting morosely on the floor, back against the wall. "Sweetpea?" she asked as she squatted down in front of him. His arms were wrapped around his legs, his head resting on his knees.
He didn't hear her as he seemed to have retreated into his own world. "My career is over," he sobbed. "I'm gonna lose everything I've worked so hard for."
"Darlin', don't you worry your lil' ol' head about that silly commission. They're fools," she said as she reached down and touched his arm. He pulled it away from her.
"I think he'd rather be left alone right now," a deep voice resonated from the darkened hallway.
"Oh, and how would you know?" Dallas asked, eyes narrowed as she stood and turned towards the person speaking.
Racer X stepped from the shadows. "Let's just say I'm quite familiar with his moods."
"Hmpf!" Dallas crossed her arms. "Why don't you just go away an' stop bothering us?"
"Dallas," Speed said, looking up, "he's right. I just want to sit here by myself right now."
"You don't even want to be with me?" Dallas asked.
"Not at the moment," Speed replied.
"Well!" Dallas declared. "And here Ah thought you loved me!"
"Honey, I do love you," Speed said as he slowly arose. "It's just that I have to sort out my thoughts about what happened today. I don't know what I'm going to do if I can't race."
"Speed," Racer X said, "the IUAR won't let this suspension stand without an appeal."
Dallas looked at him questioningly. "What's the IUAR?"
"The International Union of Automobile Racers," the Masked Racer answered. "I'm surprised that, as a driver yourself, you haven't heard of them."
"Um... Uh..." she stammered a bit. "Mah Daddy takes care of all those kinda things, Ah remember him giving me some forms to sign."
Racer X was not convinced. "Oh yes, I'm quite sure." He turned back to Speed. "As I was saying, the union will file an appeal on your behalf. Until the commission hears the appeal, you will be able to race."
Speed's eyes lit up. "I will?"
"Yes. I'm sure you'll be able to finish the season as most appeals are not dealt with until the off-season."
"Oh wow!" Speed exclaimed as he grabbed Dallas and hugged her. "Isn't that wonderful, baby?"
"Oh yes, darlin'!"
"Thanks so much for telling me about this. I owe you one." Speed thrust out his hand, Dallas quickly pushed it away.
"He didn't tell you anything that you couldn't find out on your own," she said contemptuously. "You don't owe that troublemaker anything!"
"But I..." Speed protested.
Dallas haughtily turned to leave, holding on to his arm tight. "Let's go." She started dragging him away.
He stopped, almost causing her to fall. Turning to Racer X he smiled, then glancing at Dallas, shrugged. "Thanks," he said, before heading out the door, this time Dallas was the one to be pulled behind.
Once outside, Speed's anger erupted "You were very rude to Racer X. The man was only trying to help!"
Dallas scowled. "His kind of help you don't need."
"He's bailed me out more times than I can remember," he countered.
"He does that so you'll kiss his ass. He's all ego, he feeds off your worship of him!"
"Sounds like somebody else I know..." Speed mumbled.
"Huh? What did you say?" she asked venomously.
"Nothing," he sighed.
"Ah bet it was something nasty about me," she said. "You're so ungrateful after all Ah've done for you..." Tears fell from her eyes. "Ah've given you mah heart and all you've done is break it..."
Speed bowed his head in remorse. "Aw, Dallas, c'mon...Don't cry, please... Listen, I'm sorry if I hurt you." He took her in his arms. "You know I'd never, ever do anything to upset you... Not on purpose."
Dallas' sobs slowed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Ah guess... But sometimes you're just so mean to me and Ah don't know why when all Ah've ever been is good to you."
"I'm a rat, that's why. A self-absorbed rat." He wiped a stray tear drop from her cheek. "I promise I'll try to be a better man, just for you."
She smiled as she brought her lips to his. "Ah know you'll try Darlin', because you'd never want me to leave you..."
"Oh God no...I'd never be able to live if you left me," he said desperately. "It would destroy me to lose you."
