Chapter 17 – Richard
“Have you seen this?” Vincent says, as he throws a newspaper in front of me.
“Yeah, I have.”
“It’s bullshit,” he adds.
“Again, I know. The whole team knows.”
“If I was showing fucking favouritism, I would be tampering with David’s car, not Lars’s. I would be making it look like Lars was unstoppable,” Vincent exclaims, and I know all the headlines since getting to Mexico have been annoying him.
“The only people you need to be concerned about is the team, and they all know how fair you are. The people just need to be able to sell stories,” I tell him.
“It’s just…”
“Vincent, you are just going to have to drop it. They’re not going to stop, but you need to be prepared for when David is world champion. The press, I’m sure, are going to say you gave him the title.”
“They wouldn’t?” Vincent questions.
“I’m not sure but I can definitely see it happening,” I tell him, and I have to admit, those aren’t the headlines I want to see, either. They would crush David, considering how well he has been driving since July.
“David won’t deserve that,” Vincent confirms. “But I do wish I knew what’s happening with him. I knew he could drive well, but at the moment he’s unstoppable.
Me. That’s what's happened. This is what I want to tell Vincent. We sorted our shit out. We finally got together. But I just look over at Vincent and shrug my shoulders. As I look over the headlines, it makes me question our coming out plan at the end of the year. With all the rumours of David’s retirement, if, or when, we get him to sign again, they would be saying it’s because of our relationship. Which would be far from the truth.
“Have you had any movement with getting David to sign with us next year?” Vincent suddenly asked.
“No. I haven’t had any meetings with David recently. Why do you ask?” This is not a question I was expecting from Vincent, and I really hope that David and I haven’t been spotted together.
“Well, one of the guys said that they saw you at breakfast with David and Jasper before we left for Mexico,” Vincent explains.
Shit. It never even occurred to me that, when the team came in for breakfast, that Vincent would hear about it. What the fuck do I say? How can I explain sitting with them?
“They were the only guys there when I arrived. Jet lag was kicking my butt,” I tell him.
“But Jasper left, and the guys said you and David looked very animated. I thought David might have been getting annoyed that you were pushing again.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble. I was actually trying to get some dirt on Jasper,” I say, and oh, the pair of them are going to have a field day when I tell them this.
“Dirt on Jasper?”
“Yeah. You remember them explaining how they used to be friends. I wanted to know if Jasper, you know, has a particular taste in men,” I say.
“No,” Vincent replies, looking at me.
“What the hell do you mean, no? Jasper is a handsome man,” I add.
“I don’t see, Jasper, umm, meeting your needs,” Vincent adds, and how I don’t burst out laughing is beyond me, because that statement couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“How do you know? You never knew about me.”
Vincent opens his mouth to argue with me, but realises he can’t, and so closes it again before saying, “Just stay away from him, please. I have just about got my head wrapped around you liking to be tied up, I don’t want to think about others on the team being the same.”
Finally laughing, I put Vincent out of his misery. “David told me that I wasn’t his type, not sure what that means, as I’m quite a catch, but your team is safe.”
“Thank God,” Vincent mumbles, but loud enough that I hear him.
“Hey!”
“Sorry, it’s just, tied up? Why? Don’t you want to, like, run your hands over their body? Hold them?” Vincent asks, and I see that he’s genuinely interested. I consider giving him maybe a glossed over version, but fuck it, he asked.
“It’s more than just tying me up. It’s the control he has over me. Permission has to be given to me to touch or talk. If I disobey, there are consequences.”
“Consequences?” Vincents asks, rather quietly.
“Yes, consequences, the best one, my God. I am denied my orgasm. Fuck, when I do come? There is no feeling like it.”
Vincent stares at me, I swear his mouth drops open, and I believe that, for the first time ever, he might be lost for words. I wonder if maybe I might have gone too far. Gave him too much information.
“Wow,” is the word that he eventually mutters before he adds, “and you like this?”
“Don’t knock it till you try it,” I state. “I can give you some tips on how to submit.”
“No,” Vincent says, quickly. “I’m more than happy with my sex life.”
“Looks like we are both more than satisfied.”
“Okay, but why were you asking about Jasper? I thought you were happy with your actor?”
“My actor?” Confused at the question.
“The one that gave you the marks you showed me. You said it was an actor, which was why you were keeping everything a secret?” Vincent explains.
