Chapter 9: Tangled Clarifications.

Hours later, that night when they returned home, Lightning and Sally met again, he was just entering the house, she had arrived quite some time ago.

-Stickers? – She asked, hearing the noise from the main entrance, then she put her little son to sleep in the crib and had also changed into her nightclothes.

The sounds of McQueen's footsteps, who arrived at the bedroom yawning from tiredness, made her doubt whether to tell him about that dinner invitation from the Italian racer. Although something else had her curious.

-I waited for you as always at the Cozy Cone, but you were late, I stayed about fifteen extra minutes, although I left because it was too late for Lance. You know what my schedule is. – Inside those words felt like reprimand towards him, but when they came from the mouth outward, they were docile. – You didn't even call to say that you were going to arrive later. Did something happen? – Those last words came with a little more demand.

Lightning was so tired that he could barely concentrate on his wife's words, it was as if everything she said to him was manifesting itself in slow motion. So, he responded with a coherent reaction about five or seven seconds later, taking off his white shirt and sitting at the foot of the double bed, as heavy as his body wanted him to be.

He turned to look at Sally, who was standing at the side of the headboard of the bed, between it and Lance's crib, Lightning had a questioning expression.

-Um? – His face changed to one with some regret. - Oh, I'm sorry Sal... After training with Cruz, she asked me for a moment to talk alone. Then, out of the blue, Mr. Tex came to town for the new season, so I was with them, and also, I went to the Cozy Cone, when I arrived, Camille, your night shift employee told me that you had left. – He excused himself.

Talking about Mr. Tex was understandable to her, after the purchase of Rust-Eze and the merger with Dinoco, McQueen and Cruz worked for him, but Cruz? She wondered what she wanted to talk to Lightning about. Alone? So late? Maybe it had to be something urgent.

-Sure, I see... It's your job. – Sally said, without much desire to continue.

-Yes, and you know what? Cruz wanted to apologize to me for what happened this morning. – He confessed without problem that; it was nothing bad.

-This morning? I haven't heard anything, dear. – She laughed a little, lightening the mood by wanting to know the rest of the story without trying to be too curious or nosy.

-I thought she would tell you. – He sighed. – Well, when I brought you the documents very early, some papers got out of my hands, she helped me when she saw that, then when I ran to get them, she tripped and fell on my back. – He laughed naturally when he remembered that, shaking his head in denial. – Poor Cruz, she is very good on the track, although I think sometimes, she has no control over her energy. But she felt so guilty that she apologized as many times as she could. – He lay back on the bed, with his knees bent and falling at the end of it and her feet firmly on the carpeted floor, he placed the palms of his hands under the back of his neck, looking at Sally from his position.

-Well, no, she didn't say anything to me. We didn't talk much either, I asked her a favor this morning and that was all. – She sat on the bed and reached out a hand to stroke McQueen's blond hair, who was enjoying it as if it were a kitten.

-Apart from that, Cruz told me that Jackson is already in town. Is everything okay? – He mentioned suddenly.

-Uh... I guess so... Something "funny" happened about it... I forgot that he was coming to town and I kept him waiting so long that he classified the service as bad. – She sighed. – At least I solved it by offering him free days of stay. And he seemed to be satisfied. – With all that business, Sally had even more difficulty commenting on Francesco. – I don't know how I could have forgotten it. – Yes, I knew the "how" and the "why".

-I don't blame you, you have too much work to do, you manage the two motels in town, plus your job as a lawyer, being a mother... But you know what?... I'm very proud of you for having put up with that bum. – He smiles pleased.

-Thank you... -

And after a moment of relaxing silence, she decided...

-Stickers? Can I tell you something important? – She was a little nervous.

-Sure, tell me. – Lightning continued enjoying those caresses, although they were noticeably decreasing.

Sally thought that the faster that topic was, the better.

-Well... You know? Apart from everything... Today I spoke with Francesco, or rather, he came to talk to me at the Cozy Cone. – She began.

-Oh wow... I imagine that's why he didn't show up at the academy today. – McQueen added.

-No, no... He just stopped by for a moment, he didn't stay longer than necessary, he told me he had other things to do, he probably spent the rest of the day out of town. -

-Now I see why the afternoon was so quiet. – He smiled.

-Yes... But, um... I wanted to tell you that, besides that, he invited me to dinner tomorrow night. – She said it very quickly and didn't continue with her hand on her husband's hair, she took it away slowly, as if she was waiting for a bad reaction.

-Oh, I'm not surprised. – He sat up again, calm and now sitting on the bed, looking seriously at Sally. – Go out. – He sighs. – I don't have to worry if you go with him to dinner one night, it doesn't mean anything, right? –

-Of course it doesn't mean anything, you know very well, it will only be a simple dinner and then I will come home, as always. Anyway, I was nervous to tell you, lately you have been very surly with Francesco. – She laughed a little.

-Yes, I know, it's just that I notice you're very distracted since his arrival, if not before, since you knew, he was going to come here, you hardly spoke to me at night, I was very jealous. And... Well, I'm glad to exchange words about this, I feel better and much more because he'll be leaving town soon. – He smiled with pleasure.

-Aww, I'm sorry Stickers... I've behaved like a brat and unintentionally made you feel bad. – Crawled over to the bed and already very close, she put both arms around his neck. – But I'm going to make it up to you for everything, you'll see. – She whispered. – I love you, Lightning McQueen, there's no one more attractive than you to me. –

-Yes? – He put his arms around her waist. – I love you too, Sal... And I'd like to know what my reward would be? – Held his smile, now flirtatiously.

