Chapter nine
Cole
I stopped packing my bag and picked up the phone, even though I didn’t recognize the number calling. “Cole here.”
“Hi, Cole,” the perky voice said. “I’m Johnny Killebrew from BikeMax Toyota. Do you have a second?”
BikeMax? Had they already heard I’d been dumped, and why would they want me? After the Parker-fiasco, I wouldn’t think they’d ever be considering me. “Uh, sure.”
“Great. So, I work with Gavin Peri, and he’s a tad busy right now, but after his conversation with a couple of friends of yours, he’d like to take an initial meeting and see how we could help each other.”
Friends? What friends did I have who would be talking to Gavin Peri? “You mean a sponsorship? Me riding for BikeMax?”
“Maybe.”
“But no promises, right?”
“There’s a lot to discuss. You may want to bring your agent or manager with you.”
“I don’t have one.”
“Uh, I’m gonna be honest with you, Cole. I’m relatively new to the Supercross world, but even I know that’s a bad idea. There are legal things to discuss, and you want someone looking out for you. Maybe bring Nix and Jason. They at least seem to care about you.”
Nix was behind this. I should have known. “Okay. Send me the information, and I’ll think about it.”
“Sure. Thanks, Cole.”
I wasn’t sure what exactly I should be thinking about all this.
On one hand, it had been a nice gesture, but Nix should have talked to me about it first. Maybe I didn’t want to race for BikeMax.
Particularly, after all that shit with Parker.
The press would bring it all back up when I only wanted it to die and fade away.
How could our relationship work? Nix was pushy and demanding, and I couldn’t give him what he wanted. I wasn’t sure I wanted a relationship at all. And favors like calling Gavin Peri. Behind my back. I didn’t know how I felt about that.
I needed to do some soul searching. Not only about Nix, our relationship, and how it could work, if it could work, and if I wanted it, but also about my career, racing, and what teams might be interested in taking me on. It was too much all at once.
Blowing off steam sounded good. I grabbed sweats and my sneakers out of my bag. It wouldn’t hurt me to go for a good run before heading out. I had some time. No one was standing around the RV, rushing me.
My feet pounded the ground around the track area.
I stayed to the outside so I wouldn’t be too bothered by other teams. Most were packing up, the racers already gone, but not entirely.
There were a few around. Some nodded at me as I ran by, avoiding the jumps and other obstacles.
They probably thought I was crazy, but racers were an odd breed anyway.
Not to mention I didn’t give a fuck what they thought.
I knew I should consider other teams, including BikeMax. I needed to get on somewhere fast. It’d be better to announce it from my camp than let KTM slaughter me in the media.
By the time I made it back around to the KTM trailer—no longer my trailer—I hadn’t resolved anything, but maybe I felt a little less bitter about it.
Or maybe not.
I took a quick shower, dressed, then packed up the rest of my bags. It was time to go home.
I stared down at my phone. Maybe I should take a minute to call a couple of teams. I dialed a few where I had good contacts.
Left a few messages. Got one or two assistants, rather than the team managers, who promised call backs.
It didn’t seem like I was getting anywhere.
My phone wasn’t ringing off the hook, either.
No call backs. They needed more time, time I didn’t have.
Never hiring a personal manager that worked for me probably had me screwed.
I could have that manager calling around for me right now.
They’d have better connections to the right people.
Maybe that would have helped in negotiations with KTM, too.
Vick’s interest was always KTM over me. I didn’t admit it until it was too late.
I didn’t have time to hire anyone now, and that might leave BikeMax as my only opportunity left.
I shot off a message to Nix telling him we were setting up that meeting with Gavin and asking him to come with me. Nix wasn’t a manager, but at least I’d have someone in my court. I trusted him to be thinking about my best interests in this matter.
After everything, I only felt hurt. I knew I had a bad attitude, a bad rep. The previous association with Parker didn’t help. Even though I left that behind, others may not see it that way. I needed advice.
I searched out the Apex team. Maybe Davey would be around.
We’d gotten on better terms at the center in Jacksonville, once I squashed my ego over catching him with Tyler.
I might not ever be best friends with him, but it wouldn’t hurt to get some perspective from someone with his experience in Supercross, and with getting bad media. He’d managed to turn his issues around.
Davey stretched, pushing a box over his head into a compartment. He was packing the last few things away in the Apex trailer. “I’m not sure I can help you, Cole.”
“Well, you did go through a social media smear when you were outed. You turned it around. I know this isn’t the same thing, exactly, but it’s still dealing with bad press.”
Davey turned and looked at me. “Maybe you should come out. That would get you over the old Parker stuff.”
“It’d make me look like a hypocrite.”
“Well…”
“Don’t give me that shoe fits bullshit.” I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest. The conversation wasn’t going where I thought it would. “Not that any of this shit matters. If I don’t get on a team fast, I’m done.”
“That’s a bit dramatic.” Davey clapped my shoulder. “If KTM throws out the news before you’re ready, you just ride it. Like everything else we do. Some other team you haven’t even considered might pop up after the news is out. It won’t be long. You’re a talented rider.”
“And injured.”
“Which is why this is going to make KTM look bad. What kind of jerk cans someone who’s still injured?
Plus, I think they pushed you way too hard.
” He pointed his finger at me as if I had anything to do with it.
“But Johnny was right. You need a manager. I’ll call around and see if I can get you a few recommendations.
And feel out what teams might be worth talking to, but Cole? ”
“Yeah?”
“BikeMax is a strong team. They’re going to be sponsoring top racers. They’re no joke, so don’t count them out.”
“I’m not. I’m meeting with them for sure. It’s just the Parker shit. I don’t know if Gavin or his sponsors wants to see my face every day after that.”
Davey laughed. “Probably not, but he won’t have to. He’ll hook you up with trainers and a bike and there you go. You know the drill.”
I huffed. I knew what he was saying. “Still…”
“I’ll put a word in with Gavin, too. You know, about your reformed ways.” Davey winked at me. What the hell?
“What are you talking about?”
“Everyone knows about Nix. Well, everyone who was around yesterday. People saw the kiss and saw you leave with him.”
“We weren’t hiding it.” I held my hand up. “And it has nothing to do with my performance on the track.”
“I know, but it’ll make Gavin more comfortable.”
I hadn’t thought about that angle. Proof I was gay turning out to be what actually earned me a contract would be quite ironic. “Fine. Thanks.”
Davey grabbed my shoulders and turned me around. “Now, get out of here, so I can finish this up.”
I waved and left. I needed to pick up my bags and get the hell out of there myself.
As I walked away from the trailer, I realized I wasn’t so mad at Nix.
I wanted to find him, talk to him. And other things.
I was so fucking horny. Maybe we could make out in the KTM trailer.
Since it was the last time I would have access to it, I might as well get some use out of it.
I shot a text off to see if Nix would meet me there.