One For The Road - Chapter 46: Chapter 46
You are reading One For The Road, Chapter 46: Chapter 46. Read more chapters of One For The Road.
The next morning, I headed back downstairs to find Griffin in the kitchen making breakfast. It was like a weight that I never even noticed had been lifted off my shoulders, and maybe I was right that everything felt horrible because I was tired.
He was already dressed for the day like he had his shit together and someplace to be, and while it was only Wednesday, he probably did. There were no days off for someone like him in the NASCAR world, especially since he was picky about nearly everything that went into the car.
I, on the other hand, learned to shut up and drive. I never did get that perennial winner privilege (or, at least, that's what Truscott always told me).
Penny was at Griffin's feet waiting for some scraps to fall, and that must have been a snapshot of what his life was like without me.
At least he seemed happy, even if he was cooking in the goddamn morning.
"Hey, Kate," Griffin said without looking up from the stove.
"I'm feeling better this morning, so you can drive the Corvette today," I said.
He chuckled. "I was a little afraid to ask. You were kinda scary last night."
"I don't know why you would think that. I didn't threaten to kill anyone or myself. I feel like that's a pretty good day."
"It was just the way you looked. Worn out, exhausted, pissed off."
"Thanks." I gave him a fake smile. "Glad to know you think I'm pretty."
"Don't start with that bullshit—" He paused when he turned and caught a glimpse of me. "What the fuck did you do to your hair?"
"I got upset that I was stuck in Canada and colored the ends grey obviously."
"Why?"
I already answered that, genius. "So you don't like it?"
"That's not what I said."
"You didn't not say it."
He let out a loud sigh. "You know, I really missed losing every argument I'm a part of."
If that was what he honestly thought, then I won a lot more often than I thought I did. But he knew damn well that we were usually on the same page for everything.
I smiled. With everyone else, it was like I could never win.
"So what are you doing today? Have any plans?" I asked.
"Well, I have to head down to the RTR headquarters to check up with Roger. I have a feeling he's a little worried going into Talladega, and he probably wants to have a chat with the whole team. I mean, if we lose, we're eliminated from The Chase, so it's understandable," he said.
"But you're going to win, so that's not an issue."
He laughed. "You should know better than anyone else that you can have the best car and do everything right throughout the whole race, and you can still lose."
I did, in fact, know that very well. But it also meant that you didn't necessarily have to have the best car to win.
"I'm pretty sure the Talladega gods just hate me," I said. "But they like you, so I honestly believe you're going to be fine. You could always offer some of whatever you're making as a tribute to them. It smells pretty good."
"I'm sure they'll appreciate these eggs more than I do. You can only change it up so many times before everything starts to get old."
"Then make something different. What about chocolate chip pancakes?"
"That sounds good, but over the years, I've gotten pretty good at giving up what I want in the moment."
"Where's the fun in living like that?" I smiled. "Come on, Griffin. This is my first day back in Louisiana, and you should really just let yourself enjoy it. I won't tell anyone."
He smiled. How I missed that fucking smile. "It's called discipline. It's the only thing that's keeping me from—" He trailed off.
Keeping him from what? Ending up a complete disaster like me? Making out with me right on the goddamn spot? The possibilities were endless, and while that normally wouldn't have bothered me, I needed an answer.
But before I could ask him what the hell he was talking about, he changed the subject. "I don't know if you heard this, but Roger Truscott Racing is moving to Charlotte next season."
I raised my eyebrows. What the fuck was he going to say? It had to have been good (or very bad) in order for him to switch topics to RTR.
"It's about time he does that. Everyone else is in North Carolina, so why the hell should we be in Baton Rouge?" I said.
But there was no we. RTR and Katie Moore had mutually parted ways months ago.
Hasn't this past ten seconds just been a kick to the stomach?
"It kind of sucks, though. I feel like I just got this place right the way I want it, and now I have to pack up and leave? It's bullshit," he said.
Ah yes. The pine flooring.
"That's all life is. It's a bunch of bullshit, and that's exactly why you have to do what you want whenever you get the chance and eat chocolate chip pancakes," I said.
Of course, he was still employed with RTR and I was not, so maybe he shouldn't have even listened to what came out of my mouth.
Griffin took the eggs off the stove, and he handed me a plate of them for us to sit at the island together. There was a single red flower in a vase in the middle of the island, and although I didn't know exactly what kind it was, it was definitely a fall one. The stools were high enough that my feet couldn't reach the ground, and they twisted a little when I swung my feet. He really put a lot of effort into his kitchen, and with as much time as he spent in there making his super healthy meals for the day, I couldn't really blame him.
