He poured himself a cup of coffee, and we sat around and shot the breeze, still talking about the project. He couldn't get it off his mind. Flynn's enthusiasm was infectious.
Jack joined us not long after, and we chowed down on the sky deck, enjoying the amber rays of morning as the marina came to life. Gulls drifted on the breeze, and waves gently lapped against hulls.
I felt much better after breakfast and took Buddy out for a walk. I forced myself to get a workout in, then took a shower, got dressed, and headed up to the Five Fathoms for lunch.
I borrowed Jack's Porsche and pulled up to the valet. I hopped out and gave the kid some money, then stepped inside. I scanned the immediate area and spotted the speed demon. She looked as delectable as ever. With a smile, I said, "Good to see you.”
"You as well. They’re pretty busy. I got us on a list. We should be able to get a table in about 15 or 20 minutes.”
"What's the reservation under?”
"Kendra,” she said.
I stepped up to the hostess and flashed my badge. "We are on the list, but I'm in the middle of an investigation. If there's any way you could get us a table earlier, I'd appreciate it."
The cute girl looked up at me and smiled. She batted her lashes. "I'll see what I can do. What's your name?”
"Wild. Tyson Wild. Thank you."
26
Istepped back to Kendra. Before I could say anything, the hostess had grabbed two menus. "Mr. Wild. Your table’s ready."
We followed her as she weaved through the busy restaurant. Forks clinked against plates, and chatter drifted through the air. The aroma of grilled food wafted. It smelled delicious, as always.
"That's a neat trick,” Kendra asked. “Does that always work?"
With a grin, I said, "Most of the time.”
The hostess seated us in a booth toward the back of the restaurant. We slid into the comfy leather benches across from each other and settled in. The cute blonde dealt out menus and said, "Someone will be with you shortly. Enjoy your meal."
I slipped her $20 and smiled appreciatively.
Kendra cracked her menu and started browsing. "I take it you've been here before?”
"Many times.”
"It really is the best on the island. Good choice."
"So who put you up to this?" I said with a grin.
Kendra's brow wrinkled with confusion. "Put me up to this?"
"Well, I saw you talking to Bill Wimbley. I'm assuming you're one of his riders.”
A guilty frown tugged her face. "Yes. I'm one of his riders. But nobody put me up to this. He did, however, encourage me to make nice, since he is considering you as a potential team member. It really depends on what you do on the track. From what I've seen, you've got skills, you’re aggressive, and you're not afraid. Those are great attributes when it comes to racing.”
"So Bill wanted you to convince me to join the team."
Kendra gave me a flat look. "Bill is not my pimp. I'm not here to make him or anyone else happy. I'm here because I felt bad about what happened, and I wanted to express my regret. Something tells me we might meet each other on the track again, and I'd rather keep the beef there. I don't like drama. I'm not fueled by rivalries. When I'm out there, I'm racing against myself. My personal best.”
"I think that's a great philosophy. Winning doesn’t always mean a trophy. Sometimes winning is just giving it everything you’ve got. Too many people are afraid to give it everything, on and off the track.”
“I have a theory about that,” she said.
“If you give it everything and fail, you’ve got no excuses. No one to blame. That can be a tough pill to swallow.”
“If you never push the limits, you’ll never know what you’re truly capable of.”
