The Tale
A/N – Thanks to all who read and review. I do appreciate it! Oh, and on my disclaimer, I forgot to say I don’t own any one in Formula One as well as NASCAR and IRL.
Chapter 3 The Tale
“Well,” Dale started. “A couple of years ago, my step-mom set me up with this Pamela chick. She was pretty and everything, tall, blond, blue eyes and all. But she turned out to be a total witch! She was one of those high-society rich bitch girls. If she wanted anything, or if anything didn’t go her exact way, she just called daddy and pouted, and she got what she wanted. She wanted to go out with me, and rub elbows with other NASCAR guys, like Gordo, and Jimmie and Ryan. And she wanted me to go mingle with her other rich society friends, if you can call them that. I kinda fell for her, but then she started treating me like crap when we weren’t in front of her friends. I mean she turned into a royal bitch. She always wanted to try driving my racecar. I had to keep explaining that you just can’t climb into a Winston Cup car and drive off. I tried to get her to go to the Petty school, but she only wanted to drive my car. Oh, except when she tried to convince Steve to let her drive the #1 car.”
“Oh my God.” Carly moaned. “What a nightmare!”
“Yeah, you got that right. We started fighting a lot. She kept telling me I was stupid, and that I needed to clean up my language, wear better clothes, listen to different music…and she wanted me to get rid of my friends!”
Carly started to laugh. “Oh you poor thing! What did you say to her? What did you do?”
“Don’t laugh!” he said, laughing himself. “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to disappoint Teresa, or her father, but at the same time, I couldn’t take much more of her abuse! I really wanted to kick the shit out of her, but, of course, I couldn’t do that…So I seriously thought about trying to change. It was just after Daddy died, and I was kinda lost. So, I tried to spend less time with the guys, I got better clothes, which I know sounds stupid, but I was still hooked on her.”
“You’re kidding me, right? How could you possibly still be hooked on her after all that?” Carly was stunned.
“I don’t know, I just was. I’m just a stupid guy, remember?”
“You’re not stupid. Don’t ever say that again.” Carly said, wagging her finger in Dale’s face. “You got the guy part right though!” she laughed.
“Well, thank you…I guess?” he said, trying to bite her finger.
“Hey…I need that… that’s my pitching hand!” She laughed. “Go on, I want to hear more gory details!”
“Well, it all came to an end when one day I was at her father’s offices, waiting to pick her up. We were gonna go down to Daytona for the Pepsi 400. I had been down there testing all week, and I tried to get her to just fly down and meet me there, but NO! I had to fly up to Atlanta, and fly back down with her. And she made me buy a new suit. I can’t remember what the designer label even was. So…”
“Wait a minute – a suit? On the company jet? Who does that?” Carly interrupted.
“Oh- not the company jet. She would not get on our plane. She would only get on her father’s jet, or fly first class on a commercial flight.” He continued. “So there I am, uncomfortable in this suit, had been driving the racecar all morning, then flying up there, waiting for Pamela, when I can hear her in her dad’s office talking. So I got closer to the door and listened. You know who she was talking to??”
“Who?”
“Juan Montoya!”
“Ooo – Formula one hottie? Juan PABLO Montoya?” She laughed.
Dale frowned at her. “Yes, that Juan Montoya. It turns out that she was seeing him too. She was telling him that she “Had” to go to Daytona with me, to please her father, but that she’d ditch me as soon as she could and fly off to Brazil to be with him. She told him that all the NASCAR guys were just gear heads. I could not believe what I was hearing! So, I just left.”
“Just left?”
“Yep. And I didn’t look back. She called me on my cell phone, and ripped me a new one for not being where I was supposed to be.”
“What did you say?” Carly laughed.
“I told her she was a bitch, and that I knew about Montoya, and told her to go be with him, and I didn’t ever want to see her again.”
“Oh my God. Dale, that’s awful!” she got up and gave him a long kiss. She hugged him tight. “Why in the hell is she back?” Carly asked. “And why does she want me to work with her on driving a stock car?”
“I don’t know, Carly, but I will be having a discussion with Teresa about this. Mean while, you be careful, you hear me? She is a first class back-stabbing bitch. Just talk to her only as much as you have to.” He said. “I bet Steve wonders what happened to us! We better go find him!” he laughed.
They finished getting dressed, and went down stairs. Carly got her glove, and Dale got his out of his truck. Carly tossed a softball to him as they walked over to Steve’s house.
“These things are so honkin’ big!” Dale laughed. “I hope I can catch ‘em!”
“What position did you play in High school?” Carly asked him.
“Pitcher and 3rd base.” He answered. “What about you?”
“Pitcher and shortstop.”
