It wasn’t a coincidence. She’d admitted that herself. Kelly went to that specific bar because it was my birthday, not just randomly. But I still didn’t know what brought her back here. Colby was right. I needed to find out if there was anything behind this thing with Kelly, or if I needed to just focus on finding closure to it. For the last three years, I’d been measuring every woman I dated up against Kelly, and that wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair to the other women, who would never be able to compete with her. And it wasn’t fair to me, who would always feel like I was missing out, no matter who I was with. I needed to figure out once and for all if something real could happen for us or if I just needed to put Kelly in my memories and be open to someone else.
By the time I parked at the complex and headed toward the garage, I was sure I knew what I wanted. I just wasn’t counting on Kelly surprising me two days in a row.
6
Kelly
Usually I tried to be a fairly positive person. Even when things were going wrong or I was dealing with a difficult time, I tried my best to be optimistic and use positive thinking to get me through. Not that it always worked. I wasn’t one of those dreamy-eyed whimsical people who truly believed they could create anything in their lives just by whispering sweet nothings out into the universe or some ridiculous nonsense like that. But I did believe that optimism and trying to see the good in every situation gave me a mental boost that helped me think more clearly and handle situations better. It had done me well over the last few years as I dealt with life throwing me curveballs like it was the bottom of the ninth and the score was all tied up.
That morning, not so much. My internal monologue as I walked across the impressive grounds and into the sprawling garage was essentially shit, shit, shit, shit.
It didn’t start out that way. I actually started that morning feeling cautiously optimistic and telling myself to be confident. It wasn’t going to be an easy sell, but if there was anybody who could do it, it was me. I would be able to go to that racing complex, talk to the owner, and convince him I was a perfect addition to his team. Sure, it wouldn’t be easy to put over being a female mechanic. As much progress as has been made in equality, there was still a lot to be done in this industry. People still tended to have a difficult time wrapping their head around a woman working on machinery. Especially a woman who still showed up in makeup. There was a disconnect there some people struggled to try to reconcile, but I refused to let closed-mindedness stop me.
I was damn good at what I did. And I had the experience and resume to back it up. All I needed to do was show that confidence, get them to talk to me, and let them prove myself. I told myself that and gave myself little pep talks the entire drive to the Freeman Racing complex. The guard smiling at me when he waved me through the gates seemed like a good sign, but the positive feeling started fading when I got to the main building where I was meeting the owner. As soon as I saw him, something tickled in the back of my mind. He looked vaguely familiar. Not in that way where you know you’ve met someone or even have had a conversation with them. More in the way I knew I’d seen him but couldn’t specifically place him.
“Good morning,” he said, coming toward me as I approached. “You must be Kelly.”
I took the hand he extended toward me and smiled back.
“Yes. Kelly Hollister.”
“I’m Quentin Freeman,” he said, shaking my hand, then stepping to the side to gesture at an older man nearby. “And this is my father.”
“Gus,” the older man said with a cheerful grin. “Good to meet you.”
“You too,” I said.
“Well, I’ve looked over your resume, and it’s very impressive. If you’d like, I’ll show you around the complex, then we’ll go down to the garage. The rider should be arriving pretty soon, and I’m sure he’d like to talk to you, too,” Quentin said.
I nodded. “I’d like that.”
We started walking around the grounds, and both men showed me around, pointing out different features and amenities. They were kind and friendly without even a hint of condescension. Neither one of them mentioned that I was a woman or made any sort of suggestion about me not being able to do the job. That was incredibly refreshing. Even in situations when I got a position, there was never a time when it didn’t come up a few times how different it was to see a woman in a garage. Many people thought they were being supportive or even edgy when they commented on it. Like they could acknowledge it to prove just how “cool with it” they were. Those were often the most uncomfortable of encounters. But the Freemans weren’t doing any of that. They were just showing me around and telling me about the company and the team, and I quickly liked both of them.