Chapter 23 – Otis
“Where are they?” I demand. Jasper, Lars and I have been home for over an hour and there is still no sight of the others. Jasper’s mood is darkening by the second, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
I have moved all the laptops, iPads and TV controls from the living room to stop Jasper from looking anything up.
I didn’t need him listening or reading any more shit from Clive.
Marcus had given me a heads up that Clive has already given a news station an interview, which seems very quick, but it also means that the longer Montague Racing stays silent the worse it’s going to be once a statement is made.
“They’re not too far behind us now,” Lars confirms. “They all took different routes to make sure that the press weren’t following them.”
“Suppose that is the best plan.” I hadn’t thought about that fact, but then my only concern has been Jasper.
When he said that he was going to leave and that I wasn’t to follow him, my world tilted on its axis.
How could Jasper just push me away so quickly?
But it was then that I realised that Jasper was spiralling out of control.
The damage Clive did to Jasper always surprises.
How he can turn my confident fun-loving man into an unsure wreck.
I know that I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing and telling Jasper just how wonderful he is, and how much he is loved.
“They’re here,” Lars announces.
“I’ll go and let them in.”
Getting up from the couch, I place a kiss on top of Jasper’s head.
I don’t think he even notices that I have moved, but that just increases the rage I feel against Clive.
I have never been a violent man. I always felt that talking was the answer.
But Clive, oh I don’t want to talk to him.
I want to rip him apart, piece him back together only to rip him apart again. Yet even that is too good for him.
Pushing the button to open the back gate, I stand at the top of the garden, the same place Jasper was standing when I visited here all those months ago, and wait for the rest of the party to arrive.
A black Mercedes pulls into the spot next to Lars’s car and I see Mum, Kimber, Marcus and Vincent get out.
Behind them, walking into the garden are Charmaine, Richard, and David, the gate slowly closing behind them.
I almost want to break down crying. Everyone is here, hopefully this is going to improve Jasper’s spirit.
“How is he?” Mum asks, rushing up to me.
“Hurting, quiet,” I explained.
“Take me to him. It’s times like this that a person needs his mum.”
“You know you’re my mum?” I ask.
“And I am that man’s mum-in-law. That is close enough for me, and from what Kimber has said about their parents, well, they don’t deserve him. Now stop talking and take me to Jasper,” Mum demands.
“Mum, we aren’t married…” I start but the look she gives me warns me to shut up. “This way, guys, we’re in the living room.”
I lead them all into the living room and Mum rushes over to him, sitting down next to him and pulling him into a hug that only a mum can pull you into.
“She really does love Jasper, doesn’t she?” Kimber’s voice sounds next to me.
“Shit, yeah. Are you okay with that?” Not sure how I would feel if I saw my sibling getting love and affection from someone else’s mum.
“I’m okay. It’s just he won’t need me anymore and that feels a little strange,” Kimber replies.
“He will. My mum is not going to replace you. Jasper will always need you. At the moment I think he’s trying to protect us all.”
“True,” Kimber replies.
“Plus Mum doesn’t live around the corner like you do,” I add with a smile.
“Would she move down here?” Kimber asks as she looks over to Mum, who is still holding Jasper.
“No. Dad is up there. Her life is up there,” I say, and I know I would never ask Mum to move away from that.
“That means we’re just going to have to visit more often,” Kimber adds.
“Mum would like that, especially when we’re away,” I add.
“Right,” Vincent voices, taking control of the room, and I see Jasper look up at him.
“Vincent, I am so sorry. I will resign effective immediately,” Jasper states. “I don’t want to bring any more bad press to the team.”
“You can’t resign from the team. This Clive has already mentioned the team and so if you suddenly quit then that will look bad on us.”
“But…” Jasper adds.
“There are no buts,” Vincent starts. “First of all, I need to know about Clive. How much of what he is saying is true?”
“Most of it,” Jasper starts, and I just stand there and listen while Jasper tells Vincent about Clive, but I notice that he leaves out some vital information.
“Jasper. You need to tell him everything,” I say, going over to him.
“I can’t,” Jasper starts.
“Then I will,” I say, and give a nod to my mum to move and I go and sit next to him, “Vincent, Clive and Jasper dated, sort of,” I confirm. “But Clive was married at the time. He refused to be seen out in public with Jasper, and then broke his spirit.”
“Is this right Jasper? Clive is married?” Vincent asks.
“Yes. I spotted him one day in town,” Jasper whispers in confirmation.