I wasn't joking when I said that I wanted pancakes, but I couldn't bitch. I definitely wasn't in the mood to make anything, and if I didn't eat something, he would get mad. He always did look out for me.
Everything was just the way it always had been to him. And what was I supposed to do now that wasn't the case for me?
Well, I sure as hell wasn't going to just sit there and let the moment pass me by. I spent months waiting on Drake to open up to me the same way Griffin did, and all that did was shine a dazzling spotlight on the fact that I'd probably never find anything else like this.
Just as Griffin began to speak, I did as well. "Do you have a thing with Elizabeth?"
He stared back at me for a moment. "What?"
"If you were lying earlier, just tell me now. I won't get mad."
"Okay, I know for a fact that you'd get mad, and I absolutely don't. I mean, what the fuck, Katie?"
I bit my lip as my stomach sunk. He probably wasn't lying, but—
"What the fuck are you so concerned about? It's not like you want me," he continued.
Fucking idiot. I loved a fucking dumbass idiot who was so stupid and not smart.
I hoped my parents were proud of me.
Unless—
Unless this idiot was so smart that he thought he could weasel a confession out of me when we both knew that he was the one who was in a shitload of trouble with his feelings for me.
I spent six months hanging around nerds. I probably gained a few IQ points. All I had to do was reverse the reverse psychology.
"You're right. I don't. But," I said, "if I recall correctly, you did take me on a date in Cleveland. What was that about?"
"Is this what you've been trying to talk about this whole time?" Griffin asked. "Look, I know you were mad at the world the time, and I just wanted to make you happy. Don't get mad at me for that."
Did I seem mad? No. He was just trying to be difficult.
"Katie, seriously, would you just eat something?" He gestured at my plate that I still hadn't touched.
Even though I wasn't that hungry, I took a bite, and while it wasn't a pancake, it was better than pretty much all the eggs I had ever made. I couldn't quite tell if it was oregano in there with the chives, but it wasn't six thousand pounds of cheddar like Annie usually did.
And maybe that was how I managed to lose all of my muscle and gain fifteen million pounds in the thighs in six months.
"It's good," I said.
"Good."
Fine. "Are you pissed at me?"
He shook his head. "Just pissed in general. I feel like I just got one aspect of my life back to normal, and now it's just like we were saying. No one who is forced to change is living their best life. There's a difference between a fresh start and a restart."
"But Charlotte," I said. If I got a new contract, that was where I would be. And I sure as hell wouldn't mind the change in scenery. All things NASCAR were in Charlotte, North Carolina, and that was pretty much my last good moment on the track and in general. It was where I won the All-Star Race.
"Good point." He smiled.
And that point was all the more reason to solidify my standing with Team Moretti and take someone's spot. Plus, Griffin would be in Charlotte. How the fuck could I possibly lose?
"Griffin, can I be honest with you?" I said.
"You always are."
Well, most of the time. "I'm glad RTR is relocating. I'll probably be in Charlotte next season, and I hated being separated. My mind always ended up right here when I was in Canada."
"Oh, shit." His eyes widened. "I forgot about that."
"You forgot that I might end up on Team Moretti? You literally fucking forgot that?"
"Well, I'm sorry for spending all of my concentration on keeping you fucking alive first."
He knew I didn't need him to keep me alive, but I sure as hell enjoyed the experience much more when I had him around.
I never really was one for flirty bullshit or waiting around for life to find me. And he wasn't going to forget about me even for a second ever again. It got me in trouble before, but I had no reservations this time. This time, it had a chance, and while I never minded momentary connections, we had something that was set up so perfectly for one more step.
He looked over at me like he had read my mind, and for a moment, I got caught up in the big brown eyes that watched over me even when I was a thousand miles away.
Then that moment ended.
I leaned in, and he must have known the whole time what I wanted from him, since he did the same. Of course he knew. He was Griffin fucking Gallagher.
But the moment our lips met, every other thought in my brain shut off, and the only thing I could feel was just him. His lips, his beard, his tongue, his soul. We paused for a moment, but there was nothing either one of us could do to pull ourselves away. My eyes were glued to him and his to me.
"You know, I always assumed that we'd both be drunk when that finally happened," he said, and I let out a laugh.
I didn't ever assume there would be anything, but men truly were something else.
"I'm just glad we're on the same page here," I said.
"You'd have to be a fucking moron to think I'd tell you no."
That fear still lingered in the back of my mind, but it was nice being told that. It was really fucking nice.
"I really should get going, though, as much as I'd like to continue," Griffin said.
"Go where? Your meeting with RTR?"
He nodded.
"You've blown those off before. What's one more time?" I asked.
"There's a difference between a regular season race and one where everything's on the line, Kate. Huge difference," he said.
