Starbright (11 page)

While they tackled the part of the course out of her view, she anxiously listened to the announcer’s commentary for any indication of her beau’s progress. The only thing she could make out was, “There goes Evans for the pass of Mayfield and Donahue.”

The roar of engines flared to her right, and then one by one, cars came into her view again, progressing into the second lap. As Aidan barreled passed her, she was delighted to find he was in fifth place.

The first incident occurred during lap seven when a car broke an axle and the driver was forced to quit the race. Another car was disqualified over reckless driving during lap nine. With all the crazy stunts Beth had seen performed on the track, she couldn’t imagine what the driver had done to be barred from the race on those grounds.

During lap eleven, in her viewpoint, a car overcorrected a corner and veered off to the side, leaving behind some debris. The driver had been so far behind from the get-go that he decided not to continue. Yellow flags were displayed, marking a caution lap, and the other drivers slowed as they drove past the area. When the track was clear again, the drivers resumed their atomic speeds.

Lap upon lap, exhaust fumes, dust, loud engines, and enthusiastic spectators bombarded Beth until she was so overwhelmed, she was unable to make out most of what was going on. Her only clarity came in the latter part of lap seventeen when, according to the commentary, Aidan and two other cars gained almost an eighth of a lap on the forth car, distinguishing them from the group.

Beth waited for them to come into her view and then watched them battle for first position until they disappeared again. By lap twenty-five, Aidan had moved into second place, his Porsche hugging the inner track as he drove into the first turn, trying to gain on the first car.

Entering into lap twenty-six, Aidan was even with the other car. Approaching the turn, he darted to the outside at an accelerated speed and aggressively moved for position.

“That’s it, Aidan!” Matthew shouted, much to Connie’s chagrin. “Go for it!”

Fear inflated beneath Beth’s ribs as Aidan attempted the pass. He gained half a car length before a loud blast erupted, and black smoke billowed from the rear of his Porsche. The sound of squealing tires followed. Beth slammed her hand to her mouth as Aidan’s car careened to the side and launched into a rigorous spin.

Nathan and Matthew gripped the rope in front of them, their eyes wide.

“He’s going to crash!” a crowd member exclaimed.

The next moments unraveled so fast, Beth had no time to react. Aidan’s car spun like a
whirligig
, enveloped in a cloud of dust and smoke.

Panic replaced the professionalism in the announcer’s voice as he tried to keep up with describing the Porsche’s movements. Beth latched onto Olivia and watched as Aidan frantically tried to right himself while other cars whizzed by him on the track.

Tears toppled down Beth’s cheeks. Her body shook as she waited for the impact.

Waited.

Waited…

Dust and debris shot into the air as the Porsche stopped spinning and came to a halt inches from the hay bales.

“Is he all right?” Beth said to Olivia. “Can you see him? Is he all right?”

The dust cleared over Aidan’s car, which miraculously remained upright. Though he would be disappointed that he would have to bow out of the race early, Beth was relieved he wouldn’t have another chance to hurt himself.

She should’ve known better.

Dust kicked up behind the Porsche’s tires. With a jerk, the car peeled forward. Dark smoke belched from the exhaust pipe as Aidan accelerated and rejoined the race.

“What’s he doing?” a man in the crowd shouted. “His engine is overheating!
It’ll blow if he keeps driving!
”

Dread gripped Beth’s heart as Aidan disappeared into the next turn. She strained over the car engines and the roar of the crowd to hear the commentary, waiting for any news of his condition, expecting the worst and wishing he’d given up.

“Evans darts to the inside to make a pass on Jones…”

“Evans brushes the hay bales coming out of turn four. He gets squirrelly into five but corrects it…”

“Dean overtakes Evans for fifteenth but isn’t strong enough to hold him off in turn six. The two fight for position, rubbing fenders through turns seven and eight…”

By the time Beth saw Aidan again, the smoke billowing from his engine was thicker and darker, but somehow, it didn’t seem to affect the Porsche’s performance. She could only pray his remaining nine laps progressed without accident or injury.

