The Fast Lane

Chapter 12

I woke up extra early the next morning.  I was trying to run out of the house before Harry woke up so I could do some shopping.  I got dressed, quickly grabbed my purse, and kissed Harry on the forehead before dashing out of the room.  I turned into the kitchen and ran straight into Alyssa. 

"Jesus!" I yelped. 

"No, again.  Alyssa," she said, looking me up and down and taking a sip of her coffee.  "Why does everyone keep calling me Jesus?" 

I chuckled.  She had a sense of humor.  ”I’m so sorry.  I was just going out to do some shopping before Harry woke up.”

"I used to do that with my husband." She looked down at the counter like she was having a flashback.  She sighed and finally smiled at me for the first time. "He hated spending money so I would always sneak out before he could object.  BUT occasionally he would buy me the nicest things."  I sat down at the bar and looked over to her.

"Oh, please don’t sit.  I have to leave in a moment anyway," she said, waving her hand at me.  I played with my necklace a little bit and looked around.  I was kind of hoping she would talk to me a little bit, but it suddenly became awkward.  I didn’t know what to say.  She took another sip of her coffee. 

"Look, I don’t really know you very well so I hate to get personal or anything, but I heard what Harry said to you last night." My eyes widened and I looked down and around at my shoes.  For as much as she "hated to get personal," she certainly just did.  "Don’t be embarrassed, please.  I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.  The last couple of times I’ve met you I haven’t really been very nice.  I’ve just never really liked any of Harry’s little girlfriends.  They’re all just trying to get his money and I hate that." 

I looked back up at her.  ”I swear, I’m really-“

"I know. I can tell you’re different, and you definitely look different." She laughed, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.  "Oh no no dear, I mean that in a good way.  Harry told me a little bit about you.  You certainly sound special, and if you’re special enough for an "I love you" from him, then I guess I should get to know you a little bit better."  She walked over to the bar across from me and put her hands on mine.  She looked into my face. "I do want to ask one thing though.  He told me he would stop racing.  Is he still racing?" 

I looked around, unsure of what to say.  I didn’t want to give Harry away if he was hiding the racing from her, but I had just gotten on Alyssa’s good side and I didn’t want to lie to her.  However, I hesitated too long.

"I thought so." She sighed and looked out the window behind me.  "After Jase died, he and Tom promised me they wouldn’t race anymore." 

"Jase? Was that your husband?" I asked.

She looked at me, a little shocked. “Harry didn’t tell you about Jase?” 

My stomach fell a little bit. Who? “No.” 

She sighed again and put her head in her hands.  ”Jase was our oldest son.  He used to race too.  He died in an explosion when his car collided with another during one of his races.” She shook her head and looked up at me.  She turned around and walked back to the kitchen when the tears began to roll down her cheeks. “I hate the racing.  I really hate it.” 

I sat for a moment, a little stunned that Harry could leave out something so significant about his family when he told me about himself.  ”I hate the racing too,” I finally had the gumption to say.  ”I… don’t usually tell people about this, but I had a best friend who died in a race too.  It wasn’t like the street racing, I mean, we were just speeding around a farm.  But she crashed into a tree and flew through the windshield.”  I looked down at my feet again.  ”I’ve been thinking about talking to Harry about stopping, but I just see how much he loves it and I just don’t want to be the one to take that happiness away, you know?”