-If you come with me to the other room, while Lance sleeps, you'll find out. - She takes her arms off of him and then gets out of bed, her next action was to take her husband by the hand and force him to accompany her.

Lightning let himself be carried away by Sally without hesitation, thinking that night would be sensational, he was quite happy, especially knowing that Francesco would never have a reward like that and never from his wife.

For her part, Sally felt that now she could relax. After having spent the whole day looking for advice and ways to refer to the subject and nothing had been so difficult after all.

Although, nobody knew what would happen in the coming days...

A day later, the same routine, but Sally was overflowing with joy, she went humming a song while pushing her baby's stroller to the Cozy Cone, saying "Good morning" to everyone with a huge, radiant smile.

-Good morning... - It was the voice of the Italian man, who was waiting for her leaning against the door of the hotel, smiling as widely as she did. - You look very happy. Did something good happen? - As if he knew.

-Good morning, Francesco. - Sally answered, but the flash from a second ago made her lips close a little, showing a weak smile, more embarrassed than anything else, that question made her blush.

-Oh! Understood, that expression said it all. - He laughed with a mixture of mockery and mischief.

-I wish I wasn't so obvious. - She lowered her gaze a little, letting out a light giggle that sounded more like crying.

Meanwhile, Cruz waited inside the reception area, she had been around since Camille left. Now she was watching Sally from outside.

Since the window at the entrance was very wide and the reception doors were made of glass, she could perfectly see all the movement outside, unfortunately she couldn't hear very well through it, only recognizing murmurs and tones, even so had the impression that Sally was flirting with the Italian guy, although the girl soon started doing something else, she pretended to be tidying up the desk and put the papers from the early morning shift in a basket where Camille left all the information about the passengers who were staying at the place.

Suddenly without warning, McQueen approaches the Cozy Cone before going to the museum, he had his car parked behind the motel, he stops right next to his wife and smiles big, with a winning face, looking at Francesco.

-Good morning, Francesco. - Lightning greets.

-McQueen! What a surprise... - The Italian man begins a somewhat endless sentence. Typical of him.

Inside the establishment, Cruz, for some reason, makes a small gasp, hearing that unmistakable tone in his boss's voice, looks out and her eyes shine as if they were a camera flash.

-Mr. McQueen... - The girl whispers, her gaze never leaving Lightning's face, as if visualizing a divine creation. She hurries to leave.

While McQueen asks Francesco the crucial question.

-Sally told me you're taking her to dinner. Is that true? –

-Yes, I invited her for tonight, but don't worry, it's just a friend thing, I wanted to thank my beautiful hostess for being so kind to Francesco. – The Italian man answers, honestly and shamelessly.

-Of course, it's just a dinner. – She answers confidently. –Flo said she could take care of Lance, that is if you're going to be busy tonight, honey. – She speaks to her husband.

-No problem, I'll take care of him, we're going to spend a night only among men, drinking beer, eating pizza and watching some football games on TV sitting on the couch. Right Lance? – McQueen speaks to his son, who seems focused on one of those present, moving his gaze exclusively when his father addresses him, taking the rattle he was holding with both hands to his mouth. –Yes, that's what I thought. – Lightning speaks again.

-Stickers! – Sally laughs at his comment and hits her husband's arm with her elbow in a playful and flirtatious way.

Francesco begins to get uncomfortable with the family scene, he only sketches a fake half smile.

-Although if something comes up after work, I'll send you a message and ask Flo to be on the lookout. – McQueen addressed Sally again.

-Good. – The woman answered.

Suddenly, Cruz appears like a rocket from inside, without expecting them to enter the hotel first. She almost falls straight to the ground, but manages to stabilize herself.

Honestly, it was more the desire to say "Hello" to Lightning.

-Oh! I'm sorry. Good morning. - The girl says.

-Good morning. - The two men present answered almost in unison.

-Cruz? What were you doing here? I thought Camille...- Sally found the presence of the young racer there a little strange.

-I... The truth is... I came to see Tim... - It was true, they had met very early, but he was not in his cone. So much cutting off the sentence, it seemed like a lie. -But I think he left much earlier than I expected, so I stayed because Miss Camille asked me to put a couple of things on the desk since she had to leave her shift urgently. - She shook her head positively. "Yes, that happened." -

Her eyes wander for a few seconds to focus on McQueen, who was with his head down looking at his son in the stroller, but she immediately lowers her gaze so that none of those present notice her fixation. -Oh! Excuse me, I have to go. Uh... Mr. McQueen? I'll see you at the driving school. See you later. -

Finally, Cruz runs off, without waiting for an answer and as if nothing happened, but Francesco is the one who notices her furtive glance at Lightning and smiles, framing an eyebrow.

-Please excuse me. – The Italian man suddenly speaks and goes after the young woman.

-As always trying to catch easy prey... Although I know that Cruz is capable of giving him a good blow before he thinks of going too far. – McQueen comments, thinking that Francesco wants to flirt with Cruz.

-What? Oh, I don't know. – Sally was absorbed after what sounded like a far-fetched excuse from Cruz, but she reacted to her husband's words. - Besides, she is too young for him, I don't think he is capable of... - Sally stopped, she had her place alone, to top it off, the phone started to ring. –Sorry honey, shall we talk later? I have to work. -

-Of course. – The blond-haired man answered, who also had to leave. –Take care of mom for me, okay? – He says to his little son with a smile and caresses his hand.

They both say goodbye with a fleeting kiss and part ways to start another day. At the hotel there were already people waiting to make a check out and leave their keys in the lobby.

To be continued...

Disclaimer:

-Camille, Lance Carrera-McQueen and this story originally belong to me. (c) Shadoru.

-The other characters belong to (c) .

-Sorry my bad English.