The next few laps passed in a blink. During the last half of lap thirty, Beth couldn’t believe her ears when the commentator announced that Aidan had caught up with the top two cars again and was outmaneuvering them at every turn. As he blew past the crowd into lap thirty-five, the final lap, he had a full quarter of a lap’s lead on the second car.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” a man said behind Beth. “The little bastard has gained first place!”

Despite his advantageous position, Aidan went into the first turn of his final lap at
lightning
speed and vanished into the part of the track out of Beth’s view with as much gusto as he’d used when he had fought for position with other cars.

Beth drew deep breaths in and out, waiting for his reappearance, scared to listen to the commentary in case it was bad news. More cars rushed by, nothing but a blur of tires and metal. Then number twenty-four came into view again.

Aidan pumped his fist into the air as he steered past the checkered flag and the announcer declared him the winner of the race. Beth’s hand flew to her hat to keep it from falling off as he shot past her, sending a gust of wind over her. She watched as he veered off the track and drove down the pit road, where all drivers were required to retire after the race.

“He won! He won!” Olivia jumped up and down as the crowd, including Connie, exploded into cheers.

“And by a quarter of a lap!” Nathan’s face flushed with excitement. “That’s huge!”

“Not to mention it’s only his first race.” Matthew grinned and shook his head. “Man, I can’t believe he pulled it off.”

The second and third place cars were declared, and the remaining thirty-four cars crossed the finish line at regular intervals soon after. The air rushed out of Beth’s lungs with the arrival of the last place car. She enveloped Olivia in a hug, squeezing tighter than was probably comfortable for her friend.

When she pulled away, Nathan offered her his handkerchief. With Olivia’s help, she tidied her appearance discreetly, not wanting to reveal her crying over Aidan’s close call to anyone aside from her friends.

VIP attendees had clearance to enter the pit road, where the victors parked to accept their prizes. Thankfully, women were allowed in the pit at this event, which meant Beth, Olivia, and Connie could go as well. Instead of walking the half-mile to the pit road, Nathan and Matthew secured golf carts for transportation and the group was chauffeured there.

By the time they arrived, the trophies and checks, consisting of a portion of the drivers’ entry fees and spectator ticket sales, had already been distributed to the top three drivers. Beth was still shaken by the race, but when she spotted Aidan standing beside his Porsche and speaking to the press about his win, all she felt was the sweetness of relief.

Beth was dazzled by the sight of him basking in the celebration of achieving his racing dream. His damp hair matted to his head, the collar of his dusty racing suit was popped in true Aidan fashion, and his sunglasses hung at his mid-chest, hooked onto the V where the zipper stopped.

After answering a reporter’s question, Aidan placed his trophy on the ground and crouched to sign an autograph for a little girl in pigtails who approached him with her father, sheepishly extending a piece of paper and a pencil.

Beth watched Aidan’s exchange with the youngster fondly, noting his gracious smile and the gentle voice he used when he complimented her “very pretty dress” and asked her name so he could personalize the autograph.

As Aidan spoke with the little girl, he maintained eye contact and gave his undivided attention in what Beth could only interpret as genuine interest and kindness. He took his time with her, ignoring all the adults who clamored for his acknowledgement: prominent people in the film and racing industry who, if he was truly concerned with making a good impression, would’ve been his top priority.

For years, Beth’s focus had been on breaking free from her hometown of Clarkson, Oregon and establishing a career, but watching Aidan interact with the young girl brought forth a yearning she’d never felt before: the desire to get married and have a family someday—but not with just anyone—with Aidan specifically. It was because of him the idea now seemed so appealing.

Although Aidan was known as difficult, reckless, and moody in the press, she knew he would make a wonderful father, that he would dote on their children and teach them all about love and living to the fullest with the same passion he exhibited in every aspect of his own life.

As the young girl skipped off with her father, gushing about her “new favorite race car driver,” Aidan was swarmed by more fans. He denied future autograph requests, explaining he made an exception for the child and was here to discuss the race only. His response earned him a few dreamy sighs from the women in the audience.

