Chapter 16: Ego Laid Bare
Kira watched Ben after she told him that she'd finally decided on the major that she wanted to pursue. When a smile cracked across his face she relaxed for the first time in days after trying to figure out how to tell him. In that smile she saw pride being reflected back at her which made the years of hard work ahead of her well worth it already.
"I think that is wonderful. If you'd like, I can help you decide what classes to take this fall that can help you prepare for law school; including where you might want to go after you finish at the local university. In fact, you could start working as an intern out at the office in some of your off time. Having that under your belt will make it easier when you start applying to law school."
Kira nodded. She'd already looked into what she needed to do if she decided to pursue a law degree. From what she'd learned there were several things that she needed to do so that by the time she earned her bachelor's degree she would be ready to begin law school; among them had been to complete an internship. Kira knew that having Ben to help her during the process would be a definite asset and she was glad that he was eager to do so. There was just one thing about being an intern at Ben's law office.
"I don't think that Shawn will be thrilled to hear that I'll be working at the office."
"No, he won't be. But we'll figure something out."
Maybe it was wrong of him but a part of him was amused at the thought of his son having to accept Kira in what he considered to be his domain. Ben had no doubt that the two would clash and butt heads. But he also knew that Kira's desire to pursue the law sprung from a very different place than Shawn's. He had hoped to grow wealth by attracting influential clients. After watching Kira as she observed when she'd join him in the courtroom it was clear that she would choose a different route; she'd try to help those who couldn't help themselves. She could empathize with them. She'd also be passionate about giving a good defense to those who the rest of society has given up on. In Ben's opinion, that was sure to make her one hell of an attorney one day.
Kira glanced around the room with the hundreds of law books before taking a deep breath. She'd been working as an intern for just over a month and in that time she'd been assigned to work with Tom for the most part since it helped to keep the peace between Ben and Shawn. Today Kira was to do a little research on a list of cases that Tom felt would help him in the defense for his current client. After finding the books that Tom had told her to pull, she flipped through to find the right cases and began to take detailed notes on each one. Personally, she didn't see what each case had to do with the others, much less the one that Tom was building a defense for, but she knew that the man had to know what he was doing since he had a high success rate. Kira hoped that when the case went to trial that she'd be allowed to sit in court to observe so that she could see how each of the case files fit into the puzzle that was being put together.
For the next six hours Kira read through the cases that were written about in the law books, both the ones that Tom had requested and some that she'd come across on her own, while filling up quite a few legal pads with notes. Once she was finished with the case files she left the small legal library at the law office and left the notes on Tom's desk since he'd already left for the day to be with his wife, Michelle. She'd heard him say that the reason that their marriage was so strong was because they'd made a choice years ago to always stop what they were doing and eat dinner together no matter how busy they were with their own respective lives. As a result, Kira had never seen any two individuals who were more in love with one another. They had a relationship like one that she knew that she'd never have.
After leaving her notes, Kira grabbed her gear and headed home. The new semester had only been underway for a few weeks but already she had more than enough homework to keep her busy. She'd even chosen to skip a few races lately to ensure that she had all of her work completed and in order for class. As a result, she'd been absent from the track for the last few weekends. The next day Kira had a free day and she looked forward to getting back on her bike.
Once in the garage of the manor on the outskirts of Atlanta, Kira set about to changing out her street tires for her racing ones. She then loaded the bike up onto her truck so that she would be ready to head out to the track in the next county the next day. Once she was satisfied, Kira went up to her room and got a bit of studying out of the way since she knew that she wasn't likely to get any more done for the rest of the weekend.
Kira leaned into a curve as she eyed the leaders of the race just ahead of her. She bided her time and slowly made her way toward them as she slipped past some of the other racers. As she began the final stretch of the race, she got within a couple of lengths of the two front runners of the pack. She knew that if she had more time that she could probably pass both of them but as it was, she likely only had enough in the race to challenge one of the remaining riders. Choosing carefully she set her attention on one of the racers as she made her move.
When the other rider noticed her as they went into the next turn he did his best to zig and zag to block her path in hopes of holding onto his second place standing. Meanwhile, the leader took advantage of the small war for position behind him and gunned his bike to go just a bit faster toward the finish line. Kira knew that she wouldn't be able to catch up to him before he reached the end of the race but she was only half a bike's length away from passing the sole remaining racer in her way of taking second place for the first time since she'd started racing her motorcycle. As she came within a few yards of the finish line she pulled ahead and crossed it with only her front tire ahead of the other racer.