How the hell could I argue with that? "Well, could you at least tell me where I should start looking for my house key?"
He smiled. "Don't bother. You won't need that tonight."
He was already dressed for the day like he had his shit together and someplace to be, and while it was only Wednesday, he probably did. There were no days off for someone like him in the NASCAR world, especially since he was picky about nearly everything that went into the car.
I, on the other hand, learned to shut up and drive. I never did get that perennial winner privilege (or, at least, that's what Truscott always told me).
Penny was at Griffin's feet waiting for some scraps to fall, and that must have been a snapshot of what his life was like without me.
At least he seemed happy, even if he was cooking in the goddamn morning.
"Hey, Kate," Griffin said without looking up from the stove.
"I'm feeling better this morning, so you can drive the Corvette today," I said.
He chuckled. "I was a little afraid to ask. You were kinda scary last night."
"I don't know why you would think that. I didn't threaten to kill anyone or myself. I feel like that's a pretty good day."
"It was just the way you looked. Worn out, exhausted, pissed off."
"Thanks." I gave him a fake smile. "Glad to know you think I'm pretty."
"Don't start with that bullshit—" He paused when he turned and caught a glimpse of me. "What the fuck did you do to your hair?"
"I got upset that I was stuck in Canada and colored the ends grey obviously."
"Why?"
I already answered that, genius. "So you don't like it?"
"That's not what I said."
"You didn't not say it."
He let out a loud sigh. "You know, I really missed losing every argument I'm a part of."
If that was what he honestly thought, then I won a lot more often than I thought I did. But he knew damn well that we were usually on the same page for everything.
I smiled. With everyone else, it was like I could never win.
"So what are you doing today? Have any plans?" I asked.
"Well, I have to head down to the RTR headquarters to check up with Roger. I have a feeling he's a little worried going into Talladega, and he probably wants to have a chat with the whole team. I mean, if we lose, we're eliminated from The Chase, so it's understandable," he said.
"But you're going to win, so that's not an issue."
He laughed. "You should know better than anyone else that you can have the best car and do everything right throughout the whole race, and you can still lose."
I did, in fact, know that very well. But it also meant that you didn't necessarily have to have the best car to win.
"I'm pretty sure the Talladega gods just hate me," I said. "But they like you, so I honestly believe you're going to be fine. You could always offer some of whatever you're making as a tribute to them. It smells pretty good."
"I'm sure they'll appreciate these eggs more than I do. You can only change it up so many times before everything starts to get old."
"Then make something different. What about chocolate chip pancakes?"
"That sounds good, but over the years, I've gotten pretty good at giving up what I want in the moment."
"Where's the fun in living like that?" I smiled. "Come on, Griffin. This is my first day back in Louisiana, and you should really just let yourself enjoy it. I won't tell anyone."
He smiled. How I missed that fucking smile. "It's called discipline. It's the only thing that's keeping me from—" He trailed off.
Keeping him from what? Ending up a complete disaster like me? Making out with me right on the goddamn spot? The possibilities were endless, and while that normally wouldn't have bothered me, I needed an answer.
But before I could ask him what the hell he was talking about, he changed the subject. "I don't know if you heard this, but Roger Truscott Racing is moving to Charlotte next season."
I raised my eyebrows. What the fuck was he going to say? It had to have been good (or very bad) in order for him to switch topics to RTR.
"It's about time he does that. Everyone else is in North Carolina, so why the hell should we be in Baton Rouge?" I said.
But there was no we. RTR and Katie Moore had mutually parted ways months ago.
Hasn't this past ten seconds just been a kick to the stomach?
"It kind of sucks, though. I feel like I just got this place right the way I want it, and now I have to pack up and leave? It's bullshit," he said.
Ah yes. The pine flooring.
"That's all life is. It's a bunch of bullshit, and that's exactly why you have to do what you want whenever you get the chance and eat chocolate chip pancakes," I said.
Of course, he was still employed with RTR and I was not, so maybe he shouldn't have even listened to what came out of my mouth.
Griffin took the eggs off the stove, and he handed me a plate of them for us to sit at the island together. There was a single red flower in a vase in the middle of the island, and although I didn't know exactly what kind it was, it was definitely a fall one. The stools were high enough that my feet couldn't reach the ground, and they twisted a little when I swung my feet. He really put a lot of effort into his kitchen, and with as much time as he spent in there making his super healthy meals for the day, I couldn't really blame him.
I wasn't joking when I said that I wanted pancakes, but I couldn't bitch. I definitely wasn't in the mood to make anything, and if I didn't eat something, he would get mad. He always did look out for me.
Everything was just the way it always had been to him. And what was I supposed to do now that wasn't the case for me?