"Good..." she said to herself, as her wicked mind plotted its next move.
The Go Team left the conference room, Pops Racer barely able to control his temper. "I'm telling you, when I get my hands on that kid, I'll break his neck!"
"Now, now dear, you heard what Mr. Coretti said, Speed's presence wasn't necessary at that point of the hearing." Mom Racer tried to soothe her irate husband.
"Doesn't matter. That freakin' kid embarrassed the hell out of me...I mean us. He represented the Go Team and did a piss-poor job of it."
"He was scared, confused. You can't blame him for running off," Mom said.
Pops turned on her. "Stop making excuses for him! He's not a child anymore, it's about time he grew up and started acting like a man!"
"How can he when you constantly denigrate him!" Mom spat back.
Trixie, Sparky and Janine lagged behind Mom and Pops, knowing that keeping a safe distance from the two was the best course of action.
"Wow, I've never seen Mrs. Racer this mad before," Sparky commented.
"I know! I guess it's because of what Pops is saying about Speed," Janine said. "She's so over-protective of him. She doesn't like it when anything bad is said about him, even if it's true."
"I don't know why," Trixie said a disdainfully, "Especially with the rotten way he's been treating her."
"Well, he's her kid and she loves him unconditionally," Sparky explained.
"He doesn't deserve love," Trixie pronounced bitterly.
---
Speed lay on his bed in the guest room of the Maverick home. Pops had left a message on the answering machine explaining the situation with the suspension and the subsequent appeal. Speed was glad he wasn't there to receive the call. While Pops sounded very calm on the phone, Speed could sense the wrath hidden in his voice.
"Things should be real interesting next week when I go to the track to practice," he said, relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with that in the immediate future. He supposed he should still go to practice, but the presence of the press would make things difficult. He was just glad that the commission had stationed guards about the perimeter of the building to prevent them from congregating on the property. Of course, they still had to contend with them on their street, but thanks to Inspector Detector's influence, the hounds were held at bay, prevented from actually coming within five hundred yards of the Racer and Maverick homes. Speed wondered where the police managed to find the extra manpower needed to stand guard. "I guess I owe them big time when all this is over," he said. "I think I'm gonna owe a lot of people after all is said and done."
He sighed as he closed his eyes, attempting get some much needed sleep. Unfortunately, that was not to be as there was a light rap on the door. Before he could answer, it opened and Dallas entered wearing a sheer robe. "Hi, darlin', Ah just wanted to say goodnight," she purred as she removed the robe.
Speed was exhausted. The last thing he wanted was to be with her. But there was no way he was able to resist as Dallas climbed atop him covering his face, chest and body with hot kisses.
---
Speed awoke the next morning feeling no more rested than when he had gone to bed. Dallas was nowhere to be found. He arose from the bed, yawning. Stretching, he felt stiff and sore from the previous night's exertions. "That girl is going to be the death of me yet," he said wearily. He put his robe on, hoping that a shower and shave would revitalize him. He opened the door and nearly bumped into Dallas, who was about to enter his room. "Oh God...I can't...not with the way I feel," he thought, wondering if he had any stamina left.
"Mornin', darlin," she smiled. "Ah was just comin' to see if you were awake yet."
"Yeah, I'm awake...kinda," he sidestepped around her, neatly avoiding her embrace.
She frowned. "Huh? Don't you even want to kiss me hello?"
"Uh, yeah, sure I do. But, I haven't brushed my teeth...I don't wanna kiss you with morning breath," he said a with a forced cheerfulness that he didn't feel. "Let me shower, shave, do the teeth thing and I'll be more than happy to kiss you... many times."
Her smile returned. "Okay Sweetpea, Ah'll be waitin'. Ah do understand. Ah want you lookin' your best when you take me to get mah manicure. Ah do so want to show you off."
He shook his head as he headed down the hall to the shower. "Show me off? What does she think I am, her pet?"
