On the way to the podium, Benson caught up with him and shoved his forearm into Coop’s chest. “Mother fucker. Who the hell do you think you are?”
Coop didn’t think; he reacted. He punched out, catching Benson’s shoulder. “Your worst fucking nightmare, now back the fuck up.”
Benson flipped him off and rode off like he had won the race. Well, he’d still have overall first in points, but fuck him. What Coop needed to figure out was what he was going to say in the interview, because they would be asking. And then, how he was going to avoid getting killed in the second main, because the three top racers would be gunning for him hard. Westrum, Bishop, and now Benson. Oh shit, not to mention Cannon, who was currently in second, because if Coop won the next one, he’d be stealing that spot.
Brett had words about his aggression, of course, but it was Rick’s words that meant something to him. “That was incredibly aggressive, Coop. I thought…I mean. I was worried. You know you can get yourself hurt or killed out there.”
“It’s racing.” Coop shrugged. He’d shrugged off most comments like that, but his heart hurt a little hearing it fromRick. He wanted Rick’s unconditional support. “If you want to be the best—be first—you have to take risks. It’s calculated. I didn’t do anything I didn’t think I wouldn’t get away with.”
“Okay, but. Maybe there are more important things than getting away with something to win.”
“What are you saying?”
“I don’t know. I guess, I mean, I don’t know racing. This is new to me, but it seems unsportsmanlike. And I don’t like that.”
Coop didn’t know what to think or say. “Rick. It’s a show. Sure, it’s a sport. It’s competitive. A bit dangerous. But at the end of the day, it’s entertainment. These people come here to see exactly what I gave them. Aggression. Crashes. Moves like I made. It makes me a fan favorite.”
“I think it makes you an asshole.”
Coop grabbed Rick and pulled him into a hug. He rocked him back and forth with a chuckle. “That is true. That is my reputation on the track. But outside of the arena, that’s not me. Is it? Have I ever been an asshole to you?” He kissed the side of Rick’s head, smelling that minty ocean again.
“No…”
“Exactly. Think of it as acting. Okay?” That was a good way of putting it. Maybe something Rick could accept. It was true, in a way. But being that asshole came incredibly easily to Coop.
“I think it’s the danger that bothered me more than anything.” Rick looked into Coop’s eyes, grabbing his shoulders. “You could get hurt out there from simply racing. When you pull moves like that, the danger increases. Doesn’t it? You could end your career with one wrong injury.”
Coop smiled as sweetly as he could. “You’re not wrong, but injuries are a part of this sport. I’ve broken my arm, wrist.” Heheld up his left hand as if to show Rick his previous injury. “Cracked my collarbone.”
“I don’t know if I like that.”
Coop turned and pulled the top of his jersey to the side, where the scar was, to show Rick that he could take a hit and bounce back.
But Rick didn’t take it that way. “I’ve seen that,” he said as he turned away.
“Hey, hey.” Coop reached out and pulled Rick back to him before he could get away. “I don’t break easily.”
“You’re still human.” He shook his head.
“What?” Cooper was confused. This was his life. He’d lived it since he was three. He didn’t know how to make Rick understand. Letting him in was harder than he thought it would be.
“I guess I wanted to hear something else.”
“Like what?”
“Like, you’ll be more careful. No, don’t look at me like that. You have someone else besides yourself to think about now.”
Coop took second place in the second main event and an overall second place both for this race and the season. Cannon crashed on the first lap, through no fault of Coop’s. And he had no idea what happened to Westrum. But Benson took first. Because Coop let him have it. Because Rick’s words kept playing through his head. Coop had someone else to think about besides himself.
He rocked up to the podium to do his interview and receive his trophies. He’d get two, one for the overall second and onefor the championship. He’d get a huge paycheck with massive bonuses, and so would his team. He quickly slipped into his cocky persona and answered the question being thrown at him.How did he feel?“I’m totally stoked to have pulled off second in this championship in my rookie year. But you bet I’ll be gunning for first next season.”
The interviewer’s eyes grew wide as if he’d surprised her, but she seemed to stick with her pre-picked questions. She asked, “You’re known for being aggressive on the track, but in the last main event, you were less so. What changed?”
Did he say Rick changed him? He didn’t think anyone was ready for that. He looked down, cleared his throat, taking a second to get his thoughts together. “Even if I took first in that race from Benson, I still would have had second for the championship. Why potentially set myself up for an injury in the last race over it? If I’d wrecked? I would have blown it. I don’t normally play it safe, but I’m learning to see the big picture.”
“Is that your biggest takeaway of the season?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’d like to thank my sponsors, Bandy Tires…” He went on to recognize his team and other sponsors. It was a technique he’d learned to keep the media from asking more questions. But that last answer was a lie. His biggest takeaway from this season was how he felt about Rick. The man had somehow become important to him. The celebrations were going to continue all night long, but for the first time ever, he wanted someone for more than a night. He wanted Rick as his forever.
