“You need me to change her?” Luke asked Violet. Luke shoved his stool back and walked to Violet. Rose reached her arms out for her dad, he pulled her from Violet, and the baby snuggled into his chest.
“Your princess is good to go for a couple of hours.” Violet ran her fingers through her hair. “You think we could start potty training her at six months? I don’t think I can handle diapers for two more years.”
“Uh, I think you might want to tack on another year to that.” Ash had turned three and a half before he even finally started to show interest in using the toilet.
Violet groaned and sat down on the stool Luke had vacated. “Somebody caffeinate me, stat.”
“I told you that you shouldn’t have another baby.” Ash grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and reached into the fridge. “My vote wasn’t taken into account.”
“That would be because you were eight, Ash.” Luke bounced Rose on his hip.
“Well, I’m almost eleven now. I think we should discuss me moving to Uncle Mitch’s. He doesn’t have babies to live with, and I think for me to have a more Zen attitude, I need to experience life without a baby.”
My mouth dropped, and Violet slowly raised her head from her hands. “Zen attitude?” She pointed a finger at him. “No more YouTube. I don’t know where else you would get that crap from.”
“I think you need to spend a little more time in the shop with me and less time with your head buried in that tablet,” Luke chimed in.
It was nice to have Luke focus his harping on someone else. “YouTube is a black hole that will suck you in and spit you out on the waaaay wrong side of the internet.”
“Not helping,” Luke mumbled.
“What do you mean the wrong side of the internet? It’s just weird eating videos and guys playing video games that he watches.”
Uh, Violet had obviously never spent much time on YouTube. I couldn’t even count how many times I had innocently searched for something, and then two hours later, I was watching two girls and a cup, or videos comparing the size of animals penises. I looked at Luke who knew exactly what I was talking about.
“You just might want to check out YouTube a bit more,” I advised.
“You’re supposed to be the cool aunt, not the lame one who tells my parents to take my phone away.” Ash grabbed the same cereal I had tried to eat before Luke made me lose my appetite and filled his bowl.
“I’m still the cool aunt. Last I checked, Scarlett and Leelee didn’t get you VIP passes for the race next month.” I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms over my chest. I had pulled a lot of strings to get twelve passes for the whole family. Everyone was allowed on pit row, but you had to stay behind the barriers. With me getting everyone VIP passes, they got to go behind the barriers and get a hell of a lot closer.
“Yeah, for a team you don’t even work for anymore,” Ash snickered.
I scowled and wondered if all almost-eleven-year-olds were as dickish as he was. They probably were.
“She could have gotten her job back had she actually talked to Brooks Cummings this morning instead of hanging up on him.”
“He called,” Violet screeched. “Does he sound as handsome as he looks?”
Luke spun around and scowled at Violet.
She held her hands up and shrugged. “Oh, come on. Like you don’t think he’s good looking.”
“I don’t,” Luke growled. “Just like you shouldn’t since your thirty-seven, married, and have two kids.”
“And it looks like Mom is sleeping on the couch tonight,” Ash snickered.
“Oh, come on, Luke. You can’t be mad at Vi. It’s not like she was drooling over the guy.” I tried to defend Violet.
“She fucking squealed,” he said lowly. “I can’t tell you the last time she squealed for me.”
Ash threw his hands over his ears and made a loud, annoying buzzing sound. Rose tried to imitate her brother but didn’t quite have the fine motor skills it took to put her hands over her ears. She flailed her arms, hit Luke in the face, and squawked.
“This is all your fault,” Luke shouted over Rose and Ash.
I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and made my escape to my room while Violet tried to quiet everyone down. This was how meals normally ended with Luke, Violet, and the kids. Though this time, Violet had been the one to stick her foot in her mouth.
Who would have thought she liked Brooks Cummings? Definitely not me. She had my brother, who, from the sound of it, did not appreciate the fact that Violet had taken note of Brooks’ good looks.
Brooks was a good-looking guy. I couldn’t deny it.
But, that was the only nice thing I had to say about him. Not like I knew the guy personally, but the way he had treated me and the fact that he was barely ever around gave me a different view of him.
He was a pompous dick.
Most people said he was getting by on his father’s fame and talent. I agreed with that to a point.
I think he shot to the top so quickly because of who his father was, but he had to have some talent to be able to hang with all the other drivers. Granted, he did get one of the best cars on the track because he had a bombass pit crew, but he still needed to know how to drive, and that was one thing I saw firsthand that he knew well.
“Gah, but he’s such a dick,” I moaned out loud.
And that was why I was here. Living above Luke’s shop just like I was fifteen again.
I slumped against the closed door and slowly slid down ‘til my ass touched the floor and my knees were to my chest. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” I mumbled.
I had been on the top of the world, working for one of the most popular race teams in the NHRA, and now, I was unemployed. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see Remy had texted me.
What are you doing?
Ugh. I didn’t really want to have the same conversation with Remy that I had been having for the past two weeks. Skydiving.
Say what!?!?!?!
So gullible. I’m doing nothing, Remy. Same thing I’ve been doing for two weeks.
Brooks call you?
How in the hell would he know about Brooks calling me? He did.
And?
He was just as bad as Luke. And I hung up on him.
Frank. You need to talk to him. We need you back here. We’re going into a five week stretch of races, and we all know we can’t do this without you.
My fingers flew across the screen. You may know that, but I really doubt Douchebag Cummings knows that.
Maybe he does know it. That’s why he called you.
Well, he didn’t call me back so it must not have been that important.
The next time he calls, take the stick out of your ass, and answer the damn phone.
I powered off my phone and tossed it next to my shoes. I didn’t need Remy’s bullshit. I didn’t have a stick up my ass. I wasn’t the one who was giving credit to someone who didn’t deserve it. Fucking Jay had gotten more thank yous than I have ever gotten, and he didn’t do a damn thing.
I wasn’t going to talk to Brooks Cummings.
I wasn’t going to grovel for my job back.
I was fine right where I was. It may take me a second, but I was going to get back on my feet.
Brooks Cummings could show up at my door, and I still wouldn’t agree to ever work for him again.