They caught up with Steve. He looked like he’d been sleeping. “Hey, guys. Gimme a sec.” He said, as he ran to get his mitt.
Steve’s dog, Harley, ran to greet them. “How’s ma baby?” Carly said, scratching him behind his ears. “Him wuvs his auntie Carly, huh boy?” Steve re-appeared. “Steve, can we take Harley?”
“Not unless you want to throw slime-balls! Cause he’ll try to get every ball. And what took you so long? Wait – don’t answer that. I don’t wanna know.” He grinned.
“Shut up, Spark Plug, or I’m gonna have to kick your ass…” Dale laughed.
“You know, someday I’d like to see you try. Just for fun! We’ll have, like, an exhibition fight. One of those Iron Man things.” Steve said, giving Dale a shove. “We’ll sell tickets, and use the money to pay your hospital bills when we’re done!” he laughed.
“Bring it on!” Dale said.
“Oh geez!” Carly said. “I can’t believe you two. You’re such…such…Men!” She laughed.
“Thanks, babe!” Dale said.
“Yeah” Steve said, slipping his arm around Carly. “Thanks! You’re sweet!”
Steve and Carly had knocked part of the fence out between their two yards, to open up the space more. They went out back to toss some softballs. They just warmed up at first, then Carly threw some fast pitches.
“Ow! My arm is rusty. We’re gonna have to take this slow. I think I’m getting old.” Carly whined.
“Oh, God, Carly, how old are you anyway? I know you’re not as old as I am!” Steve laughed.
“27” she answered. “How old are you Steve-o?”
“35…Eight years older than you! And I can throw to second base from behind the plate, and nail any runner!” He boasted.
“OK! You don’t have to rub it in! You have bigger arms than me!”
“Dale – do we hear whining?” Steve asked.
“I think we do Steve-o, yes I think we hear whining!” Dale agreed. “What do we do to whiners?” he asked.
“We make ‘em eat grass, Junior!” Steve started to walk towards Carly. “Come here, sissy la-la!”
Carly ran for her life! She tried to get back into the house, but she could not run as fast as the guys. She did give them a good run for the money, before Steve caught hold of her shirt. Much to his surprise, she managed to wriggle out of her shirt, and left him standing there with it hanging from his fist. But she turned and took off, straight into Dale’s arms.
“Look at you, miss soccer player!” he laughed as he picked her up off her feet. She struggled with all her strength, but she couldn’t get a way.
Steve grabbed her legs. “How ‘bout the hot tub?” he asked.
“Naw, she already had a bath.” Dale answered. “I like the grass idea!”
“Noooo- please! Letmego!” she laughed.
“And- I know she’s ticklish!” Dale continued.
“Pleeeeeeze Letmego!!” she laughed again. “Don’t hurt me!”
“More whining! Listen to that!”
They threw her on the grass and started tickling her until she started to cry. “You guys are mean!” she whimpered when they finally stopped. Dale cradled her in his lap and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“Aw, I’m sorry baby!”
“Me too Carly!” Steve said, as he brushed her hair out of her face. They helped her to her feet. She took three steps and turned around to face them.
“You suckers! Now I know exactly how to get you!” she laughed, and ran in the house and locked the door. She made them promise to be nice before she let them in.
“So where are we going for dinner?” she asked them.
“Ribs?” Dale suggested.
“Oh, yeah. Ribs is good!” Steve answered. Carly agreed. She slipped into some nicer clothes, then they left.
Dinner was great. They laughed, and talked. When they had finished, they decided to go to a new club that was up the street from the restaurant.
The club was crowded. But, it was a fun crowd, and Steve soon met a girl he liked, and started dancing. Dale and Carly danced for a while, then they sat down in a little booth in a corner, and ordered drinks. Steve and his new friend soon joined them.
“Megan, this is Dale and Carly. Guys, this is Megan.” He introduced them.
“Hi!” Dale and Carly said.
“Oh! You’re Dale Earnhardt Jr., aren’t you?” she recognized him.
“Yes, I am. You like racing?” he asked.
“Um, I don’t really follow it too much, but my dad and brother are total fans! So you race with Steve?”
“Yeah, we do! We’re teammates, actually. But – uh, that doesn’t mean I don’t try to whup him in a race whenever I can.” Dale laughed. “Or her either!” he said, motioning to Carly.
“Oh my God! You race cars too?” Megan looked at Carly.
“Yeah, someone has to show these guys how it’s done!” Carly answered.
They chatted for a while, and were having a great time, when Dale spotted something that made him freeze. “Steve-o, look behind you, ten o’clock…”
Steve slowly turned around. He stared. “Ho – ly shit, Junior. We gotta get out of here.”
“10-4, Steve.” Dale answered.
