Hot Lap Pause Spin Off Completed
Chapter 11
The present
Emma's POV:
"Has JT taught you nothing?" Xavier hisses at me when I fail to use brakes around the corner. I momentarily lose control of my car as it skids off of the tracks in circles.
My car eventually comes to a slow halt.
I glance up at Xavier sheepishly as I step out of my car. "He taught me speed but as you can see, I'm still lacking in the control department," I answer, realizing that Jay is right about the 'first mastering sharp corners at high speeds' thing. I just got lucky last time. When trying it now, I failed hopelessly.
Xavier rolls his eyes. "Of course, the idiot taught you to speed, that's all he relies on. He has no true skill."
I hold back a laugh. JT knows what he's doing and even Xavier knows it, he just refuses to admit it.
"Get your pretty little head out of the clouds, Em, you're not JT. You can't win on speed alone," Xavier remarks stubbornly, refusing to give JT credit where it's due.
After my awkward encounter with Xavier, he'd insisted that he'd teach me driving techniques and racing strategies from here on out. I accepted because, let's face it, I prefer his company to JT's. Jay has a tendency to come across as intimidating. He's sweet but intimidating.
"There's more to racing than just speed?" I ask sarcastically just for the hell of it. I enjoy bugging the life out of him. It's only fair seeing as he always does the same to me.
"You want your tires to utilize most of the traction. I get that you want to go around bends as fast as possible but you still got to take it with smoothness. Your sharp change in power is upsetting the car's traction balance," Xavier explains and as a racer, I actually understand what he's trying to say.
"In other words, I might as well be racing on ice," I say to him.
He nods. "Exactly." He then grins teasingly while eyeing me up and down, "I guess you're not just all about looks then? Got some brains after all."
I ignore him, still pondering over his explanation. "So, if I lose control, like I just did, it's unlikely that I'd gain control of my car again?" I question. "In spite of all my experience?"
"Experience means nothing. Even the pros like JT and myself have trouble gaining control once all traction has been lost. It's not because we don't know how but because there's no traction left to work with. That's why it's imperative to learn to be consistent in smooth braking and accelerating," he elaborates, making actual sense. "In other words, control is your weak area."
I pout at this, unhappy that he's being so blunt about my racing flaws. Then again, I suppose I need to hear it in order to solve the problem.
"We all have weak areas, Em," he tries to sugarcoat it now -- it's a bit late but whatever. "Mine is passing but my strength is reference points. Landon's is bends; his strength is straight-lining. JT's is lack of brakes; his strength is agility and control. Grey's weaknesses are losing and just sucking in everything. He has no strengths," he jokes on the last part in hopes of making me laugh. He's successful in his attempt.
"If he were here to hear that, he'd kick your ass," I say through my laughter.
"Luckily for me, he's not here," Xave winks at me, overconfident. "Still, I think I can take him."
"Mhm...sure," I tease, choosing to patronize him.
He thought the same before Grey kicked his ass, two years ago, when he was flirting with Nancy Montry.
"How about this?" I offer. "You can't take him in a fistfight, pretty boy, but you sure as hell can take him out on the tracks or when you take to the streets," I reassure him, not wanting to take a shot at his ego.
Xavier usually dominates Grey when it comes to racing and it irks Grey to no ends.
"You ready to go?" Xave asks me, motioning back to the tracks that I've just spent all day practicing on.
I nod as I hop back in my car. He does the same and we both proceed by lining up just behind the starting point.
Xavier glances my way, a cocky smirk on his lips, his dark eyes filling up with mischief. "Try to keep up, I'll even ride slow," he tells me mockingly, his words laced in arrogance.
I flip him the middle finger as we begin racing alongside each other.
Xavier starts off by giving me tips as he drives beside me. I can't quite hear him shouting the tips to me over the loud hum of our engines. We have a lot of horsepower -- it doesn't help, neither does the speed at which we're both going.
Xavier gets that familiar twinkle in his dark eyes whenever an idea comes to mind.
Uh oh!
He accelerates slightly, passing me by as he takes the lead.
Once he's sure that I can keep up with his current pace, he starts showing me all his secret strategies to racing.
I begin following his movements from the back, taking on everything he does. I struggle in the beginning but I soon get the hang of some of it. When he slows, I slow. When he speeds, I speed. I also take note of his reference points, his steering and his heel-toe downshift.
Eventually, we both just let go and end up enjoying the time we have together. We throw away the racing methods for the time being. We've done enough training for today. It's now time to mess around.
I laugh when he makes out as if he's going to swerve into me. I do the same to him as a chuckle spills from his lips. I can't help but crack a grin at the sound. What I like best about Xavier is the fact that he knows how to have fun. There's never a dull moment with him. He makes me feel alive. He is the very definition of 'fun to be around'.
Unfortunately, the fun stops when my cellphone starts to ring. I pull over to answer it. "Hey, 'Lan The Man', what can I do you for?" I greet my brother over the phone.
"I made in," he tells me calmly, referring to the fact that he qualified for the championships too. I forgot that he and Dean's race was today. I'm guessing Dean didn't make it...that's if he even showed up to the race. My brother's best bud is lazy.
Nonetheless, I let out a screech of joy and 'fist pump' the air. "That's great, Landon!"
I didn't doubt him for a second.
"Yeah," he continues, "anyway, Sarah suggested a double date tonight in celebration. She wants to get to know you."
Things must be getting serious between the two if Sarah wants to get to know me properly. I couldn't be happier for Lan.
"What?" I sputter as his words dawn on me. "That's short notice, don't ya think? I'd love to come but how am I supposed to find a date in such little time?"
"Make a plan," is his answer before he hangs up on me.
I sigh and hit the steering wheel in aggravation.
Xavier stops beside me to see what the hold-up is. My eyes flicker over to him before a smile plays at the corner of my lips.
If Landon wants to be difficult, then I shall bring the most difficult date of all...
*~*~**~*~*
"So, just to reiterate, you're asking me out on a date?" Xavier asks with his infamous smirk plastered on his lips. His dark eyes are gleaming in amusement while I squirm and fidget uncomfortably under his piercing gaze.
"Yes," I groan in humiliation.
He tries to hide a grin but purposely fails to do so.
He can say no. The thought scares me. I said no when he asked me. Now, is the perfect chance for him to get his revenge.
"Lovely," he answers, his dark eyes still glimmering at me tauntingly. "I'll agree to it," he concludes easily, not thinking twice about it.
I blow out a breath of relief and my green eyes glitter up in hope. "Thank you."
"On one condition," he adds.
I roll my eyes at the way he just played that.
"Said my thanks too early," I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest as I raise a prodding brow at him, encouraging him to get out with it.
"I drive," he lays down his terms and conditions.
"No way!" I immediately protest.
Anything else would have been more acceptable.
"Way," he flashes me a charming grin. "That or no date. I might suddenly find myself very busy," he takes full advantage of the situation like the sly, slick devil he is.
"Fine," I grumble out in defeat, not at all pleased.
His face lights up at my words as he takes the rest of the day off just to mock me. "So, to reiterate once again, to be explicitly clear, you just asked me out, correct?"
I'll never live this down.
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