Well, I sure as hell wasn't going to just sit there and let the moment pass me by. I spent months waiting on Drake to open up to me the same way Griffin did, and all that did was shine a dazzling spotlight on the fact that I'd probably never find anything else like this.
Just as Griffin began to speak, I did as well. "Do you have a thing with Elizabeth?"
He stared back at me for a moment. "What?"
"If you were lying earlier, just tell me now. I won't get mad."
"Okay, I know for a fact that you'd get mad, and I absolutely don't. I mean, what the fuck, Katie?"
I bit my lip as my stomach sunk. He probably wasn't lying, but—
"What the fuck are you so concerned about? It's not like you want me," he continued.
Fucking idiot. I loved a fucking dumbass idiot who was so stupid and not smart.
I hoped my parents were proud of me.
Unless—
Unless this idiot was so smart that he thought he could weasel a confession out of me when we both knew that he was the one who was in a shitload of trouble with his feelings for me.
I spent six months hanging around nerds. I probably gained a few IQ points. All I had to do was reverse the reverse psychology.
"You're right. I don't. But," I said, "if I recall correctly, you did take me on a date in Cleveland. What was that about?"
"Is this what you've been trying to talk about this whole time?" Griffin asked. "Look, I know you were mad at the world the time, and I just wanted to make you happy. Don't get mad at me for that."
Did I seem mad? No. He was just trying to be difficult.
"Katie, seriously, would you just eat something?" He gestured at my plate that I still hadn't touched.
Even though I wasn't that hungry, I took a bite, and while it wasn't a pancake, it was better than pretty much all the eggs I had ever made. I couldn't quite tell if it was oregano in there with the chives, but it wasn't six thousand pounds of cheddar like Annie usually did.
And maybe that was how I managed to lose all of my muscle and gain fifteen million pounds in the thighs in six months.
"It's good," I said.
"Good."
Fine. "Are you pissed at me?"
He shook his head. "Just pissed in general. I feel like I just got one aspect of my life back to normal, and now it's just like we were saying. No one who is forced to change is living their best life. There's a difference between a fresh start and a restart."
"But Charlotte," I said. If I got a new contract, that was where I would be. And I sure as hell wouldn't mind the change in scenery. All things NASCAR were in Charlotte, North Carolina, and that was pretty much my last good moment on the track and in general. It was where I won the All-Star Race.
"Good point." He smiled.
And that point was all the more reason to solidify my standing with Team Moretti and take someone's spot. Plus, Griffin would be in Charlotte. How the fuck could I possibly lose?
"Griffin, can I be honest with you?" I said.
"You always are."
Well, most of the time. "I'm glad RTR is relocating. I'll probably be in Charlotte next season, and I hated being separated. My mind always ended up right here when I was in Canada."
"Oh, shit." His eyes widened. "I forgot about that."
"You forgot that I might end up on Team Moretti? You literally fucking forgot that?"
"Well, I'm sorry for spending all of my concentration on keeping you fucking alive first."
He knew I didn't need him to keep me alive, but I sure as hell enjoyed the experience much more when I had him around.
I never really was one for flirty bullshit or waiting around for life to find me. And he wasn't going to forget about me even for a second ever again. It got me in trouble before, but I had no reservations this time. This time, it had a chance, and while I never minded momentary connections, we had something that was set up so perfectly for one more step.
He looked over at me like he had read my mind, and for a moment, I got caught up in the big brown eyes that watched over me even when I was a thousand miles away.
Then that moment ended.
I leaned in, and he must have known the whole time what I wanted from him, since he did the same. Of course he knew. He was Griffin fucking Gallagher.
But the moment our lips met, every other thought in my brain shut off, and the only thing I could feel was just him. His lips, his beard, his tongue, his soul. We paused for a moment, but there was nothing either one of us could do to pull ourselves away. My eyes were glued to him and his to me.
"You know, I always assumed that we'd both be drunk when that finally happened," he said, and I let out a laugh.
I didn't ever assume there would be anything, but men truly were something else.
"I'm just glad we're on the same page here," I said.
"You'd have to be a fucking moron to think I'd tell you no."
That fear still lingered in the back of my mind, but it was nice being told that. It was really fucking nice.
"I really should get going, though, as much as I'd like to continue," Griffin said.
"Go where? Your meeting with RTR?"
He nodded.
"You've blown those off before. What's one more time?" I asked.
"There's a difference between a regular season race and one where everything's on the line, Kate. Huge difference," he said.
How the hell could I argue with that? "Well, could you at least tell me where I should start looking for my house key?"
He smiled. "Don't bother. You won't need that tonight."
End of One For The Road Chapter 46. Continue reading Chapter 47 or return to One For The Road book page.