12. Mabel
Mabel
They appear like they are defying physics, but they are toying with it.
Pushing the machines to their limits. Understanding it and commanding the power to do what they want.
Riley fills the screen, and my heart skips.
Fuck, he looks menacing, dangerous, captivating.
He looks the complete opposite of what I know him to be.
Kind, caring, open. Why do both versions of him get me going so much?
It scratches that itch in my brain when I think about him .
Last track we were at was Philip Island, and now we are in South Australia. Two months together at Philip Island was so natural. Easy. I could be myself with no repercussions. No expectations for me to reach. Acceptance for who I am. Just as I am.
At this South Australian track, we aren’t in the same room.
But we are only in this hotel for one month, then we move to another in the same state.
Apparently, this isn’t the norm, and everyone in the paddock had to split the accommodation between the two hotels.
Rayna is working on Riley and I getting a two-bedder again.
We have become accustomed to being together.
I mean, hanging out together. Shit, I need to stop thinking like that.
Boyfriends don’t work for me. It’s just something I can’t do like a normal person.
The crew starts moving in the pit, indicating Javi is coming in. Putting my mind back on task, I pull out my phone to take some stills for our socials. Uploading and getting things sorted, an incoming call displays on my screen. Mother . Grimacing slightly, I answer the phone.
“Hello, Mother,” I answer as I head down the corridor of the pit box to the back of the garage.
“Hello? Mabel? I can’t really hear you.”
I push the heavy door to the quieter side of the pit box.
“Hello? Can you hear me now?”
“Yes. Just,” she replies through the phone.
“Sorry, it’s going to be noisy here. The bikes are on track.”
“Don’t you have an office? ”
“No. I am in the pit with the team. No office.”
“How is that professional?”
Wow, fourth sentence into the conversation and criticism. This might be a record.
“It’s the way it is here. I use my boss’ office if I really need to,” I say, rubbing my forehead. “It was the same over at rally.” If she even cared to ask over the last few years.
“I don’t see how this could be considered a proper working environment.”
“What’s been happening, Mum?” I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Quite a bit. Not that you have called to check in.”
I roll my eyes and let her berate me for not calling, and then listen to her go on about what she and Dad have been up to—which was updating me on which extended family members were pissing them off.
When I finally had enough of her complaining about my cousin’s four-year-old, I have to bail out. “Sorry, Mum, I need to go. I have a meeting I am late for.”
She replies with an unimpressed goodbye and the line cuts out. I instantly relax. How could I ever bring someone into this pathetic excuse for a family?
“Tough call?” Rayna’s voice carries in front of me.
Sighing, I reply, “Parents being difficult. Not the best relationship with them.”
“Say no more.” Rayna lifts a hand. “Wes had the worst relationship with his father. Best thing Wes did was step aside and let him live his own life. He didn’t want to put effort into being in his life, in our son’s life.
Wes had no time for that. You have to make yourself the priority in these dynamics. ”
“That is so true.” I nod my head and rub my temple.
“I'm talking with the next hotel to see if you and Riley can get a two-bedder or at least next door to each other, and they said they will see what they can do. I’ll let you know when they tell me.”
“Thanks. No stress, if not. I don’t want to put you out.”
“Not at all. It’s nice when you find a friend in the paddock. Especially in your first season.” She smiles at me.
“Do you have any paddock friends you try to get hotel rooms close to?” I ask, then feel rude for asking, maybe overstepping.
“Micah and I sometimes, but her husband accompanies a bit, so I don’t want to pressure her to hang with me. She’s come across to our team recently, so it’s nice we get to enjoy our time in the pit more so the last two seasons. She was in Riley’s team beforehand.”
“Ohhh, I’m sure that trade caused a stir!” I remark. Micah is great as Javi’s Sporting Director. She’s invaluable, and he makes sure everyone knows it.
“Riley hasn’t told you about the whole Javi stealing his team situation last season?”
“He did not !”
Rayna laughs. “Micah, Sophia, and Dave were poached from Ghostly Flux over to Infraction32 last season. We had some of Javi’s team leave for the enduro, and rally teams and had the three spots to fill. We took it as a good opportunity to build the best team in our eyes. Javi was lucky to get them.”
“I can’t imagine the negotiations to get them across.”
“Yes, I owe Koby for working together with us. We were fortunate that there were team members who were ready to step into their roles for Riley.”
Rayna’s phone starts to ring, and she groans. “That was almost fifteen minutes with no calls. Sorry, Mabel, I have to take this.”
I wave at Rayna, and she answers the call as she starts walking in the direction of the hospitality tent.
The loud noises of the motorcycles all returning into the pit boxes brings me back to what I should be doing: being in the box with the team, working and preparing for the races this weekend.
Javi, Cole, and Fleur all got top three positions, Fleur on the top step. Riley put up a tough battle with Cole, narrowly missing out on third. Everyone is in the hotel bar celebrating when Rayna approaches me as I stand at a high table, having some of the food ordered for everyone.
“Mabel, I was able to confirm with the next hotel that you and Riley can room together.”
“That’s awesome. Thanks so much, Rayna.”
“My pleasure.” She gets waved over by Fleur’s team manager, Zoey.
I watch Rayna leave, and then Nikki arrives and comes over to say hello .