“Well, that is interesting,” Vincent adds.
When I look up, I see Charmaine staring at us, a confused expression on her face, and she keeps looking at me, then to Jasper and back to me. Reaching out, I take hold of Jasper’s hand and raise it to my lips.
“Okay,” Charmaine finally voices, “I’m missing something here.”
“Has no one told Charmaine about me and Jasper?” I voice.
“No, they haven’t,” Charmaine replies, looking over to Vincent.
“Oh right, sorry. Yeah Jasper and Otis are dating,” Vincent confirms. “Now back to Clive.”
“No. We are going to talk about Jasper and Otis for a minute,” Charmaine states.
“I think at the moment we need to concentrate on the situation with Clive and circle back around to these two,” Vincent adds.
“I didn’t know,” Richard pipes up, but I don’t think that is going to make Charmaine feel any better.
“This team really needs to stop keeping relationships a secret,” Charmaine exclaims.
“In my defence,” I say over to Charmaine, “I wasn’t sure how the team would react to someone being straight and then announcing I was with a man, added to the fact it’s my debut year.”
“So you were pulling a Lars,” Charmaine responds.
“Hey!” Lars protests, “not sure I want to be brought into this.”
“You started all the secret relationship stuff. My job was quiet until you came along,” Charmaine adds, but I notice that there is no malice in her voice. She is just stating facts.
“But God, that must have been boring,” Lars replies, giving her a wink.
“Guys, we are going off topic,” Vincent’s voice booms. “Richard, Marcus, do you have any thoughts?”
“The press are lapping up the story,” Marcus adds, “So for me, I think that we have two options. We come out and say that Clive is lying, or we tell the truth. Somehow discredit Clive.”
“I don’t think lying would be any good,” Richard voices. “Look at last year when David came out, the press instantly started looking into Jasper’s past. “
“So you think going with the truth will be the answer?” Vincent asks.
“I can’t bring Kimber or her business into this. I need to protect her,” Jasper states.
“How about we come out?” I voice, and the entire room turns to me.
“What?” Jasper exclaims.
“We confirm that you worked in the industry. We confirm that you knew Clive, but then we tell them we are together. We can even say that I knew about your past. The story of another gay racing driver could be enough to distract the press.”
“Charmaine, Marcus, could that work?” Vincent asks.
“That could,” Charmaine responds, but Marcus stays worryingly silent.
“Marcus?” Vincent probes.
“Otis, I’m sorry, but I’m not sure it will. There are two already openly gay team members. Would announcing the third really be that sensational? The team is known for being accepting.”
“Not if we use my ‘being straight’ angle. Remember last year, the reporter that asked me about my sexuality and how I felt about driving for a team that had openly gay members?”
Marcus pauses for a moment and goes over to a bag that I hadn’t seen him bring in. Opening it up, I see him pull out an iPad and start frantically tapping the screen.
“What on earth are you doing?” Vincent asks.
“Looking at that interview. Seeing if I can find comments from the members of the public.” Marcus goes quiet again as he keeps looking at the iPad, “You know,” he suddenly states, “Jasper and Otis coming out might work. There are some comments here stating that Otis should move teams, that Vincent would show Lars preferential treatment.”
“What?” Vincent exclaims.
Turning to Jasper, I squeeze his hands so that he is looking at me. There is so much uncertainty in his eyes, and it breaks my heart. “What do you think?” I ask him.
“I think that you wanted this year to be about your driving. Like Lars. I don’t want to take away from that,” Jasper replies.
“I did. But Clive has changed that.” Because there is no point in sugar coating the truth. “This has nothing to do with my driving and everything to do with the team and us. I need to protect you and the team.”
“If you do this, you will need to tell the team first,” Vincent adds. “They can’t find out from a news conference.”
“That’s fair,” I reply, before turning my attention back to Jasper. “Jasper, sweetheart, the ball is in your court. I will do whatever you need, but know this. I am never going to deny you, ever.”
“You would come out?” Jasper whispers, “What about the rest of the season?”
“I keep racing, beat Lars and do something he couldn’t,” I add.
“Which is?” Lars asks.
“Become world Champion while being out in the open about my relationship,” I say. “With more wins under my belt, too.”
“Hey!” Lars complains, but I notice that he doesn’t try to argue with me.
“So, is everyone in agreement?” Vincent asks. “Jasper confirms he was in a relationship with Clive and then you come out.”