May 7^th - Darlington, South Carolina

Martin stood in the garage area at Darlington.  He looked around at all the people at work on their cars before qualifying was about to begin.  He didn’t even see Junior walk up beside him.  “What’re you looking for?”

“Nothing,” Martin replied absentmindedly.  Truth be told he was looking for her.  She hadn’t made her appearance yet and he was starting to worry about her.

“You’re looking for her aren’t you?” Junior asked him.  “Don’t get your hopes up.”

“I’m not and I won’t,” Martin sighed.

~~~***~~~

Martin slid into bed that night.  He had a long day tomorrow with the race under the lights.  He had qualified well so that was off his mind.  Now his mind was focused on her.  He was still worried about her.  She had promised that she’d be here and she had yet to show up.

He fell into a fitful sleep.  The dream he was having seemed to be too real to him.  She was there in his dream, walking down pit road toward him.  She stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes.  “Hello Martin.”

“Hi,” he replied with a smile.  He felt her hand brush against his cheek and he leaned into the touch.  She felt real to him.  He felt something beginning to stir in him.  He felt her breath on his neck as she whispered in his ear. 

The dream was getting too real for him.  His eyes opened and she was sitting there on the edge of his bed staring down at him.  She smiled when she saw that he had awoken.

“You’re here,” Martin said surprised.

“Yes,” she laughed.  “I told you I would be.  You did good today.”

“Thank you,” he replied looking her over.  “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” she replied looking into his eyes.

“Why did you feel so real in my dream?” he glanced at her.

“I am what you make me.  If you want me to be real I am.  Only you can see me now.  No one else can.  That’s the way it works,” she replied.  Martin let his mind wander.  She laughed causing him to come back to reality.  “I know what you’re thinking.”

“Oh really,” he replied leaning closer to her letting his lips brush her cheek.  “What am I thinking?”

“That you want to do this,” she replied pushing him back on the bed straddling him.

He raised his eyebrows at her.  “Maybe I did and maybe I didn’t, but I like where this is going.”

She laughed and took the clip out of her hair letting it cascade down her back.  She leaned down and kissed him again.  “Just one more thing.  After this that’s it.”

Martin thought it over for a minute.  “I’m fine,” he replied picking up where they left off.

~~~***~~~

Martin woke up the next morning and all traces of her were gone again.  He got ready to go meet Junior and the rest of the guys for a late breakfast.  They all headed out to a local place that they had frequented many times before.

“So Martin, what’s this I hear about a commotion at your coach last night?”  Junior asked him as they waited for their food.

“It was nothing,” Martin shrugged.  “I fell asleep with the TV on and accidentally hit the remote which turned up the volume.  It happens.”

“Yeah right.  It sounded like you and some girl,” Kevin replied.

“Speaking of which, have you seen her?” Tony asked.

Martin shook his head.  “Nope and I don’t know if I will.  It’s still early.”

Junior about spit his juice.  “Man you were looking for her yesterday and don’t deny it either.”

“She never showed, so you can’t prove that I was,” martin replied thankful that their food arrived.

~~~***~~~ 

She appeared later that day in his coach.  “You were wonderful last night.”

“So were you,” Martin replied watching her blush.

“Don’t worry about the others.  They’re just jealous,” she replied as she sat down next to him.

“I’m not,” he said getting his firesuit from the closet so he could get dressed.

“You ready to race Martin?” she asked while he changed in his bedroom.

“Yeah and with you by my side I can do no wrong,” he replied as he heard her laughter fill his coach.

“I’ll see you out there,” she replied and left before he could see her again.

~~~***~~~

Martin noticed she stayed pretty quiet as he drove around the track.  All he heard was his crew chief and spotter letting him know what was going on, on the track.  He tried to keep his focus on the race and was failing miserably.

“You can do it Martin,” she said quietly.  He smiled at her voice.

“Big wreck off of 2.  Go low,” his spotter said.

“What do you think?” he asked her.

“Go low Martin.  If you go either way you’ll still wreck, but if you go low it won’t be as bad,” she replied.

He did as he was told and she was right.  He got spun out in the mess and kissed the wall with his car.  He couldn’t’ see anything with the wall of smoke that covered the track.

“Martin you all right?” his crew chief asked him over the radio.

“I’m fine,” he radioed back slowly driving his car to pit road so he could take it to the garage.

“You did your best,” she said as Martin surveyed the damage.

“You’re not mad?” he asked surprised.

“No there wasn’t much you could do like the others could,” she replied.

“I’m leaving tonight,” he said quietly after a pause.  “So I’ll see you in October?”

“Yeah, October sounds good,” she replied.  “Good luck Martin.”   He could feel her embrace him in a hug and she was gone.

Series 1: First Sight, Second Time Around, Third Times The Charm, Final Destiny