“How’s everything going? Settling in well?” Nikki asks.
“Really well. Thanks for asking. Everyone is so wonderful here.”
“They all really are. I remember a time Dave came home and said…”
But her words fade into the background as I find my gaze drawn over to look at Riley, distracting me from her story. He sits with his friends. Carefree. Enjoying their company. Praising and supporting their win.
Riley’s demeanour in this moment is the polar opposite to what he was like on track a few hours ago.
He's leaning back, relaxed. His white t-shirt screams against his chest, calling attention to the muscles underneath.
Casually lifting his glass to his mouth, his eyes scan the room and settle on me.
He looks over his raised hand that cuts off his face, sending his lower face in shadow.
The allure of something mysterious and unexpected pulses something in my core.
Light hits his mouth as he lowers his hand and throws a smile over my way.
“…and I couldn’t look at him the same way after that!” Nikki ends with a laugh, breaking my stare off with Riley. I look back as her black hair falls over her shoulders as she chuckles. Joining her in a fake laugh, I pretend I was listening the whole time.
“Hi, Riley! Great effort today,” Nikki welcomes, and my head snaps to see him reach the table. By my side.
“Thanks, Nikki. We’re all so strong. Going to be a tight season. Help me out, sabotage Dave’s laptop when he leaves it unattended.” He winks at Nikki .
She laughs. “I’ll do my best. I’ll get creative, just for you. Speaking of Dave, I’m going to go find him. Good job again.” She pats my arm as she walks past me.
“How’s the food here?” He eyes the few plates on the table.
“Not bad. I didn’t get a chance to break today, so it’s good enough.”
“Did you want to go get a proper dinner?”
“I’m ok. This is fine.”
“How was your day? Any media run-ins? Have you had to bring out big bad PR bitch?”
“Nah, all good on that front. They are all really lovely. Oh, Rayna did confirm we have a double room next hotel room.”
“Yay! That’s great to hear. Been weird, not bunking with you. Miss seeing you before I go to sleep.”
Argh, and how am I not meant to lose it over that?
May - The Bend – South Australia
Sunday’s race is enthralling. Riley finishes in first, Cole second, and Fleur third.
They all battled on the bikes amazingly, and I am so proud of them all.
Riley mentioned he loves this track, and it shows.
He was smooth on the bike all weekend, both on and off the track.
Everything was working for him. He made a brazen comment that things were working because we were back in a shared hotel room, but I refuse to dwell on that thought .
I try to focus my phone on Javi back in the pit, with the respectable fourth place he finished in.
However, my eyes keep moving to the monitor in the pit with Riley’s face splashed across it.
Soaking up his accolades and showing his massive, gleaming smile.
Hair dripping with sweat and sprayed champagne sticking to his face.
He keeps running a hand through it, but it has a mind of its own and falls back down, wild and untamed, framing his face.
A few strands are stuck across his forehead, giving me ideas of what he would look like hovering over me, sweaty, panting.
My breath can’t help but catch in my throat, and my mouth goes dry.
Get a grip, Mabel. Stop entertaining these thoughts.
Tonight will be another casual get together in the hotel bar with the top three riders’ teams stopping in for a few drinks and boisterous conversations. It will also be fun and a nice way to celebrate Riley and me in the same hotel room together again.
Riley. Good-looking, athletic, funny Riley . Fuck, I have to stop thinking of him like that, I berate myself. As Javi came in fourth, he doesn’t have as many media commitments, therefore we can all leave with the team on the shuttle after the pit is packed up.
Waiting in the line to get on the shuttle, Rayna walks up beside me.
“Hey! No line cutsies, Rayna!” Sophia laughs from further back in the line.
“Please, I am the line!” she playfully throws back, smiling at me .
“Hey, Mabel, could we sit next to each other on the way to the hotel? Got a call this afternoon from the Queensland venue with a new sponsor, and we need to get a revised agenda and move a few things around for the track.”
“Sure. Let’s get it done.”
“Thanks. I’m hoping it won’t take too long.”
“Not a worry at all. I’m sure with both of us working on it, we’ll smash it out,” I reply with a smile.
“Appreciate your attitude.” Rayna smiles back and squeezes my arm.
We work as much as we can on the shuttle bus, however the team is rowdy already. It was a tough weekend and Javi only just missed out on third.
“Do you mind finishing this up in my hotel room? And then we can head down to the celebration?” Rayna asks as we get to the hotel.
“Absolutely. Will be nice to be able to hear myself think!” I laugh.
Luckily, it did not take much time to revise the document. The shuttle noise definitely impacted our productivity levels.
“Amazing. I’ll send this off and I’ll see you down in the bar.” Rayna encourages me out the door.
Standing in the long hallway, my laptop in my arms, I head to my room to drop it off.
Riley should be down in the bar by now with his friends.
What I wouldn’t give to be alone with him right now.
No, I can’t be alone with him. Not with these thoughts swirling in my mind.
He’s been so kind to me. I can’t misread too much into the small things.
He’s just being nice. I pull my room key out of my pocket and swipe in to the room.
The common area lights are on. It’s quiet, but I hear rustling and a “Hey!” from the kitchen direction over my shoulder. Turning around, I am gobsmacked.