“If I remember correctly, you said that it was an actor, and I never confirmed, or denied it.”
“Seriously Rich, I’m your best friend, you can tell me who it is. I promise not to tell anyone,” Vincent actually whines.
“Like how you told me about you and Lars?” I shoot back.
“Touche.” Vincent knows that he cannot argue with this statement.
He knew that he could tell me he was gay, that he was going out with Lars, and I wouldn’t have said anything.
Deep down he respects the fact that I don’t have to tell him.
That I will when I am ready. “I think there has been too much love-life talk for one day. Are you coming down to the garage? The race will be starting soon.”
Oh, hell no. It had been bad enough trying to watch David’s races when I was in another country. If I go into the garage, my emotions will give me away, instantly.
“Do you need me there?” I ask, hoping that Vincent doesn’t need me.
“It might be good. Especially as Otis is there. You can discuss the race as it happens. Ask him what his next move would be.”
Damn. There’s no way that I’m going to be able to get out of this, but what is worse, is that Vincent is right. It will be good for Otis. Both Vincent and I are constantly aware that the jump from F2 to F1 can be huge.
“Come on then. Let’s get going. I will stay in the garage with the others, while you do your thing on the pit wall,” I say.
Getting to the garage, it’s the normal hive of activity before a race, but I’m searching for David.
I spot him at the back of the garage talking to Lars, or, should I say, walking away from Lars laughing, and from the surprised look on Lars’s face, I wish I knew what he said. I make a mental note to ask him later.
With both Lars and David making their way over to their cars, I head to the back of the garage, where I see Otis talking to one of the engineers.
You can tell from the joy on his face that he’s loving every second of being here, and I’m glad we came.
Otis should have been here from the very beginning.
“Are you sure he isn’t my type?” Jasper asks, as he comes up next to me.
“One hundred percent,” I tell him.
“And I can’t even have a try?” Jasper asks.
“No. You can’t. I told you he’s straight.”
Jaspers leans over and whispers, “Everyone thinks you are, so I have learned to never judge a book by its cover.”
“That’s a good point. Maybe we should go and find out,” I said to him.
Grabbing hold of his arm, I pull him over to Otis, just as the engineer finishes talking to him and walks away.
“Otis, are you ready for today?” I say, as I get to him.
“Yeah, but I wish it was me out there racing. This track looks like so much fun,” Otis replies.
“Your time will come. Anyway, you remember Jasper?” I say to him, and watch as a smile spreads across Otis’s face.
“Hey Jasper. Good to see you,” Otis replies, holding out his hand for Jasper to shake.
“You too, Otis.”
I spot Otis staring at his hand in Jasper’s, and there is a flash of something in his eyes. For a split second, I wonder if Otis isn’t as straight as I thought, but then, as quickly as the light was there, it was gone, and I’m second guessing my thoughts.
“Jasper, there is a rumour going around the garage that you’re gay?” Otis comes out with, and the snort I make has them both looking at me.
“Otis, that’s a little rude don’t you think? That’s Jasper’s private life?” I say over to him, but from the grinning Jasper next to me he doesn’t care.
“It’s okay Rich, I don’t mind. Yeah, I am. I’m not hiding the fact,” Jasper starts. “What about you? Is there some hot girlfriend, or boyfriend, who comes to support you?” Jasper asks, and I have to admit, that he is smooth. What a great way to get the information.
“Me and my girlfriend just broke up,” Otis replies.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said to him.
“No, it’s fine. I think we both knew it was over, and had been for a while. We were just so used to being around each other,” Otis explains.
I want to give Jasper a smug look, and say to him that I told you so, but that is not something that I can do with Otis standing right in front of us. In fact, I wouldn’t mind having some time alone with Jasper so that I could tell him what I said to Vincent.
“Otis, come look at this.” A voice sounds from across the garage.
“Excuse me,” Otis says.
“I’ll come over in a minute. Tell me if you think the set of the car is right for the track, or if there is something else that you would do.”
The second Otis is out of earshot; I turn to Jasper. “Told you he was straight.”
“I know, but I was so sure,” Jasper adds.
“Well, I have something that might make you smile,” I say. “I was just with Vincent, and well, someone told him about our little breakfast get together. He might come up to you and tell you to stay away from me.”
“Why?”