“I can’t today. I’ll be with Debbie.”
“Where is she?” I take a look around, but I don’t see her.
“She’s still sleeping. She says she needs some more rest.”
I nod. Who could blame her? She must be exhausted from all the media attention she has to endure for being Mike Jones’s wife. Until now, she has accompanied him to every practice and every race he has participated in. I can tell how much she loves him, she’s not just using him for his fame and glory. It must be difficult for her to see all the groupies offering themselves to him day after day, not caring one bit about the fact that he’s happily married. She must really have nerves of steel to not do anything about the offensive remarks groupies like to throw her way. It’s hard to tell what women want from us. I’m not saying I’m not flattered by their attention, but that’s it. Women only notice me because I’m a famous racer, and every one of them wants their fifteen minutes of fame. Sometimes, I let them have the spotlight for a night. There are so many gala events, openings and charity balls throughout the year that I need someone to accompany me. If any of them strike my fancy, I invite them with me. No woman has ever said no.
After a quick breakfast, I pull on some old basketball shorts, a T-shirt, and some earphones in my ears. The fast rock beats matching my running tempo. Nothing is better than running on the beach. It’s not too hot and it’s not too cold. The weather is perfect for running. My sneakers are digging into the beach sand. It’s still early, so nobody is out here yet, only the seagulls are keeping me company. After a while, I can feel the sweat trickling down my spine, and from under my baseball cap. My breathing is fast. I notice a faint shape of a person a few hundred feet in front of me, sitting by the water. It looks like the person is throwing pebbles into the water. I take a look at my watch and gradually slow down until I stop. I’ve been running for about 45 minutes, so I stretch my muscles. When I get closer to the person, I can see that it’s a brown-haired girl. She looks like she’s lost in thought, staring into distance. If I wasn’t sick of random groupies, I would say she’s pretty. Not just pretty. Beautiful. I bend down to stretch the muscles of my legs. When I raise my gaze again, my eyes meet her eyes, which are also brown, watching me. She smiles faintly, tucks a strand of hair that the sea breeze blew in her face behind her ear, and turns to the water again. I study her; I find it interesting she didn’t approach me immediately. I’m used to women throwing themselves at me the moment they spot me. She stands up soon after, cleans the sand off her jeans and starts walking away from the water, past me. This time, she only briefly glances my way and continues walking, leaving me completely mesmerized by her eyes, and forever imprinted in my memory.
We head toward the circuit, to our trailers, and then Mike and I go put on our leathers, boots and gloves while our bikes are being prepared. It’s finally time for me to take my turn around the track. I put on a helmet, do a few stretches, and sit on the bike. I can hear the flashes from the cameras go off behind me, but I don’t pay attention to them. I take a deep breath and turn on the bike, which purrs like a kitten. A member of my team pushes me forward, and I am driving on the track. I skillfully maneuver the turns, quickly figure out where the hidden ‘traps’ are, and enjoy myself. I love racing and the sensations that come with it. After me, Mike and the other racers try out the track.
The next day, we repeat the practice, but this time we also compete for starting positions. I come in second, so I’ll be starting from second position on the grid, and Lars Braun, the German racer for team Ducati, will be in the pole position. He was in second place in the last race. After a few interviews, a visit from some people who won VIP tickets to visit the circuit and meet the racers, and a couple of autographs later, Mike and I head to my trailer, tired as hell. I hand him a beer, and we plop down on the couch in front of the TV. As soon as I turn it on, I see the footage of our practice, the reporter already speaking:
“...day. The current world champion, Jake Burns, will start the last, eighteenth race of this season, from the second starting position. German racer Braun, who was five miliseconds faster than Burns, will be starting from first place on the grid. Mike Jones will be starting third.” He lists the rest of the racers and their starting positions, and then my interview is on.
“I’m happy with second position, even though I could’ve turned some laps better which would guarantee me the best time. My biggest competitor at this moment is Gonzales. It all depends on tomorrow’s race who will bring home the cup, but I’ll do my best to ride the race without any mistakes.”