[chapter one]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of
them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please.
;-)
**
"Figures. My first week on pit road duty, and I get stuck with your lame-ass
team."
Chad looked up from under the hood of the 48 car to voice that was teasing him. He broke into a broad smile at the face he found looking down on him.
"Holy shit! Kick! I can't believe it!" He said, standing up to give Kick a tight hug.
Kick Grayson returned his hug happily, both of them grinning at each other. "After all this time of working in the Winston Cup offices, I finally got a gig as a pit road official. Can you believe it?" She said happily, trying to get out of the way of the bustling pit crew members around her.
"Why didn't you email and tell me?" Chad asked, tugging her out of the way of McCray as he carried a set of tires towards the 48 car.
"I was going to, but it all happened so fast. I only found out I was going to be here yesterday." Kick laughed. "Carson requested he be taken out of pit road rotation, and since I was next on the list at the WC office, here I am!"
Kick and Chad had known each other since their early days of working in the racing series in Illinois - Chad with his father's team, Kick working with her brothers. Though they had gone their separate ways, they had always kept in touch via email or phone, especially when they both found themselves in the Winston Cup series circuit.
"That's so great!" Chad said, beaming. "Too bad you're working for the enemy." He teased.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep it up and I'll invent some penalty for you on Sunday." Kick said with a wink.
"So - you're our official?" Chad asked seriously.
"You and Terry." Kick nodded. "So stay outta trouble, will you?" She asked with a smile.
"Will do." Chad replied before raising his head and yelling over her shoulder. "Hey, Jimmie! C'mere!"
Kick turned around to see Jimmie Johnson striding towards them, his face hidden by the rounded brim of his Lowe's hat. "Yeah?" He said quietly as he walked up to Chad, his eyes downcast and his mouth set in a firm line.
"Jimmie, this is Kick Grayson, an old friend of mine. She's our pit road official this weekend." Chad said happily. "Kick, this is Jimmie."
"Hi Jimmie. Nice to finally meet you - Chad raves about you all the time." Kick said with a smile, extending her right hand to him.
Jimmie glanced down but did not take her hand in his, instead keeping his hands jammed in the pockets of his firesuit. "Hi. Nice to meet you." He said noncommittally. "Chad, I'm going to my hauler for a while. I'll be back before practice."
"Uh. Okay." Chad said, his brow wrinkled in confusion. "See you then."
They both watched as Jimmie quickly walked away. Kick turned to Chad with a teasing smile. "Nice guy. I can see why he's so popular." She said with a straight face.
Chad lightly punched her in the arm. "Normally, he acts a little more human. I don't know what his deal is these days."
"Maybe he just didn't want to hang with the 'enemy' and his smartass crew chief." Kick joked. "Listen, I gotta run, but I had to come say hi and tell you the good news. I'll see you guys bright and early tomorrow."
"See you then." Chad
said with a final smile and quick hug before Kick turned to make her way back
to the Winston Cup hauler.