The three of us squeezed into my truck for the thirty-minute drive out to the middle of nowhere. The racetrack sat on private property, a long way from the main road. A lot of people liked to bet on the races, which was illegal in this state. They built it deep into the property on purpose. The cops can't have probable cause if they were too far to hear or see anything.
As I parked in the dirt lot, I heard a thud in the back of my truck. I looked back and saw Ben, standing in the bed. We piled out of the truck and I heard country music coming from the other side of the bleachers. The cool air nipped at my legs but felt nice.
"Hey, girls," Lenny said. He was leaning against the passenger side of my truck where Sarah and Ava got out.
"Hey," Sarah said, blushing a little. Lenny looked her up and down. I looked over to Ben, who had unlatched the tailgate and was sitting on the edge of it. I scaled the tire and sat on the frame of the truck. Ben stood up and came to stand in front of me.
"Race doesn't start for a while. Wanna tailgate?" he asked.
"Sure," I replied.
"Glad you agree," Lenny said from behind Ben. He lifted a case of beer over and into the truck. He ripped into the cardboard and pulled five out, handing them out as he did. Ben reached one out to me.
"No, thanks," I said. "Someone has to be able to drive home."
"So you want to be the responsible one," he said, pulling the cap off with his teeth and letting it fall. Ava was trying to twist hers off and was clearly failing. She reached it out to me. I snickered as I took it, braced the cap against the frame of the truck, and brought the heel of my hand down on it hard. The cap fell to the floor and the beer foamed slightly.
"Where did you learn that," Lenny laughed.
"My dad. He always loses bottle openers." Sarah handed hers to me and I popped it opened the same as the other. Lenny opened his with his tooth like Ben had. Most of us learned how to do things without the right tools from growing up around here.
They all had a couple drinks pretty quickly, talking and hanging out. Ben stayed next to me on the frame of the truck. "You know, I was kind of surprised when you agreed to go out with me," he said when the others were distracted.
"Why?" I asked, looking over at him as a shiver pulling through my body. I tightened my shirt around me.
"Well, Sinclair mainly," he said.
"Holden? I mean, we're friends, kind of," I shrugged. The truth is I didn't really know what we were anymore. Everything about him was confusing. I couldn't deny my feelings for him, I just didn't know if I was ready to admit them to anyone else.
Ava, Sarah, and Lenny let us know they were going to look at the cars for tonight's race. They display them at the entrance before each race. Lenny left an extra drink for Ben but took the rest of the case with him.
"Is this your first date since..." he trailed off.
"Since I disappeared?" I finished for him. "Yeah, it is." The song playing on the other side of the bleachers changed from the normal upbeat to a calm, romantic song. Ben stood up and held his hand out for me to take.
"Well, let's try and make it a good one," he said. Hesitating, I put my hand in his and he pulled me to my feet. He placed my hands on the back of his neck and his on my waist. I looked down at my feet. "What's wrong?" he asked, loosening his grip on me.
"Nothing, I'm just a really bad dancer," I admitted.
"Don't worry, so am I. We'll keep it easy," he assured me. I looked up at him and let my hands rest lazily on his shoulders.
YOU ARE READING
Guardian
Fantasy"Thank you," I said, reaching out for my books. "You're welcome, Ronnie," he replied. He searched for something in my eyes. "You have no clue who I am, do you?" "Holden," I stated. He shook his head. "Knowing a name doesn't mean much if you don't kn...
