“What about Farina?” I ask, his name coming to mind quickly.
“He’s no longer competing,” he replies.
“And he’s gone completely off-grid,” I remind him. After last year’s win, it’s as if Farina fell off of the face of the earth. Not many people have heard or seen him in months.
Atypical for someone who’s been in the sport as long as he was and finally won the championship he sought for years.
“What would be his motivation to do this to you now? Last year it would’ve made sense since you were his main competitor. But now?”
I run my hand through my hair, not knowing the answer to that question. I never really liked Farina. He was too boisterous for my liking. And while I, too, enjoy my fair share of parties and the women that come along with this lifestyle, I had limits.
Nothing makes sense at this point, but I’m willing to look into every avenue at this point. I want whoever sent that threat eliminated.
“I’ll look into it,” my uncle says. “Give Alyssia a call. If there’s anything wrong, call me back immediately. But I’m sure, for now, this piece of shit is trying to scare you into doing his bidding.
“I suspect that before the next race they’ll try to make contact again with heavier demands.”
I nod although he can’t see me. As soon as I disconnect from the call with my uncle, I call Alyssia.
My heart races as the phone rings. A litany of unsavory images pass through my mind in between the time I press ‘send’ and she answers.
“Congratulations.”
I lean on the wooden back of the chair at the desk, squeezing it as the air I’d been holding expresses from my lungs. The sound of her voice is the best thing I’ve heard all day.
My back goes ramrod straight as I realize how true that thought it.
Hearing Alyssia’s voice is better than hearing the crowd cheer as the announcer says my name as the winner of the Montreal Grand Prix.
Holy shit.
“Hi,” I murmur through the lump in my throat. “It’s too late to keep you up,” I say, guilt mixing in with fear and much deeper feelings I’m still trying to process.
“I’m a night person. I told you already.”
She had, and the night I spent at her apartment we’d stayed up until almost two in the morning, talking, kissing, and holding one another. It was me who fell asleep first.
“Besides, with the baby coming, I should get used to staying up at all hours of the night.”
“I started the second book in theWhat to Expectseries,” I tell her while trying to calm my racing heart. “We can try sleep training,” I suggest.
“We?” She laughs. “You’ll be up in the middle of the night, helping?” The disbelief in her voice sends me reeling.
“Of course,” I reply. “Do you think I’ll let you sit up all night while our baby wails?”
There’s a pause.
“I hadn’t thought about it much. I just assumed since you travel so much for work you wouldn’t, you know.”
My hand tightens on the phone. “I won’t be a part-time dad. I know my career is … a lot. We’ll get extra help if we need, but I won’t have you do all of the heavy lifting when it comes to parenting.”
A resentment I’ve never felt for my career wells up inside of me. This isn’t the first time I thought about how busy my job is and how that’ll work out with the amount of time I can spend with Alyssia and our baby. But hearing the hesitation inher voice, brings all of the doubts I’ve tried to suppress to the surface.
It also reminds me that there’s another threat hanging over our heads due to my career.
“Speaking of,” I segway. “Last week I suggested you move into the apartment while your uncles are in town. Have you given it some consideration?”
We haven’t talked about it since I brought it up again, but with what I just found under my door, it’s even more imperative to have Alyssia closer, where she’s safer. I can hire security for her apartment, but it would be easier if she were to move into my apartment.