Kira pulled over to where the racers would all assemble after finishing the race and allowed herself a smile of satisfaction before she removed her helmet. She then returned her look of indifference to her face. She'd save her celebratory self-congratulations once she was home. She turned and saw Blake looking solemn after losing his second place standing to her. Next to him was Jebb who was celebrating after winning the race. After receiving congratulatory slaps on the back he made his way over to Kira and attempted to do the same for her surprising placing in the race after being out of the races for the last few weeks. Before he actually landed a hand to her back, however, she brought her own arm up and blocked him from touching her.
Ignoring her brusqueness, Jebb continued with the kidding that he'd planned when he'd approached her. "Nice riding. I was beginning to think that you'd forgotten how after skipping so many races. Of course beating Blake isn't exactly all that hard."
Kira narrowed her eyes as she took a step away from the loud and obnoxious blond to put some space between her and him. "Was that supposed to be a compliment, Duke? And for your information, if we'd had another few hundred yards in the race I would have very easily passed you and won this race."
"You keep telling yourself that," Jebb snickered before eyeing the other racers as they began to assemble for their night of fun now that the race was over. Truth be told, he'd missed seeing Kira around but knew that there was only one way to really guarantee that she'd show at the bar with the rest of them; and that was to offend her pride. "So, are you planning to join the rest of us tonight? Or are you planning to go off and sulk on your own that you didn't win?"
"I don't sulk," Kira gritted through her teeth as she glared at Jebb.
"Good, then that means that you'll be out at the Dixie Drifters."
Kira watched as the man turned back to his friends and continued to enjoy the praise that each of them lavished on him for being such an excellent rider. She couldn't figure out why she even gave the loudmouthed, overconfident pain in the ass the time of day. Everything that he was just rubbed her the wrong way. Especially how he could turn her victory over Blake into something that wasn't worth celebrating. It would only be when she beat him in a race that she'd be able to truly say that she'd been victorious in a race. And she would do just that.
Eventually.
Kira showed up at the old roadhouse along with the other racers but chose to sit off to the side rather than joining the rest as they began to give their own recounts of the race from their own perspectives. With the exception of the riders the bar was fairly empty. When the waitress asked her what she wanted to drink she decided against the usual beer since she had the feeling that she'd need something a bit stronger if she was going to have to hear Jebb brag about winning the race all night long. At some of the functions that she'd been drug to in support of Elizabeth's husband and his political aspirations she'd been able to slip a drink or two and she'd found that she'd preferred scotch to beer so that was what she ordered. Once the waitress had returned with her drink she was joined by a certain blond who always seemed oblivious to the fact that he wasn't welcomed when she would send him the glares that usually kept other people away.
"So, I thought that you didn't sulk. What do you call sitting way over here by yourself and nursing that drink of yours?"
"What do you want, Duke? I thought that you'd be over there with your lackeys." Kira took a sip of her drink as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, come on. I figured I'd be a good sport and let you prove that you could have beaten me. What do you say to rematch? Just the two of us?"
Kira narrowed her eyes in suspicion before asking, "What's the catch?"
Jebb grinned as he took a seat next to her and leaned in. "You've seen how the others have all gone through initiations when they joined the group?"
"I'm not joining your group, Duke. I've sat at the table with you and the others a few times for a drink, I've raced against you, but I'm not joining your little ragtag group in your ridiculous activities that you seem to think is so fun."
"If you joined us in some of those ridiculous activities, you might find yourself having a bit more fun than you think. To make things fair, I'll put all the different kinds of initiations in a helmet and you can pull one out yourself just so you know that I had nothing to do with which ever one you choose."
"You are talking as if I don't have a chance of winning against you. What would I win if you lose?"
"I'll let you decide after the race." Jebb leaned back in a relaxed pose that spoke volumes of how he wasn't worried about losing the race between the two of them. That posture alone was enough to make her want to slap that self-confident smile off of his face.
Kira thought back to the race and how close she'd come to catching up to Jebb and felt sure that if they were in competition with only one another she could beat him easily since she wouldn't have to worry about any other racers trying to overtake her.
"Alright. So when do we do this?"
"Right now. I'll go and get everyone to put a suggestion in the helmet and then you can draw it out. I'll even agree to not put one in, myself."
A part of Kira told herself that she was going to regret agreeing to this but she had to satisfy her own ego and know if she really could have won today so she nodded before she took another sip of her scotch. With that nod, Jebb got up and made his way around the room while speaking to his friends and had each one write suggestions for Kira's official initiation into their racing troop. Many of the women would giggle and eye the redhead as they thought back on their own initiations before writing out their suggestions while the men would chuckle while coming up with outlandish suggestions that they knew that they would enjoy watching the uptight racer who had yet to really cut loose with any of the rest of them perform. Finally, the entire group met out behind the roadhouse and listened as the short layout for the race was shared for not only the racers but the spectators as well.
