Oxterionn: Of Love and Fast Cars

2011

Fiona sat with Charlie's on again/off again (although currently on) girlfriend Natalie and nervously watched the race. She had seen Red drive before, but not like this. It was bigger, faster, and the stakes were higher. She did not understand how Natalie sat there calmly sipping her drink and casually checking the progress of the race between tweeting about her new diet and taking selfies with her tiny dog. She had tried starting a conversation with Fiona about this new dress she'd bought from a designer Fiona had never heard of, but the discussion did not get very far. It was clear Natalie was an experienced veteran of F1 races, having been to many Grand Prix's all over the world, and was no longer phased by the crowds, reporters, cameras, and the global scale of the race. She had been with Charlie since he won the World Championship and was considered a standard at most F1 races.

"Calm down, hon. Get a drink." She finally said to Fiona. She placed an orange painted nail on the rim of her glass and added, "and get me another while you're up."

Fiona did not like being called 'hon' or asked to get drinks, but she obliged. Perhaps a drink was exactly what she needed right now. She returned with their drinks and tried to relax after taking a few sips. The race was still only half over, and Red was slowly climbing his way closer to the front.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Fiona asked Natalie.

"Don't worry about him he'll be fine."

"I mean, do you think he'll make it past Robicheaux?" She clarified.

Natalie looked at her like she was crazy. "Charlie's been riding Robicheaux's ass for the past sixteen laps, do you really think Red can do better?" She shook her head skeptically, but Fiona shrugged. She knew Red had an amazing ability to make a comeback when it was least expected.

"Maybe. They still have twenty-four more laps. We'll see." She leaned back and turned her attention back to the race, and Natalie angrily inspected her Tallon-Fyste colored nails. She really hated the color, that burnt-orange kind of look, but she wore it for Charlie.

One by one those twenty-four laps ticked down and Red overtook the last few cars between him and his teammate. With only five laps to go, they rode back to back for a lap, Red skirting left and right trying to pass his idol. After a very tight corner, Red found the gap and went for it, and for the first time ever he overtook his teammate. It was so surreal to him that he almost broke his concentration, but he focused on his next target: Robicheaux.

"Charlie let him pass," Natalie tsked and shook her head at her boyfriend's mistake. Fiona was about to open her mouth and rebuke this statement when they heard some excitement from the announcers. Looking back to the screen, neither Natalie nor Fiona believed what they were seeing.

"McLaughlin has overtaken Robicheaux! I repeat, Red McLaughlin has overtaken two-time World Champion Jean-Pierre Robicheaux and is now in the lead! I don't know how he did it, but he passed the flying Frenchmen like he was going for a Sunday drive!" The announcer repeated with incredible excitement, his voice rising an octave.

"Well, Fritz, he sure has had one heck of a drive this Sunday," the other announcer responded slightly calmer.

Fiona stopped listening and stood up to watch the rest of the race. Despite her earlier skepticism about Red's abilities, Natalie leaned forward and watched the last few laps with interest. As the orange car rounded the last corner on his final lap, she grabbed Fiona's hand and squeezed it in anticipation. The two were on their feet screaming as Red crossed the finish line and Fiona hugged Natalie with tears forming in her eyes.

"Come on, we've got to get down to the track," Natalie pulled Fiona out of the room and down the hall toward the paddock where the cars were coming back into the garages.

"Why?" Fiona asked, still feeling overwhelmed with Red's first win.

"Because he's going to want to give you a kiss!" Natalie smiled and pushed Fiona toward the T-F engineers gathered at the base of the podium near the three winning cars. "Now go stand close to the front so he can find you."

Fiona did as she was told, but her head was still spinning with excitement and disbelief. She could not believe he had done it! Red had finally won his first grand prix! The crowd cheered as he came in to park in front of the '1st place' sign and quickly hopped out of the cockpit. For the first time ever in his F1 career, he got to climb on top of his car as the winner and he cherished the moment.

Red ran for Fiona after jumping off his car. Fans reached out for him, waving and cheering him on, but all he saw was Fiona. He threw off his helmet and gave her a kiss, wrapping his gloved hands around her shoulders and waist.

