[chapter fifteen]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please. ;-)
A/N: I love a happy ending. :-)
**
(Charlotte, the following Sunday)
"I'm really nervous. Are you nervous? Do you get nervous at every race?" Denise asked rapidly, laying one hand over her heart.
Casey smiled, watching as her friend stared intently up and down pit road, noting all the activity, the fans in the stands, and the determination on every crew member's face.
"I used to be, but then I spent some much time at the tracks, I just got used to it. At first, I was always nervous that Jimmie was going to get hurt, now I'm just nervous about where the guys will finish." Casey said evenly. "Especially if they are having a really good run."
"I'm nervous." Denise said squarely. "I don't know why, but I am."
"The driver introductions are almost over, they'll be here soon. You'll feel better once you see them get in their cars. After that, it's just good racin'." Casey smiled.
Denise nodded, then smiled broadly as she caught sight of the Lowe's uniform making its way to them, Jimmie frantically signing autographs as he went. Finally, Chad steered the crowd away, and Casey and Denise drifted closer to the car. "Hey!" Jimmie said, wrapping an arm around each girl and squeezing. "It's so good to see friendly faces. I thought a couple of those people were going to take a piece of my uniform!" Jimmie said good naturedly. "I was starting to feel like Junior."
"Oh, ha ha." Casey deadpanned, scanning down pit road for any sign of her boyfriend. She finally saw him, surrounded by a sea of people, all shoving papers, hats and diecast cars in his face to sign. And in ten minutes he was going to get into a car and drive around at a couple of hundred miles an hour. Casey never ceased to be amazed by this sport.
"Good luck, Jimmie." Casey said, hugging him quickly. "I'm going to go harass my boy for a minute. Take it easy on him out there, huh?" She winked at Jimmie and he grinned in return. "De, I'll meet you in the 8 pit, okay?" Denise nodded and Casey turned to jog over to Junior's pit.
He and Jade had finally pushed the crowds back a bit, and Junior was pulling on his safety equipment when Casey sauntered up. "Hey June-yer, will you sign this?" She asked in a thick southern accent.
He whirled around, his eyes dark and his mouth tight, until he saw it was Casey who was harassing him. "Hey baby." He said tenderly, dropping a quick kiss onto her waiting lips. "I was wonderin' where you got to."
"I'm right here." Casey said, hugging him closely for a moment. "No where else I'd be."
Junior smiled tenderly at her as he continued to tug on his uniform. "Now, honey, when I pull into Victory Lane, don't embarrass me on national TV or nothin'." Junior teased. They went through this routine before every race, and Casey grinned, both at the silliness of it, and at how much more pronounced Junior's drawl was at any racetrack.
"Can I plant a big wet one right on ya in front of everybody?" Casey teased back.
"Naw. I want all the girls watchin' to think I'm still available. I've already given out my number to like, fifty chicks." Junior quipped, winking slyly. "But you can plant a big wet one on me right now."
"Jackass." Casey mumbled with a grin, putting a hand behind his neck and pulling his face down to hers. She kissed him soundly, then touched his forehead to hers. "Go kick their asses, baby."
"I love you." Junior whispered.
"I love you." Casey echoed.
**
Denise gripped Casey's arm tightly. Jimmie had been charging to the front all day, and with 10 laps to go, was nosing around the lead car of his boss, Jeff Gordon, to try and take the win. Junior was mired among lap traffic, but was running a respectable 8th, considering a loose lug had brought them down pit road an extra time during a caution period.
"I can't take this!" Denise screamed as Jimmie looked high around his teammate on the track.
"C'mon, baby!" Casey screamed at the top of her lungs. "C'mon!" Both girls were standing atop the rolling toolbox behind Junior's pit, and had been standing and screaming for most of the race. The pit crew members eyed them warily at first, then got caught up in their enthusiasm. They were used to Casey screaming and jumping up and down, but with the two of them, it was hard not to get excited as well.
"Which baby?" Denise yelled with a laugh.