Before the two climbed onto their bikes a helmet was held out for Kira to reach in and she grabbed a slip of paper that held her fate should she lose to Jebb. After reading what was on the paper she eyed some of the other racers and wondered just who had suggested this particular challenge. She had a sneaking suspicion that Debbie, who was holding the camera to capture the race on tape, was the culprit after she zoomed in on the paper and started to giggle.
"Great," Kira muttered to herself before she wadded up the paper and tossed it to the ground before climbing onto her motorcycle.
Jebb walked over and picked the paper up and read it before he chuckled and joined her on his own bike. "What's wrong, Kyle? I thought you said you'd have no problem beating me. If that's true then you don't have anything to worry about."
Kira lowered her visor on her helmet in response and revved the bike's engine. Jebb did the same and the two waited for the signal to begin the race. When it was given both bikes took off with a flurry of speed as the two racers vied for the lead. The two took their race to the street and after about six blocks they turned and started to make their way back to the bar's parking lot where they had started off at. Throughout the entire race both racers remained in close proximity but as they approached the makeshift finish line Jebb pulled out in front and won the race.
Jebb's friends whooped and hollered in response as he was surrounded while the Kira removed her helmet with a look of disgust on her face.
"Alright. I won. Now you have to pay up."
"You are such a perv, Duke." Kira gave Jebb a dirty look.
"You should have thought about that before you agreed to the bet. All of us have lost this bet at least once. You'll learn," Jebb chuckled. He then turned to Debbie and the camera and said, "I think it's time to move this party so Kira's initiation into our little troop can be completed. What do ya say? Where should we head, now?"
"Let's see..." Debbie couldn't help the fact that she was laughing so hard. The very thought of the uptight woman who was more of a bitch to most of the group than anything else preparing for her own entrance into their troop was just too good to not find the hilarity of it. "I think my initiation was over at-"
"Forget it. If I'm going to do this, I'll choose where we're going," Kira said as she walked out of the frame.
"Alright, everyone. It's Kyle's turn to be in the spotlight. Let's pack it up and head on out."
The crowd all shouted out again as Jebb motioned for the riders to all hop on their bikes and motioned for Kira to lead the way. Kira knew from past experience of a few places that would fit the bill for the current challenge. Ideally, she wanted a place that she could blend in and never be recognized if she ever came across anyone else from the bar later on. Preferably where everyone would already be too drunk to remember her by this time at night. She revved her own bike back up and led the way while feeling like she was on her way to her own execution.
Once at the group's new location Kira made her way over to the bar and ordered a scotch and then a second one. If she was going to have to do this, she'd prefer not remembering it herself. She tried to figure out just how she could get out of the challenge but came up with nothing that she could live with if she planned to continue racing as well. When she'd just been handed yet one more drink Jebb walked up to her while holding the camera that Debbie had been using earlier in the night.
"It's time to pay up, Kyle. No more killing time. Last call is only twenty minutes away. It's now or never."
"You seem to be in an awful big hurry for me to do this. Guess you know that you'll never see me do it again, huh, Duke."
"That's why I plan to put it on tape. That way I can watch it anytime I want." Jebb chuckled and was sure that Kira wanted to slap him so he stepped back just out of range.
"Can I at least finish my drink first?" Kira asked as she made a face at Jebb.
"Nope. No more stalling."
"Alright, well, I hate to waste anything so..." Kira stepped forward and, instead of slapping Jebb, poured her nearly full glass of scotch all over his hair. Afterwards, Kira stepped up on her barstool and then up onto the bar and began to perform a strip tease to the music that was playing from the jukebox.
She intentionally refused to look at anyone or anything during the entire process. The fact that she always wore not only a button-up blouse but a tee-shirt and a tank-top underneath stretched her performance out considerably. Wearing multiple layers was a habit that she'd developed while on the streets since it kept her from being chilled at night as well as gave her a feeling of extra security when she needed to hide her figure and gender. Now with each layer being removed she felt more vulnerable and laid bare than she had been in years. Just as she got down to her underwear and nothing else the music stopped so she quickly grabbed her clothes and jumped off of the bar and hurried to the bathroom to dress once more. As she did so she heard cheers and catcalls being sent her way as well as a few boos to express displeasure in the fact that she hadn't completed her performance.
Once in the bathroom fully dressed Kira did her best to calm her nerves as she began to hear knocks on the door insisting that she come out so that the other women in the bar could use the facilities. Kira didn't think that she could face the room filled with people so she eyed the sole window and knew that it was the only way of escape without having to walk the gauntlet right outside. Just as she slipped out of the window she heard Jebb along with some of the other racers calling for her to come out while saying that they'd treat her to another round of drinks for being a good sport.
Kira found motorcycle and climbed on despite the fact that she'd left her helmet in the bar. She'd get a new one since she had no intention of going in to get it.