Speed pulled Dallas' car into the "Honey Nails" parking lot. "Darlin', this shouldn't take more'n an hour or so," she said.
"Well, I guess I can sit here in the car and listen to the radio," he said flatly.
"Nonsense! Ah told you Ah wanna show you off. You're comin' inside with me."
"Aw come on, Dallas, I'm really not in the mood for this," he complained.
She narrowed her eyes into slits. "You don't wanna get me mad at you, do you? Because you'll be sorry if that happens!"
"No..." he relented, figuring that he'd better give in before she made a scene.
"Good. You're a smart man." He reluctantly took her arm as she led the way into shop.
He was immediately recognized. "Ohhh, look! It's HIM... It's SPEED RACER!" a petite redhead squealed.
Patrons and employees alike descended upon him, pawing at his body and thrusting pens and paper in his face.
"Just one autograph, Mr. Racer..." a heavy-set woman begged.
Fake grin firmly planted on his face, he complied. It took all his will to not lash out at them. He'd had his fill of being a celebrity. They besieged him with questions, all of them about his affair with Dallas. Before he could answer, Dallas took over. "Ah can tell you all about Speedikins an' me..."
"There's nothing to tell!" Speed bellowed. It was too late, the fans had turned their attention from him to the young woman from Texas.
He walked to the waiting area and collapsed onto a plush couch as the small crowd followed Dallas to her seat at one of the manicure tables.
"I can't even imagine what the hell she's telling them," he said. "I wish I could get out of here..." He put his hands in his jacket pocket and felt Dallas' keys. "Should I tell her I'm stepping out for a bit? Nah..."
He breathed a sigh of relief as he left the fluorescent light of the shop and stepped the sunshine. "A whole hour to myself," he said, now smiling for real. "Think I'll spend it just driving around." Feeling one hundred pounds lighter, he threw the car into gear and headed towards downtown. He wasn't sure why he wanted to go in that direction; it just felt right doing it.
About three miles down the road he came to a garden apartment complex. He pulled into the lot. There was a sign outside the superintendent's office, "Apartment for Rent," it read. He took little notice of it as headed up the walk. "I must be crazy to come here, but I just feel like it's something I gotta do." He opened the gate and walked up to the apartment he was looking for and rang the bell. He could hear footsteps as they hurried to answer the door.
It opened a crack. Jade green eyes peered out. "What the hell do you want?"
"I... I was in the neighborhood...thought, I'd drop by and say hi," Speed said.
Trixie opened the door. She glanced about. "Where's Dallas? I thought she kept you on a close leash at all times."
"She's getting me a new collar with diamond studs," he chuckled then quickly sobered as he noticed her serious expression. "Actually, she's getting a manicure. I didn't feel like hanging out waiting, so I went for a drive," Speed told her.
"Uh huh. You had nothing better to do, so to kill time, you came here. Typical," Trixie said coldly.
"No, no...that's not it. I came here because I wanted to thank you, you know, for being there for me yesterday."
Trixie crossed her arms. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for the team, for your parents. If it was just you, I'd have let your ass fry!"
"Okay I deserved that. I really did a number on you and...I'm sorry," he leaned forward, as if to kiss her.
She pushed him away. "Just what the hell are you doing, Speed? What kind of head game are you playing?"
"I'm not playing a head game, I'm just trying to apologize!"
She backed inside the door, shutting it part way so that he couldn't follow her. "Apology NOT accepted."
"Aw, Trix...You gotta listen to me..." he pleaded.
She shook her head. "Speed, please leave. We have nothing more to say to each other. Besides, I'm sure Dallas is almost finished having her claws sharpened. I don't think she'd appreciate being kept waiting."
He sighed. "Yeah...alright...I'll go." He looked at her one last time. "Take care of yourself, Trix."
She turned away from him, not wanting to see his face anymore because it only served to intensify the hatred she felt for him at the moment.
As he slowly went down the walk, he could hear the sound of a door slamming behind him. He climbed into the car, feeling as if he'd been slapped in the face.
