Page 21 of Over the Limit

“Sounds like a promotion to me. Tell me more.”

She studies me for a beat, and I wish I knew what those eyes were asking. “You know the masquerade ball I was asking about earlier?”

Everyone does. In fact, there are a lot of requirements of us as drivers—events we need to be seen at, parties we need to host, sponsors we need to promote—but the masquerade ball that raises funds to help disadvantaged youth participate in our sport is one that all of us enjoy. “Wait. It’s yours now? For next year?”

“No. For this year.”

“Wow. Holding your feet to the fire, huh?”

She smiles. “Yes, and without much warning but that will only allow me to prove I work great under pressure and with time constraints.”

“I’m impressed.” I slide a glass her way and pick up mine. “To not limiting your challenges, but to challenging your limits.”

Blair clinks her glass against mine and then bursts out laughing. “You’ve been saving that one for a long time, haven’t you?”

I grin and lift a hand. “Guilty as charged. I heard it somewhere a long time ago. Been keeping it with me for the right time and—”

“And I’m the right time.” She takes a sip, her eyes on me from above the rim of her glass, and then scrunches her nose because of the bubbles tickling it.

“You are.” I take a sip myself and fight the wince. I hate this shit but will drink it for her. “So now you get to pull together an event on borrowed time. How well do you handle stress?” I tease.

“I guess I’m going to find out.” A slow smile crawls across her lips. “Plus . . .”

“Plus this is kind of a big deal,” I say. “I’m not going to let you play this down, Tink.”

Her grin widens. “I appreciate it. Thank you.” She takes another sip and stares at the bubbles floating up for a second before meeting my eyes. “Tell me more about you.”

“Me? Other than my love for backwards-flying hummingbirds?” I ask and she nods. “Like what?”

“Like name three things that would surprise me to find at your house.”

“Not your run-of-the-mill question.”

“I’m not your run-of-the-mill girl.”

“So I’m learning. Three things, huh?” I stop for a minute to think. “I have plants. Ones that are actually alive.”

“That’s impressive. Even I can’t pull that off.”

“I have a whole bookshelf full of binders that hold newspaper clippings. They document my career from start to now. And the only reason I have them is because my grandmother makes them for me, and I don’t have the heart to tell her it embarrasses me to look at them.”

“That’s adorable and admirable. And why does it embarrass you?”

“Anyone who likes to look at themselves that much has ego issues.” I top up her glass of champagne as I try to think of something that makes me seem interesting. “And three? Hmm. I make my bed every day.”

“You do?”

I nod. “Yep. I figure if my day goes to shit, at least I know I accomplished one thing. Well, that and as a kid it was a requirement before I could leave the house to go hang with friends.”

She angles her head to the side and studies me. “Coming from a military family where the bed always had to be made, I sincerely appreciate the fact you still do it.” She scrunches her nose. “There are days where I might not make it simply as a sign of rebellion for my childhood years.”

I laugh. I like that about her. I smack my hands and rub them together. “Your turn.”

“My turn?” She sighs loudly as her lips twist in thought. “I have a small art studio in one room.”

“Art? What kind?”

“Watercolors mostly. Nothing too impressive but it’s something I like to do to relax.”