"I love you Red McLaughlin, I love you so much I could marry you!" Fiona screamed over the noise of the crowd and kissed him one more time. He was rushed off to the podium where he tried to keep his emotions in check, but he almost lost it when the interviewer asked him what it was like to stand on the podium with his teammate and idol.

"It's amazing, it's absolutely surreal! I couldn't have gotten here without my favorite lady, so thank you. Thank you so much!" He smiled and blinked away a few tears.

If Fiona had known he meant his mom and not her, she may not have felt the way she did. But she knew in that moment that she was going to marry that freckled boy holding up a shiny first place trophy. They'd been together since eighth grade, and even though they were only twenty years old, Fiona knew she and Red belonged together. Red had been quite distracted with the crowd cheering his name, but he had not missed Fiona's declaration. Had he not already been happier than he thought possible, endorphins clouding his brain, he might have been shocked to hear her say it. But he had always known that they were meant to be together, just hearing her say it solidified this belief and he tried to figure out how to get her ring size without her knowing what he was up to.

* * *

"We need to get you out of here. You'll go crazy just staying around this apartment!" Red tried to give Kat a friendly push and evoked a half smile from her. She was on the couch, still wearing her pajamas at 4pm, and not really caring much about it. She went to school when needed, but mostly stayed home and tried to figure out what was going on. It had been a week since she contacted her dad after receiving Cal's letter, yet no response. As days ticked by she became more and more sure of his guilt in whatever plot Cal's mom had concocted. Kat needed to get to the bottom of this, yet she was terrified of finding out the truth.

"I don't know if I want to go out; I don't really feel like getting dressed up or anything," Kat slumped back in her seat. "Although I wouldn't mind getting drunk."

"You know what we should do? We should visit Charlie again." Red suggested. "I was supposed to see him today anyway, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you came along. Actually," Red added. "He asked about you the last time."

"Really? I got the feeling he didn't like me very much."

"No, he's just like that. I'm sure he'd like you if he knew you. So, what do you say?"

"Yeah, why not," Kat shrugged. What could really go wrong?

When they got to his house a few hours later, Charlie opened the door wearing nothing but a towel. Kat thought maybe he had just gotten out of the shower and averted her eyes as he seemed to be having difficulty holding up the towel and managing his balance with his cane.

"I'm just getting into the sauna, want to come?" He asked as Red and Kat came inside out of the cold. Kat had never been in a sauna, but as of recently she was open to trying new things.

"Sure, why not?" She looked over at Red, and he hesitated before agreeing. Charlie led them through the house toward the back, an area Kat had not explored when they first visited.

"It's still heating up, and I know Red doesn't like it too hot, so I'll leave it around 70," Charlie said as they reached the sauna. He pointed to a room to the side and said they could change and shower there. Charlie disappeared and left Kat and Red alone.

"So, you've done this before?" She asked him and looked around the room. She was not sure where she was supposed to change, since it was all one room. It was a nice, stone, shower room with a couple of shower heads on one wall.

"Yes, Charlie and I have been friends for quite a while, so we've been in the sauna together a couple of times. He loves the sauna, I guess it was a habit he picked up from the Finnish teammate he had before I came along."

"70 doesn't seem that hot..."

"Celsius," Red grinned and slowly began unbuttoning his shirt.

Kat's eyes shot open. 70 degrees Celsius was flipping hot. As an engineering student, especially someone who had been studying in Europe for over a month, she should have realized he meant Celsius and not Fahrenheit. "Since you've done this before, maybe you can explain exactly what we're supposed to be doing?"

Red laughed as he tugged the rest of his shirt off. "Get naked, shower, and grab a towel."

Kat looked around the room awkwardly. She was not used to showering in front of people, and Red caught on to her dilemma.

"It's okay; I've already seen you naked, I don't care; and I know Charlie doesn't care. It's okay to be naked in a sauna; it's not sexual or anything. Honestly, it's too hot to care about that." Red laughed again and continued taking his clothes off. He had removed his shirt and pants, while Kat barely took off her socks. "Come on, it's fine. Do you need some help?"

