Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 45

They walked up the sidewalk beside a two-story building that housed the concession stands and the restrooms. On the second floor, Bart, the announcer, called the race from the control room. The sidewalk came to a T and there was the racetrack in front of them. It was a five-eighths mile, high-banked oval that had been cut into the earth. The grandstand was a series of shelves dug into the hill. At the bottom, a concrete wall kept the race cars away from the fans with the aid of a tall chain-link catch fence. The only thing taller was the flag-stand, and it reached out over the track. "Those are the pits over there, Evan said, and pointed to their right.

"I thought the pits were supposed to be in the middle of the track?"

"Not always," Evan said. "There's too many cars and haulers to fit down there, so they put 'em over there."

Jason turned in a circle, and said, "Cool," then he spun around again. "Really cool, and there's lots of chicks too. What's up with ticket girl? She seemed eager to hook up later."

"I didn't remember who she was until we started walking away. She's changed a lot since last year, but I don't really know her. Seen her around and her dad drives a car."

'She's pretty cute."

"That's all I need," Evan sald. "Did you see her mom?"

"I'd do her."

"Her mother?"

"No, Jackass, her, ticket giri."

"I'm sure you would," Evan said, and rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go to the pits."

Inside the pits, they walked on the packed red clay between two rows of race cars and haulers. Evan's head turned constantly, taking in all the different cars. Jason stopped short and pointed. "Look at that one."

Evan followed the direction of his friend's finger. "The car or the chick?"

"Um, both, I guess."

Evan smirked, and said, "Let's get a closer look."

They walked towards a black hauler with a big number fifteen painted on the side. There were several people busy with wrenches under the hood of a red and black car, and there was a girl in tight blue jeans, with a long black ponytail. She was rolling a tire and pulling an air hose, then she bent over at the rear of the car.

"Sweet ass," Jason said.

Evan pointed to the logo on the side of the trailer. "Southern Environmental Consultants."

Jason shrugged. "Huh?"

The girl in the blue jeans yelled to someone whose feet were sticking out from under the back of the car, "Check the rear-end." Without turning, she said, "Evan, are you staring at my butt?"

"You got eyes in the back of your head?"

Jason looked confused. "Shit."

"No, Dip-stick, I could feel you staring, as usual." The girl turned around.

"Cindy, I was not," Evan said, "but he was." He pointed at Jason.

"Really," she said, and walked quickly towards Jason. Cindy was an inch taller, and she was in Jason's face. "So, you were looking at my ass?"

Jason stammered, "Um, I, ah-"

Evan held up his hand and said, "Stop, stop, Cindy. This is Jason"

Cindy laughed. "Hey, Jason, nice to finally meet you." She held out her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

"You have?"

"Sure, your reputation precedes you," Cindy said.

Evan watched Jason gulp air and tried to swallow, "Cindy, stop."

"Sorry," she said, "Evan put me up to it."

"Did not," he said, then changed the subject. "You need help?"

Cindy nodded her head. "Sure, put that tire on and snug all the lugs, then check the pressure. You know how I like 'em. I'll go suit up.

After Cindy climbed into the hauler, Jason grabbed his arm. "Dude, you realize how much she looks like Deana? Shit, if that's what Deana is gonna look like in four years, marry her."

"Great advice. I think they put you in prison for that."

"They might," Jason said. "Oh, and thanks for not telling me that was your cousin's ass I was staring at." Jason slugged him in the arm.

"I tried, I pointed to her main sponsor, my father's comparny." Evan wondered how much money his father gave, and why. Was it just because Cindy was his niece or because she was his sister's daughter? He didn't even like Cindy as far as Evan could tell. At least not for the past few years.

He stopped thinking and started talking to Bear, one of the crew members, while doing what Cindy asked. Jason watched, surprised that he knew so much about race cars.

"Don't look now," Jason said, "here comes ticket girl, with reinforcements."

Evan turned and looked up pit road. "Her blonde friend is cute, but the one with darker hair has nice lumps."

"Oh, sweet honey pie, I'll take the blond," Jason sald. "You can have lumps or ticket girl or both, if you can handle them."

Evan watched them approach and the closer they got, the more Jason's pick resembled Becky. She even had her hair in pigtails. "You go meet them," Evan said. "Tell them we'll see them by the concession stand in a half hour. I got to do this stuff and talk to Cindy. She's not crazy about having a bunch of people around the car before a race. It gets too cluttered, she says, but I think she's worried about spies from other teams."

"All right," Jason said with a shrug, "but I might end up taking all three of them."

"Whatever, just keep them over there," Evan said, and got busy checking the tire pressures.