"Either one!" Casey screamed in return. The cars hurtled past again and again, and the girls yelled louder and louder. The white flag dropped and Denise almost fell of the cart as she jumped to see what was happening in turn one. Neither girl saw the television pit reporter or cameraman who had been trained on them for the last two laps. On national television, Casey was identified as Junior's girlfriend, and Denise as her best friend. If either girl had known, they might have tried to have a little more decorum.
As it was, neither one had any idea there was anything in the world besides the cars flying around the track.
Jimmie and Jeff connected in turn three, their sheet metal banging together, and with a roar of the crowd, Jimmie nosed ahead of his mentor and crossed the finish line first. Junior barreled across in 4th place and his crew exchanged high fives while Casey and Denise hugged each other and jumped up and down.
"C'mon, let's go!" Casey screamed, jumping down and grabbing Denise's hand. They ran like hell for Victory Lane and fought the media frenzy as Jimmie performed a spectacular burnout on the frontstretch.
Moments later, he roared into Victory Lane and killed the engine. Casey and Denise were shuffled back a bit as the television crew and Miss Winston moved towards Jimmie. He crawled out of his window and immediately dove into his waiting crew. Casey and Denise laughed as they finally righted him in front of the reporters. "Woo!" Jimmie screamed, pumping his fist in the air. "Wooohooo!" He scanned the crowd quickly and saw the two girls scrambling towards him.
Casey reached him first and he pulled her into a tight hug as she pounded his back and screamed "Woo!" right back at him. They were both laughing as Casey pulled away. Denise shoved her way towards Jimmie and he grabbed both her shoulders to catch her from falling backwards. Before Denise could steady herself, Jimmie planted a deep kiss onto her lips and grinned wickedly as he pulled her against his chest.
Denise couldn't stop grinning as Jimmie's arm remained around her during his entire television interview. Casey couldn't stop her jaw from hitting the ground.
**
(Several hours later)
"You bastards!" Casey screamed as she charged into Jimmie's coach without knocking. Denise and Jimmie jumped apart as though they had just been caught in the backseat of a car on Friday night. "You didn't tell me! I have to find out that you guys are hot and heavy by watching it unfold on national television!"
Junior ambled in after Casey and shut the door. He laid a placating arm across her shoulders. "Case is feeling a bit neglected." He said in a stage whisper. She nudged him the ribs gently and continued to glower at her two best friends.
"Well, we just sorta … " Denise trailed off with a shrug.
"Now I know why you didn't come home until dawn the other night." Casey said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm on to you now."
Jimmie laughed. "We got caught up in Operation Get Casey and Junior to Make Up, and got a little carried away." He said, blushing slightly.
"Figures. I had this elaborate plan to get you two together, and you go and spoil it by doing it yourselves!" Casey complained as Junior laughed.
"Yeah, she had a name for it and everything." Junior said, teasing his girlfriend. "What was it, hon?"
"Operation Get Jimmie and Denise to Hook Up." Casey said seriously as all three burst into laughter. "The name might suck, but the sentiment was there, okay?"
"You'd think we all share a brain, wouldn't ya?" Denise said with a laugh as she leaned back against Jimmie's chest.
"Indeed you would." Jimmie reaffirmed, kissing her temple affectionately. "Indeed you would."
**
Casey crawled into bed beside Junior and sighed deeply. "Today was good. I'm going to go out on a limb and say today was a good day."
"Very profound, darlin." Junior affirmed. "I'm right with ya. Though, in a perfect world, I would have won and would have been the one kissin' in Victory Lane."
"I thought you didn't do that. Keep the chicks in suspense." Casey teased.
"Yeah, I thought it over, and decided I'm gonna keep you around for a while, so there's no reason to lead any chicks on anymore." Junior paused. "I think I'm getting old." He kissed Casey's nose and she giggled slightly.
"You okay with that?"
"Yeah." Junior said seriously. "I'm okay with that."
"That's too bad. I saw Adam checkin' out your ass in your firesuit today. If we ever split up, there's options for ya." Casey said with a wink.
"Casey?" Junior said
and she looked at him. "Shut up and kiss me."
[fin]