She was already regretting that she came with Erik to this Piston event. At least he wasn't going to be needed tonight.
They had been married for a couple of years already, but this was her first time coming with him to any event as his wife. The first time that she had ever been to a Piston event in a dress.
Her hair was done up, as was her makeup, wearing the sapphire necklace and earring set that Erik had gotten her, that matched the blue of her dress perfectly.
The first event of the weekend was this dinner.
They had been sat down at a round table with several others. One of them being Joe Moore, and a couple of other gentlemen who she recognized and their wives. Other than Joe, none of the others at the table would know who she was.
At least, they shouldn't.
None of them were a part of the group who were there when she was dismissed from the sport.
Introductions went around the table and she pretended to not know any of the men besides her husband and Joe. There were a couple of surprised comments about her actually being there.
"Oh, what a lovely surprise that we get to meet you Mrs. Piston. We've heard such lovely things about you," one of the men said.
"You have, have you?" she asked.
"Your husband is quite flattering of you. He's mentioned that you're studying to be a lawyer," said the man.
"I am," she agreed.
"Have we ever met Mrs. Piston? You look familiar, but I can't quite place where we might've come across each other," asked another man.
"I don't believe so, though I do hear that often. I must just have one of those faces." She shrugged her shoulders. "One of those who can hide in plain sight."
Joe snorted and choked on what she was sure was laughter. She looked over to him in sincere concern, ignoring the look Erik gave her because of her statement.
"Mr. Moore, are you alright? Can you breathe?"
He took a moment to finish his small bout of coughing. "Yes, I'm fine. I believe I took a sip of water at the wrong time. There's no need to worry."
"Oh, that's good. I'd hate for my husband's best man to choke to death right in front of us."
The rest of the evening wasn't as dramatic as the first introductions, though she had continued to include a few more sly comments about her past. Ones that only Erik or Joe would catch.
There might've even been a time or two where Joe caught it but Erik didn't.
It didn't take long after they were heading up to their hotel room for Erik to pull her off to a side corridor, empty of people.
"What did you think you were doing tonight?"
"What do you mean?" She didn't like his tone of voice.
"I mean, playing coy and teasing about who you. When I asked if you would come; I didn't expect all that."
"YOU asked me to come to a Piston Cup function. You didn't suspect that I might want to be a little difficult? Given MY history with the sport?"
"You've spent the last few years wanting nothing to do-"
"I've wanted to do nothing with the sport, because I was FORCED to. Forbidden to so much as acknowledge my time with Piston Cup. That wasnotmy choice. YOU were there. Or don't you remember how I was forced out?"
"Jess, not right now." Erik started to walk the direction of their room, but she couldn't move.
How dare he.
"Not now?" A bitter laugh escaped. "If not now? Then when, Emery? Tomorrow in front of a crowd? A week from today? Never?"
"How about not when we're away at a weekend centred around this whole argument." He hissed.
Her lip trembled. "Fine. Tell your elitist friends that your fragile wife has taken ill once again and won't be able to make any more events this weekend."
She turned and stormed down the hall.
Erik chased after at her arm, just enough to get her attention and to get her to turn around. "Wait. What are you doing?"
She shook him off. "I'm going home."
"Jessica-"
"No. I'm going home." She felt like she was an inch tall. What was he thinking? What hadshe been thinking?
A weekend full of Piston Cup events was not a good idea.
To be back where she had so thoroughly been pushed out from. Before she was even healed, because she wasn't actually a man, but had used that lie to start racing.
Didn't he realize how hard it was to be back around all of that? To see those people who helped end what she loved to do?
All she wanted to do was have a little fun with being right under people's ignorant noses. She wouldn't have teased anyone who would have caught on. Joe being the exception. But he already knew who she was anyway.
She caught the first flight back to Arizona. She didn't want to see him.
What did he think she was going to do the first time back into that realm. It's not like she wanted to leave. She had been forced out.
If they didn't want her, then why should she grace them with her presence.
So she could leave herself to be humiliated by them?
Her head was pounding by the time she got home. The plane ride and crying hadn't helped. She was feeling worse than ever. She might actually be sick with the way her stomach was churning.
The events of the weekend were apparently more important than she was.
She didn't sleep that night. Mostly tossing and turning. Hitting her pillows in frustration.
In the morning she could tell that a flare up was starting.
All she wanted was a cup of coffee and to not think about all this weekend meant. Did he really not realize how much it hurt to be turned away like she had been?
She banged around the cupboards looking for the coffee, slamming the doors. Which hurt her head.
She couldn't find any coffee. They were out.
"Of course we're out. Why wouldn't we be out. We only left town intending to be gone the whole weekend. How smart was that," she grumbled to herself as she grabbed her wallet and headed to Flo's.
"Whew, Honey. You look rough, what's going on sugar?"
"Don't want to talk about it. Just need coffee."
"Are you sure about that? I think a nap might suit you better. What're you doing here anyway. I thought you and Erik were away this weekend, maybe into next week if things went well."
"Things didn't go well."
"I'm sorry sugar. Do you want to talk about it."
"No."
"When you're ready or find yourself needing to, you know where to find me. I'm sure things will get better."
"I do. Thanks for the coffee."
"Anytime honey. You just let me know if you need anything else."
She barely gave any acknowledgment to Flo as she left. Now that she had her coffee, she just wanted to go home. Curl up in bed or on the couch. Maybe she'd pull out some of her textbooks and try to do some studying to try and distract herself from the first big fight she'd had with her husband.