Prologue #2
Sarah stepped forward and raised a hand while the others cheered, but the night wasn’t about her, nor did she approach the podium to say anything.
Johnny had met her this past season once or twice.
She was quiet, reserved, with long brown hair she almost always pulled back in a ponytail or tucked under a hat.
For this event, she wore it loose around her shoulders.
She had also set aside racing gear for a nice blouse and slacks. He hoped she’d do well next season.
Davey continued, “While Sarah will race in the 250 East division, we’ve recruited another up-and-coming hotshot racer for the West.” Bryce stepped forward, his signature purple-streaked locks falling in his face.
He pushed them back. He also wore a suit.
Johnny only knew it was a navy Hugo Boss because he’d helped pick it out.
His lighter blue shirt and blue-and-purple tie made his amazing blue eyes pop, but Johnny couldn’t see that from where he stood in the crowd.
He remembered it from helping the kid get ready in the hotel room earlier. “Bryce Nickel. Welcome to the family.”
Bryce stood next to Davey while he listed accomplishments and aspirations.
Bryce smiled widely as Davey praised him, his eyes jumping over the crowd until they landed on Pilot and Tate.
Johnny didn’t completely understand their dynamics, but they did have love between them, regardless of how unjust it seemed to him.
The rest of the announcements went on quickly, and then soft music played as Davey and his team worked the room. It didn’t take Bryce long to make his way through the crowd and right into Pilot’s waiting arms. “Congrats, baby.”
“I’m so excited to be working with Davey. OhmyGod!”
Johnny had heard that exact line from him about a million times in the last few weeks, and he was totally over it.
He handed off his glass and decided he should go back to the hotel.
He’d endured enough of the crowd, the press, the racers.
..Pilot and his two lovers. More than any of that, he was over his bitter heart being jealous of all of it.
“Excuse me. I’d like to talk with you, Bryce, if I could for a minute.
” They turned to look at the man who spoke, expecting someone from the press wanting an exclusive interview or something.
The man wore an expensive suit and tie and held himself with an air of confidence.
His professionally cut hair glimmered with a touch of red, and his deep brown eyes sparkled with a hint of trouble.
“I’m Gavin Peri. I represent BikeMax Toyota.
” He held out a card to Bryce, who tentatively took it and stared at it as if it might bite him.
“I know you just signed with Apex, but we’re prepared to offer you a better deal. ”
Bryce laughed, and Tate laughed too. Pilot scowled. Johnny couldn’t stop looking at this Gavin Peri.
“I’d like to meet with you.”
“Look, Mr. Peri,” Bryce started.
“We’re new, but we have major backing. I know we made a mistake with our previous racer choices—”
“It’s not that. But if you don’t have Davey McAllister working with you...”
Tate threw in, “And you don’t.”
“Then I’m not interested.” Bryce tried to hand his business card back.
Gavin held his hand up. “No. Keep it. You never know when you might change your mind. And, hell. You can’t blame a man for trying.” He held his hand out, and Bryce shook it.
Johnny stood there, staring. He loved this man’s boldness. Gavin Peri. He rolled the name around in his head.
“Yes?” He turned to look at Johnny. Did he say his name out loud?
He swallowed hard and held his hand out. “I’m Johnny Killebrew. I work with the security team.”
Gavin cocked his head. “You don’t look like security.”
Johnny noticed Pilot’s trio slowly backed away, leaving him to talk with Gavin alone. On the one hand, he was thankful because this Gavin Peri was yummy, but on the other...he was out of his element. “Uh...owner. I do finance, mainly.”
“Ah...I’m an agent, manager...whatever, but my background is finance. Graduated with a degree from Ohio State.”
“University of Colorado.”
“Ah...both cold. I live in LA now. I love it. The BikeMax team is headquartered there.”
Johnny nodded and bit his bottom lip. He didn’t know what else to say for a moment. He stared at Gavin Peri’s plump lips surrounded by a neatly trimmed beard, the same color of his hair, like honey almonds.
“So...Mr. Killebrew. It, uh...very nice meeting you.”
Johnny didn’t want to end the conversation. He nodded and quickly blurted out the first question he could think of to keep it going. “What? How? Uh...how did you get involved with Supercross?”
“That, my new friend, is a very long story.” Did he step a little closer? “Would you like to get a drink? Somewhere else? I could tell you all about it.” His eyebrows rose in question.
Johnny wanted to do more than get a drink with the guy.
He wanted to see those fabulously lush lips wrapped around his cock.
He wanted to rub his hands through that soft hair and scratchy beard.
..he needed to stop thinking like that, or he’d pop wood, and his pants were cut too well for that.
They would show everything. He took a calming breath.
“If you’re not interested, I apologize—”
“No. No. I’m very interested. There’s a quiet restaurant here. In the hotel. In this place, it’s open twenty-four seven.”
“Great. Do you need to tell your, uh...” He waved his hand and looked around, presumably to indicate Pilot’s trio, but they’d made their way across the room. Johnny only spotted them because he could search for Pilot’s buzz cut sticking out above the crowd.
“Nope. I’m a grown man. I’m single. I answer to myself.”
“I’m single too.”
“Good.” Johnny winked at him. He couldn’t wait to get to know this guy. “Come tell me more, Gavin Peri. I’d like to get to know you.”
He took Johnny’s arm and leaned close to his ear. His hot breath sent a chill up Johnny’s spine as he said in a low husky voice, “I like hearing you say my name.”
That was the perfect place to start.