Never Again(17)

Jake



I’m standing on the beach, watching Ella as she walks away. I finally found out her name. It’s as beautiful as she is. She does seem different than the rest of the girls I’ve slept with, but she’s definitely going to show her true colors once I get her in my bed. I’m holding the jacket that has been draped around her shoulders until a minute ago. She told me she comes from the same city as me. Too bad I haven’t met her before. I join my group of friends, and we spend an hour or so more on the beach before returning back to our trailers. Tomorrow, I have an interview scheduled with one of the Spanish radios, and then I’m finally going home. We’re finished with races for a few months, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be training like crazy, preparing for next season.



“Good morning, Mr. Burns, Mr. Jones,” Jose Ruiz, one of the radio presenters, greets us on the air.

“Hello,” Mike and I say at the same time.

“How are you two doing? What are you going to do now that the season is over? Do you have any special plans?” Mike is the first one to respond.

“Yes, I plan on taking a month’s vacation so my wife and I can go home to Australia. Our families miss us very much and we miss them, too. And we’re going on a trip, just the two of us.” Jose nods.

“Sounds interesting. Can you reveal where you two are going?”

“Let it be a secret,” Mike responds, and Jose smiles.

“What about you, Jake? Do you have anything special planned? Will you be able to escape from all the fans that are following your every step?”

“Vacation will have to wait for a while. I’m going home to see my family first, and of course, I have to train. If I want to continue my success in the next season, I need to work hard. There’s a younger generation of racers coming, and they have motivation and want fame, so it won’t be easy to remain on top.”

“How do you feel as the world champion? Feel any different this time around?”

Scratching my scalp, I shake my head. “Each year is special in its own way. It cannot be described. I’m very pleased with this year’s results. Otherwise, I don’t feel any differently. I’m still the same old Jake Burns.”

“Mike has a wife, but what about you? Is there a special girl who has won your heart?”

Looking at each other, Mike and I laugh out loud.

“Nope, I’m still happily single.” And it will remain that way for a long time. Why would I search for something special if I can try out a different flavor every day? And at the moment, Ella is ‘my flavor of the day.’ I have never chased after a woman, they always run to me, but I think that’s the reason Ella intrigues me so much.

After an hour, our interview is over, so Mike and I head out to our rental car where our two bodyguards are waiting along with a group of fans and reporters. We have bodyguards for special occasions like this one—interviews and prearranged appointments—when the public knows our location. All we can hear is:

“Mike, are you still married?”

“Jake, I want to have your babies.”

“Can I get an autograph?”

“Can I take a picture with you?” It goes on and on. Finally, we push our way through the crowd to the car and drive to our trailers.

“Fuck, it gets worse every time,” Mike shakes his head. “Thank God I’m getting away from this madhouse soon. Mate, if it gets too hard, you know you’re always welcome in Australia.”

I wave my hand. “I’ll be alright. I’ll be spending some time with my folks anyway, so I won’t be bored.”

“How are Mary and Jeff? Is your dad still trying to fix that old-timer that your grandpa used to drive?” Mary and Jeff are my parents. My grandfather owned an old Ford Mustang that hasn’t worked for a while now. My dad is trying his hardest to find the car parts necessary to fix it and get it on the road again.

“As far as I remember, yeah. But I think he’s almost done. I’ll find out soon enough.”

We pack our suitcases, and leave for the airport in our rental car. Mike and Debbie are headed directly to Australia, so we say our goodbyes, and then the rest of us wait for our flight to the United States. Head down and baseball cap on my head, I head to the coffee shop. I try to be as inconspicuous as possible because I don’t want to raise attention with fans squealing and following me. Coffee in hand, I turn around, about to join my team, when I crash into a petite girl.

“Sorry,” I say, with my head bowed.

“Jake?” a gentle voice says and when I raise my head, I’m met with Ella’s chocolate brown eyes.