Beth listened in as Aidan answered questions about his car’s handling during the race and his determination to continue after his near miss in lap twenty-six.

Finally, he discovered her in the crowd, his eyes pegging her like an arrow to a bull’s-eye. He rubbed his hands through his hair, restoring it to the chaotic style she knew and loved on him, and jogged over to her, leaving his trophy in the dirt.

With her friends in tow, Beth soared toward him. They stopped before each other, leaving a proper distance between them. Although they were pretending to be casual acquaintances and nothing more, Aidan didn’t hide the unhurried top-to-bottom scan of her body that left parts of her molten and longing for his touch. He didn’t have to say the words out loud. Beth could tell by his expression that he thought she looked beautiful. She resisted the urge to throw her arms around him and kiss him senseless.

Beside her, Nathan cleared his throat in gentle reminder.

In an effort to maintain their cover story, Beth extended her hand and said loudly enough for the press to hear, “Excellent race, Mr. Evans.”

Aidan hesitated before shaking her hand, as though it took him a moment to determine why she was acting so formal.

“I couldn’t have done it without your support, Beth.” His expression matched his tone, soft and yielding.

She was surprised he spoke so frankly in front of the reporters.

“Your talent and dedication to racing is what got you here, Aidan,” she said quietly. “Not me.”

He responded with a shake of his head, his eyes intense with admiration.

Matthew stepped forward and clapped a hand on Aidan’s shoulder, breaking their moment. “What a race! Some of the moves you made out there were incredible—stupid, but incredible.”

Aidan chuckled. “Thanks, man. I just did what I had to do in order to win.”

Nathan and Olivia offered additional congratulations.

Even Connie remarked, “Nice job.”

“How about a photograph of Mr. Evans’ support team?” a reporter called.

Nathan didn’t see the harm, so they all agreed. After Connie removed her headscarf and got
hair approval
from Olivia, the six of them moved to the open area next to Aidan’s Porsche and lined up.

Olivia and Connie stood on the ends next to their beaux, and Beth and Aidan stood in the middle. The group posed for the photographers, drawing attention from everyone in the vicinity, and also answered questions as to why they were at the race today and how they knew Aidan. Beth stuck to the tale she told the
Los Angeles Times
reporter earlier. Once the press was satisfied, they dispersed and the drivers were able to pack up and leave.

Aidan’s mechanic came by and explained that before he left Santa Barbara in his station wagon tonight, he would tow the Porsche to a local garage to restore it for Aidan’s drive back to L.A. tomorrow. Although Aidan was fully competent to fix the car himself, he told Beth that he’d asked Ralph to do it so they could spend Saturday evening and all day Sunday together without interruption before returning home.

Aidan instructed Ralph on specific jobs he wanted done that were at his discretion and not essential to make the car run smoothly, like the reinstallation of the windshield. He mentioned the modifications he wanted to keep, such as the reinforced seatbelt, which he would need in order to compete in future races. He also spoke of
upgrading his Porsche when a newer, faster model became available, so he could race in the class events for cars with bigger, more powerful engines.

Beth was unnerved by the thought. Aidan
might have won today, but he’d only narrowly avoided crashing during his spinout.
She’d learned this afternoon that
car racing wasn’t principally about speed. Speed was a factor, yes, but this kind of racing was primarily a test of a driver’s skill
—
about maneuvering a car at high speeds in and out of the pack of other cars, all against other drivers attempting exactly the same thing.

In contrast, Aidan
had the attitude of a straightaway driver, and he lost his head easily in pursuit of victory.
Beth’s only solace was that as part of his
Golden Gloves
agreement with Kazan, he was not allowed to race during filming. It bided her some time to get more comfortable with the idea of him competing again.

Aidan and Ralph parted on a promise to meet up next week at Competition Motors in L.A. to discuss upgrades that needed to be made on the Porsche to improve its performance according to Aidan’s experience driving it in today’s race. Then Aidan packed up his racing gear and left to change his clothes.