She shook her head. She did not want him helping her take her clothes off, again. But that was not what he meant. "Charlie must have some alcohol around here somewhere..." he looked through the shelves and cupboards until he found a bottle that looked familiar. “That'll work." He poured her a glass and handed it to her before pouring some for himself.

Kat took a sip, not sure of what she was drinking, and it burned her throat. Yup, that was scotch. She coughed and Red smiled apologetically.

"Is that too strong?"

"No, it's fine," she coughed again and took another sip.

"I really don't care if your underwear doesn't match; I know some girls are very particular about that," Red shrugged, and drew a smile out of Kat.

"It's not that, although I'm pretty sure they match," she tried to discretely pull her shirt away to check what color bra she was wearing, and suddenly laughed. "Why don't I just take it off?" She set her almost empty glass down and pulled her shirt off before standing to shimmy out of her skirt. "I bet they do match. Now that you've said that, I have to know. Damn it Red! You did this on purpose."

"I might have." He smiled and looked away while she slipped out of her skirt. "See, they do match!" He glanced to his left and realized Charlie was standing in the doorway watching them.

"My underwear matches!" Kat smiled when she saw him. He shook his head, as if to say 'what the hell is going on in here,' but he did not say anything.

"Uh, the sauna's ready." He gestured across the hall and looked at Red.

"We'll be right in. We just have to shower." Charlie left, and Red and Kat finally took off the rest of their clothes. They hopped into the showers, which were right next to each other causing them to accidentally bump into each other a few times and Kat giggled. They each grabbed a towel and got wrapped up before heading across the hall. Charlie was sitting nearest the stove with a beer in his hand.

"I forgot to tell you, there's beer outside if you want," Charlie said as they came in. Kat and Red both grabbed a beer and sat down near Charlie, but not too close. There was enough space for them to sit a few feet apart. The heat hit Kat like nothing she had felt before. She clutched her cold beer and tried to absorb its coldness.

Kat closed her eyes and let the heat settle in like a drug. She had not been cold, but being warmed up was comforting. Slowly it erased her problems and left an odd calming sensation she had never experienced before.

"It's hot." She stood up suddenly and wobbled a little. "It's hot." She repeated and took off her towel. She set it on the bench and sat on it, like Charlie had done, and finally decided to drink some of her beer. It was not really cold any more, but she did not care. Red and Charlie were talking about something, but she was not listening. Kat closed her eyes and was thought about as little as possible. Slowly, random thoughts and images floated through her head until a coherent sentence came to her. She slid closer to Red and put her hand on the bench between them.

"Is it okay if we hold hands?" she said quietly. Startled, Red stopped talking and hesitated before putting his hand in hers.

"Of course, Kat."

"You didn't call me Miss Katherine," she smiled.

"No, I think we’re passed that,” he winked and it was quiet for a few minutes.

“Have you ever been to a race?” Charlie asked Kat.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve never really followed any sports.”

“I’m surprised Red hasn’t taken you to any races,” Charlie gave Red a jokingly disapproving look.

Red looked shocked. “I can’t go back there so soon. How could I face them? I would be too ashamed.”

"At least I had a valid reason for not driving this year," Charlie finally said, and Kat felt Red get tense.

"There were many reasons I couldn't, you know that," Red replied quickly, and the subject was dropped.

"Are you ever going to race again?" Kat asked after a while. "I think that would be hot."

Charlie snickered and Red cleared his throat before replying. "Maybe it's time for you to get out; you’re looking a bit too warm. Why don't we go take a shower." He led her out of the sauna and she carried her towel trailing behind her, too hot to care about being naked anymore.

Kat tried to turn on the shower faucet, but failed, so Red helped her. She found the soap and rubbed it over her arms before turning to Red and, without asking, she started washing him. He stood still in shocked anticipation as she started with his shoulders, and moved lower to his chest, and then his stomach, and lower and lower.... until she was kneeling in front of him. She had not thought about this, and she had not planned it, it just kind of happened. Perhaps it was the heat from the sauna, or the beer, or the scotch, or maybe she was just ready to let go of everything, but one thing led to another and they ended up in one of Charlie’s unused guest bedrooms.